Dare Me (Take Me 2)

He cracked open the lid.

His brow dipped.

Not cuff links.

His gaze lifted slowly. And connected with Nikki’s.

“What is this?” he cautiously asked. Cautiously…optimistic.

Tears suddenly tinged her eyes and she said, “It’s precisely what it looks like. A wedding band. Yours. That is…” Her lips pressed together as emotion seemed to crash over her. She was barely able to murmur, “if you’ll marry me.”

50

“I couldn’t leave the country without running a few errands,” she explained. “And I didn’t want your agents tailing me all over town and reporting back to you. So I asked Fiora to get us out of the airport, unseen… And she did.”

He mock-glowered. “You like pointing that out to me.”

With a shrug, Nikki said, “Bears mentioning, I think. In the event you have any doubt that she has mad skills as a bodyguard.”

“And as a special ops agent. I see where you’re going with this. Duly noted.”

“Thank you,” she said. “Now. About this ring, I—”

He suddenly swept her up in his arms and kissed her.

The way Damen Castillo knew would light her up, while also making her melt.

Nikki would come back to him, time and time again. Just for this. Always for this.

He lifted her slightly off her feet as she clung to him and their kiss went on and on. She felt every ounce of love flow through him, felt the tremor in his arms from holding her so fiercely, felt the heat and the desire blaze between them.

Nikki had no interest in coming up for air. She had no interest in ever letting go of him—and vice versa.

Although, eventually, a crucial thought did dawn on her.

Dragging her mouth from his, she took a second to drew in a deep stream of air, then asked, “Was that kiss strictly because we’re standing under the mistletoe, or are you saying yes to my proposal?”

His blue eyes twinkled mischievously as he countered with, “What do you think?”

Her gaze narrowed on him. “Do not toy with me at a time like this.”

With a soft chuckle, he said, “Both. And you damn well know it.”

He kissed her again.

Nikki let her mind go blank once more.

Instead of overthinking or overanalyzing anything at all, she simply gave herself, fully, to the passion arcing between them. She gave herself to Damen.

He was in no rush to speak, no rush to break the physical contact. In fact, she had no idea how long they stood under that mistletoe,

melded together.

It probably would have been another hour or more.

But then they heard a high-pitched (and familiar) shriek and two seconds later, Mads was crying, “She’s back! She’s back!” And clapping her hands while she yelled out, “Nana, Dr. Kane came back for Christmas!”

“Truly a miracle,” Damen murmured.