Claim My Baby (Crescent Cove 2)

Minus the coats and stuff, that slide down his body had been freaking hot.

“Aww, you’re pouting.”

“I’m not pouting.”

“You so are.” I leaned up on my tiptoes and rubbed my cold lips against his much warmer ones. “That was so sweet of you to do that in this weather. But I gotta say you could have just done more origami.”

“Now she tells me.” He looped his arms around my shoulders and nuzzled his way along my jaw to my neck. “Let’s go get you checked out so I can play doctor myself. My stethoscope has amazing powers of perception.”

I snorted. “I just bet.” I cupped his face and brought it back front and center. “I’d decided to say yes to going out with you before the accident.”

“Oh yeah?” He flicked his tongue along the seam of my lips. “Just go out with me, hmm?”

“And stay in. Often.”

“That will definitely be part of the plan.” He slanted his head

, his mouth teasing mine. “Now if we can—”

“Umm, no, we can’t. Aren’t you forgetting something?”

“That I’m cold and hungry and want to make sure you’re okay before I fuck your brains out? What have I missed?”

I had to grin. “Well, all very important points, but hi, bed-and-breakfast? Ring a bell? Seth told me,” Oliver’s head came up and his eyes narrowed dangerously, “um, absolutely nothing. Let’s go to the hospital. Actually, maybe I need an ambulance. Nurse!”

“He’s going to get his ass kicked!”

“Actually, no, don’t do that.”

“Why shouldn’t I? He ruined my goddamned surprise.” He strode away from me, only stopping when I chased after him and yanked hard on his sleeve, nearly pulling off his jacket. “And I’m the unromantic one? Ha! He’s a romance killer. He literally stabs it dead and leaves the smoking carcass to rot.”

Eww. But moving on.

“So, it’s true?” I demanded. “How? How did you do that when it was already sold?”

He glanced back, giving me the cockiest, sexiest smile I had ever seen. “I’m rich, baby.”

If this had been a normal night, I would’ve pulled on his ear for that statement and brought him down a few pegs. But he had made my fondest wish come true.

Because he loved me. Just as I loved him.

I leaped into his arms, trusting he would catch me. And he did, barely, staggering back a few steps as he struggled to maintain his footing in the snow as I peppered his face with kisses. “I love you. I so love you. Did I mention I loved you?”

“Yes, I think so.” He was laughing now too.

“And you’re going to run it with me? Really? Both of us?” Delighted, I brushed that wild hank of hair out of his eyes. “But what about your real job?”

“Well, I’m hoping the bed-and-breakfast is a real job too. That will make us real money.”

“You know what I mean. Working at the real estate office.”

“I’m still going to. Just part time until the bed-and-breakfast is up and running again.”

“I can’t believe it!” I wrapped my arms around his neck. “Any day now it was going to be torn down.”

“It was close,” he admitted. “And it took some serious negotiation. But I pulled it off. The saving grace was that the head of Fielding Holdings was having some misgivings about the property. He’d done some market research and found Crescent Cove really wasn’t the best place for ritzy condos.”

“Duh, you think? However, you pulled it off, I think you’re a genius.” I kissed the side of his head. “And so, so sweet. And a closet romantic to boot.”