Take Me Again (The Knight Brothers 1)

“Hi.” She treated him to an awkward wave.

“Ashley.” His voice sounded wary, his expression emotionless. “What are you doing here?”

She rubbed her hands on the front of her jeans, on her thighs. “Ethan let me in to wait. You were gone a long time, so I decided to make myself busy and I started dinner. You didn’t have much to work with,” she said, realizing she was so nervous she was rambling.

He tossed his keys on the credenza. “Where’s lover boy?”

“He left. I assume he’s on his way back to London.”

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. “He get the message this time?”

“For certain.” She shoved her hands into her front pockets, feeling awkward because he wasn’t making this easy.

His guard was up, and for that she didn’t blame him.

“Sebastian, I’m sorry about Jonathan. About asking you to leave, but I had to close that door once and for all.”

Without answering, he walked into his family room, and she followed, letting him process her words. Finally, he turned to her, and in his eyes, she saw the pain she’d caused him, in his face, the anxiety he felt thanks to her.

“It’s not the ex that has me worked up,” he said.

She came up to him and put her hand on his shoulder. “Then what is it?”

What could she do to get the soft, tender Sebastian back? The one without walls between them.

“It’s you. It’s all the uncertainty between us.”

She knew then what she had to do. “I love you, that’s certain.” Her hand slid upward, stroking his cheek. “And I realize we both came into this with no expectations. We both agreed we didn’t do relationships. Personally, I didn’t even believe in love, but you taught me that it really does exist.”

He grasped her wrist. “It’s not enough. You’ve also said, over and over, that your life is in London. If you expect me to have any kind of long-distance relationship, you need to know that’s off the table. It’s all or nothing, Ashley. And I want all of you, right here, in New York. With me.”

She blew out a relieved breath. If there was any part of her that worried that, though he loved her, he didn’t want a future, that part was now put to rest.

“I know I’m asking a lot,” he went on, unaware of her feelings. His grip on her wrist tightened with his words. Nerves. She felt his nerves as well as her own. “And I know your life is there. Your home is there, and I’m asking you to give up everything to be with me. It’s selfish. But that’s what I’m asking for.”

She smiled so wide it hurt. “That’s really good to know, because while I was making dinner, I was wondering if me, here, is something you’d like to come home to every night.”

“Wait. What?” He froze, as if afraid he hadn’t heard her correctly.

She met his gaze, willing him to understand. “You’re wrong when you say London is my home. You’re my home, Sebastian. You make me feel things I never believed were possible. Your love is worth giving up London for, because staying here, I get everything.”

He picked her up, surprising her, and she squealed as he spun her around, placing her down on her feet so he could kiss her, long and hard.

“You’re my everything,” he said, his smile as big as hers. “You understand me. You believe in me. You make me whole, giving me something I never understood I needed. And if I could give up my whole life for you, I would. Instead I promise you will never regret staying here.”

“Why would I? You’re here. My family is here. My life is here.”

Suddenly, he dropped to his knees and she gasped. “This is spontaneous, unplanned, and will be a great story to tell our children, but Ashley, I want you to marry me. To be my partner. My better half. My everything.” He reached for her hand and she placed it inside of his. “Ring to follow,” he said with a charming grin. “So what do you say?”

“I say yes.”

Upon hearing that, he rose to his feet, picked her up, and carried her into the bedroom, where he stripped off first her clothes, then his, and proceeded to seal their agreement in the way they did best.

He made love to her.

He made her his.

Epilogue

Sebastian accompanied Ashley to London to sever her lease, pack up her apartment, quit her job, and say her goodbyes. It wasn’t that he thought she’d see the place she’d lived for so long and change her mind about him and moving to New York permanently, but he was hedging his bets by accompanying her every step of the way.

Before they left, he took her to Tiffany, where he insisted she pick out her engagement ring. Considering she was going to be wearing it for the rest of her life, he wanted her to love everything about the special piece of jewelry.