His Lifeguard Obsession

He smiled and looked a thousand times less intimidating. “Call me dad,” he said and cast a look toward Rhett, who was as still as a stone behind me.

“Dad,” I obliged.

He nodded. “I like her, Rhett. She’ll keep you on your toes and make life interesting. You need that.”

The valet approached, and Arthur’s shiny town car was pulled up before the entrance. His driver waited for him by the door.

“See you for that dinner,” Arthur said, patting my hand one more time. He looked at Rhett a moment before making his way down the steps and into the car.

“So, that’s your dad,” I muttered to Rhett.

People were making their way out of the building and staring at us. I didn’t care. With Rhett’s hand holding mine, his proposal fresh in my mind, and the fact that this man had taken extraordinary steps to ensure we could be together, nothing could have upset me now.

“Yes, indeed, and you, little minx, still haven’t told me if you’re going to be my wife,’ he murmured.

I raised an eyebrow at him. “And if I said no, after all this?”

“Well, I’m afraid that’s an answer I couldn’t accept. I’m quite the negotiator, you should know. No one stops me from getting what I want.”

“That sounds like a challenge, and I’m pretty competitive, so I’d be careful,” I warned him.

“I’ll devise a plan to wear you down that’s so physically exhausting you’ll be begging me to take you to church by sundown,” he murmured, slipping a hand into the hair at the nape of my neck and tilting my head back.

“You should know that according to Victoria Blakely, you’re not the marrying type, and certainly not someone like me,” I muttered, the hurt from earlier bubbling up and escaping like gas from a bottle.

“She’s right and wrong. I’m not the marrying type, except for you… only you, Chloe.” His soft murmur took my breath away.

“You know everyone is watching, right?”

“Let them. I don’t own the club anymore. I’m not even a member” He leaned in to brush his lips across mine.

“In that case, what will you tell security? No non-members allowed. Management’s rules.” I smiled against his mouth.

“I’ll say I’m with you,” he murmured before dropping his voice. “And you should get used to it. You’ll never get rid of me, Chloe. You’re stuck with me till death do us part.” He brushed a light kiss to my lips and then pulled back, whistling for his keys from the valet.

“Where are we going?” I asked as he started purposefully down the marble stairs.

“Home. It’s time to start that negotiation… I have all sorts of plans to wear you down and make you my wife before the week is up.”

“You sound awfully determined.” I stepped into the car and smiled up at him.

He leaned on the window of the open-top car and grinned at me. “Sweetheart, you have no idea.”