Brooke stomped on the accelerator and her Prius picked up speed. Those days were behind her now that Nic was back in Sherdana, but at least she had the memories.
A ten-minute drive through town brought her to the hangar where Glen and his team were working on the new rocket. Brooke hadn’t been here since the day Nic had broken off with her and she was surprised how little work had been done. From what Glen had told her, the inflow of cash hadn’t dried up after the first Griffin had exploded. In fact, the mishap had alerted several new investors who’d promised funding for the project.
Brooke spent several minutes walking around the platform that held the skeleton of the Griffin II, her footsteps echoing around the empty hangar. She wasn’t accustomed to this level of inactivity and wondered if she’d misunderstood her brother’s text, asking her to meet him at the airfield rather than at his house.
As she made her way to the back of the facility where the workrooms and labs were set up, Brooke detected faint strains of music and figured her brother had gotten caught up in something and lost track of time. Except the music wasn’t coming from Glen’s office, but from Nic’s former workroom.
The wave of sorrow that swarmed over her stopped Brooke in her tracks. Someone had obviously been hired to replace Nic on the team and had been given his office. The shock of it made her dizzy, but she quickly rationalized the unsteadiness away. How could she expect forward progress on the rocket without someone taking on the fuel delivery system Nic had abandoned? With the exception of her brother, no one else on the team could match Nic’s brilliance or comprehend the intricacies of his design. Someone new would have to be brought in.
Brooke squared her shoulders and continued down the hallway. She might as well introduce herself to Nic’s replacement and start to accept the changes that he’d bring to the team.
“Hi,” she called over the music as she first knocked, and then pushed open the unlatched door. “I’m Brooke Davis, Glen’s...” Her voice trailed away as the tall man in jeans and a black T-shirt turned to greet her.
“Sister,” Nic finished for her. “He told me you might be stopping by today.”
Brooke’s throat tightened. “What are you doing here?”
“I work here.” His smile—at once familiar and utterly different from anything she’d seen before—knocked the breath from her lungs.
“I don’t understand.” She sagged back against the door frame and drank in Nic’s presence. His vibrant, imposing presence made it impossible for her to believe he was a hallucination, but she couldn’t let herself trust this amazing turn of fortune until she knew what was going on. “I left you in Sherdana. You were going to get married and make Alessandro heirs.”
Nic shook his head. “Turns out I was completely wrong for the job.”
“How so?” His wry amusement was beginning to reach through her shock. She was starting to thaw out. The ice water that had filled her veins for the past week heated beneath his sizzling regard. “You’re not impotent or something, are you?”
He laughed and reached out to snag her wrist, pulling her away from the wall and up against his hard body. “That was not the problem.”
“Then what was?” She wrapped her arms around his neck and arched her back until they were aligned from chest to thigh.
“No one wanted me.”
“I can’t believe that.” And she didn’t. Not for a single second.
“It’s true. Word got around that a spunky redhead had stolen my heart and left me but a shell of a man.”
Brooke purred as he bent his head and nuzzled his lips into her neck. “So you’ve come here to take it back?”
“No. I’ve come here to sign it over all legal and such.”
Fearing she’d misunderstood what he was saying, Brooke remained silent while her mind worked furiously. He’d left Sherdana and resumed his old position on the team. From the way his lips were exploring her neck, she was pretty sure he intended that their physical relationship would get back on track.
“Brooke?” He cupped her face and stared deep into her eyes. “You’re awfully quiet.”
“I guess I’m not sure what to say.”
“You could start by saying yes.”
Relief made her giddy. “You haven’t asked me a question.”
“You’re right.” And to her absolute delight, he dropped down on one knee and fished a ring out of his pocket. “Brooke Davis, love of my life and mother of my child, will you marry me?”
She set her hands on her hips and shook her head. “If this is about the baby, I assure you I’m not expecting you—”
“Oh, for heaven sakes,” came an explosive shout from the hallway behind them. “Just tell the guy yes.”
“Yes,” she whispered, leaning down to plant her lips on Nic’s.
He wrapped his arms around her and shot to his feet, lifting her into the air and spinning her in circles. She laughed, delirious with joy, and hugged him back. When he let her toes touch the floor once more, Glen was there to pound Nic on the back and offer his congratulations.