All the Way (Romancing Manhattan 1)
“Feels like you’re shutting me out.”
“Let me have this,” she says. “I don’t need you to come save the day.”
“Keep telling me you don’t need me, sweetheart, and I’ll learn to believe it.”
She closes her eyes and shakes her head. “That’s not what I mean. I don’t need your money to help me fund this. Your support, excitement, and love are so huge to me, Finn. That’s what I need.”
“You have it.”
She leans in and kisses my jawline. “Thank you. Now, I have to give you something, and then we have to get ready to go to your party.”
“I’d rather skip the party.”
“No way.” She shakes her head adamantly. “Quinn and your mom put a lot of thought and time into planning this.”
“Isn’t that weird to you? My mommy planned my fortieth birthday?”
“It’s sweet.” She slaps my arm and I rub the spot, frowning at her.
“Are you always violent?”
She just rolls her eyes and laughs, then disappears in my closet. Seconds later, she returns with a wrapped box in her hands.
“I want to give you your present when we aren’t with the others.”
“All day today has been a gift,” I reply. “I’ve had a great time.”
“Good, that was my goal.” She leans in to press her lips to mine sweetly. “But I can’t let this day go by without giving the man I love a present. So please open it.”
“I wouldn’t want to be rude,” I reply, and tear into the red-and-black paper. I feel my eyes widen at the red Cartier box inside. “London.”
“You’re not done.”
Inside the leather box is a stunning watch. “This is the Flying Tourbillon.”
She nods happily. “I saw you checking it out a couple of times when we were shopping together.”
“London.” I swallow hard, unsure of what to say. This is a ninety-thousand-dollar watch. “I don’t think anyone has ever given me a more perfect, or more expensive, gift.”
“It’s not about the money,” she says with a shrug, and takes it out of the box so she can put it on my wrist. “You’ve had your eye on it. What do you get for a man who can and does buy himself whatever he wants?”
“A Cartier watch, apparently,” I reply, surprised that it fits perfectly.
“I took one of your other watches in so they could match the band size,” she explains. “I’m sneaky.”
“Yes. You are.” When it’s fastened, I check the time, and note that we have a little space before we have to leave for the party. “I absolutely love it. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
She wraps her arms around my shoulders and kisses me soundly, running her little pink tongue along the seam of my lips and pressing her body to mine.
Jesus, she makes me crazy.
“Is it inappropriate to ask for a gift?”
She frowns and leans back. “Of course not. What do you need?”
“You.” I kiss her forehead. “You, in every sense of the word. I would love it if you’d move in with me here, London.”
“Really?” She blinks and looks around the room.
“If you don’t like my condo, I’ll sell it and buy something else. I don’t really care where we live as long as we live together.”
She takes a deep breath and slowly lets it out, then looks up at me with serious blue eyes. “This is a big deal.”
“The biggest deal of my life.”
She nods and looks down at her hand on my chest. I’m usually a patient man, but I want to beg her, to ask her to tell me what’s going on in that beautiful head of hers.
But I wait, because I don’t want to push her.
Finally, she nods again and smiles up at me.
“Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Okay.” She lays her cheek against my chest and hugs me tightly around the middle. “I think this might be moving a little fast, but I don’t want to say no.”
“Thank God, because I don’t want you to say no.” I urge her chin up so I can see her eyes. “I’d like to put your place on the market soon. And I want to show you something.”
“Wait, what?”
“Hold on. Stay here.”
I rush into my office and grab the file on my desk, then return to her.
“I want you to see this.” I pass her the folder and she opens it, frowning.
“What is this?”
“Properties in L.A. The one on top is my favorite, but there are three to choose from, just in case that one isn’t perfect for you.”
“We’re moving to L.A.?”
“No. Well, not full-time. But we need a home there because you’ll be working there.”
“Yeah, for a few months. I can rent a house for that time.”
“This is only the beginning,” I reply, and spread all of the properties out on the bed so she can see them side by side. “Your film career is about to explode, London. I can feel it. And I don’t want you to stay in hotels and part-time housing while you’re there. Besides, real estate, especially in Southern California, is never a bad investment.”