Chapter 11

Nola sat in the diner waiting for Brooks, stomach grumbling at the scent of grease and cheese and sugar. She silently fumed as her mind replayed her abbreviated conversation with Bronx. He’d not only forgotten about her appointment but he’d assumed the worst of her. Again. He’d reacted instead of asking a damn question. They would have to talk about that, and soon, but she didn’t want to think about it now. Today she just wanted to have lunch with her best friend. She wanted to be around someone who would celebrate her good news with her. The terribly scary, overwhelming news that two babies were growing in her belly. How fantastically terrifying.

Also just plain fantastic, she thought with a smile.

“So we’ve already established I’m an asshole,” Bronx said as he slid into the opposite side of the booth. He grinned and she rolled her eyes, fully ready to hang on to her mad.

“I won’t argue that point.”

“I’m sorry for being a dick earlier. And for forgetting the appointment but I do have a good reason for being that way earlier.”

She had to hear this. Normally she would have considered it a win that Bronx had apologized because the beautiful arrogant man never said he was sorry. But hearing him trying to justify his actions would, if nothing else, amuse her. “Let’s hear it then.”

He sat back, looking delicious in a tight gray t-shirt that showed off sculpted muscles and those colorful tattoos that left her mouth watering for a taste. Those big blue eyes held worry as they focused on his hand. She realized he looked less confident than she had ever seen him. “Before you called I was having some chest pains, shortness of breath too. I was freaking out.”

She felt her eyes go wide and laid both hands on top of his. “Are you okay, Bronx? Do we need to get you to the hospital?”

He gave her a smile she couldn’t quite identify and shook his head. “I don’t need a doctor but damn, how could I not see it? You’re so good and you made it so easy I didn’t even know it was happening.”

She pulled back, feeling uncertain about everything. “Uh, Bronx? Only one of us is involved in this conversation and it isn’t me.” It sounded like a breakup speech which was weird because yes they were having a baby together, living together and sleeping together. But they had nothing to break up. Not really.

“Yeah, sorry. So I was kind of unsettled and then Brooks said something that made sense to me, but scared me more than the idea that I might be having a heart attack.”

Yeah he was definitely gearing up for a breakup speech.

“And I was just coming to grips with that when Gabriela walked in,” he said and grabbed her hands but she instinctively pulled them away. “I reacted to that and took out on you, Nola, and I’m sorry. So fucking sorry.”

He looked sorry but she was…confused. “Bronx, for the love of god, tell me what’s wrong with you?”

He flashed a grin and scrubbed a hand over his face. “Apparently, I’m in love.”

What? She couldn’t have heard that right,could she?

“With you,” he clarified with a bemused grin.

“Me?” She heard the words but Nola couldn’t quite believe them. Maybe this was all an elaborate dream and she was really still in the hospital. “You love me?”

He nodded. “I do. But I am also in love with you and apparently there’s a difference.”

“And you’re sure?” Because she couldn’t stand if he didn’t mean this.

“I’m damn sure, Nola. I just can’t believe I didn’t see it as it was happening. But after talking to Brooks, I sat and thought about it because I didn’t want to say anything to you until I was sure.” He shook his head and grinned. “It probably started when you refused to cover up those tiny peach panties you wore on Halloween. But the stupid shit I did after we had sex the first time, running off in the middle of the night. And then flirting with Yvette. I didn’t know it at the time but that was me running scared but somewhere deep down I knew. You were special.”

Scared? “But you’re not scared of anything.” It was one of the things she admired about him. Bronx charged ahead with things other people thought couldn’t or shouldn’t be done and somehow, found success anyway.

“Except falling in love with a woman who’s too damn good for me, knowing that and wanting her anyway.”

Oh damn. She couldn’t resist Bronx with sweetly said, gruffly spoken words like that. Offered up with a hint of fear, they were genuine and straight from the heart. Words she’d always wanted to hear from a man. Especially a man she loved. “Oh, Bronx,” she whispered as tears welled in her eyes. She wiped them away with a shaky hand. “I love you too.”

He took her hands in his, kissing each knuckle and then pressing a kiss to her palm. “I’m damn glad to hear that, sweetheart. Are you ready to eat?”

Eat? Her head began to spin at his abrupt switch in conversation. “Sure. That’s what I’m here for, after all.” She hoped that wasn’t the end of their big love declaration because honestly it felt a little anticlimactic.

“Good.” He flagged the waitress who made her way to the table with a smile as she set down plate upon plate of her favorite diner dishes. “I didn’t want to be cliché when I did this next part so bear with me.”

She nodded looking over the bacon cheeseburger and salad on one plate, a basket of curly fries for them to split, a bowl of chili and, “a strawberry shake!” She loved them even though each one had about five hundred calories. Looking at her burger she grinned, “I don’t-,”

“Eat onions, I know,” he told her with a smile when he lifted her bun and gasped. “You never get a burger without onions, you just peel them off and give them to Brooks. Or me.”

She stared at the sparkling diamond resting on a piece of lettuce on top of the stack of giant red onions. “A little bit of onion flavor is all I need but raw onions are gross.” She said that time and again but now all she could think about was the marquis cut diamond surrounded by tiny emeralds. Nola didn’t know much of carats and clarity and all that but the ring was gorgeous. And huge.

“I know.” Bronx grinned and leaned forward, holding her hands in his. “Like I said, I didn’t want to be cliché and drop down on one knee to ask you to marry me. Mostly because I’m no one’s idea of a prince.”

“That’s not true. You’re my prince. A bad boy prince, but still,” she giggled.

“We both know if this prince dropped to his knees before you, he’ll do a lot more than ask questions about the rest of our lives.”

She nodded, swallowing around a lump in her throat. “Yes I’m well aware of that, Bronx.” The man had proven himself to be not only insatiable but also an expert in the oral arts.

“So sweet, sweet Nola. You have stolen my heart. You own my cock and you’re all I can think about. You have also restored my belief in love and now you’ve given me your heart. It should be enough.” He gave her his cockiest grin, the one that made her want to jump him no matter where they were. “But greedy bastard that I am, I want it all with you, Nola. I want you in my bed, every night as my wife. I want to kiss you and our babies and any others we have before bed each night. I want us to ride off into the sunset together, Nola. Tell me you want the same thing.”

“In your self-driving car?”

He grinned. “I’ll even let you sit behind the wheel. What do you say?”

Nola picked up the ring and handed it to him, feeling a rush of love and satisfaction as he slid it onto her left hand. “Since I get to sit behind the wheel, how can I possibly say no?”

“I’m hoping you won’t.”

She laughed. “Of course I’ll marry you, Bronx. I love you.”

“Oh babe, I love you too. With all my heart.” He slid smoothly around the table until he was beside her, hooking an arm around her waist and kissing her long and deep, lunch long forgotten as they got started on the rest of their lives.

Nola didn’t know what the future held but she knew it would be a wild ride with her sexy bad boy.