She had been surprised when Nikolai had called her and asked her to come to his brother’s restaurant. Her new brother-in-law, Mason had driven her given she was so far along she now was. Fitting behind the steering wheel was no longer an option in her last trimester.
Her smile stretched wide when she caught sight of Nikolai issuing orders to the few staff members through the door way that lead to the kitchen. Watching the way those staff held on to his every word and immediately moved into action amused her.
Once a fed, always a fed. Giving orders always came so easily to him. It was the following orders that Nikolai had trouble with according to her uncle, Collin.
She chuckled when she thought of the overly reserved man she had come to know. Now there was a man who liked giving orders. Pity for him he had been surrounding himself with people like herself and Nikolai.
When he caught her looking, he snapped out a few more directions before moving towards her.
“Hey. You’re early.” His eyes flicked to where hand placed on her belly and he noticed her wince. “Are you okay?”
Rolling her eyes at the concern she heard, Harper opened her arms for the embrace she knew was coming. Nikolai seemed to take any and every opportunity to hold her as close as possible since they had discovered she was pregnant.
“I’m fine. Your child’s going to be a kick-boxer, I’m telling you.”
Pulling back to look at her, Nikolai’s eyes light up with pride and amusement. “That’s my boy.”
“Hey,” she said in mock outrage, gentle slapping his chest. “She might very well be a girl.”
“Two girls in my life? I could only hope to be so lucky.”
Harper melted at the heart rendering tenderness of his haze. The man was too damn smooth.
“What are we doing here?” She looked around, surprised to find one table in the middle of the restaurant completely set. Candles were lit, silverware sat in the correct order waiting to be used, all sitting on the finest satin linen. “What is all this?”
“This,” Nikolai answered with a wave of his hand, “is romance. I know things have been crazy these past few months.”
Raising fine, arched eyebrows, she snorted. “Few? Have you seen the size of me? This is more than a few. Besides, let’s face it, things have been a whirlwind since the moment I met you.”
There was a pale blue lightning of amusement between his lashes. “True. And this is my way of making up for all the mayhem I brought into your life.”
“Very sweet of you.”
He studied her face with his enigmatic gaze for an extra beat, his features sobering, bordering on painful. “You’ve given up so much. And all I seem to do is ask for more.”
“It’s nothing I haven’t willingly given, Nik,” she said in an attempt to reassure him. She hadn’t seen him like this since she had followed him here after their extraction. “I really haven’t given up that much, and what I’ve received in return is so much more than I could have ever had without you.”
He seemed pensive now, not disturbed or angry. “The only thing you got to keep from your life before was your name, and even then not all of it. The only people in our lives that know the truth about you is your uncle and my brother. You’ve had to lie to everyone you meet. How can you say that it wasn’t that much, Harper Monroe?”
She grimaced at the used of her fake surname. “I get what you’re saying, but I honestly think you are working yourself up over nothing. What is this all about, Nik?”
His deep sigh set alarm bells off in her head, those sounds turning into sirens when the man’s expression morphed into something far more mischievous and he dropped to one knee.
“Oh shit.”
Nikolai chuckled from his position on the ground, his hand slipping in to pull out a black satin looking box. An arched eyebrow indicated his humorous surprise. “Not the reaction I was going for, but I can work with it.”
She trembled, one hand coming to cover her mouth, the heavy lashes that shadowed her cheeks flew up.
“Harper. You’ve given me so much over this last year,” he whispered, Nikolai’s face was full of strength, shining with a steadfast and serene peace. “You gave me hope, love, and now a child. Will you give me one more thing and let me give you something in return?”
Joy bubbled in her laugh. “Yes.”
His grin flashed briefly, dazzling against his olive skin. “Marry me and let me give you my name. Something that can really be yours and not something some admin at the Bureau made up for you?”
“Yes,” she whispered through tears, eyes widening as he popped open the box to reveal the gorgeous princess cut engagement ring. Her trembling turned into a full body shake as he slipped the ring on her finger and she reached out to tug him to her before she even realized what she was doing. “Yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.”
His lips pressed against hers, then gently covered her mouth. The moment they touched, all thoughts ceased for her. Harper felt like she had suddenly been consumed with heat, burning more intense than the summer heat. Her arms came up to wrap around him and pull him tighter to her. She could feel Nikolai’s cock hardened against her under the onslaught, the feel of Harper’s body grinding against his. Strong thick arms encompassed her in warmth.
God, she loved this man.
Eventually air became necessary and Nikolai pulled back only enough to breathe. “I’m really glad you said yes, otherwise this could have been embarrassing,” he murmured, titling his head in the direction of the kitchen.
Harper laughed when she saw not only the wait staff who had been brought in tonight, but Nikolai’s brother, Mason. The lot of them stood crammed together in a huddle while peering through the doorway.
“She said yes,” Nikolai called over to them with huge grin.
His announcement was met with a valley of cheers and she buried her face into him. “Oh god.”
Nikolai’s chuckle caused his chest to rumble. “No backing out now.”
His words were in jest but as she looked up at him a strange, faintly eager and needy look flashed in his eyes.
“Never.”
Harper reclaimed his lips, losing herself in the maelstrom of emotions that threatened to pull her under. The man before her may have his faults and she had her own issues as well, but together they were perfect in their imperfection. Them and all their dirty lies.
The End