Kiss Me (8 page)

Kaylie went to the bed and grabbed her clutch.  “I’m ready.  Let’s go.  What are you waiting for?”

They both giggled as they left the bedroom and
went down the hall to the living room.  The guys were sprawled out on the furniture, each drinking a beer.  Kevin grinned when he saw them come in.

“I think the wait was worth it, Jake.”

Kaylie smirked at Blair when Jake said, “Hell yeah.”

They all left the house and loaded into Blair’s sedan.  When they arrived at the restaurant, the maitre
d’ seated them immediately.  The meal was fantastic, as was the company.  Kaylie loved seeing her brother and her best friend so happy.  She even enjoyed hearing their good natured bickering in regards to their wedding.  Blair wanted something small and elegant, but Kevin didn’t want to wait.  He wanted to go to Vegas.  When Blair looked to her for help, Kaylie just shrugged and laughed when her friend gave her a go-to-hell look.  Jake was quiet all night and she wasn’t sure what was going on.  Blair and Kevin didn’t seem to notice, but Kaylie couldn’t help wondering if maybe something was going on with him. 

After the night they agreed to
wait three months, things had been fantastic.  They argued just like any couple, but Kaylie even enjoyed that.  Jake never fought dirty.  He always stayed on target and never raised his voice.  When they were getting along, which was the norm, they had fun.  They laughed and played and just enjoyed each other’s company.   It was better than it had been before.

That’s why
Kaylie was a little freaked at his behavior tonight.  He was so quiet and distracted.  As dinner wound down, Jake remained quiet, but Blair and Kevin seemed even more upbeat and excited.  Kaylie grabbed Blair and dragged her to the restroom to “freshen up” while the men paid the check.

While she touched up her make-up,
Kaylie glanced at Blair out of the corner of her eye.

“Blair, did Jake seem weird to you tonight?”

She watched her friend hesitate as she swiped lip gloss on her lips.

“I think he’s okay,
Kaylie.  Kevin said things have been crazy for him at work, maybe he’s just tired.”

Kaylie
put her make-up back in her purse.  Blair was right, things had been hectic for him at work the last few weeks.  He had several open cases that he was working and he had been coming home late almost every night.

“You’re right,” she sighed.  “He has been busy.  Maybe we should have cancelled for tonight.”

Blair put an arm around her shoulders.  “Kay, honey, everything is fine.  Don’t make trouble where there is none.”

Kaylie
nodded.  “Okay.  Why don’t we get out of here?  I think I’m a little tired too.”

They left the restaurant, but they were all quieter.  Jake wrapped an arm around
Kaylie the entire ride home, which made her feel a bit better.  Blair was probably right.  He was tired.  Blair and Kevin turned down their offer of a nightcap and Kaylie had a feeling her friend was going to get lucky that night.  They waved as her brother drove away.

Jake led her up the front walk and opened the door for her. 
Kaylie walked into her house and stopped short.  Small candles burned on almost every surface and a bucket filled with ice and champagne stood on the coffee table next to two glasses.

“What on earth?” she breathed.  It was like something out of a romance novel.
  She whirled to look at Jake.  “How did you do this?”

He closed the door behind him and locked it before he answered her.  “Your mom and one of the girls from the shop came over while we were out and set it all up.”

“But why?”

Jake came closer and cupped her shoulders with his hands.  “Kay, there’s something I want to talk about with you and all I ask is that you listen.”

She nodded. 

He smiled and ran his hands down her arms to lace his fingers with hers.  “
I know that you wanted to wait three months before we talked about anything permanent, but I just can’t.  The past six weeks have been the best of my life.  I know that I want what we have and I want you.  I love you, Kaylie.  I want to be married to you and I want to have babies with you.”  He lowered himself to one knee and Kaylie felt her breath catch.  “Do you want that with me Kaylie, a life, a family?”

She blinked and swallowed hard.  She didn’t cry, dammit, even for a sweet, perfect proposal from the man she’d loved since she was eighteen.

“Yes Jake, I want all that with you.”

He grinned and rose, wrapping his arms around her and lifting her off her feet.  He pulled her head back and kissed her hard.

When he lifted his head, she spoke.  “You’re so impatient, though.  You barely made it to the halfway point in the three months.”

He laughed loud and long.  “You’re right, I am impatient.  I knew six weeks ago that I wanted you forever, but I also knew you needed time before you would trust me again.  I just couldn’t wait anymore.”

Kaylie tucked her face into his neck.  “I’m glad.”

“Oh, I almost forgot,” he said, reaching into his pocket.  He pulled out a small velvet box.  “Blair and I went shopping for your ring.  I wanted to take you, but I thought you’d be more likely to say yes if you saw the ring when I asked you.”

When he opened the box, she gasped.  He was absolutely right.  If she had any doubts about saying yes, the ring he had chosen with Blair’s help would have killed them all.  It was perfect.  The setting was old-fashioned, a round center diamond surrounded by smaller stones.  The band was white gold and set with more small diamonds down each side.  It was exactly what she would have chosen for herself.

“It’s beautiful, Jake.  I love it.”

He took the ring out of the box and slid it on her finger.  “I figured Blair would know exactly what you liked and wouldn’t be afraid to show me.”

Kaylie
smiled down at the ring.  It fit just right.  She looked back up at Jake.  “Okay, there’s only one thing left.”

He looked puzzled
, so she continued, “Engagement sex.  It’s supposed to be almost as good as wedding night sex.  So get to it, mister.”

She yelped when he bent and put his shoulder in her belly, lifting her like a sack of potatoes.  “This isn’t exactly what I had in mind.  I was thinking more romantic.”
  Despite her complaints, she really did enjoy his occasional caveman tactics.

Jake bit her butt through her dress, making her yelp again.  “Well, I’m in charge of engagement sex, so I get to decide.”  He somehow managed to put the champagne glasses into the bucket with the bottle and he carried it down the hall with them to her bedroom.

Kaylie laughed when he tossed her on the bed.  She watched him strip off his jacket, tie, and shirt.  “I love you, Jake.”

He grinned back at her as he unbuckled his belt.  “I love you too,
Kaylie.  Now, if you like your dress, you should probably take it off yourself.”

She complied, giggling when a naked, determined Jake pounced on her. 
Much, much later, Kaylie decided that nothing could beat engagement sex but she would certainly enjoy Jake’s efforts on their wedding night and any or every night after that. 

The End

Girl Next Door Series:

Friends with Benefits

Frenemies

Kiss Series:

A Kiss for Christmas

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