Yours Book 2: Gaining Experience (Yours Series) (18 page)

N
ick

I
am
on edge and have been since last night. Just before going up to turn in for the night last night I received a call that Ryan was involved in a hit and run. The kid lucked out.

Apparently someone watching him last night thought he was drunker than he really was. Ryan waited until the last second to move out of the way. He was able to get the license plate number before jumping to safety.

Other than some light scrapes and bruises he is going to be fine. However, Joe wants whoever is behind this to think otherwise. Ryan played the scene well, even waiting for an ambulance, a quick text and a paramedic friend was able to pull a favor.

It is my plan to send Sephora away after tonight. I need her somewhere safe so I can think with a clear head. It’s time to call in the big guns. Things are getting more aggressive with this asshole and I need to figure out why. I am always so distracted with Sephora around.

I’ll be joining her in a few days, but I need some time to get focused. However, tonight, tonight is going to be something special. As I look around the banquet hall I feel my chest tighten with joy.

This is the same banquet hall where I presented Sephora with her scholarship over four years ago. This is the place where she tripped right into my arms. Tonight, this room will take on a special meaning for so many.

I smile as I look over my table and see Sephora’s entire family as well as those that I call friends. It is funny how I have developed a whole new family. I look at Luke and chuckle as he winks at me.

I don’t envy him. If what he told me in the kitchen earlier is true, Faraz is going to hang him by his balls. Honestly, I’m a little hurt, but I totally understand his move. Hell, I almost did the same.

“What are you thinking about,” Sephora whispers in my ear.

I turn leaning to whisper back. “About how much I love you. I can’t wait to get you back home,” I say before I nip her ear.

Sephora gasps, then giggles as she pinches me under the table. I grab her hand before she can pull it back and bring it up to my lips. I kiss each of her knuckles as I look into her eyes.

“Tell me, Baby, if you could go anywhere in the world where would that be,” I ask.

Sephora’s brows wrinkle along with her nose. “That is an odd question right now,” she says sounding amused.

“Just answer it,” I say with a smirk.

“Um, I don’t know let me think,” she replies and taps her chin with her free hand.

I lean over and kiss the side of her neck. She looks absolutely exquisite. The stylist I hired pulled all of her hair up and pinned it into curls from the center of her crown all the way down to her nape.

The hair style shows off her elegant neck and necklace. The black strapless dress I asked her to wear hugs all her curves in all the right places, much like the silver dress she wore last night. Tonight I plan to be the one to take this gown off.

Sephora’s body has become toned and tight since she started training with Noah. Don’t get me wrong, she was perfect the way she was, but I see a new confidence in her now that her body has made a little shift. She is beginning to own every single curve.

I move our joined hands to the opening at the split in her dress. This dress has one on each side. I was tempted to take her in the limo on the way here. She is so fucking sexy.

“If you want an answer you can’t distract me,” Sephora looks up at me with sparkling eyes.

“Do I make you happy, Baby,” I ask as I fall into her bright eyes. They are a golden honey color tonight. She is just breathtaking no matter what color they are.

Lifting her free hand, she cups my jaw. “Yes, Nick. You make me very happy,” she says softly.

I kiss her forehead, tucking my arm around her and pulling her into my side. More principals and people pour out their thanks, in long winded speeches up on the stage before us. Time is not moving nearly as fast as I need it to.

“Do I make you happy,” I hear Sephora ask quietly after a few minutes.

I lift her chin so she is looking up at me. I lean to gently brush her lips. “Yes, you make me the happiest man in the world. I have never been happier in my life,” I reply and I am rewarded with one of the brightest smiles I have ever seen.

“I love you,” She says before snuggling back into me to listen to the person now on stage.

I am not able to focus on anything but her. I kiss the side of her head and squeeze her to me. It is my way to respond to her words as I find that suddenly my throat is too clogged to speak.

“Jamaica,” Sephora murmurs.

“What,” I ask in confusion.

“That’s where I would want to go. I have always dreamed of going to the islands. I think it would be fun to go to Jamaica,” she explains.

“That would be a gorgeous place for a wedding,” I whisper.

Sephora sits up and stares at me. I lean in and nip her lower lip. I can’t help but to smirk as she studies my face for the answers to the questions swimming in her eyes.

“You are up to something, Nicholas Lincoln. You have been acting strange all night,” she whispers as her eyes narrow.

I shrug. “I have been no stranger than usual.”

She snorts and folds her arms under her breasts. I tilt my head to the side and stare down at her gorgeous breasts pointedly.

“Eyes up here, Buster,” she grumbles and I chuckle.

“And now without further ado we want to welcome onto the stage the man that has made this all possible. Mr. Nicholas Lincoln,” Jamie’s voice on stage breaks into our little temporary bubble.

“Duty calls,” I smirk, leaning in I kiss her cheek and stand to head on to the stage. It’s ShowTime. On my way to the stage, I pull out my phone and send off the instructions for tomorrow.

S
ephora

S
omething is up
. I had no idea so many people would be at this event. I thought it would be a bit small since it is just an awards ceremony for the girls. Ettie and Kimmie never even mentioned that they would be here tonight.

Nick has been … I think I can call it nervous. I have never seen him nervous like this before. Then there are the strange looks my mother keeps shooting me. She looks … proud, happy, excited. Ugh, I am tired of trying to figure everyone out tonight.

I focus my attention on the stage where Nick is embracing Jamie for a hug before he turns to the mic. I can’t help the smile that takes over my face as I watch my man. Nick looks so sexy in his black suit. He has on a black shirt as well with a green tie that sets off his green eyes.

I nearly melted at his feet when I first saw him this evening. I had to smile when I realized that the green shoes and green bag the stylist provided me with, were to match his attire for the evening. Nick and I have so many habits we have fallen into in such a short time.

I feel like we have been together for years and not mere months. With a sigh, I place my elbow on the table and rest my cheek in my palm and listen to the deep rumble of Nick’s voice come through the sound system.

Over the next half hour, I fall in love with Nick ten times over. I am amazed by how he acknowledges each girl in her own special way as he presents each one with an award for her achievements. Each of their little faces dance with excitement and happiness.
My boyfriend did all this for them.

Nick is so amazing. Watching him here tonight only proves to me that I am doing the right thing. I can’t let his business or personal life suffer from some hateful creep. I will do anything to make sure that Nick can continue to touch the lives of all these people in this room.

Nick clears his throat, effectively pushing aside my musing. I focus on the stage to see that five of the girls from the program are on stage with him, including Gabby and Dalisha. I love that Nick has given each girl a tiara to wear tonight. The theme for them time night has been,
A World Fit for A Princess.

They are adorable with their little crowns. This has by far been my favorite event we have been to. As Nick speaks the screen behind him changes from the foundation’s logo to a picture of me. I furrow my brow and really start to absorb what is being said.

“I started this foundation after meeting an extraordinary young woman. From the moment I met her I knew she was special, a young princess destined to be a queen. I knew she would someday take the world by storm, because that is the way she took my heart.

“I was willing to wait until the end of time to be her king. We met right here in this room actually and it dawn on me then that she almost lost out on meeting her full potential because the right resources tried to escape her grasp.

“After that night I went home and thought about all the other girls that were not as fortunate as her or myself or my friends. Girls that don’t play sports or join beauty pageants to earn scholarships. Girls that may be smart but too shy to come out of their shells to show their brilliance to the world to gain academic recognition.

“I thought of all the other little princesses that one day would need to hear that they too could achieve greatness. Because Sephora Emilsson has indeed embarked upon a path of greatness. A princess that has become a shining light for these little ladies that stand of here before you.

“I sometimes wonder if she even knows how amazing she truly is. I wonder if she knows how much she is admired. Sephora, the girls and I have a few questions we would like to ask you,” Nick says and looks to his right where the girls are standing with huge smiles on their faces.

Tears threaten to spill over onto my cheeks. I blink a few times trying to clear them away. Gabby is the first girl to speak into a microphone.

“Miss. Sephora, did you know because of you I try harder? Did you know that I studied harder every time that they posted your grades on the bulletin board in the center,” she asks, with her little lisp.

“Miss. Sephora, did you know that because of you I believe in myself? When I hear that boys are smarter in math I laugh and think of all you have accomplished so far?” Grace, a little math genius that Jamie introduced me to last night, asks next.

“Miss. Sephora, did you know that because of you I stopped hiding in the bathroom at school during lunch? Did you know I made friends this year at school?” Crystal says shyly. I remember the shy girl from last night. I remember thinking that she reminded me so much of me in high school.

The next girl to speak is Benita, I remember her being a bit sassy and seemingly to have a crush on Nick. Here next words prove my point. “Miss. Sephora, did you know because of you I really do feel like a princess? Did you know that I no longer think that dreams don’t come true, and someday I’ll find a superhot prince just like you?”

Everyone bursts into laughter in the crowd. Remembering that this is happening in a crowded banquet hall in front of hundreds of people, I blush and look around at the smiling faces. Some have wet cheeks or tear filled eyes and it is then that I feel the moister on my own face.

I look back at the stage, but Nick and Dalisha are no longer standing up there. Before I can turn to seek them out, Gabby speaks again.

“Miss. Sephora, if you will. Please allow us to ask you a question for our mentor, Mr. Lincoln,” Gabby beams.

She looks like she is about to burst at the seams. She looks at the other girls as if checking to see if they are ready. Then one by one they ask their part of the question. It takes my brain a few seconds to coherently put it together. I play their sentence in my head speeding it up to make sense of it, starting with Gabby.

“Will.”

“You.”

“Marry.”

“Me.”

I burst into full out tears as all four girls’ words become clear to me. I mean I am really sitting here sobbing. Body shaking and all. My attention is pulled to my right and I turn to see Dalisha standing beside me.

“Miss. Sephora, did you know that because of you everyone here tonight gets to witness true love? Because of you us girls are growing up to know what to look for. So what do you say, are you ready to be Queen Lincoln,” Dalisha winks.

My throat is too clogged for me to get the words out. I nod my head at Dalisha, looking around frantically for Nick. Dalisha bounces on her toes as someone hands her a larger replica of the crowns all the girls are wearing tonight.

Stepping forward Dalisha places the crown on my head as I bend my head for her. Dalisha leans in for a tight quick hug. “I want to be just like you when I grow up,” Dalisha whispers in my ear. “We are not pretty for dark skin girls we are just pretty, because of you I now own that.”

The lump in my throat triples in size. I know I am ugly crying, but I can’t even help it. Again, I scan the room looking for Nick. Just then photographers step aside and Dalisha steps out of the way to reveal Nick kneeling down on one knee.

I cover my mouth with my shaking hand. I know Nick said he would be proposing, but I never thought he would do it like this. Not so publicly.

And then it hits me. Nick is making a statement. That photographer’s words got to him more than he let on, last night. This is Nick’s way of telling the world fuck you. As the cameras flash and video cameras move in closer, I know that is exactly what Nick is throwing out there.

My heart swells too big for my chest with love for him. Until this moment it was never really clear how much time and effort Nick put into waiting for me. I wasn’t just a distant thought until the time was right. I have always been in the forefront of his mind.

Nick gives me his boyish smile that doesn’t appear often in front of others. He crooks his finger for me to come closer. I stand and move in front of him.

“I have asked you to be mine in so many ways,” Nick starts then pauses to clear his throat. “You have repeatedly given yourself to me, to my demands. I had no doubts that your answer tonight would be yes.

“I feel like tonight I should be making you a promise instead of making an inquiry. You are mine. You and I know that, but I need you to know that you hold a key far more precious than the one I hold.

“You hold the key to my heart. I’m a lot of things, Baby, but first and for most I’m yours. I promise you that for the rest of your life you will never have to question that. You are the queen of my heart and my world. You are the true master in this relationship, because I can’t live without you,” Nick looks up at me with suspiciously glossy eyes. He clears his throat again and blinks a few times. “I am so honored that you are going to be my wife.”

I am trembling as he slips the ring on my finger. I am blown away when I look down at my finger to see the rock that is now weighting it down.
Holy shit, Sephora. Daaaaaamn, Nick.
I laugh out loud at my own thoughts.

Nick stands and wraps his arms around me, tugging me into his chest. “No turning back now, my little butterfly. We are in this together now. My throne is your throne,” Nick says as he looks in my eyes, just before he kisses me passionately for everyone to see.

Oh My Freaking God! I’m getting married.