Page 74 of Peace for Her
“Such a creeper,” I mumble as my hands slide up hissolid chest to his shoulders, pulling him down to meet me in a quick kiss.
“Only for you,” he whispers against my lips before he deepens the kiss.
I’m breathless by the time he pulls back. “You sure we have to leave?” I joke, licking the taste of our kiss off my bottom lip.
Nate’s deep growl has me clenching my thighs together. I was joking before, but now I’m debating if we could actually skip.
Or at least be late.
“Trust me, if I thought we could get away with staying home and getting you naked, I would do it in a heartbeat.”
I roll my eyes with a mock dramatic sigh. “Fine. Whatever.” Pushing past Nate, I start walking down the hallway. I let out another yelp when Nate swats my ass hard.
His chuckle follows me into the hallway. “Such a smartass,” he comments under his breath.
A smile that happens much more often than it used to pull my lips up as I grab my purse and coat. “Okay, I’m ready.”
It doesn’t take long until we arrive at the restaurant and are taken back to the private room, where we’ll have dinner with everyone. The server pulls the door open, and we step inside. After a round of greetings to everyone already seated at the table, Nate and I settle into the far end. Benny is across from me with a wide, infectious smile.
“Benny, you look great! Happy birthday!” I hand him the gift bag filled with a few classic vinyl records he’s been looking for. Finding them was another thing Nate helped me with. I can’t wait until Benny sees them. He’ll be so excited.
Benny really does look good. I’m so proud of how hardhe’s worked. And at the relationship he’s built with Nate. I smile as I watch them chat. I can’t hear what they’re saying, but it makes me ecstatic to witness how close they are. Benny respects Nate and Nate cares for Benny like he’s his younger brother who still needs a father figure. And if I’m being honest, Benny probably does, so that’s fitting.
Nate says something that causes Benny’s grin to widen, and he nods enthusiastically. My brow furrows in confusion as Nate pushes his chair back and stands.
“Can I have everyone’s attention, please?”
Once everyone at the table is silent, and all eyes are on Nate, he continues.
“First, thank you all for coming to Benny’s birthday dinner. This has been quite the year for him, and Olive and I are so proud of the man he’s becoming in this new chapter of his life.”
Nate reaches down and grabs my hand. Pulling me out of my chair and into his side, his hand slides down my back to rest on my waist.
“And speaking of new chapters, Benny and I planned a little something special for tonight.”
I glance at my brother in bewilderment, but he just gives me the goofiest smile. When I turn back to Nate, he’s starting to kneel beside me. My hand not held in his flies to cover my mouth as cheers erupt from around the table.
When everyone quiets, Nate reaches behind him for the ring box Benny hands him. As he opens it, tears trail down my cheeks.
“Olive, will you make me the luckiest and happiest man in the world and be my wife?”
The ability to form words has left my brain, so all I can do is nod. His shoulders slump in relief. As if there was any chance I would say no to this man. After Nate slips thegorgeous princess cut diamond ring on my finger, he surges to his feet and seals his lips to mine in a bruising kiss. I’m so overcome with joy that I momentarily forget that we’re in a room filled with family and friends until their cheers finally infiltrate my brain. Pulling back from Nate, I bite my lip.
His fiery gaze is locked on mine. “Olive, prepare for me to make you the happiest you’ve ever been.”
I cup his face in my palms and run my thumbs over his cheeks. “I already am, Nate.” A shaky breath leaves my parted lips as I smile up at him. “I already am.”
