“Marry me.” He slowly rose to his feet and brought me in close.
His hard chest rubbed against me, and it was all I could do not to melt into a puddle of want. His accent was already doing things to me.
He cocked his head to look me in the eye. “Before yousay no, just know that I’m not giving up on you and this family we have built together. I have made arrangements to be at your door. Every. Single. Day. Until you say yes.”
“Yes.” I threw my arms around his neck and took in his manly scent. How the hell did I manage to stay away from him for so long? “A hundred times yes.”
“One moment.” He searched around the room until he spotted Joey by the bed. “Come on, mate, you’re laying down on the job.” He rushed toward him, grab him by the waist and set him in front of me. “Show Mum what you have in the pocket of your jumper.”
Mum? Tears welled up in my eyes at the word. He’d said so easily. “What do you have there?” I pointed at his sweater.
Joey looked up and gave me his binky.
“We practiced this. I swear. Not your dummy. The other pocket.” Declan reached in and pulled out a Tiffany blue box.
“I can’t believe you used your own son to get in the door.” I gave him my hand.
“All’s fair in love and war.” He flashed me a sexy grin and slid the diamond ring into place.
The princess cut fit me perfectly. “Wow, it’s beautiful.” I melted into his arms. “I am so in love with you.”
“I was afraid you’d figure out a way to forget about us.” He cupped my cheek and kissed me.
“Never.”
“I love you, Isla.” He pressed his lips to mine.
Adrenaline surged through me. I wanted him out of that suit in the worst way possible. When his tongue collided with mine, my doorbell rang.
“Worst timingever,” I mumbled.
“Actually.” He pulled back, looking at me through his eyelashes as if he’d done some naughty deed. “That’s Joey’s ride home.”
“What?” I hit him square on the chest. “You made plans to have sex with me today?”
23
WHAT DID YOU WISH FOR?
Isla
“I’ve been dreaming of this moment for days. Do you actually think I was going to show up and not have my shit together?” In a single stride, he reached the door and opened it.
Sure enough, Joey’s British nanny stood in the hallway with a pleasant smile on her face. My cheeks burned hot because there was no way she didn’t know why Declan had asked her to pick up Joey and drive him to his mom’s apartment.
“Sarah, you remember Isla.” He gestured toward me.
“Of course. Good to see you again.” She nodded politely.
She was proper and composed. I chuckled because since the night I met Declan, it seemed, I had gone out of my way to be the complete opposite of those two things. Whatever made Declan think I could be his nanny? Could it be that he simply wanted me around? Butterflies swirled inmy belly. So what if Declan had assumed he’d be having sex with me tonight? He wasn’t wrong.
“It’s good to see you, too.” I picked up Joey and kissed his temple. “I’ll see you later, okay?”
“Right then. The driver is waiting.” Sarah took Joey from me and headed down the hallway.
When Declan shut the door, a shock of raw energy rushed through me. I had missed him so much and for so long, I truly never thought I’d ever see him in the middle of my new apartment taking off his clothes.
“What are you doing?” My gaze swept over his nude body.
