She gives me a wary but amused look. “You won’t let me forget that, will you?”
“Never.” The sound of her laugh warms me through.
“Alright then,” she says with a smile. “Then I have something to show you.”
“Alright?”
“You’ll have to let me go.” When I don’t, she reaches her face to mine and kisses my cheek. “You’ll have to eventually anyway. I need to do things like shave my legs and use the facilities.”
I sigh dramatically. “Fine, then. But you’d better come right back.”
“I will, promise.”
I let her go and watch as she pushes herself out of the bed. I have no idea what she’s going to show me.
Walking across the room, she lifts the bag that contained the knife she brought to the Baths. She slides her hand in and pulls out a velvet bag.
My pulse races. I stop breathing for a few seconds, before I shake my head. It can’t be…
“What did you do?” I whisper, shaking my head. “Nicolette…”
“You said you didn’t want to give them the real talisman.” A faint flush of pink colors her cheeks as she puts her hand in the bag. “You didn’t.”
Nicolette removes her hand, revealing the talisman. I blink, clearing my vision as if I’ve conjured it.
It’s still there.
I stare at the quartz sphinx in the palm of her hand. “What—How did you do that?” I hold out my hand.
“I wanted to surprise you,” she says sheepishly. “I took the real one from Lyon. Swapped it. And when you pulled the alarm, I snagged the replica back and put both in the bag. Yesterday, we gave up the dupe. Whoever took Lyam has the false talisman, and eventually, when they find out, the Lyon family will be after them.”
The light hits the gems on its sides. I stare in disbelief at the artifact.
The Emperor Napoleon believed it would give him good luck.
What do I have to lose?
I hold it and stare. I lick my lips. I fervently wish that Nicolette will stay. I want her forever.
I look in her eyes. “You gave me the talisman.”
She shrugs. “You gave me two million dollars.”
I laugh and shake my head. “That was dangerous, and foolish, and brilliant. Mon Dieu. Nicolette.” I swallow. “Marry me.”
The way her eyes dance at me, I wonder if she thinks I’m joking. “You asked me once before. You were only teasing then.”
“Was I?”
“Fabien…” Her voice grows soft as she looks at me. “I…” When she bites her lip, I decide it’s time to tell her.
“I need to tell you one more thing before you answer me. Just one more.”
“Will it impact my decision?”
“I hope so.”
I hold the talisman in my hand. Whatever comes between us can be solved. I realized before our fight, before she tried to leave me, there was one barrier between us that remained.
I removed it.
“Fabien, what did you do?” she asks tremulously.
I sit up. “You wanted your sister here. You wanted to make sure she was safe.” I draw in a deep breath. “I don’t want you an ocean apart from me. The next time we go to the States, you’ll be with me.”
By the shocked look she’s giving me, she definitely didn’t expect that.
“What… do you mean?”
“You weren’t the only one with a surprise.”
She blinks and doesn’t respond. Her face has gone ashen.
“Savannah is on her way here. To Corsica, that is. I told her who I was. I didn’t tell her more than that because I don’t know what you’ve told her and how much you want to. She was so excited to see you.” I glance at the time. “And she should be here within the hour.”
I don’t know what I expect from her, but it isn’t what she does. Nicolette drops her head on my chest and bursts into tears.
I hold her to me. I kiss the top of her head.
My phone buzzes. Still holding her against me, I turn and reach for it.
“Hello?” I listen to the call and smile at Nicolette. “Thank you.”
I hang it up. “Savannah’s arrived. You want to go see her?”
“Hmm, let me think about it,” she says, tapping her chin. “Are you crazy?” Leaning in, she kisses me. I cup the back of her head and hold her while I kiss her back. I love her so damn much.
With a deep sigh, she looks me in the eyes. “Oui, Monsieur.”
“Yes, you want to see Savannah?”
“That wasn’t the only question you asked me.”
She uses my native tongue to answer the question I’ve wanted to ask her all along.
I have my answer.
“You’ll marry me?”
Lifting her tearstained face, she laughs. “Would you have it any other way?”
I don’t hesitate. “No.”
“Marriage should be a mutual decision,” she says teasingly.
I tug a lock of her hair. “I did ask…”
Dropping her head to my chest, she embraces me. I hold her and close my eyes.