Brooke squared her shoulders and continued down the hallway. She might as well introduce herself to Nic’s replacement and start to accept the changes that he’d bring to the team.
“Hi,” she called over the music as she first knocked, and then pushed open the unlatched door. “I’m Brooke Davis, Glen’s...” Her voice trailed away as the tall man in jeans and a black T-shirt turned to greet her.
“Sister,” Nic finished for her. “He told me you might be stopping by today.”
Brooke’s throat tightened. “What are you doing here?”
“I work here.” His smile—at once familiar and utterly different from anything she’d seen before—knocked the breath from her lungs.
“I don’t understand.” She sagged back against the door frame and drank in Nic’s presence. His vibrant, imposing presence made it impossible for her to believe he was a hallucination, but she couldn’t let herself trust this amazing turn of fortune until she knew what was going on. “I left you in Sherdana. You were going to get married and make Alessandro heirs.”
Nic shook his head. “Turns out I was completely wrong for the job.”
“How so?” His wry amusement was beginning to reach through her shock. She was starting to thaw out. The ice water that had filled her veins for the past week heated beneath his sizzling regard. “You’re not impotent or something, are you?”
He laughed and reached out to snag her wrist, pulling her away from the wall and up against his hard body. “That was not the problem.”
“Then what was?” She wrapped her arms around his neck and arched her back until they were aligned from chest to thigh.
“No one wanted me.”
“I can’t believe that.” And she didn’t. Not for a single second.
“It’s true. Word got around that a spunky redhead had stolen my heart and left me but a shell of a man.”
Brooke purred as he bent his head and nuzzled his lips into her neck. “So you’ve come here to take it back?”
“No. I’ve come here to sign it over all legal and such.”
Fearing she’d misunderstood what he was saying, Brooke remained silent while her mind worked furiously. He’d left Sherdana and resumed his old position on the team. From the way his lips were exploring her neck, she was pretty sure he intended that their physical relationship would get back on track.
“Brooke?” He cupped her face and stared deep into her eyes. “You’re awfully quiet.”
“I guess I’m not sure what to say.”
“You could start by saying yes.”
Relief made her giddy. “You haven’t asked me a question.”
“You’re right.” And to her absolute delight, he dropped down on one knee and fished a ring out of his pocket. “Brooke Davis, love of my life and mother of my child, will you marry me?”
She set her hands on her hips and shook her head. “If this is about the baby, I assure you I’m not expecting you—”
“Oh, for heaven sakes,” came an explosive shout from the hallway behind them. “Just tell the guy yes.”
“Yes,” she whispered, leaning down to plant her lips on Nic’s.
He wrapped his arms around her and shot to his feet, lifting her into the air and spinning her in circles. She laughed, delirious with joy, and hugged him back. When he let her toes touch the floor once more, Glen was there to pound Nic on the back and offer his congratulations.
Amidst this, Nic slipped an enormous diamond ring onto her left hand. She ogled it while Glen played the brother card and threatened Nic with bodily harm if he didn’t take good care of her. Then Glen left her and Nic alone so he could fill her in on what had transpired after she’d left.
“Gabriel almost killed me when he heard that you’d left,” Nic explained, sitting on his couch and pulling her onto his lap.
She let her head fall onto his shoulder and savored the contentment that wove through her. “He did?”