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The taste of being questioned comes out in pinched brows as he looks at me. “Nothing’s wrong, and for the record, I have no skeletons. You can run a background check. I know this is out of the blue, but my feelings aren’t. I’ve been thinking about what I want since I left New York. I want you. It’s bullshit to live in two different worlds when all I want to be is with you all of the time.”

“But we don’t have to be married to be with each other. You skipped a few steps, like moving in together or living in the same city.”

“I love you and want to marry you, Natalie. This isn’t a fly-by-night romance for me. You’ll not only be the first girl I’m bringing home to meet my family. You’ll be the only one. You don’t have to say yes, but you should know that I’m not giving up unless you tell me no. I’ll respect that, but it won’t change my feelings toward you, not ever.”

“I don’t even know what fly by night means, but you’re serious, aren’t you?” I should want to tell him yes, be brave like him or bold like Tatum, but I’m so stunned I’m not sure what to say. The last thing I want to do is give a knee-jerk reaction to something that deserves thought and care.

Images of falling into his arms the first time we met and then running into him on the street in one of the most populated cities in the world come to mind. Making love that night and then the picnic in the empty apartment in lower Manhattan. His smile when we saw each other at the airport. All of these vivid memories play like a record of our love affair, making me realize I had it all wrong.But he didn’t.“You said it was destiny the first time we met.”

His grin grows, the sunlight reflecting in his eyes making them so much brighter. “I did.It was.” He fiddles with my fingers in his hand. What astounds me most is that we don’t have all our ducks in a row. We don’t know where he’ll live, where my business will go,whether it will keep growing.Yet this incredible man sees a future with me in it, no matter where his job takes him, no matter that he doesn’t know all my favorite things. And that confidence in us brings me peace. A feeling of rightness that I’ve only ever felt before about STJ.Contentment amidst the chaos.

“I don’t know what I’m saying, Nick, but I think I agree with you. We were destiny. There’s no other way to describe us, so who am I to argue with our fate?”

“You’re saying?—”

“I’ll marry you.” Saying it feels right and vacant of regret. “Yes, I’ll marry you, Nick.”

He wraps around me, and we roll to the side onto the bed. Kisses are placed all over my face under my fits of giggles, and he leaves whispers just under my ear, “I love you.”

“I love you too, so much.” The truth has freed itself from my chest, leaving more room for love to grow beyond my heart, spilling into all parts of me like the air I need to breathe and the blood that runs through me. Nick and I are one already, so getting married is merely a formality when thinking about destiny and the role it’s played in our lives.

Lying next to him, I snuggle into the nook of his body, and say, “I love dogs.”

I take the opportunity to look up at him, smiling when I see his already big enough not to contain any longer. “Me, too.”

“Little dogs I can run errands with.”

“I prefer bigger dogs you can play fetch with.”

Running the tips of my fingers lightly over his abs, I say, “We’ll compromise and get one of each or buy a medium-sized dog.”

“That sounds fair.” Curling his arm around me a bit tighter, he kisses my forehead. I could melt from the sweetness. Actually, I do, every time he plants one on me. I’ll never turn down one of his kisses.

“I’m a six, if you’re wondering about a certain ring finger. I’m not sure on the others. You already know my favorite food.”

“Ketchup,” he says, chuckling. “Kidding. Burgers and fries.”

A sense of pride comes over me that he got it right. We could be the stars of the dating game, already well aware of the important stuff. I laugh against him. “My company is STJ Co., and I always cry duringThe Notebookwhether reading the book or watching the movie. Song?Hm.I like some modern country artists even though I’m not supposed to admit that being from New York City and all. ‘Ride’ by Chase Rice is pretty sexy, though. Growing up, I loved ‘Blackbird’ by The Beatles or Sarah McLachlan. Either version.”

The last answers he’s seeking don’t come as easily as the others. But he lets me work it out at my own pace. “I’m not looking to have kids just yet, but if I have to pick between a number and none, I’d go with two. It’s what I’m familiar with me and my brother.”

“Same,” he replies quietly.

“As for anywhere I’d go if I could . . . I’m happy in your arms.” This time, I lean in and kiss his chest. Looking up, I ask, “You really want to marry me?”

He quirks a smile. “I do.”

“What happens next?”

“I get a ring and down on one knee to make it official.”

“There goes the surprise,” I tease, pushing up to look at him properly. This man and that handsome face are going to be mine forever. I can already tell he’ll always make my heart race, not just from his looks but the way he touches me and how the heat lingers on my skin long after he’s gone. I’ve never felt like this before or had someone affect me soul-deep. My past relationships feel foolish in comparison.

I love him. Our attraction may have pulled us together, but fate put the pieces in place. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

“You don’t have to make a production to give me a story to tell others. I love our story best.” I could snuggle all day with him, listening to the backdrop of the ocean’s waves. “Feels official already.”