Page 44 of Nothing to You (Nothing to… #7)

“YOU DIDN’T HAVE to stay,” she said as they stepped into the elevator after her mom was asleep. “I appreciate you did, but you didn’t have to.”

“Oh, whatever, Radley,” he said, tossing an arm around her shoulders, using her as an anchor as he swayed over to hit the button. “Why’d you want to talk about boundaries? Where’d I overstep?”

“You didn’t overstep anywhere. There is no overstep between us.”

“Right, that’s what I thought. So what’s the problem?”

“You shouldn’t do things that make me want to rip your clothes off when you’re in faithful mode.” Wow, and she’d thought their dynamic wouldn’t change? Didn’t most of what he said turn her on? “Maybe we should draw up a flowchart. That kiss earlier was probably over the line.”

Maybe. Could be. If Diva found out, but lies weren’t a sound foundation for a relationship.

“Faithful mode?” Confusion colored his words. “Who’s in faithful mode?”

“Your relationship with Diva might be new, but she’s an ex. That means it’s basically serious from the get-go. Oh, why am I still educating you, caveman?”

“Why am I with Diva?”

“Screwing a woman like Diva, an ex like Diva, slots you in as boyfriend. Fully committed and faithful boyfriend. Maybe I’ll find myself a boy toy. If I have to do all this educating anyway, I might as well have young and eager, right?”

The doors opened and she went to exit, except his hand landed on the frame, blocking her in.

“Diva came to the door last night. I told her to throw anything she wanted at us, we’re rock solid and so long as I’ve got you in my corner, nothing else matters to me more.

” She blinked. “Then you went and sent out your crazy statement. What the hell do you have on Knox that you got him to—Roxie. It was Roxie, right?” She said nothing.

“Diva is not back in my life or my bed, and no, we don’t do ultimatums, but so long as we’re playing at absolutes, here’s one you have to get through your thick skull…

” Stooping, his fierce, sure, definite gaze locked onto hers.

“The answer to that question will always be you. I pick you. You pick me. We don’t do ultimatums because when you’re one of the options, I’ll always pick you. ”

He’d always pick her.

Just like she’d always pick him.

That was the trade. The deal. The contract.

Taking her hand, he pulled her out of the elevator and through corridors. They would always pick each other. Whether it ruined him or not. Her or not. He’d always pick her. That wasn’t a default position. That was a concrete, no confusion, completely unapologetic stance.

Nothing she could do would ever prompt him to turn his back. What did that mean? They went out a side door and down a path toward a row of cars parked by a curb.

What did it mean? It meant more than default, friendship, or soulmates. He’d come all this way for her, for her mother. That was how much she meant to him. They were family. Forever family. And he’d given up sex with a supermodel knowing it would upset her.

Shit.

Her eyes widened as it hit her, though she still traipsed along behind him. Would a friend drop everything and run to the mother of another friend?

He’d dropped everything this Labor Day and—Labor Day.

She yanked his hand to stop him. “It’s Labor Day.”

“So? The car’s just over here.”

But when he tried to move again, she held him back. “Labor Day when you have a dinner in Washington D.C. You told me that at the conference, way back when, you asked if I wanted to go.”

“We’re on the wrong side of the country. I think we’ll miss dinner now,” he said. “I’m sure the President will have a space in his schedule next month if you want to throw on a fancy frock.”

Another tug on her arm and they went down the sidewalk.

The President? As in the President? Shit. He’d given up dinner at the White House to come babysit her ailing mother. She almost laughed because it was just so… wow.

Lights on a car flashed and he reached to open her door. “Wait,” she said, stepping between him and the door before he could open it. “You should say it.”

“I should say what?”

Was he really going to stand there and deny it? She almost felt sorry for him.

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of. I should’ve been stricter with you. I was too kind. Too soft. It was inevitable, I suppose. Just get it off your chest.”

“Get what off my chest?”

Inhaling, the breath came out in a brief sigh. “You’re in love with me.”

“What? Yeah, I love you—”

“No, you fell in love with me. The soppy, sappy way. You’re in love with me.”

Though he was frowning, he didn’t linger. “So what if I am? You’re in love with me too.”

And as much as she wanted to object, as her parting lips attested, there was nothing to say except, “Huh.”

Damn him for being right. They could deny it, but they weren’t the denying types. They were who they were and felt what they felt. Neither required an apology.

“What do we do about it?”

“I don’t know,” she said. “Why would I know?”

“The sappy stuff’s a woman’s thing. What do we do?”

Being in charge didn’t daunt her. She could tease him about being afraid, but this seemed like a logic problem that they had to solve fast.

She opened her hands then brought them together. “We get married. Here, today, do whatever we need to do to make it legal.”

“Right. That’s what people in love do. The legit thing… Is there like a waiting period?”

She groaned. “Then we stay a day, whatever, we get it done. No muss, no fuss. We do it fast, no party or foo-foo dress, just ink on a page. We’re not doing rings or formal announcements; we’re just completing the paperwork.”

“Cool.” Reaching around her, he eased her aside to open her door then started around the car. Dead center at the hood, he stopped. “There’s sex though, right? With the marriage thing.”

Holding the top of the door, she rolled her eyes. “Yes, there’s sex.”

“I don’t want some dried-up nag as a wife. Sex is a deal-breaker.”

“We’ll still have sex. Nothing changes. Everything stays the way it is. Marriage just gives us the right to make medical decisions for each other and I get all your money if you die.”

“You’ll run it into the ground.”

“Mosaic? Oh, definitely. That’s what you’ll get for dying on me.”

When he got walking again, she sat in the car and closed the door as he did the same on his side.

He started the engine. “What about kids?”

“No kids.”

“No kids, okay.” He tipped his head to make eye contact. “You think marriage is an outdated construct designed to subjugate women. Meant to make them inferior to their husband.”

“And you think it’s a tired tradition forced on men to drag them down with the weight of a family when really they should be free.”

“But we’re going to do it anyway?”

“Yep.”

“Okay. You’re not taking my name.”

“Of course I am,” she said and grinned. “Only because I want to be Roux Radley-Rourke.”

A short, playful laugh left his lips. “Oh, yeah, take my name for sure.” For a few seconds, their eyes danced. So simple and straightforward, forever was one thing they could agree on. “Roux Radley-Rourke…” he came over all serious. “I do love you.”

She touched his cheek. “I know, baby. How could you not?”

“Even though you’re wrong so regularly. I’ll help you work on that.”

She smiled. “I love you too.” She exhaled faux resignation. “Despite your proclivity for being an arrogant jackass twenty-four seven.”

“See, wrong, just like that. Let’s face it, no other guy could keep you in line. You need a firm hand, Babycakes.”

“And you need an ego check. I’m only doing this to humor you.”

“I’m only doing it to subjugate you.”

“Forever means forever,” she said. “Regardless of your ridiculous ideas. It will take a lifetime to manipulate you into becoming a decent member of society.”

“Just decent?”

“I don’t have a lot to work with.”

He kissed her palm. “We need to renegotiate our original contract.”

“Original terms stand.”

“Agreed. This official thing is for tax purposes only. The friendship comes first.” When his voice went stern like that, she shivered.

“Radley?” She nodded. “Good.” He gave her back her hand and as she fastened her seatbelt, he put the car in gear.

Then nothing happened for a few seconds. “No one has to know about this, right?”

“God, no,” she said, strapping herself in. “I’m not telling anyone you’re the best I could do.”

“Good, that makes it easier to screw around. Married doesn’t mean exclusive.”

“Are you kidding? I’m already interviewing pool boys.”

“I need to get a young, sexy assistant,” he said, drawing a breath in through his teeth. “A blonde, I think. At least a D-cup.”

“Good luck with that. We share an office.”

“I’ll take business trips with her. And you love doing it at the office. Maybe we can share her.”

“Maybe.”

He winked and got to driving. “Bet it’s better when there’s a chance of the wife catching you at it.”

With a smile, she shook her head. “Oh, Boy Scout, you don’t even know how sunk you are.”

“I know it, baby,” he said, retrieving her hand to put it on the stick shift again. “You never did open your box.”

Her present? No, she’d forgotten all about it. “What’s inside?”

He flashed her a smile. “Just wait ‘til we get home.”