Page 55 of Dirty Deals

The trust Jules was giving him was a gift he didn’t deserve, and he wouldn’t take it for granted. “I love you, baby.” With slow, deliberate movements, Nik moved above Jules and notched the head of his erection against her opening. Feeling her heat without the barrier of latex had him ready to climax, and he fought the instinct to slam into her, sinking to the hilt. Instead, he pushed the tip in, rocking his hips gently, teasing her, working to bring her back to the brink. The slow speed was torture, with every stroke promising release and then denying it.

With Jules urging him to go deeper, faster, Nik finally sank home, savouring how tight she was around him before he started moving his hips.

His heart raced as he moved, and when Jules dug her nails into his shoulders, he knew he could let go, pounding into her until her walls tightened around him as she achieved another orgasm. His own climax was bearing down on him like a freight train, slamming into him with little warning as he spilled himself inside her before collapsing on top of her.

Moments later he rolled to his back and pulled Jules in to cuddle against his chest. As he ran his fingers through her hair, he decided that this was what happiness felt like—lying in bed on a Sunday afternoon with the woman he loved by his side. He could get used to this.

“What are you thinking?” Jules was tracing patterns in the hair on his chest with her fingernail.

“About our future. How happy I am. How much I’m looking forward to growing old with you. You know, the little things. I want you to marry me, but I know you’re not ready. I won’t pressure you. When you are ready, all you have to do is ask.”

He felt her lips curl up in a smile against his side. “Growing old together sounds amazing. Marriage? I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready, but if anyone could convince me to change my mind, it’s you. But how would you feel about maybe expanding our family one day?” Her voice held a note of hesitation, as if she was afraid he would say no.

Excitement surged, tempered by the desire to make Michael pay for everything he had put Jules through. Nik wanted nothing more than to have another baby with Jules. It hurt that she was nervous about asking, and he rushed to reassure her. “Whenever you’re ready, you let me know.”

Jules gave him a hard squeeze. “Not yet. I’ll need some time to get used to my new job first. But maybe next year ...”

EPILOGUE

Jules scanned the crowd at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach. When Nik had selected this weekend as his Dream Date baseball weekend, she had known immediately it was the perfect opportunity for what she wanted to do. Their relationship had really started over on their first dream date, and Jules was excited to take it to the next level.

Toronto was playing in Seattle this weekend, and Nik couldn’t resist a chance to see his home team play. The Dream Date package had included premium seats right over the Seattle dugout, but with a bit of negotiating, Jules had managed to get them switched to behind the Toronto dugout instead. She had planned this game down to the last detail, making sure both she and Nik were decked out in Toronto gear.

After they settled into their seats, Nik leaned over and kissed her. His lips were firm and warm from the sun, salty from the popcorn he’d been eating. Jules had never tasted anything so good in her life. Heat flooded through her, her nerve endings springing to life. Her nipples peaked inside her bra, aching for Nik to touch them. She ran her tongue along his lower lip, relishing his taste for one more long second before she pulled back.

“We could skip the game and go back to the hotel,” Nik suggested. “There are other games this weekend.”

Jules tried not to groan. It was so tempting, but it would spoil her surprise. “Chip pulled a lot of strings to get us these tickets by Toronto’s dugout, and I’d hate for them to go to waste. We’ll go back as soon as the game is over. I’ll make it worth your while,” she promised.

Nik’s dark eyes were hidden behind his sunglasses, but the hard kiss he gave her was laced with hunger. “I’m holding you to that.”

Jules pressed a piece of popcorn against Nik’s lips. “Here’s something to keep your mouth busy until we get back.”

He closed his mouth over the morsel, capturing her finger between his teeth, biting gently before letting go. “You like what I do with my mouth, sweetheart. Don’t tempt me to haul you out of here right now.”

Desire had Jules almost melting into a puddle on the spot. Grateful the hot summer sun gave her an excuse to look flushed, she pulled her fingers away and took a drink from her beer. It was going to be a long afternoon if Nik kept this up.

“Why don’t you go chat with the players?” They’d had dinner with the team the night before, and several of the players had been interested in hearing more about WYCK and how Nik could invest their money. It didn’t hurt that the team owner was already a client of Nik’s—one that he’d poached from his father a few years earlier, much to the frustration of Giorgio. Many of the players felt that if the owner trusted Nik, they could too. At dinner the players and team manager had invited both Nik and Jules to come by the dugout before the game.

“We’re supposed to be on a dream date. I don’t need to network for WYCK all the time,” Nik protested.

“The game is going to start soon; you should at least say hi and wish them good luck. I’ll go get us more snacks before the opening pitch.” Jules gave him a little push.

Nik laughed. “I surrender. Are you sure you’ve never worked in sales?”

“Nope, and I never will. That’s all you.” Jules headed to the concession stand. She wanted to double-check the final details of her plan before the game started.

They were approaching the seventh-inning stretch, and Jules was feeling strangely relaxed. She had worried that her anxiety would spiral, but everything about today felt right. Toronto was holding on to a one-run lead. Her excitement building, she gripped Nik’s hand as they watched the Seattle pitcher strike out the batter, ending the inning.

They stood for the traditional stretch, and Jules waited as the announcer began speaking.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we have a very special event happening at the ballpark today. If I could direct your attention to the big screen, we have a question that needs to be answered.”

Jules tensed as the announcer’s words set her nerves buzzing. This was the moment she’d been waiting for all afternoon. Hoping she wasn’t making a huge mistake, Jules watched Nik as he looked at the screen. She didn’t need to look; she knew exactly what the screen said.

“Nik Costas, will you marry me?”

The message flashed on the screen; then the cameras zoomed in on the two of them.