Нора Робертс - Key of Knowledge

He felt her tremble, heard her breath shudder and catch, then her eyes went beautiful and opaque as she came.

As she tightened around him, he pressed his mouth to hers again, and gave himself to her.

After, a long time after, they simply stood holding each other.

“This is good, Jordan. This is really good.”

“Yeah.”

“Even though the waters getting cold. I feel all lazy and sleepy. I wish we could slide into bed instead of getting dressed and going over to Flynns.”

“If youre too tired to go—”

“Thats not it. I just want to lie around in bed with you.”

He drew her back. “I cant argue with that either.

“But were going to get dressed and go over to Flynns because lying around in bed would be wrong.” She kissed him lightly. “Jesus, the water is getting cold.”

He reached behind her and switched it off. “We can go over, then leave early and come back and lie around in bed.”

“Good plan.” She stepped out of the shower, grabbed a towel. “So, whats this mysterious mission you went on today?” She wrapped her hair in the towel, grabbed a second one.

He held out a hand, thinking it was for him, but she started drying her legs with it. He shook his head, got yet another towel for himself.

“Well talk about it later.”

“Whats wrong with now?”

“Because were in the bathroom, naked. Its just not the right place for it.”

“Thats silly. Weve had naked conversations before. In fact, weve had some very interesting naked conversations. Where did you go, and why did you need Brad and Flynn along? Because I know they went with you. I have ways of getting that sort of information.”

She grabbed a bottle of body cream and poured some into her hand.

“Ill tell you later. Youll appreciate the fact that we get into this in a more appropriate setting.”

“See, now youre making me crazy.” She slathered on cream. “Which forces me to grill you. You were gone for hours. Where did you go? What did you do?”

“We went to atitty bar and drank cheap booze while women with fascinating man-made breasts slid around on long, shiny poles.”

“You think thatll irritate me and Ill leave you alone, but youre wrong.” She took the towel off her head and finger-combed her hair. “Personally, I dont have a problem with guys going to strip clubs and making jackasses of themselves. So you might as well tell me the truth.”

“Fine. Here and now, then.” He picked up his pants, dug the jewelers box out of the pocket. He held it out to her, flipped up the lid with his thumb.

“Oh, my Jesus Christ,” she said and sat down heavily on the lid of the toilet.

“Yeah, thats romance. You like it or what?”

She had to swallow. “Depends.”

“On what?” He scowled, turned the box around to study the ring. It looked great, he decided, but there was never any certainty with women. “I figured youd like this better than the standard diamond. But if youd rather go that route, I can exchange it.”

She shivered, but she didnt feel cold. Not in the least. “Then that would be an engagement ring youve got there.”

“What the hell do you think it is? Would you stand up? This is just a little too bizarre.”

“Sorry.” She got to her feet. “I wasnt sure what it meant.”

“It means marry me, Dana.” He had to push his dripping hair back. “It means I love you, and I want to spend my life with you. I want to make children with you, and grow old with you.”

Shed thought her heart was full, but it hadnt been. There was still room, so much room for him. “Oh, well, that clears things up nicely. Its a beautiful ring. Its the most beautiful ring Ive ever seen. You were only wrong about one thing.”

“Whats that?”

“I dont mind the time and place, Jordan.” She looked up at him now with a brilliant smile. “I dont mind it at all. In fact, if you would put that on my finger, Id like it to be the only thing Im wearing for the next few minutes.” Holding out her hand, she took one quick, catchy breath. “Id really love to wear that ring. Id love to marry you, and all the rest of it, too.”

He took it out, set the box aside, then lifted her left hand. “This is one more beginning for us.”

“Im looking forward to the rest of them.”

He slipped the ring on her finger. There was a little buzz of heat, then a lovely spread of warmth where the gold circled her finger. “Its beautiful. It even fits.”

“Yeah? None of us knew your ring size, so thats a bonus.” He turned her hand, watched the stone sparkle. “It looks good on you.”

She rose to her toes, took his mouth with hers. “Youre so full of surprises.”

“Youve got that right. I might as well tell you the next one. I bought—or Im buying— Warriors Peak.”

She blinked twice, very slowly. “Sorry. I thought you said you were buying the Peak.”

“Thats right. I want us to live there. I want us to make a family there.”

“You…” Though her knees wobbled, she didnt give in and sit down again. “Youre not going back to New York?”

“Of course Im not going back to New York.” Bafflement moved over his face. “How the hell am I supposed to be married to you and live in New York while you run a business in the Valley? Dana.”

“I thought… Its where you live.”

He cupped her chin, unsure if he was impatient or amused. “You think Id ask you to move to New York, throw away your store before it even gets started? I was never planning to go back there to live anyway, but if I had been, this wouldve changed it.”

“You werent going back?”

“No. There was a time when I had to leave. This was the time when I had to come back. I need to be here. I need to be with you.”

“I wouldve gone with, you,” she managed. “I want points for that.”

“Were not going anywhere. If the Peak doesnt suit you, well—”

“Youre just trying to get points back.” Overcome, she laughed and threw her arms around him. “You know it suits me. God, this is fantastic. Its amazing. But please tell me thats the last surprise. My heads going to spin right off my shoulders.“

“Thats pretty much it for now.”

“Lets get dressed, get over to Flynns.” She pressed her hands palm to palm and stared at her ring. “I cant wait to tell everyone.”

“Flynn and Bradakeady know.”

“Men.” She flicked them away with a wave as she walked into the bedroom. “They dont know anything. Boy, oh, boy, wait until Malory andZoe get a load of this ring! Ive got to find a really cool outfit to set it off.”

“I like the one youre wearing now.”

She shot a look over her shoulder before she dived into her closet. “See? Men dont know anything.”

WHEN Moe dragged Flynn into the house, they heard the single, high-pitched scream. Moe bared his teeth, Flynn bared his, and they raced toward the kitchen prepared to taste blood.

Malory stood in the center of the room, her hands crossed over her heart, laughing like an idiot.

“Where is he? What did he do? Son of a bitch.”

“Who?” Malory braced herself for Moes leap of love but wasnt prepared to have Flynn lift her off her feet. “What?”

“You were screaming.”

“Oh. Okay, Moe, down you go. Flynn, put me down. Im fine, Im perfectly fine.” Other than the fact that she was flushed with embarrassment and trying not to giggle. “I thought I was alone.”

Reaction set in and made Flynn short of breath. He dropped Malory back on her feet with a little thump as his arms started to tremble. “You stand in the kitchen and scream when you think youre alone?”

“Well, not usually. But look! Just look.” She did a fast-time step, followed by a neat little pirouette.

Clueless, Flynn tried again. “Youve realized you want to fulfill a childhood dream and become a dancing star of stage and screen?”

“No!” With a laugh, she whirled Flynn into a circle that had Moe leaping again. “Look. We have a floor. A wonderful, beautiful hardwood floor.”

She executed what Flynn thought might be some sort of clog dance. “Sounds like wood, all right.”

“No more ugly linoleum for us. And look at this!” She whirled away from him and embraced the glossy new side-by-side refrigerator with the passion of a woman greeting a lover returning from the war. “Isnt it wonderful? And see how it matches this?”

While Flynn watched, she spun to the range. “Its so beautiful.” She crooned it now. “So shiny and clean. And everything works. I tried all the buttons and dials, and it works! I actually cant wait to cook something. I walked in, saw all this, and I just had to scream. They put in the floor, Flynn, and brought in the appliances. See the new microwave?”

“Very sexy.”

“It is.” Whirling into a dance again, she tried out arhumba . “And we have pretty new cabinets with pretty glass fronts. Im going to put pretty dishes in them, and sparkly glasses. Its a kitchen. An actual kitchen.”

He was getting it now, and the charge of watching her revel. Shed switched from therhumba to… he wasnt sure what. But she looked really cute. “What was it before?”

“There is no name for what it was before. Im so happy. Im so grateful. Youre the most wonderful man in the world.” She caught his face in her hands and kissed him. “And Im a terrible person.”

“Why? Not the „Im wonderful part, because, hey. But why are you a terrible person?”

“Because I wouldnt move in with you before you did this. I made the kitchen a kind of exchange. Remodel the kitchen and Ill live with you. It was selfish. It worked,” she added, raining kisses over his face. “But it was selfish. Youre doing this for me. I know I said I wouldnt move in until it was finished, and I even madesnarky comments about the lamps up in the bedroom.”