One Night by Diane Alberts Page B

his forehead to hers. His uneven breathing matched hers. “I love you.”
    She yanked him closer, not letting him retreat. “I love you, too.”
    “Let’s go home before I strip you right here.” He moaned, burying his face in her neck and biting down where her shoulder and neck met. She dug her nails into his shoulders, and he hissed. “We better hurry up, or I’ll bloody well take you here and now.”
    “Fine by me.” She reluctantly released her hold on him, dropping her feet to the ground. After picking up the flowers from the box he had set them on, she grinned at him over her shoulder and tugged him behind her, bee-lining for the street.
    And to his apartment—which was now their apartment. They’d moved in together after six months of dating. Some had said it was too fast—but she had said it was about damn time. She’d been waiting for a man like him to come into her life, and she wasn’t letting him go because someone said she should hold herself back from him.
    Screw that.
    “Have I told you how much I love you yet today?” he asked, his fingers flexing on hers. “And how happy I am I knocked you into a puddle a year ago?”
    She snorted. “Once or twice, I think.”
    He stopped her at the entrance of the building, hugging her close. The scent of the flowers in his hand mixed with the scent of hair gel and cologne. “I’m serious. You’ve made me so happy. Happier than I thought I could ever be.”
    She swallowed hard, blinking back tears. He always knew the perfect things to say. “Me too. Way too happy.”
    “No such thing. I’ll make you even happier every day of my life, or I don’t deserve to have you.”
    “Well, you just met your goal today.” She rose on tiptoe and kissed him, savoring the taste of him and the way he made her feel. Everything. “Now let’s go home.”
    “All right.” His eyes flashed to some emotion she couldn’t quite figure out. He looked … nervous.
    As they walked to the elevator, it clicked in her head. He was stressing again. “Are you worrying about your new role again?”
    “Uh, well, yes.” He took a deep breath, his cheeks turning a little bit red. “I’m a certifiable wreck about everything.”
    “I know what you need.” She grabbed his shirt and yanked him close. “You need a distraction.”
    His eyes smoldered down at her. “I know of the perfect type … ”
    “Me too.” She kissed him lightly, and then wrapped her arms around his stomach. “But you need to stop worrying. You’ll be fine. I’ll be there with you, cheering you on the whole time.”
    The elevator doors opened, and they went on. He smiled at her. “How did I ever do something good enough to deserve you in my life?”
    She shook her head. “I’m the lucky one. Not you.”
    “I beg to differ.”
    “Then beg elsewhere. It won’t work with me.” She walked into the hallway and headed for their apartment. “What should we do for dinner after you shower? Cheeseburgers again? It is the fourth.”
    He rubbed his jaw. “We have the BBQ with your family tomorrow, correct?”
    She loved the way he said BBQ, his English accent stumbling over the word. He still called it a barbie sometimes, too, and she loved when he did. “Yeah, we do. In Jersey.”
    He flinched. “Ugh.”
    “I know, but according to Jessie, little Scotty is too small to travel. She probably just wants—”
    She opened their door and took a step inside the living room, and then promptly froze. Candles lit the whole living room, and pink roses filled almost every surface of the dining room table. Dinner for two sat on the table, but there was no one in the room. How could he have done all of this while performing on stage?
    “How—?” Turning on her heel, she looked at Justin. He held his hands in his pockets, the nervous look on his face again. “Justin, this is beautiful.”
    “You’re beautiful.” His lips twitched. “This is just a fancy dinner. I know it breaks American tradition not to