Page 69 of Nashville Lights

“Okay,” I say softly.

“Roxie, Iloveyou. I want tomarryyou. I want you to move in and I want to live with you and give you babies and grow old together. That’s what I want. What Idon’twant is to waste any more time. I’ve done enough of that.”

The thing is, he’s right. I wasn’t expecting it when I drove out here this weekend. To never leave. Or to never want to leave. But sometimes things happen for a reason. Sometimes, the timing feels just right. “You know what I want, Boone?”

“What?”

“I want to figure out how to make this work so much that I know we will. We’re both going to start delegating a little more and I’m going to figure out how to spend more and more time here. Because it’s where I want to be. And stay. And live. With you.” I slowly lower the sheet. “You know what else I want?”

“What,” he rasps.

I let my towel fall open. “I want you to agree to let me manage you. Because you’re that good and you know you’re that good.” I ease my fist around his thick length, gently sliding my fingers over the moisture seeping from him as he gets fully hard. “What did you build your own recording studio for if you never wanted to use it, Boone, tell me that.”

“We’ll see,” he groans.

“No. We’re not going to ‘see’. All you have to do is say yes. Say it.” I touch my tongue to him, licking playfully. Flicking my tongue. Teasing him. “Say, ‘yes, Roxie, I’ll let you manage me.’”

“Okay.” The word is low and husky.

“Yes?”

“Yes.” It’s more of a growl than an answer, but I’ll take it.

“Good boy. I’m going to reward you for that.” I take more of him into my mouth, sucking and playing, then slowly releasing him. “You know what else I want?”

“What?”

“Your babies.”

Nate’s eyes are dark. With oceans of emotion.

I lick him again, coyly. “I mean, youarethe love of my life, I’ve always known that. And a girl doesn’tnotwant to get down and dirty and knocked up by the man of her dreams, especially when he’sthisfreaking hot and well-hung, come on. Andespeciallywhen he’s the one she’s been holding out for all this time.”

Nate holds me and rolls me over, his heavy weight above me. His cock slides barely into me. But then he holds himself still. “Marry me, Tuck.”

I blink up at him and I can’t hold back my smile or my tears. “Yes,” I whisper. “I’ll marry you, Boone.”

He kisses me and drives all the way inside me, the thick-skewering bulk of him forcing me to take everything. Tofeeleverything. To drown in the pleasure of him.

There’s a desperation to this lovemaking. We feel our losses and our fears. But we also feel the beauty of this life and the gift we’ve been given. Of finding each other again. Of diving in with everything we’ve got.

And never letting go.

27

“It was sonice to finally meet you, Sky. I’ll let you know as soon as I hear back from the labels. I expect it to be soon, maybe even by the end of the week.”

“Is it okay if I give you a hug?”

“Of course it is.”

She’s absolutely over the moon. It’s such a fun part of this job. I’m literally making Sky Rose’s dream come true and it’s an amazing feeling.

I’ve only managed my brothers so far, and now Sky and a crazy-talented new artist, Ivy Laine, who just signed with me—and now Luke and Leo, who I talked to this morning and they’re more than ready to run with it. I know I’ll be able to convince Nate too, hopefully. We haven’t finished that conversation yet, but I can sense the yearning in him. Ifhe could just allow himself to follow his dream instead of only his duty.

“I wish I had more time to show you around Nashville tonight, Sky, but I’ve got some things I need to do today.”

“I’m actually staying with some friends who live here, so they’re going to show me all the hot spots. Thanks for everything, Roxie. Really. I still can’t believe you’re my manager.”

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