Instalove in New York Page 3

  “Was I that obvious?”

  He laughs. “No, actually. But you’re a young man, and this is a good job. I can’t think of another damned good reason that you could possibly be leaving us.”

  He’s right. I nod my thanks, and go back to my closet to pick up the rest of my stuff. I know it won’t be easy to find a new job…but in a way, it will be. Because I’ll be back in New York, and back with Bree. I won’t have to wonder every single night what she’s doing and what she’s thinking about, if she’s safe. I won’t have to think about her having to do everything all alone, without someone to help her. And I won’t have to worry about her not having someone to protect her—because I always will.

  I’m going home, and I’m going to find my woman.

  Chapter Five

  Bree

  I’m almost at the end of my shift, and I look forward to going to the fireworks with the rest of the cafe crew tonight. The owner, Sam, had even chartered a limo for us when we closed the cafe early, just so that we could all go together. There’s a little older couple at my section, and they’ve been adorable: eating little bites off of each other’s plates, talking and laughing the whole time, making their coffee the exact same way.

  I want that. I think briefly about Stephan, and talking to him about my dreams; talking to him about what means the most to me. Maybe someday, I can have something like that.

  I eye them from the kitchen, holding a single plate of pie with ice cream on top, and take a deep breath, smiling. I walk over to them, listening to them laughing, and can’t help but grin. I set the plate down on the table and the older woman gestures for me to sit down. “How are you doing, dear?”

  I laugh, seating myself next to her. “I’m about ready to start shutting down the cafe, actually. We’re leaving early tonight for the fireworks. What do you have planned for the night?”

  The man brightens. “It’s our first time in New York,” he explains. “Myra has always wanted to go, but we never could get over here. We’re from Oklahoma. We’re going to go see the fireworks tonight…and I’m going to ask her to marry me again at midnight,” he says, eyes twinkling.

  She blushes, laughing softly. “I might just say yes,” she returns the volley. “You’re a pretty cute fella. We’ve been married for 52 years,” she tells me.

  “That’s amazing!” I say.

  Myra picks at the pie with a fork, gazing at the street outside thoughtfully. “Marriage isn’t easy,” she says slowly. “But it’s worth it. Every argument, every laugh, everything…it’s worth it.” She glances down at my bare left hand. “Just remember that, if you find someone who makes you laugh…that sometimes you’ll cry. But in the end, the laughing weighs more.”

  Dark begins to fall, still earlier than it seems it needs to, and the old couple leaves, no doubt to find a good seat for the fireworks. Between Lory, Miles the cook, and myself it’s swift work to clean up the cafe. Lory and I turn up the music and dance as we wipe down tables, making Miles laugh as he cleans up the grill, and we wait for the limo to get there.

  I walk over to the door to begin locking up the front only to look up and see a figure heading toward the cafe. I frown, opening the door. “Sir, we’re closing early for the holiday,” I call pleasantly.

  “I know,” a husky voice answers me. I freeze, staring into the darkness. As he comes closer I see that it’s Stephan.

  “What…what are you doing here?” I ask finally, staring up at him with wide eyes.

  He glances at the cafe behind me, and I can feel Lory looking over my shoulder. “Can we go somewhere private?”

  “What? Are you kidding? In New York City on New Year’s Eve? Where the hell could we possibly go?” I exclaim.

  Sighing, Stephan takes me by the hand, leading me from the cafe as Miles and Lory watch. I trail after him helplessly, trying to take my apron off with the other hand, and he stops under the streetlight. He pushes me back against the pole with his body, leaning in and kissing me hungrily.

  I can’t help it. I moan into his lips, almost falling, and he has to hold me up as we kiss. His tongue sweeps against my lips and I open my mouth for him, giving in to his desires. I’ve missed this so badly, even though I only had it for one night; the strength of his arms around me, the taste of him…

  “Why didn’t you answer me?” he says, pulling back, breathing roughly. He rests his forehead against mine, still holding me against the light pole with his body. “I was so fucking worried about you.”

  I exhale slowly, closing my eyes for a long moment. I can feel his concern, his impatience as he leans into me, nuzzling my neck with his lips. It’s like he can’t control himself, like he has to touch me every moment or else he’ll die. “I didn’t know what to do,” I admit. “I felt all of these things…all of these emotions that I couldn’t help. I wanted to be with you so badly, Stephan. And it scared me. I thought that maybe you wouldn’t...”

  He looks up at me, and I see shock and surprise written across his face. But his eyes… there’s nothing but pure joy. “I love you,” he whispers. “I didn’t know how to tell you, that night. But I’ve loved you every time we said hello, every time we flirted, every time you told me about your life and your dreams and your desires when we made love. I will never leave you again,” he growls, and crushes into me with a kiss.

  I fall to my knees with relief and he catches me, sitting down on the ground with me. “Oh, God, I was so scared,” I say in a rush. “I just…didn’t know what you’d think. It was only one night, and you moved, and...I felt so stupid, falling in love with you.”

  “I never should have moved,” he replies, pulling me onto his lap. I lean back against him, relaxing slowly. “I knew I shouldn’t have gone the second you left. I didn’t know what to do. But I know what to do now.”

  “What are you going to do now?” I whisper, resting my head on his shoulder.

  “I’m going to marry you,” he replies simply.

  Stephan

  I’m sitting on the sidewalk with a beautiful girl in my arms, and she loves me as much as I love her. I don’t think I’ve ever been more stunned and more happy in my entire life. I needed motivation to move back, as if us flirting with each other wasn’t motivation enough; but this…this is everything.

  She’s so beautiful, I think, as we sit together under the street light. “Do you want to go see the ball drop?”

  Smiling, she leans up and kisses my cheek. “I can’t imagine anyone I’d rather start the new year with.”

  Pulling her up, we hold hands as we walk the few short blocks to Times Square. The cafe she works at is a little hole-in-the-wall, but it’s definitely close enough that walking isn’t an issue; though I want to carry her the whole way so that no one else can have her. I sigh softly, squeezing her hand, and wonder if it’s wrong that I feel like I’ve claimed her, that everyone will know that she’s mine.

  “What is it?” she asks, as we wedge ourselves into a little corner in an alley. We have a perfect view, if you disregard the thousands and thousands of heads that we have to look over.

  “Just thinking about you,” I admit, and I turn her around to face me, placing her face in my hands. I kiss her deeply, thinking about what’s been burning a hole in my pocket the entire time I’d spent on the flight back to New York, my scouring New York to find her. As I hear the countdown begin, I let her go, reaching into my pocket and pulling out a small box.

  She blinks a little, staring at me, tilting her head curiously. “Stephan? Are you—”

  I wait patiently as she realizes what’s happening. “Oh,” she breathes. “Oh!”

  I open the box to a beautiful marquise diamond with small, round accents and gaze up at her seriously. “I’ve already decided that you’re mine,” I declare calmly. “I decided that the first night. And the idiot that I am left you once. I’ve decided I’m never going to leave you again, regardless.” I take her shaking hand and slide the ring onto it.

  The world explodes into colors as
the new year rings in, and her face is lit up with purples and blues and reds. I watch silver stars reflect in her eyes as another firework booms itself into existence and laugh, holding her hand.

  “So do I still have to say yes?” she taunts me, pulling me up into her arms. I kiss her deeply, holding her to me as I smile against her lips. I pull back gently, looking down into her eyes.

  “No,” I say quietly. “Because the answer is yes, anyway.”

  Epilogue

  Two Years Later

  Bree

  I watch Stephan sleeping in the rocking chair with our daughter, Avery. I stretch carefully, avoiding moving the IV line, and watch my husband and child. I’d gone into labor two days ago, and I’ve never seen anyone be as comforting and wonderful as Stephan was during the long process.

  He’d held my hand, rubbed my back, gave me ice chips, and stayed up for two days straight without complaining. I even managed to sleep more than he did. He said that he wanted to stand guard in case I needed him. I do need him—every day, in every way.

  He’s sitting in the chair shirtless, because Avery spit up on him approximately sixty seconds after breastfeeding. But the nurses said that skin-to-skin is better, and Stephan took that as a personal challenge. He’s been holding Avery for three hours while she sleeps, and finally fell asleep himself somewhere in hour two. Still, he keeps rousing himself just enough to note that she’s okay, to make eye contact with me, and then to immediately fall back to sleep.

  “How’s he doing?” One of the nurses comes in to check on me, and is smiling as she walks over to the bed. “And how are you doing?” She adjusted my IV, looking down at me intently. I was amazed at how wonderful this hospital was. I’d finished my nursing degree just before I’d got pregnant. I wondered if this was going to be “my” hospital once Avery was old enough for preschool.

  “I could use a little Tylenol or something,” I admit, as quietly as I can. The last time I said that I’d needed something today, Stephan had torn the hospital apart for Doritos after I’d had Avery. “They’re doing fine. Not a peep out of her as long as he’s been holding her.”

  “Well, make sure he wakes up within the next half hour so you can feed her,” she warns. “It’s been more than two hours. I hate to wake a sleeping baby, but...”

  I sigh, grinning. “But he’s been such a pain in the ass!” He’d been a helpful ass, but an ass nonetheless. Everything that may have looked like a contraction before Avery was born meant I’d had to go to the hospital, “just in case.” Every time that Avery hiccupped in my belly was cause for celebration over his prowess of manliness. And every moment that had led up to her birth, he spent touching me, talking to me—even when I really didn’t want him to.

  She put her hands on her hips. “He really has,” she admits. “He watches every move you make. But he’s a good one, no doubt. Make sure you keep him.” She laughs, looking down at Avery and Stephan, checking the baby as much as she could without waking either of them. “He’s a good man. And it’s clear that he loves you both very, very much.”

  I look over at the man sleeping in the chair with my daughter. “Don’t worry,” I say softly, slowly working on getting up so that I can hopefully get Avery while leaving Stephan still asleep. “I will.”

  Stephan

  I wake up without the tiny weight of my five-pound daughter in my arms, and almost panic until I look over and see Bree sleeping with the baby drooling on her breast as she naps. I relax, standing slowly, stretching out a crick in my back as I grab the visitor’s chair and drag it as close to the bed as I can get.

  I gave Bree two choices that night on New Year’s Eve, once we got back to my apartment: we could get married the next day, at the courthouse, and I’d give her a big party whenever she wanted. Or she had one month to plan a wedding with her friend Lory, and we’d invite anyone she wanted. She picked the wedding, and it was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.

  Until now.

  I watch Bree and Avery sleeping together and realize that my entire world is on that little hospital bed. I never thought that when I approached Bree for a one-night-stand in her little cafe that everything would change for me so drastically. I hadn’t even dared to hope that she would accept only to find out that she would be accepting my proposal a few months later.

  Watching her belly swell with my child was the biggest turn-on I’d ever had. I wanted to possess her all the time, claim her over and over again, and listening to her scream was the best aphrodisiac in the world. I’m a little worried about the weeks-long wait that we’ll have now that Avery is here; pregnancy made Bree insatiable. She tackled me every given moment of the day. And I don’t know if that carries over after pregnancy or not, but not being able to touch her for weeks is going to kill me.

  I can’t help but wonder what our life is going to look like in a year or two—will we have more beautiful children? Will Bree be the successful nurse she dreamed of, and I’ll work from home? Or would she love to be barefoot with our babies, content in being at home? I lay my head against Bree’s shoulder as she sleeps, and stroke her hair lightly. I have never loved anyone more than I love these two girls…and I’m so lucky that they’re mine.

  -The End-

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  About the Author

  Bestselling author Katy Winters writes short romance stories that are steamy, sweet, and safe. You can almost always find an older, possessive, OTT alpha male falling in love instantly with a beautiful, curvy heroine. No cliffhangers and HEA guaranteed. Join her mailing list and get a FREE book at http://www.katywinters.com.

  More Books from Katy Winters

  Instalove in the Canyon

  Instalove at the Falls

  Instalove at Christmas