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Authors: Teresa Southwick

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“You didn't kill them.”
“If I hadn't insisted that I could watch Sarah, they would have stayed home. They would be here. They might not be together, but I could tell them how much I love them.”
“Thanks for telling me, honey. It explains everything.” He gave her a reassuring squeeze. “But it's not
your fault they died. No one knows why terrible things happen. It's not good enough to just say it was their time. It's a lousy, stinking rotten thing.”
She nodded. “And it's reminded me that life is precious, fragile and tenuous. We need to make every second count.”
“I couldn't agree more,” he said. “Which is why there's something I need to tell you.”
“There's something I need to say first. You were right, Nick. I have been hiding behind my responsibilities. It was hard losing my parents, then getting dumped by guys who were scared off by my situation. I couldn't compete, so I took myself out of the game. It was easier not to play than to fail. Or be hurt. But you changed all that.”
“Me?”
The corners of her mouth quirked up. “You know good and well it's you. Not once did you give up on me. Except the other night. I've probably messed up any chance with you. God knows I don't deserve a second one. But I have to say this before I lose my nerve.” She looked him straight in the eye and spoke from her heart. “I love you, Nick.”
“Can I talk now?”
“Yes,” she said, then held her breath.
“I love you, too.”
Abby bubbled with so much happiness, any second she expected to float away with it. She couldn't believe she'd heard him right. “You love me? Even though I've been such an idiot?”
“As I so recently told my mother, you are the most intelligent, loyal, beautiful woman I know.”
“You talked to your mother? About me?”
He nodded. “She made me see that a lasting relationship
doesn't start with a flash fire. Mutual respect and admiration form a solid foundation to build love on.”
“She's a wise woman.”
“Amen to that. Especially when she told me to quit being a fool and go after you.”
“She said that?”
“She understood that you were holding back because you were afraid of being hurt.”
“Really?” Abby didn't know whether to be embarrassed, or run to his mother and kiss her. “I need to thank her,” she said, starting to stand.
Nick held her firmly. “Not until I do this.”
He took her face in his hands and touched his mouth to hers, gentle at first, but soon escalating to much more. This wasn't a tender kiss, but a passionate statement of their profound emotions, held too long in check. Abby absorbed the power of his love and put everything she had, all the force of her deep feelings into the meeting of their lips. She savored the moment when he wrapped her in his strong embrace, then put her arms around him, holding tight, as if she would never let him go.
It seemed like forever, but wasn't nearly long enough when they finally looked at each other. “Wow,” he said, then dragged in air. He helped her up, then went down on one knee. “A more romantic setting would be nice, but we've wasted enough time already. I love you, and I'm not giving you a chance to change your mind or back out. Abby, will you marry me?”
“Yes,” she said.
“Without regrets? Because it means you'll have to skip Footloose and Fancy-Free and go straight to Marriage
101. Forever. Because I don't ever plan to let you go.”
“Promise?” she asked fervently.
“Oh, yeah.” His eyes took on an intensity she had never seen before. He stood up and took both of her hands in his. “I plan to spend the rest of our lives convincing you of something that's only just become clear to me. There could never be anyone but you. Madison knew it, and that's why she broke things off. She was right.”
“She's the best.”
He blinked. “You've really changed your tune.”
“I guess I've always been jealous of her. But it was very generous of her to come to see me and try to get us together.”
“Too bad it didn't help,” he said wryly.
“Actually it did. Just not right away.” She wrapped her arms around him and snuggled close. “But she planted the seed. What was she right about?”
“That I've been waiting for you since the first day we met. Somehow you sneaked into my heart, and it took me a long time to realize it.”
Footsteps sounded on the tile floor. “Well, isn't this sweet.”
Abby felt Nick turn. “Hey, Joe. You can be the first to congratulate us. We're getting married.”
“Another Marchetti bites the dust. I knew it.”
“What?” Nick asked.
“That you two were just a matter of time. That day in my office, when I hugged Abby. You were jealous as hell.”
“So?” Nick asked, not denying it.
“So I knew sooner or later you would bite the dust, leaving only three confirmed bachelors in the Marchetti
family.” Joe walked over to them and shook Nick's hand. He leaned over and kissed Abby's cheek. “Welcome to the family, Abby.”
“Thank you,” she said, loving the sound of that.
Nick put his arm around her shoulders. “You should try this, bro.”
Joe shook his head. “Not me. No way I'm going down ball-and-chain lane. Not in a million years.”
“You know what they say,” Abby said. “Methinks he doth protest too much.”
Nick grinned. “My future bride is right. Something tells me you're next.” He smiled down at Abby then looked at his brother. “Just give in to it. You'll be glad you did.”
“I certainly am,” she said.
When Nick kissed her again, Abby was very glad he did. He went right from knight in shining armor to the Hero Hall of Fame. Just when she'd given up hope of a happy ending, he put the color back into her world. He was the kind of man who would be there forever. And then some.
 
 
Don't miss the next book in the Marchetti
family saga. Joe's story will be coming only to
Silhouette Romance in early 2000.
ISBN : 978-1-4592-5983-6
 
AND THEN HE KISSED ME
 
Copyright © 1999 by Teresa Ann Southwick
 
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the editorial office, Silhouette Books. 300 East 42nd Street. New York. NY 10017 U.S.A.
 
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no rotation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
 
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
 
® and TM are trademarks of Harlequin Books S.A., used under license. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.

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