The Bachelor's Perfect Proposal (Bliss Series Book 2) (9 page)

I
nstead of being greeted
by one of the people we expected, we faced Chase. This dinner would be more interesting than I’d originally thought. If Chase couldn’t stand me, she had stronger animosity toward Jake, and it bewildered me to see her in Jake’s home, standing in all her leathers, paired with her dark mood, with a goblet of red wine in her hand. At least, I hoped it was red wine and not blood.

“Oh my goodness! Chase!” Veronica swung her arms around her friend, who grinned at her and sneered at me. “I didn’t know you’re going to be here.”

Chase pulled Veronica in and I followed along. Chase handed the wine glass to Veronica, who accepted and sipped.

“Natalie was in class this morning, and she told me about tonight. I haven’t seen you since you came back, because someone has been too selfish to share—” Chase flicked an unimpressed glance over her shoulder to me. “—so she asked Sandrine if I could come, and here I am.”

Veronica leaned her head on her friend’s upper arm as she hugged her closer. “Aw, I missed you too. I had to get some rest after the trip. Sorry.”

“Like you got any rest.” She sent me another seething look, to which I merrily replied with a smug look.

“They’re here! Jacob!” I heard Sandrine from inside the kitchen. And I could smell something a bit off too. Jake’s cooking. He had been horrible cook in university, and judging by the smell coming from his kitchen, he hadn’t improved.

Sandrine, wearing a blue dress, which cinched above her waist and showed off her round belly, darted toward Veronica and wrapped her in her arms before giving her cheeks kisses. It was clear I wasn’t the only who had missed her. Jake followed Sandrine.

“My, my, you’ve grown since last I saw you, Sandrine,” Veronica quipped. “May I?” Her hand hovered over Sandrine’s middle. Veronica glanced up, and our eyes met.

There was a glint in her eyes. A hope that maybe someday we could feel the same happiness that our friends shared.

“I’m humongous!” Sandrine complained.

“Sandrine,” Veronica started, “You look beautiful. I’d have a bigger belly than that if I ate too many donuts.” Right then, I imagined Veronica pregnant with my child.

“Can you give us a hand?” Jake broke through my thoughts. “I have guinea fowl in the oven.”

“Guinea fowl? Whatever possessed you to make that?” He could barely cook eggs.

Jake wiped his hand on his face in frustration. “My very pregnant wife asked for it.”

Natalie came in, quietly laughing at whatever her new boyfriend must have said. It was good to see her happy. I gave her a quick wave and turned to inspect dinner. I glared at Jake. The man should never be allowed inside a kitchen. He’d give Lily Stewart a run for her money when it came to world’s worst cook. I would need to have a talk with my cousin. Pregnant or not, she wouldn’t be getting what she was craving. The guinea fowl did not survive.

* * *

K
itchen duty became mine
. I didn’t mind much. Dinner was saved, many thanks to preparedness of Jake and Sandrine’s housekeeper, Mara. She had stocked up on other ingredients. Maybe she’d tasted Jake’s cooking too. And if she had, the poor woman deserved a raise.

Surprisingly, Diego was rather knowledgeable in the kitchen as well. While the rest of our group gathered around the cheese plate, he made a side salad for the chicken dish I had prepared. We worked quietly and efficiently, occupying either side of the room, and staving off Jake’s continual offers to lend a hand.

We all listened to Veronica’s tales of woe during her flight back home from The Maldives, leaving out the details of the actual trip and her client’s identity. Sandrine and Jake couldn’t stop gushing over their plans for after the baby was born. Nati and Chase talked about the new workout classes Diego offered to those who were willing to take them. “Less tortuous” as Chase explained to Veronica, who only said that she would think about it. I could think of other ways to keep her fit.

I kept quiet the entire time, loving the easy conversation that flowed at the table. Endless laughter, and comfort, and warmth.

Diego offered to help with the cleanup.

“Thanks for the help again.” I’d poured two fingers of scotch in two glasses for me and him— we deserved as much.

“Think nothing of it. Nati told me that the cooking might not be successful.” Diego said this in a lowered voice.

As soon as her name was mentioned, Nati came around and hugged Diego from behind. “Isn’t he great?” she asked me, with her left cheek pressed on his wide back.

Her engagement ring flickered under the overhead lights in the kitchen. As fast as things had progressed between Nati and Diego, I was excited for the two of them. They’d announced their engagement and pregnancy right after dinner. I raised my glass to them both.

“And to think, we owe it all to Nica.” Nati smiled at Diego.

“Veronica? My Veronica?” I wiped my hands on a kitchen towel, and then placed one on my chest.

“Yeah. She didn’t tell you? It was a funny story, really.” Nati and Diego gazed into each other’s eyes while she continued, “Imagine if their date had gone better—”

“Who went on a date? You dated Veronica?” I pointed an accusatory finger at Diego.

“Yes.” His smile widened, rows of white teeth flashed. I clenched my jaw. “You don’t remember meeting me?”

“Relax, Levi. They went on one date,” Nati reasoned, while Diego surreptitiously urged her behind his muscular frame.

Where did they go? How long ago was this? Did they kiss? Did they sleep together? Where was I when all of these happened?

“When was this? Why didn’t I know this?” My jaw clicked as I clenched it harder.

“Calm down. It’s nothing to stress over.” Diego raised one hand in front of him.

Jake came in, followed by the rest of them.

My eyes caught Veronica’s immediately. “I am calm,” I said through gritted teeth.

Jake came to my side and placed an arm between Diego and me. “Why don’t we step outside for a moment? Get some fresh air. Fresh perspective?”

I had made a mess of things in a blink of an eye. And I didn’t know how to fix it.

Rubbing a hand over my face, I sucked in a deep breath and followed them to the terrace.

“You still don’t remember when we first met?” Diego asked in his baritone voice once we stepped out into the cool night.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I told him and turned to Jake, who shrugged.

“The cake tasting? You were with a woman. With the…” He circled his hands over his chest. “And I came in late?”

The cake tasting. How could I have forgotten? “Of course. You came out to talk to me after…”

“After you were kneed in the balls.”

“You were what?” Jake asked.

I groaned, rubbing my palm over my eyes. I messed things up then too. “That was a nightmare. She had bony knees.” Because I couldn’t think of anything else to say or do, I laughed.

“She was something. Gave that spoon a good licking,” Diego added with a chuckle.

“I’m confused. What’s going on?” Jake asked again.

“It’s nothing. I’ll tell you another day.” I waved a hand at Jake. “I’m sorry for how I reacted. It’s been a trying few days.”

Diego looked over his shoulder. “I heard you’re taking the big leap. Nica is quite the girl.”

“So is Natalie… She did tell you we were…?”

Diego nodded. “She and I have no secrets. You can’t start a relationship that way. It would never succeed.”

My steps faltered as I thought of what I’d never told Nica. Discussion about my family was rare. I’d only spoken about Martina. I didn’t offer much about my family’s past. My secrets weren’t for the faint of heart. And I was afraid that it would be too much for her to handle. They were too damning.

I couldn’t tell her. I would try my hardest to make sure she’d never find out.

* * *

T
he drive back was quiet
.

“I want to go to my apartment,” Veronica said while we were at a stop. Her voice was firm. She was looking straight ahead.

A grunt came out of my mouth instead of an apology or an explanation.

Like a good boyfriend, I did what I was told. I brought her home. She had left her luggage and bags in the penthouse, so she would be back. I hoped. She had only brought a small purse with her to dinner.

Veronica did not wait for me to open her door. Even before I completed parking, her seatbelt was off, and one of her feet was already on the ground. Although she didn’t slam the passenger door, it felt like she had. It would have been better if she had. All she did was walk quietly to her door, and without a glance back, she unlocked it and walked into her apartment.

That voice in my head, from my dream mocked me.
You should have married her when you had the chance.

Had I lost my chance again?

“
I
l était
têtu et refusiat d’admettre qu’il avait tort
,” Martina had told my father about me years ago, when I was about seven. Martina was right. I was stubborn and refused to admit that I was wrong.

If Veronica were any other woman, I’d turn around and think ‘good riddance’. If she were any other woman, I wouldn’t have cared if she had dated half the city before me. As far as I knew, Veronica had been in two other relationships before Jake. She had been honest about those, but we had never broached the casual dating scenarios. Part of that was the fact that I didn’t want to give her my
number
. The number of women I’d been with. I had been thankful she had never asked. She’d asked about some of my dalliances, and I’d been fine answering a few questions if only to keep her from asking more.

Was it my own guilt? My conscience coming at me?

My outburst in Jake’s kitchen had angered her more than I expected. It didn’t matter that I’d straightened it out with Diego.

I gripped the steering wheel and thrashed inside my car. I could use a run right now to clear my head, think of what I needed to say. Or there had to be a flower shop open at this late hour. Or I could simply go inside the apartment with the key she had given me and talk to her. Looking at my phone one more time, I realized that I’d been sitting in the car for an hour, and I still hadn’t found the right solution.

What if there wasn’t a right solution? I could sit for another hour and come up with the best ideas to apologize, but what if all she wanted was for me to admit that I was wrong?

With uncertainty, I unfolded myself out of the car, locked it and proceeded to her door. I lifted my hand to knock, but her key seared itself to my palm. I unlocked the door instead and stepped inside.

My heart broke at the sight that met me.

Veronica sat on her floor, hugging her knees against her body, just a few steps from the entrance. Her head was down, her hair spilling over her shoulders. A sob echoed in the room.

I went to her and wrapped her in my arms. Her body shifted toward me, her fingers clawing at the back of my shirt as I picked her up and took her to the sofa.

The words “I’m sorry” were whispered in the air. We said them in unison.

I lay on my back and she curled on top of me. Her hair felt like silk in my hands. Her tears soaked my shirt. I lifted her head up so I could see what I had caused, burn that in my mind, and remember never to cause her the same sadness again. Her sob met my lips.

“I was wrong to react that way. I shouldn’t have. You had the right to date--”

“No, I was wrong. I should have told you. Diego and I went out just once before the cake tasting.”

“You were allowed to date anyone.” It pained me to say it out loud.

“At the time, I wasn’t too sure. I thought I’d give it a try. With all the crap that was happening, it seemed like a good idea. You know what’s funny?” I hummed. “We mostly talked about you.” Veronica tried to push up and sit, but all I wanted was to hold her closer. “I’m getting mascara all over your shirt.”

“It doesn’t matter.” I caressed her cheeks and tucked her hair behind her ears. With my thumbs, I erased the dark lines on her face. With my kisses, I hoped to erase the memory of those tears.

She snuggled her head back under my chin. I could feel her heart marching to the same beat as mine. Then she proceeded to tell me how she came to have dinner with Diego, to test the dating waters once again after her break up with Jake. And why he showed up to the cake tasting—an idea concocted by Chase to save Veronica when I brought someone who shouldn’t have been there in the first place, and while Veronica herself wasn’t certain about her feelings with me.

Diego could have made Veronica very happy. And perhaps that was where my insecurities lay. I wasn’t a perfect man, but would I be able to convince Veronica that I was perfect for her?

“He met Natalie later. It was a chance encounter,” she continued to explain.

“And now they’re getting married and having a baby.”

“I know. Isn’t that crazy?”

I couldn’t answer. Not when I wanted to share the same significant, life-changing events with her. I murmured sweet nothings into her ear as I threaded her long hair through my fingers. I kissed every part of her until we laid our insecurities to rest. At least for the night.

* * *

V
eronica hadn’t stopped laughing
or smiling since we hit the road. The colorful Pucci scarf I’d given her when we were in Paris last year for Jake and Sandrine’s wedding preparations matched her countenance. Even with the dark sunglasses on, I knew her eyes were twinkling. She was high on life, and I couldn’t help but be happy with her. It made the drive to the vineyard much more exciting.

I was over the moon. The Napa Valley vineyard,
Casa de Marysol
, was my pride and joy, much like Bliss Events was to Veronica. Finally, after several months, I would be able to show Veronica my ‘baby’. An old friend of Martina’s, Santiago de la Cruz, had told me the troubles the proprietors had gone through with their only child suffering and dying of a rare cancer the previous year. After a few visits, and tasting the wine they had produced, I was convinced that I could raise it from the ashes, so to speak. And I had. Our sparkling wine was up against the internationally favored Chateau du Laurent’s own
cuvée
. Of course, none of it would have been possible if I hadn’t met Veronica, and on that same fateful night, decided to turn my life around.

We had hit a few snags, but the vineyard’s previous owners had refused to give up. With their help, a few visits from Santiago, and simple hints from Martina,
Casa de Marysol
had survived the worst of it, so far. It was named after the previous owners’ late daughter.

Veronica looked around in quiet awe, with her hand over her lips and her sunglasses pushed up over her head. She’d had uncertainties about the difference in our wealth and statuses before; I hoped this wouldn’t bring those fears back.

What I wanted her to see were the possibilities—of visiting the vineyard together, as much as we could. Of our future children running through the grounds. Our friends and family, dining with us under the moonlight on the terrace. Making love on the balcony underneath the stars.

I reached over and wrapped her hand in mine, kissing the tips of her fingers. “What do you think?”

Her grin spread from one ear to the other. “What do I think? It’s gorgeous. You never told me how beautiful this place is. You’ve had events here before?”

I laughed. My Veronica, ever the planner. “Yes, I have.”

Clem and Adel Lotta met us at the front of main house with Adel’s older sister, Anita. Their tanned skin showed that they had been working hard under the sun, but their genuine smiles told me they were happy to do so. I introduced Veronica to the people who were close enough to be called my family. Whenever I spoke of
Casa de Marysol
, I made sure to mention the roles they played in its success, and in a way, in my own personal growth. Veronica was welcomed with opened arms.

Adel led her inside, an arm around Veronica’s waist. Clem trailed behind, talking as much as Adel was. Anita hooked her hand around my elbow. “It’s nice to see her finally make it. I was nervous there for you. I didn’t think you could do it.” Anita was as close to an aunt as I could get.

“Why doesn’t anyone believe I can make things happen?” I said with a laugh. “Is everything ready?”

She smiled and squeezed my arm. “I can’t believe you would even ask that. Of course everything is set. You just settle for a while, give her a quick tour of the house, and invite her out for lunch. Then you do what you came here to do.”

I kissed the top of Anita’s head, which only reached to my shoulders. “Thank you. The skies are clear today. Cloudless. No sign of rain.” I winked. Anita lifted her hand and crossed her fingers.

I took over from Adel and carried a giggling Veronica up the stairs, straight to the bedroom we would be sharing. Light spilled inside the large room through the floor-to-ceiling windows that made up one wall, and the door that led out to the balcony, which looked over the spread of the land. A luxurious king-size canopy bed occupied a quarter of the space, and that’s where I laid Veronica.

“Aren’t you supposed to show me around?” She giggled between the words, while I ran my hands over her ribs, pushing up her shirt, and licked around her navel.

“Shhh… I’m doing my own explorations right now.” I produced another giggle from her as I undid her jeans button, and blew hot breath along the top seam of her lace panties.

She moaned as I went farther down. Her hands snaked from my shoulders and threaded through my hair. “Levi.” My name came out in a sigh.

After ridding her of her jeans, I gazed up and found her eyes, eager and willing. “I’m so happy you’re here.”

“I am too.” Propping herself on her elbows, she offered me a sweet smile.

I returned to my intentions of having dessert before lunch, nipping at the curve of her hips, which led me to the sensitive skin of her thighs. I intended to make her scream my name as her stomach shook in ecstasy and her toes curled in delight. And after this, I intended to ask her
the
question and receive the answer that would make me the happiest man in the world.

* * *

V
eronica felt warm against me
. Our bodies were slicked with sweat, but neither of us cared to move. I could stay in this bed with her for all eternity. But her belly grumbled, and I was all too aware of what I was keeping her, and myself, from.

“You must be hungry. I didn’t mean to take forever.” I pushed up and rolled her on her back.

“I’m always hungry. And you always take forever.” She pulled on the sheet to cover her naked body.

I kissed the crook of her neck. “You’ve never complained before.”

Veronica threaded her fingers behind my neck, and I stared right into her eyes. “I’m not complaining now.”

“We better get up and eat. Picnic lunch okay with you?”

“A picnic? How romantic.”

I offered my hand and helped her up from the bed.

If she only knew how romantic I planned to be. I picked my clothes off the floor and noticed my phone vibrating on the night table. Any other time I would have ignored it. Everyone knew I’d be spending time with Veronica, and I didn’t like being interrupted when I was with her, particularly today. But something prickled the back of my neck. That prickle intensified when I saw the name on my screen.

I snatched my phone up and answered, “Laurent.”

“Olivier,” Sandrine’s father, François, quietly said, “
Votre grand-mère
.”

“Martina?” I choked out her name.

“
Oui, reviens à la maison
.” His voice shook as he asked me to return home. To France.

As I stood there, François informed me how my grandmother had been found unconscious in her bedroom, that doctors were running tests, while she laid in a hospital bed in a coma. I promised François I would return to France immediately. There was no question about it.

“Levi? What’s wrong?” Veronica walked over to me as I sat back on the bed, weakened from the news.

I looked at her but I couldn’t see beyond the fog in my mind. “Martina is in a coma. They think she had a stroke. I have to go.”

She nodded, tears ready to spill out of her eyes. “Of course.”

I was wasting time sitting on my ass. I dialed David’s number and ordered him to get the private plane ready. Then I asked him to call his brother to come pick me up. That hour drive to the hangar in San Francisco would take too long. A ‘copter ride would be faster.

As soon as we found the Lottas, I gave them the news. Everyone hugged me one by one, although I had a difficult time determining who said what.

“We’ll take Veronica back to the city,” Clem informed me.

Veronica. I stared at her red-rimmed eyes, the fingers that she kept twisting, and her lips, still plump from my kisses. “Come with me.” I reached out for her hand.