Love on Lexington Avenue(74)

“What are you doing here?” she whispered.

He nodded toward the tower. “Best view in the house from right here.”

“No, I meant—”

“I know what you meant.” Scott took a deep breath, and she realized that he wasn’t quite as calm and unaffected as he wanted to seem. “Ask me how Shanghai is,” he said.

“Um, okay,” Claire said slowly. “How’s Shanghai?”

“Fascinating.”

Wonderful.

“Ask me how the job is,” he said.

“I already know how the job is; I just talked to you—”

“Ask me, Claire.”

The urgency in his voice gave her pause. “All right. How’s the job?”

“As interesting as promised.”

“Good, I’m glad—”

“Ask me again why I’m here.” He was closer now, his eyes intent on hers.

“Well, it’s hard when you keep interrupting me.”

He didn’t look away. “Ask me.”

“Why are you here?”

Scott lifted a hand, pressing the backs of his fingers to her cheek, then cupped her face. “I’m here because apparently an interesting city and a fascinating job don’t do it for me anymore. So I quit.”

Claire shook her head, not believing what she was hearing. “You can’t quit. That’s your life.”

“No, Claire.” He moved closer. “You’re my life. You, Bob. New York.”

“But you left,” she said, unable to keep the accusation out of her voice. “You left me. And Bob. Rather easily, too.”

“Not easily,” he said roughly, moving even closer, his expression pleading. “Not even close. I know I made a mistake. And I know I haven’t earned a second chance, but damn it, Claire, I want one more than I’ve ever wanted anything.”

“A chance for what?”

“Anything. Whatever you’ll give me.” Both his hands were on her face now. “Please—” Claire cut off his words with a kiss, feeling the way he froze in surprise, then relaxed with relief before kissing her back. “I love you,” he whispered softly against her mouth.

Claire couldn’t remember ever feeling so happy. She rested her hand against his cheek, smiling at the familiar stubble, then she pulled back slightly. “Wait. How did you find me?”

“It’s Paris. Everyone comes to the Eiffel Tower on their first day. But if you hadn’t, my plan was to show up every day until you did.”

“No, how did you know I was in Paris at all?”

“Two guesses. And let’s just say it wasn’t Naomi, who hung up after delivering a blistering assessment of my character.”

She laughed. “Audrey, then. So much for her promise not to get involved anymore.”

He smiled. “Turns out she had a good feeling about me.”

“Actually, more like she was trying to soften you up so you didn’t get mad.”

He frowned. “About what?”

“I take it you don’t follow her on Instagram.”

He shook his head, and Claire pulled out her phone and brought up Audrey’s feed.

“Holy hell,” he muttered. “Is my dog dressed up as Chewbacca?”

“Audrey wanted to get her Halloween on early. She decided ages ago on sexy Princess Leia but wanted a Yoda. Clarke said no, so she decided on Bob.”

He glanced again at the picture in confusion. “So what happened to the Yoda plan?”

“This was her plan B after Bob ate Yoda’s ears.”

Scott nodded. “Sounds about right.” He looked up. “How much longer do we have to talk about my dog and Audrey and Star Wars before you tell me how you feel about me?”

“Well now, see,” she said, plucking grass, “I tried to tell you when I saw my kitchen. That’s when I knew. But you cut me off.”

“I know,” he said in a rough voice. “I won’t cut you off now.”

Claire lifted his hand with both of hers, pressed a kiss to his knuckles. His eyes closed, only to open when she spoke. “I love you, Scott.”

He swallowed, then cleared his throat with a jerky nod, before pulling the picnic basket toward them.

“You hungry?”

“Um, sure,” she said, surprised and a little disappointed at the unceremonious reaction to her telling him how she felt, but then this was Scott. She hadn’t fallen in love with the guy because he was one for romantic words.

She lifted the lid and peeked inside. The baguette, as expected. Cheese. Strawberries. Champagne. She looked at him with a smile, but he didn’t smile back, his expression strangely intense.

When she glanced into the basket once more, she saw why. Nestled among the picnic supplies was a small white box that didn’t look like it belonged. Baffled, she reached for the box and opened it.

Claire gasped. Sparkling up at her was the biggest, most extravagant ring she’d ever seen. The center diamond was large in its own right. The diamonds surrounding it were each bigger than the stone on her old ring. And the little pink diamonds that formed a border around the bigger diamonds? Those were perfect.

“Don’t you dare tell me it’s too much,” he said, reaching out and pulling the ring from the box. “Because I want everyone who sees this, and that includes the astronauts on the International Space Station, to know that you’re taken.”