MadLoving by N.J. Walters Page B

private parties
this time of year.
    “Yup.” Rabb shoveled in another mouthful of lasagna and
chewed before continuing. “Tomorrow night too. But you’re more than welcome to
join us. Class up the joint a little.”
    Allison laughed. She knew all the staff by name and they
were used to her coming and going through the family door. She had her own key.
    “Dessert,” Irene announced. She went to stand, but Nevar stopped
her.
    “I’ll get it.” He pushed away and strode into the kitchen,
returning a moment later with a small plate covered with a silver dome. She
wondered what could be under it. It seemed much too small to feed all of them.
It was probably individual desserts. Irene did that sometimes.
    Nevar paused right next to her. Rabb removed her empty
dinner plate and Nevar set the small one in front of her. Everyone was watching
her. Okay, she wasn’t quite sure what they were waiting for, but she wasn’t
overly concerned. She’d become used to the idiosyncrasies of the Hatter family
months ago. In fact, she embraced them and how the family enjoyed life to the
fullest.
    “Open it,” Nevar prompted.
    Allison lifted the silver dome and sitting in the middle of
the china tea plate was a gold band set with a sparkling diamond. She gasped
and tears filled her eyes. She turned to Nevar and he went down on one knee
with a flourish. He picked up the ring and held it out to her.
    “The past six months have been the best of my life and I
never want them to end. Will you marry me? Will you have me and my crazy
family?”
    “Hey,” Rabb protested. “We’re not that bad.”
    “Yes.” She could barely get the word out her heart was
beating so fast. “Yes.”
    Nevar slipped the ring onto her finger and she threw herself
into his arms. His strong arms closed around her. She could hear his mother and
father cheering.
    “I was going to wait until Christmas, but I couldn’t,” he
whispered so none of the others could hear. He kissed her then and it was
filled with passion and, more than that, it was filled with love.
    “I love you,” she told him.
    “I love you too.”
    “Let’s celebrate.” His mother broke the intimate moment. “I
have cake.”
    They all laughed and ate cake.
    * * * * *
    Hours later, Nevar stood at one end of the bar filling
orders. Allison sat near him, sipping on a ginger ale. His heart swelled every
time he looked at her. And that wasn’t the only part of his anatomy that
swelled. His cock was semi-hard every time he thought about that sexy backless
dress she was wearing. He couldn’t wait to peel it off her later tonight.
    He wanted to make love to her with her wearing his ring and
maybe those sexy heels she was wearing. Oh, yeah.
    “Pay attention, big brother.” Rabb elbowed him as he walked
by.
    “Oh, I’m paying plenty of attention all right.”
    Rabb snorted and went back to work mixing drinks and filling
orders. Hatter’s was hopping tonight. Some of the corporate crowd was a lot
rowdier than the normal patrons were. But they had several extra waiters who
also doubled as bouncers working tonight and didn’t anticipate any problems.
    Nevar handed off the drinks to the waitress who was waiting
patiently for them. Once that was done, he leaned over the bar, caught
Allison’s hand in his and pulled her close so he could kiss her.
    She laughed and kissed him back.
    “Only a few more hours,” he assured her.
    “I don’t mine waiting.”
    “I do,” he growled and she laughed again. Damn, she was
pretty with her blue eyes sparkling and her cheeks flushed. He’d caught her
several times tonight studying her hand, or more specifically the ring he’d put
on her finger. He was one lucky, happy man.
    And speaking of lucky. He hoped to get lucky sooner rather
than later. Maybe he could manage a ten-minute break in his office a little
later. The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea.
    Allison’s smile curved into a frown and he turned to see
what she was looking at.