Bravo 🤍

Twenty-Three

"Oh, Luke!" Nikki smiles as he holds a hand out to her, helping her onto the hot air balloon.

He rests his hands on either side of her as she stares out just as the balloon lifts off the ground. He wraps his arms around her as she leans back against his chest. "A view of Paris from the sky. Happy birthday, Nik."

"It's perfect, Luke. Thank you." She leans back against him as he rests his chin on her shoulder.

"Perfect place to talk?" He hears her sigh but nod as he presses a kiss on her shoulder. "I love you, Nik." He grabs her, turning her toward him as she gasps, chuckling. "All cards on the table, okay?" She nods, but doesn't say anything, resting her hands on his chest as he takes a deep breath. "Inviting you on Christmas was a last-minute decision, yes. But you were never my second choice. I never had any intentions to invite her over you, you were always the first choice. I... wanted to invite you home to meet my family because I wanted to tell you about how I felt about you once and for all. But I fucked it all up."

"You kinda did, yeah," she teases as he chuckles, pressing his body against hers. "It was the best night of my life, Luke. And then it was all ruined."

"I know. I hope I can make it all up to you. I see a future with you, in a way I never have with someone before. My family loves you, despite my ruining your meeting. I'm not saying tomorrow, but I want to marry you. I just want you to know of my intentions before we continue."

She watches him in silence, his eyes silently pleading for her to feel the same. She turns away from him, looking back out at the city in silence as he holds her.

"Nik?"

"Shh." She rests her head back against his chest, feeling his heart beating steadily. She closes her eyes, letting the feeling wash over her with a sigh.

He points out his apartment below them as he whispers in her ear, "move in with me."

She laughs, turning back to him once more. "You're not serious, Luke."

"Of course, I am. We know each other well. And we've spent so much time together before everything happened that we may as well have been living together."

"And... you're jealous of me living next to Sam; a very attractive man I've slept with."

"Maybe a little, yeah." He bites his lip as she giggles, running her hand up his chest to wrap her arms around his neck. "Would it be so bad to wake up to me everyday?"

She grins, shaking her head. "It would be amazing, Luke. I'll think about it, okay?"

"Deal. Turn around and watch the view with me." He smiles as she leans up to kiss him before turning away from him.

***

"I'm hungry, Luke."

He laughs, walking with her hand in hand as they approach the Château de Malmaison rose garden. "These are Josephine's gardens. She created them when her and Napoleon owned the Château."

"It's beautiful." She watches the sun set as they walk slowly through the gardens, arriving at a large blanket set on the ground with pillows and a picnic basket.

He motions for her to sit as he takes the spot beside her, opening the basket to pull out some wine and glasses. He pours them both some before setting the bottle off to the side. "Napoleon and Josephine would write letters when he was away from her. 'I thought that I loved you months ago, but since my separation from you I feel that I love you a thousand fold more. Each day since I knew you, have I adored you yet more and more. This proved the maxim of Bruyere, that "love comes all of a sudden," to be false. Everything in nature has its own course, and different degrees of growth.'"

"Luke..." She sets her glass in the grass and leans toward him. "You say a lot of pretty words."

"Pretty words for a pretty girl..." He pulls her closer to him, laying her on her back as he smiles down at her. He kisses her deeply as she moans, pulling his body on top of her. "I have more pretty words."

She giggles as he hovers over her. "Proceed."

He grins, kissing her again before continuing, clearing his throat. "'Tell me that you are convinced that I love you more than it is possible to imagine; that you are persuaded that all my moments are consecrated to you; that to think of any other woman has never entered my head—they are all in my eyes without grace, wit, or beauty; that you, you alone, such as I see you, such as you are; can please me, and absorb all the faculties of my mind; that you have traversed its whole extent; that my heart has no recess into which you have not seen, no thoughts which are not subordinate to yours; that my strength, my prowess, my spirit are all yours; that my soul is in your body; and that the day on which you change or cease to live will be my death-day; that nature, that earth, is beautiful only because you dwell therein.'"

She pulls his mouth back to hers as he runs his hand up her thigh as she bends her knee. "I love you too, Lucas. So much."

He smiles, gripping her thigh as he hovers over her. "I only want you, Nik. It's only you and me. Let's eat dinner." He hesitates before releasing her to sit up, helping her to do the same. "I just made some pasta. And I have some fruit. And... macarons."

"It's perfect, Luke. Everything is perfect." They fall into a comfortable silence as they eat, and she catches his gaze. "What did you do with the necklace?"

"Um... I felt really bad about what happened at the party. I got it fixed and traded it in for store credit. Thought maybe we could go, and you can pick something else you'd like better? When you're ready."

"I'd like that, Luke. And... maybe we could talk about moving in?"

He grins, nodding as he bites his lip. "Really? Honestly, I just really don't want to spend any more time away from you. And I have a lot of time to make up for."

"I don't want to spend any more time away from you either."

"So... you'll move in with me?" He leans toward her, resting on one hand.

"Yes. I will." She squeals as he stands up and pulls her to her feet to wrap his arms around her, lifting her up to him. "Luke, put me down."

"Never."