Nickolas sat in the parlor of the rented house in Paris. He looked out the window and took something from his pocket. He opened the little black box and looked at its contents. He smiled and started thinking good thoughts. He just sat like that for the next ten minutes or so without any interruptions. He didn�t even know Danielle and Kevin joined him and were watching him stare at the box. He just continued smiling, oblivious to the world surrounding him.
After a few more minutes of watching, Danielle asked, �Nick, what are you looking at?�
Nickolas looked up startled thinking it was Sunshine. He didn�t see her, but his two friends and closed the box saying, �Nothing.�
�Sure you�re not,� Kevin said, as he and Danielle sat at the table with Nickolas. �Then what�s in the little black box?�
�Nothing,� Nickolas replied, but Kevin and Danielle knew he was lying. He still had the box in his hand and Kevin went for it, but Nickolas pulled his hand away. �I said it was nothing.�
�Nickolas,� Kevin began, �you can�t lie to me so don�t even try it.�
�I�m not,� Nickolas said.
�Who�s it for?� Danielle asked. �It�s for Sunnie Jo, ain�t it?�
�Perhaps,� Nickolas replied smiling.
�May I see it?� Danielle asked.
�Nope,� Nickolas said.
�Then what is it?� Danielle wanted to know.
�You don�t need to know,� Nickolas answered.
�Who are we going to tell?� Kevin questioned. �We still didn�t tell anyone what happened between you two on the beach.� Nickolas looked at him then at Danielle and raised an eyebrow. �Minus Madeline of course.� Kevin grinned. �So either show us what�s in the box or I�m going to have to get rough.�
�Either way ya don�t have a choice,� Danielle said.
�Like I said, �Nickolas started, �you don�t need to know. It�s none of your business.�
�Then I�m going to have to do something you don�t want me to,� Kevin said. Nickolas just looked at him and Kevin yelled, �Alex, can you come here a minute!�
�What are you doing?� Nickolas questioned.
�Show us what�s in the box,� Kevin began or I tell Alex what you and Sunn did on the beach. We all know how much you love your personal and private life like that and want no one to know, but we also know Alex will tell everyone. So what�s it going to be? Alex will be here any second.�
�Blackmail,� Nickolas said. �He should never have been invented.� Kevin looked at him and waited for an answer. �Ok, you win. I�ll show ya what's in the box.�
�Kev, you screeched,� Alexander snickered walking into the room and they looked.
�Never mind,� Kevin said. �We figured it out. Sorry about that.�
�No prob,� Alexander said walking back out.
After Alexander was gone Nickolas said, �If I show you what�s in this box, you must swear to me you will not tell anyone what it is. Not Sunnie, not your dog, not the French people on the streets, no one. I must have your word. This means a lot to me and I don�t want it screwed up.�
�I swear I won�t say anything this time,� Danielle promised.
�I swear also,� Kevin agreed.
�This is very important to me and I won�t appreciate it if you begin to laugh,� Nickolas said.
�We won�t,� Kevin said. �We promise.�
Nickolas looked at the box then at Kevin and Danielle. He looked at the box again and set it on the table. Kevin and Danielle looked at each other then Danielle picked up the box, as Nickolas watched. He watched her open the box and smile.
Danielle looked at Nickolas then back to the box and said, �It�s beautiful. This is for Sunn I�m hoping?�
�Definitely,� Nickolas said.
Danielle handed Kevin the box and as he looked at its contents he said, �Nick, is this what I think it is? Nickolas just nodded. �It�s really something. She�ll love it.�
�I hope so,� Nickolas said. �Do you think she�ll accept it?� He was a little concerned.
�Is that why you turned Sunn down when she asked you?� Danielle questioned. �You wanted to ask her yourself?�
�I know it�s corny,� Nickolas said. �But I wanted to be the one to ask and do it the right way.�
�I think that�s so sweet,� Danielle said taking the box back off Kevin.
�I was even a gentleman and asked her parents,� Nickolas stated and his two friends looked at him surprised.
�Awe,� Danielle gushed still looking at the box�s contents. �You won�t even have to ask the question for her to accept. By getting on one knee she�ll know what you�re going to ask and she�ll say yes a million and one times over.�
�That�s what I�m hoping,� Nickolas said reaching for the box. He took it off Danielle and looked at it.
�So when are you asking her?� Kevin asked.
�Tomorrow,� Nickolas replied.
�Hopefully in front of us,� Danielle said.
�No,� Nickolas replied. �I have something special planned so it�ll just be the two of us.�
Nickolas looked at the ring again, just as the three of them heard, �Nicky, I�m back!� They all looked up and saw Sunshine standing in the parlor entrance. Nickolas quickly closed the box and put it in his pocket, as Sunshine put her bags on the sofa. She walked over to him and gave him a kiss, as she sat on his lap. �What was that thinger jigger you put in your pocket when I walked in?�
�Something you�ll found out tomorrow,� Nickolas replied.
�I guess I can wait,� Sunshine said. �Valentine�s Day isn�t even 24 hours away.�
�You mean you�re not going to fight me to see what it is?� Nickolas questioned her a little disappointed.
�No, because I can wait and I missed you.�
�You weren�t even gone that long.�
�I was gone long enough to miss ya.�
�If you�ll excuse us,� Danielle said, as her and Kevin got up.
After they were gone, Sunshine said, �Can I get credit for missing you?�
�I�ll give you more than credit,� Nickolas replied. �I�ll give you a lifetime of kisses and me.�
�Ooh, I can definitely live with that. Yourself and you covering me with kisses, two of my favorite things.�
�I only have one favorite thing.�
�What�s that? Your play station?�
�You.� He kissed her. �You come before anything else and that�s the truth.�
�I believe ya.� She kissed him again. �Ya know, thinking about you covering me with kisses is making me all hot�hoo!� He smiled and kissed her again. �Is the thought making you hot?� He just continued smiling and kissed her some more, as Alexander and Destiny walked in. They both moaned. �Always interrupted.�
�Hey you two,� Alexander said. �How�s everything in Loveland? Its great here thank you.�
Alexander and Destiny sat down and started to kiss. Nickolas looked at them then at Sunshine and said, �Someone�s getting lucky.�
�Are you mad, because you�re not?� Sunshine asked.
�No, because I already got lucky.� Sunshine just looked at him. �When you came into my life.�
�That�s so sweet.� She kissed him. �I got you something. Do you want to try it on?�
�Let�s do it now.� He looked at Alexander and Destiny and shook his head.
�Ok.� They got up and got Sunshine�s bags then went upstairs to Sunshine�s room.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
�So,� Sunshine said sitting on the bed.
�So,� Nickolas mocked.
�I got a question.� He looked at her and hoped it wasn�t the marriage question again. He wanted to wait until tomorrow. It was a special day and something special should happen. �Nick, did ya hear me?� He looked at her. �I asked why you turned down my proposal.�
Oh boy. �I thought we discussed this already, Sweets? When you asked.� She just looked at him. Please don�t start a fight. Things have been going good so far this past week.
�Well?� He continued looking at her. Why ain�t he answering me? Did I ask the wrong thing? There�s no shame in wanting to know. I have that right. �Nicky?�
�Um, I told you why, Sweets. I�m just not ready.� Ok what a lie. I�m ready to marry her. �We�re young and have all the time in the world.�
�Right.� She sighed and sat on the bed.
�Sunnie, why are you trying to hurry us into marriage?�
�I�m not, Nick. I was just wondering.�
�Uh-huh.�
�Don�t you believe me? Just because I lied to you about the way I felt and what I wanted doesn�t mean I�m lying now. I�m done lying to you.�
�I�m glad to hear that.�
�What about you?�
�I haven�t lied to you, Sweets.� She glared at him. �What?�
�Don�t get smart.�
�I�m not. I�m just being honest. I left you know from the beginning what I wanted. And I thought you wanted the same.�
�Bastard.� He smiled and sat beside her. He kissed her neck and she tried pushing him away. �Mmm, stop it, Nick.�
�You know you like it. Love it in fact.�
�And I hate you for it.�
�Why?� He continued sucking on her neck. �It turns you on.�
�Because you use it against me. Just one kiss and I�m yours.�
�That�s the way I like it.� He smiled and kissed her. She kissed him back and he laid her back on the bed.
�Sometimes I wish I never got sexual with you.�
�Are you trying to ruin the mood?�
�Is it working?�
�Afraid not. Sorry, Sweets.�
�Damn.�
�Don�t you want to get intimate?�
�Well it�s not that I don�t. It�s just that there�s people downstairs and upstairs and all around.�
�We can keep it down.�
�Not we, Nick�me.� He looked at her. �Yes you�re loud.�
�You�re just as loud.�
�Whatever.�
�You�ll get whatever.� He started tickling her.
�Stop it, Carter.� He continued. �I mean it.�
�Never.� He tickled her sides and buried his face in her neck. He playfully bit her neck to make her laugh more. �You�re mine, Sunnie.�
�I don�t think so, Carter.� She used all her strength and pushed Nickolas off her. She got him on his back and got on top of him; tickling him. �You�re mine.�
�Sunnie, stop. I mean it.�
�Never.� She continued and he grabbed her hands. �Ooh feisty.� He just looked at her and flipped her onto her back. They looked at each other and he kissed her aggressively. �Mmm, Nick, what�s�� He looked at her and she went quiet. She didn�t like the look in his eyes. It wasn�t need nor want nor love or even passion. It was something she never saw before and it scared her. He went to kiss her, but she turned her head. He tried kissing her again, but she did the same and pushed him off her. This time he fell on the floor and Sunshine got off the bed on the opposite side. Nickolas moaned and Sunshine just looked at him.
�Damn it, Sweets, why�d ya do that?� She continued looking at him. �I was just playing.�
�Well I didn�t like that look in your eyes. It scared me.� He looked at her and got up. �A lot.�
�I�m sorry, Sweets.� He walked over to her and hugged her. �I just wanted to have some fun. I didn�t mean to scare you.� He kissed the top of her head and the door opened.
�Is everything cool in here?� Brian asked. �We heard a noise.�
�Yeah,� Nickolas said. �Sunnie just threw me off the bed.�
�Alright,� Brian said not a bit surprised. �Kev and D are done with dinner.�
�We�ll be down in a minute,� Sunshine said. Brian just nodded and walked back out, as Sunshine and Nickolas looked at each other.
�I love you,� Nickolas said smiling.
�I love you too,� Sunshine said in return and he kissed her.
CHAPTER 27
HOME