“Real nice,” she agreed, going willingly into his arms to sway there.

“Things have been a little hectic.”

“Hmm… Just a little.”

“I’d like to talk to you about what I asked you a while back. About moving in.”

She shut her eyes. She’d already decided the answer was no. As hard as it was to resist a half a loaf, she would hold out for the whole one. “This may not be the time to go into it.”

“I can’t think of a better one. The thing is, Rachel, I don’t want you to move in.”

“You—” She stiffened, then shoved away, nearly toppling him over. “Well, that’s just fine.”

“What I want—”

“Stuff what you want,” she tossed back at him. “Isn’t that just typical? After I clean up the mess for you, you brush me off.”

“I’m not—”

“Shut up, Muldoon. I’ll have my say.”

“Who could stop you?” he muttered.

Her heels slapped the floor as she tried to walk off her anger. “You’re out of order, Buster. You’re the one who kept pushing your way in, pushing your way in.” She demonstrated by making shoving motions with her hands. “Just wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

“You didn’t say no,” he reminded her.

“That’s irrelevant.” Facing him, she fisted her hands on her hips. “So, you don’t want me to move in. Fine. My answer was an unqualified no anyway.”

“Great.” He stepped closer so that he had to lean over to shout in her face. “Because I’m not settling for you packing up a few things and coming by to play house. I want you to marry me.”

“And if you think— Oh, God.” She swayed back, forward, then pressed a hand to his chest for balance. “I have to sit down.”

“So sit.” He nipped her around the waist and plopped her down on the bar. “And just listen. I know we said no long-term commitments. You didn’t want them, and neither did I. But we’re turning the page here, Rachel, and there’s a whole new set of rules.”

“Zack, I—”

“No. You’re not going to get me tangled up in an argument.” She was too good at winning those, and he’d be damned if he was going to lose this time. “I’ve thought this through. You’ve got your priorities, and that’s fine.” He grabbed her hands, hard. Rachel decided she’d check for broken fingers later. Right now, she couldn’t feel anything but amazement. “All you have to do is add one to the list. Me. I didn’t plan on falling in love with you, but that’s the way it is, so deal with it.”

“Me either,” she murmured, but he plowed on.

“Maybe you think you don’t have room…” His grip tightened, and he ignored her quick yelp. “What did you say?”

“I said, ‘Me either.’”

“‘Me either’ what?”

“You said, ‘I didn’t plan on falling in love with you,’ and I said, ‘Me either.’” She let out a long, shaky sigh when his hands slid limply from hers. “But that’s the way it is, so deal with it.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah.” Perched on the bar, she linked her arms around his neck, lowered her brow to his. Amazing, she thought. He was as scared as she was. “You beat me to it, Muldoon. I was going to turn you down because I love you too much, and I wasn’t going to settle for anything less with you than everything. It’s had me going in circles for days.”

“Weeks.” He brought his mouth to hers. “I was going to try to ease you into it, but I couldn’t wait. I even talked to your father about my intentions tonight.”

Unsure whether to laugh or groan, she drew back. “You did not.”

“I plied him with vodka first, just in case. He told me he wanted more grandchildren.”

She felt her heart swell. “I’d like to accommodate him.”

Something caught in his chest, then broke beautifully free. “No kidding?”

And here it was, she thought, looking down into his eyes. A whole new set of rules. A whole new life for the taking. “No kidding. I want a family with you. I want it all with you. That’s my choice.”

He cupped her face in his hands. “You’re everything I’ve wanted and never thought I’d have.”

“You’re everything I wanted,” she repeated. “And pretended not to.” When she lowered her lips to his, she felt the sting of tears in her throat. “We’re not going to get sloppy, are we, Muldoon?”

“Who, us?” He grinned as she slid off the bar and into his arms. “Not a chance.”