He wipes away my tears, and a beat of silence passes as he searches my face. I don’t know what he’s looking for, but he seems to find it.
A quiet certainty settles over him, the amber in his eyes melting into burnished gold.
“I can’t promise I’ll ever be anything close to normal,” he says softly.
“I wouldn’t dare accuse you of that.”
At this, he smiles, and the featherlight touch of his hand reaching for mine makes me shiver. He brushes his thumb over my knuckles, then lifts my fingers, ghosting over them with a kiss.
“As much as I’ve enjoyed stalking you, I’d prefer to move on to the captive stage of our relationship.”
“Captive stage?” My brows knit together as a soft laugh catches in my throat.
“The one where I make you my wife.”
Those words settle between us, and I wait for the punchline. But he’s not laughing. Instead, the pulse in his neck beats a faster cadence, and there’s a noticeable tension in his body that wasn’t there a moment ago.
“You want me to marry you?”
“Yes.” His voice comes out rough.
When I don’t answer right away, because I’m in shock, he continues.
“I know you have dreams, and I still want you to do those things. I just want you to do them as my wife.”
His wife.
Those words brand themselves on my heart, and when I notice the pink velvet box in his other hand, I suck in a sharp breath. He must have had it in his pocket, and he alreadyplanned this. Before he can even open the box, I blurt out my answer.
“Yes.”
A hint of amusement flickers in his eyes as the tension in his body dissolves. “You haven’t even seen the ring yet.”
“I don’t care what the ring looks like. I just want you.”
His lips graze mine, teasing me with a kiss that ends far too soon.
“Humor me anyway.”
He opens the box, revealing an oval-cut blush pink gemstone surrounded by a halo of diamonds. It’s more beautiful than anything I ever could have imagined, and I’m slightly terrified to think about what it cost. I have no idea how he managed to get it so quickly, but the Vitales can move mountains with their name.
I reach out to touch it, and he meets me halfway, slipping it onto my finger. Somehow, it fits perfectly, but I’m not surprised. This is Romeo we’re talking about.
I hold up my hand to examine it, fascinated by the way it shimmers in the light. I’m almost afraid to ask, because I’ve heard how rare and expensive they are, but I have to know.
“Is that an actual…pink diamond?” The words catch in my throat.
“Do you think I’d give you anything less?”
He holds my gaze, the intensity in his eyes burning through me and flooding my body with heat. If he could claim me with a look, this would be it.
I take his face between my palms, giving him a slow, languid kiss. His hands roam over my body, stirring a familiar hunger inside me. That spark turns into a flame as I rock against him, the ache growing more desperate.
“I can’t believe you’re mine.” The words tumble out of me on a breathless whisper.
“I’ve always been yours, Gabi.” He lifts me up and carries me to the bed. “And I always will be.”
36
