“I got the wedding rings before coming home,” he says with a wicked glint in his eyes.
I pause, the glass halfway to my lips, and my heart stutters. “I want to see them,” I almost plead, but he shakes his head with that same devilish smirk.
“Mmm, no, you can’t,” he teases, his voice low and sexy, just the way it sends shivers down my spine. He raises his glass for a toast, his eyes burning into mine as he says, “To us.”
I swallow hard, my heart pounding in my chest. “You’re such a bastard,” I say, the words coming out breathlessly.
“Yeah,” he chuckles, leaning in closer. “Your birthday’s just around the corner. Do you have any wishes that I can fulfill?”
More than one. More than I can say. I want to reach for him, kiss him, claim him as mine. But I don’t.
“No,” I say, forcing a smile as I look away from him, afraid he’ll see the longing in my eyes. “I already have everything I need.”
He squeezes my hand. “Are you sure?”
I nod, but my body betrays me. His eyes are so intense, so searching, like he can see right through me. I look away again, my pulse quickening, afraid that if I look too long, he’ll see everything I’m afraid to admit.
I want him. More than I’ve ever wanted anyone. But I can’t let him know.
Chapter 14
Nate
It took me a lifetime to choose the engraving for her wedding ring. I know no one ever looks at the words inside, but ‘I love you’ will always stay with her, even though it scares the hell out of me to say it out loud. I love her. I’ve known it for weeks, months now, but I can no longer deny it. I’ve fallen in love with her.
This stupid, goddamn arranged wedding has bound us together in ways I never thought possible. And I’m stuck here, unsure of how to tell her.
What if she doesn’t feel the same?
What if she’s just playing her part, pretending?
She’d deserve an Oscar because it makes it feel too fucking real. I shake my head, trying to clear the flood of thoughts crashing into my skull. I’ll wait. The right moment will come. If we’re meant to be, we will be. I just need to be patient.
The day drags on, every minute filled with endless commitments and military bullshit. I’m used to it, but today it’s worse. I can’t stop thinking about her, and I’m fucking dying to hear her voice. When I finally get a break, I grab my phone’s office and dial her number.
“Hello?” Her voice is softer than I remember, confused, like she wasn’t expecting my call. Shit, she doesn’t have my office number.
I rub my face, feeling the frustration build up in me, a gnawing ache in my chest from being so far away from her. “Happy birthday, baby.”
“Nate, thank you. Where are you?”
I sigh as I roll a pen between my fingers, trying to focus on anything but her absence. “Still at the base. And unfortunately, I won’t be free anytime soon.”
“It's a day like any other, Nate. I just miss you.”
The way she says it stabs at me, and I can hear the controlled sigh, like she’s trying to hide her disappointment. My gut clenches. I should be there with her, shouldn’t I? We live together, but we’re always so fucking busy, it’s like we’re strangers sharing a roof. And when I get home, I find her asleep on the couch, waiting for me. Her hugs, when I walk through the door, are everything. They’re life.
“Miss you too, babe,” I murmur, fighting the heaviness in my chest.
“I got your roses. They’re beautiful. You shouldn’t have.”
My lips curl into a smile, the image of her holding those flowers flashing through my mind. “You’re my wife. Those flowers are just a small present to remind you that you’re special.”
“Small?” She giggles, her voice bright with amusement. “The delivery guy could barely get through the door, Nate. And I’m not your wife yet. But you’re sweet. Will you be home for dinner?”
I run my hand over my face, struggling to push back the frustration clawing at my chest. The sound of the pen slipping from my fingers fills the space between us. “Hmm,” I mutter, stalling, hoping she doesn’t hear the tightness in my voice. “Did you read my note?”
“Which note?” I hear something shift in the background, the sound of paper being moved around. My body tenses as I picture her searching for it, then pausing when she finds it. My heart thuds as I wait.
