“I…” My mouth is dry. So is my throat. I make another choking sound. And then I realize that the entire restaurant is silent around us. What the hell do I do now?
Yes! You say yes!
Of course I’m going to say yes.
That’s the game we agreed to, isn’t it?
“Yes,” I whisper hoarsely. The sound is almost swept away by the cheer of approval from all the diners around us.
“Yes?” Mateo says. I nod, staring into his eyes.
It’s the game…all part of the game…
But I’m fighting back tears. What the hell is wrong with me? When Mateo pulls me against his chest and wraps his arms around me, I bury my face against his throat, shaking. At this moment, I don’t care why we’re going through this charade. Right now, I let myself pretend…I’m not a failure or a fuck-up and my life isn’t ruined.
For one moment, I pretend I’m a woman in love and I’ve just accepted the proposal of the man I want to spend my life with.
Chapter 16
Mateo Ricci
We’re in the car on the drive home and the rush of the evening still hasn’t left me. I’m on a high. Andy sits silently beside me. She seems bemused. As I look at her, I see her glance down and run her fingertips over the ring yet again.
“Do you like it?” I’m sure I’ve asked before, but for some reason I need reassurance. It’s not like me to be this way. Like the goddamn bear. What the fuck was that about anyhow? It’s as if I’m cramming a lifetime of schoolboy crushes into this damn relationship. Who could blame me? I’ve never been in love before.
“It’s perfect,” she says, her fingers still tracing it. “But it’s too much, Mateo. You didn’t have to…do all of this.”
I frown at her. “Why not?”
Did I screw it up?
“Because this isn’t real, Mateo.”
I flick a look up at the driver, who keeps staring impassively ahead. It’s his job, after all. At least she didn’t say this shit back at the restaurant with Ma Rosa and Emilio.
“What’s not real about it?” I ask. We’re pulling into the underground parking of the apartment block and the car that’s been behind us pauses to let the other men out. Andy keeps her lips pressed together as they escort us to the elevators. She’s not going to discuss this in front of them…and I’m thankful for it. It’s humiliating.
I have to force myself not to slam the door shut as we get into the apartment. She’s still stroking the damn ring.
“I’ll give it back…after, okay?”
“Andy, for fuck’s sakes, I don’t want it back!” I shove a hand through my hair. I never seem to get things right with this damn woman.
“I’m sorry. I’ve made you angry.” She stares at the floor. This isn’t the way I know her to be.
“Yes. Yes, you’ve made me angry.”
“Because I’ve forced you into this thing. I know it’s insane. But you’ll be free in a couple of weeks and then—”
“Dammit, Andy!” I close the distance between us and pull her up against me. “I don’t want to be free. That’s not what this is about. You deserved a proper proposal.”
She swallows and nods. “Thank you. I appreciate that. It was a lovely gesture, and—”
Before she can go on talking crap, I tangle my fingers into her hair and tilt her face up. My mouth closes over hers, and it’s the homecoming I’ve been waiting for. When I break the kiss, her breath is coming in sharp gasps.
“Oh!” She looks alarmed. Good. She’ll be more than alarmed in a minute or two. I scoop her up against my chest and stride through the apartment to the bedroom, kicking the door open as I go. When I set her down on the edge of the bed, she gazes at me with kiss-swollen lips. I strip of quickly, until I’m naked in front of her. Her eyes run over me hotly as I slide onto my knees in front of her for the second time in one night. Though maybe this time she won’t be so fucking unimpressed. She stays silent as I slip her shoes off and run my hands up her legs.
“I’m going to assume that you’re only happy if I make sure all my proposals are indecent?” The words coax a grin from her.
