“Don’t do this.”
I shook my head, keeping my eyes pinned to the floor. “It won’t work. Maybe not now.”
“When?”
I shrugged. I couldn’t give him an answer. “Maybe walking away today is better for tomorrow.”
“You don’t understand, Sia. I’m afraid to walk away from you.”
I looked up. “Afraid?” He was a multibillionaire with his whole life planned down to the day. What could scare him?
He dragged in a long breath. “It took me so long to find you. I’m scared if I walk away, I’ll never find you again. The day you left the apartment, a piece of me died and then when you left my home on Christmas Eve, a little more of me died. If I walk away now, I’ll cease to exist. I’m not afraid of dying, princess. I’m scared of losing you.”
I gasped. His words resembled tiny darts; each one pricked me, similar to the jolt of a thousand volts of electricity. Every part of me warmed to the feeling, yet my body quivered in response. I gave him a watery smile, desperate to say fuck it and ride the wave with him, face whatever came our way, together. “I’m sorry.” Even as I uttered the words, my heart thought me a fool. It screamed at me for being a coward and not giving myself what I deserved, what I longed for, and ultimately robbing Drake of his love once again. I chose the easy way out. “Goodbye, Drake.” I turned to walk away and heard his sharp inhale.
“Not fucking happening,” the harsh words caught my ears a split second before he grabbed my waist and swung me around. The pressure of his hold had us falling against the wall. His lips crashed to mine before I could react. The kiss was hard, filled with dominance, aggression. I felt no pain, only hot, wanton need this man could draw out of me with just a touch. One of his hands wrapped around my body, his palm hot through the thin material of my shirt. The other cupped my jaw, holding my head in place as his tongue danced a fiery tango with mine. Sucking, licking, nipping, his mouth possessed mine once more. Taking without asking, dominating without subduing.
I surrendered, kissing him back with equal parts of reticence and greed. I lifted onto my toes, grinding my body to his, shoving my hands into his hair, shamelessly clinging to him lest he pulled away. When my body finally cried for air, I ripped my mouth from his, close to passing out, and with my forehead to his chest, I took deep breaths in through my nose, filling my senses with his scent.
“I’m not walking away from the only love I’ve ever known, Sia.” He kissed the top of my head. “Fight me all you want. It’s not happening. I’ve waited two fucking years for you. I’m not waiting another second. You’re mine. You promised me forever that first night, and I’m ready to collect on that, come what may.”
And for the first time since that disastrous evening, I felt whole again. I felt like I belonged. I felt loved. He was giving me what I always longed for, love, happiness, family and didn’t care in which order as long as it was with him. “I love you, Prince.”
Another sharp inhale before he gripped my arms and leaned my body away to look down at me. “What did you say?” The delight dancing in his eyes was all the confirmation I needed that I’d said what he wanted to hear.
“I said, I love you.”
His lips widened in a slow smile, the first since he’d arrived. “Say it again, Princess.”
I returned the smile. “I love you.”
He crushed me to his chest, holding me tight as though he feared I’d walk away. “Fuck. I’ve been waiting to hear those words for so long, it hurts.” He pulled back slightly. “Will you always love me for our lifetime together? Forever?”
I shook my head and he frowned. Delirious, I palmed his cheek. “My father always told me that as Indians, we love for saat janam tak.”
Curiosity filled his eyes. They sparkled in the light from the chandelier above his head. “What does that mean?”
“We don’t love for one but seven lifetimes.”
His brow shot up. “Seven lifetimes?” he rolled the words around his tongue, as though savoring the idea behind it. “I’ll take it.” His smile cascaded tingles down my spine. “Would you do something for me?” I nodded. “I want you to stand here, close your eyes, and don’t move. Can you do that?”
I frowned. “Why?”
He chuckled. “Because I asked nicely?” Laughing, I nodded. “Close your eyes.” I did as he asked and he moved away. I heard a rustle of something and curiosity clench my stomach muscles in anticipation. His movement told me he’d returned and a second later, “Sianna Saxena, will you marry me?”
My eyes flew open at the same time I gagged on a shocked gasp. “What—” I stared down at the man kneeling in front of me. “Drake,” I breathed, too stunned to contemplate anything, my eyes drawn to what he held in his hands. I had no idea whether to laugh or cry, but both happened. My fingers shook as I reached forward. “Y-you kept it?”
He nodded. “Will you, Sia? Marry me?”
“Y-yes, prince. I will.” I smiled through my tears.
His eyes glistened brighter than the diamantes on the Jimmy Choos in his hands. I laughed when he slipped my black heels off and replaced them with the shoes responsible for our meeting. “I stand corrected, but I don’t think anyone’s ever been proposed to, with a pair of shoes.”
He laughed with me. “You’re unique,” his words tickled my senses, creating spurts of warmth through my body. “And you don’t wear jewelry.” He straightened. “You can pick out your ring. Whether it costs a dollar or a million, it’s your choice, princess.”
His kiss was slow, meant to woo and promise and I took it for everything he offered. “I can’t believe you kept them,” I said when we broke apart.
He slipped his arms around me, drawing me tighter to him. “I have no idea why but something told me those shoes held the key to you. After getting to know you, I believe they’re sentimental.”
