“Evangeline put a chip in my neck.”
He laughed. “Yeah, right.”
She lifted her long, blonde wig and pointed. “It’s there, under the skin.”
He held out the eternity band. “If you like the ring, but not the tracker, I’ll buy you something else.”
Then, he realized what was missing.
Tell her.
“Halston, the ring is a symbol of how I feel. I’m falling in love with you,” he murmured, his words sounding serious… and life changing. “I wanted to buy you something special. I’m sorry if this insults you. I’m happy to buy you?—”
She threw her arms around him and kissed the hell out of him. “You are?”
He smiled. How could he not? The sheer joy on her face made him feel like he could fly.
“Yes, I am.”
She smiled, held out her right hand. He slid the jewelry onto her ring finger.
“Italians wear their wedding rings on their right hand,” he said. “Americans on their left.”
“I’m not reading anything into this other than you did a loving thing.”
“Wait until you see my next gift.” He lifted the man’s ring, held it out to her. She tried it on his right hand, but it was too snug.
With a wink he said, “I have to wear mine on the left.”
After she slid it on, he kissed her. “For as long as we’re together, I will treat you like my queen.”
“Mygod, Gabriel, you’re going to make me cry.” She kissed him.
He handed her the lipstick. “You might like this better.”
She opened the cap, rolled up the plastic lipstick. “A joke?”
He took it from her, removed the decoy pink stick to reveal a tiny pistol. Next, he opened the other side, showed her the micro bullets.
“This is the best gift!”
He laughed. “This, over diamonds?”
“If I’m being honest, the wedding band kinda freaked me out, but this is awesome.” She got busy loading the bullets. “Locked, loaded, and ready.”
After they connected their rings to the app, he helped her into her coat, and they left. As they made their way down the hallway, she clasped his hand. “You surprise me.”
At the elevator bank, he pulled her close, kissed the top of her head, dropped his arm over her shoulder.
She mattered to him… she mattered a lot.
“Sei la mia regina e voglio che tu senta il mio amore, ogni giorno,” he said.You are my queen and I want you to feel my love every day.
She kissed his cheek. “Rendi felice il mio cuore.”You make my heart happy.
On the way to the restaurant, he said, “Do you want to know what I’ve got planned for tonight?”
“No, I like being surprised.”
