Page 51 of Kobalt

“Stubborn-ass Scorpio,” he muttered.

“I’m not gonna say that I know someone just like her.”

“I’m not stubborn.”

“Mm—you can be persistent.”

“Not the same thing.”

“Except in your case.”

“Whatever.”

I giggled. “Let’s enjoy our night, baby.”

“A’ight.”

We finished our meal as I caught him up on the latest episode of “Love Island,” and I made him promise to watch it with me later.

Kobalt helped me off the floor and led me to the couch where he brought me a slice of cheesecake that he fed me. It almost skipped my attention when he slipped his hand into the couch cushion, but when he pulled his hand out and held a sparkling diamond, platinum engagement ring with a pavé setting at the tip of his finger, I shrieked.

“Kaimera, I don’t want to waste any more time living my life like I don’t know you belong to me and vice versa. When I thought about why you didn’t accept my offer to move in, I recalled a conversation from middle school. You told my sister that you would never live with a man who wasn’t your husband because your grandma always said, ‘Why should a man buy the cow, when he’s already got the milk.’ Now that may apply to sex, but I got where you were going.

“I also know where I want this to go between you and me. Proposing marriage to you has been on my mind since before I left for Japan, but I didn’t think that you were ready. Baby, I don’t know how much more ready we could be. My career has afforded me the opportunity to see the world and have everything that I could possibly want—except you. The only thing that I want is to spend the rest of my life with you. Kaimera Moon Slope, would you marry me?”

“Do you think it’s too soon? Are you sure?”

“Girl, quit playing with me and come home where you belong. I’m not waiting for us to get married before you move in either. If you would marry me tomorrow, we would be at the courthouse—no lie.”

“That’s soon.”

“I can’t wait to build a life with you. Whatever you decide, don’t make me wait forever, baby. I swear that I’ll take care of your heart, your body, your soul, and your mind.”

“Do you want a big wedding, medium wedding, or a small intimate ceremony?”

He frowned. “None of that matters to me, Kai. I want you to have what you want. All I want is you. Honestly, nobody would have to be there for me to marry you—just you, me, and the officiant. If you left it up to me, we’d elope, but I’m not trying to steal your shine.”

Tears slipped from my eyes as I thought about the journey we had been on. “Yes, baby. I’ll marry you. I’ve always known my heart belonged to you—long before I gave my body to you.”

“Now I’ll have it all—your heart, your body, and your hand in marriage.”

He covered my lips, slowly undressed my body, and made love to me like it was our first time.

TWO WEEKS LATER (2ND WEEK OF NOVEMBER)

“You win, babe,” I declared when I stepped out of the car.

Kaimera still hadn’t moved in with me yet, but she promised that she would do it this coming week, once a few things had been settled at the office, and she could take time off to do it.

When she showed up at my place this morning after I returned from the farm, I hadn’t expected her to tell me to pack a bag for the weekend. Though I argued with her, she stood firm on not telling me where we were going. She only gave me instructions on how I needed to pack.

It was a challenge to accept that I had to ride in the passenger seat while she drove to our destination, but I endured it. We played musical trivia on the way up with us selecting random songs to play and then pause so that we could guess the next lyrics. She won that game.

The drive was only two hours, so it wasn’t so bad, but now that we were in the mountains, I was ready to get out of the car. I needed to stretch my legs. I inhaled the fresh mountain air that I had just left the day before.

Laramie Falls Resort was two hours from Cherokee Springs and five hours from Maple Grove, Georgia, where the farm was located.

“Come on, baby. You can grab the luggage while I check us in,” she declared, grabbing only her purse from the car.