Page 298

I walked back toward him and reached for his hand. “Nope… and I don’t think she ever will.” I sighed looking around. “This is probably the first quiet moment we’ve had all night.”

“I know right. “He drew me closer until I was standing between his legs. “You good?”

“I don’t know yet.” I rested my hands on his shoulders. “Ask me again after my brain catches up with everything that happened tonight.”

“You got time.”

The simple answer settled something inside me.

Then his expression changed.

It wasn’t dramatic, but I felt it immediately.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“Caspian.”

He smiled. “I got one more thing.”

I narrowed my eyes. “After tonight, I don’t know if I can handle one more thing.”

“You can handle this one.”

He stood and reached inside his suit jacket.

The second I saw the small black velvet box in his hand, every smart comment I might have made disappeared.

“Caspian… is that what I think it is?”

“Mm-hmm.” I nodded, grinning.

My hand flew to my mouth. “Oh, my God!”

He took my other hand, and before my brain could fully process what was happening, Caspian lowered himself onto one knee.

The tears came immediately.

“Baby, I planned to do this six years ago… on this exact day.”

I froze when he opened the box.

The ring was beautiful without being delicate, different without trying too hard, and so perfectly me that my chest tightened.

I slowly returned my attention to him. “You already had this?”

Caspian smiled. “Remember that morning on Halloween when I was smiling at my phone and you kept grilling a nigga like I was cheating on you or some shit?”

“You were being secretive as hell, but I didn’t think you were cheating.” I narrowed my eyes at him. “And you better not have been.”

“Hell nah, baby. Wasn’t even thinking about another woman.”

I nodded. “Well, yeah, I remember.”

“That was actually my jeweler texting me. He was letting me know the ring was finished and ready for pick up.” Caspian glanced down at the diamond before meeting my eyes again. “I met up with him later that day and got it. That’s why I was on my phone smiling like that. I already knew what I was about to do to yo’ ass that night.”

My chest tightened as the memory came back even clearer. “So while I was sitting there thinking you were acting suspicious…”