Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 79328 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79328 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
“There you guys are!”
I turned to see Wren approaching with two champagne flutes in her hands. She handed one to Raina with a flourish, then turned to me with an expression of exaggerated apology.
“Sorry, Mr. Grumpy Boss. You’re going to have to get your own.”
I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t muster any real annoyance. Wren had been calling me that ever since my fight with Raina, and despite my best efforts, the nickname had stuck. Fair enough. I’d earned that.
“Be nice, Wren,” Raina chided, but her eyes were dancing with amusement.
“I’m always nice.” Wren’s smile had an edge to it. “Well, assuming he doesn’t screw up again. I’ve got a baseball bat in my trunk, just in case.”
I blinked. “In your trunk?”
Raina tilted her head. “I thought you kept it by your bed?”
“That’s The Slugger.” Wren waved a dismissive hand. “The one in my trunk is Judgment Day. A single woman can never be too careful. Plus, it’s good to have options.”
Raina laughed, and I decided it was probably best not to ask follow-up questions. The message was clear: Wren was not to be underestimated. Noted.
We mingled for another hour, sampling the hors d’oeuvres that circulated on silver trays and drinking perhaps more champagne than was strictly advisable. The sun began its descent toward the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink and gold, and the party showed no signs of winding down.
But I was barely paying attention to any of it.
My palms were sweating. My heart was beating too fast. I’d closed billion-dollar deals with more composure than I was feeling right now, but this wasn’t business. This was personal. This was everything.
I wiped my hands discreetly on my shirt and hoped Raina hadn’t noticed my nerves. She was chatting with her mother, her face animated as she described something about the resort’s design, and I let myself simply look at her for a moment.
God, I love her.
The thought wasn’t new. I’d known it for months, had said it countless times, but it still hit me with the same force every time. This woman had walked into my life with muffins and sunshine and a fake dating scheme, and she’d systematically dismantled every wall I’d ever built. She’d made me better. Happier. More human.
I couldn’t imagine a life without her in it. Which was why I was about to do what I was about to do.
The first fireworks exploded overhead, a burst of brilliant red against the darkening sky. Everyone tilted their heads back to watch, gasps of delight rippling through the crowd as more colors joined the display—blue and gold and green, cascading down like glittering rain. The music faded, replaced by the boom and crackle of pyrotechnics.
But my eyes weren’t on the sky. They were on Raina.
I reached into my pants pocket and withdrew a small velvet box. My fingers trembled slightly as I sank to one knee, the grass soft beneath me, and I took her hand in mine.
It took her a moment to notice. She was still watching the fireworks, her face lit up with wonder. Then she felt the tug of my fingers and looked down.
Her mouth fell open. “Simon, what are you…”
“I love you, Raina.” My voice came out steady despite the thunder of my pulse. “I think I have ever since you walked into my office that first day, with your muffins and your sunshine smile and your refusal to be intimidated by my bad mood. You were a light in a life I hadn’t realized was so dark, and I tried to resist you. Tried to keep my walls up, to protect myself from the risk of letting someone in.”
I opened the box, revealing the ring I’d spent weeks choosing. A brilliant-cut diamond flanked by smaller sapphires, because sapphires reminded me of her eyes.
“But I wised up. I stopped fighting this, stopped fighting you, and I discovered that loving you isn’t a risk at all. It’s the safest thing I’ve ever done.” I swallowed hard, my heart in my throat. “You make me want to be better, Raina. You make me be better. And I can’t imagine facing another day without you by my side.”
Tears were streaming down her cheeks now, reflecting the fireworks still bursting overhead. Around us, I was vaguely aware of our families and friends turning to watch, of gasps and whispered exclamations, but all I could see was her.
“Raina Seager, will you marry me?”
“Yes!” The word burst out of her, half-laugh and half-sob, loud enough that everyone in the immediate vicinity heard it. “Yes, Simon, yes!”
I was on my feet in an instant, sliding the ring onto her finger before pulling her into my arms. She crashed against my chest, her arms winding around my neck, and I held her so tightly I thought I might never let go.