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Bam smiled that heart-stopping, panty-melting, oh-my-god-I-can't-take-it-anymore, grin. It was all I could do not to jump him right there and then.
"It is," I agreed.
I sucked in a breath and managed to summon up the courage to say, "So you wanted to talk?" I was scared he was about to tell me goodbye. If he was, I'd deal with it. At least he was honest about it and making sure I knew.
"Yeah." he looked down at the stairs. "You know how I said I'd be single for life and I was okay with that?"
"Yes," I said slowly. "That sounds familiar." I braced myself for what I was sure was about to come. He liked me as a friend, nothing changed, have a nice life. Okay, fine, I would go to Sydney and never look back. If I didn't get the job with D'Antonio, I could have a fresh start.
"I didn't figure I'd meet someone amazing who would change my mind on that," he said. "It took me by surprise." He looked over at me. "For a long time, I resisted how I felt. I didn't want to care about anyone but myself, my family and the team."
His brow creased but he smiled. "I didn't want to fall in love, but then it happened."
My heart leaped into my throat. "It did?" I asked tentatively.
"Yeah," he said softly. "I fell in love with you." He went on quickly, "After we spent the night, I wasn't sure you felt the same way, but I couldn't let you go without telling you."
His face was suddenly a blur. I was looking at him through a haze of tears.
Bam obviously noticed them too. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. I just?—"
"No," I interrupted. "You didn't upset me. It's just…" My mind was racing faster than the rotor blades of Carson Thomas' helicopter.
"I fell in love with you too," I said finally. "I thought you regretted that night. You said you'd forget all about it."
"When I'm an old man, and I can barely remember playing a single game of football, I'll remember that night," he said. "And every moment I've spent with you."
"You'd really forget playing football?" I asked. That wasn't the point here, but I always fell back on humour when things got intense.
So did he.
"Only if I get too many hits to my brain, but I'd still remember you." He brushed a stray piece of hair off my face and leaned in to kiss me lightly.
I slipped my arms around his neck to draw him closer. His lips were soft but firm and full of promise. His tongue slid across my lips and into my mouth. I sucked on it lightly before brushing mine against it.
After what could have been a lifetime, but was probably only a minute or two, we drew apart.
"I've got something else for you." He reached into his pocket and pulled out another box.
"Matching necklace?" It was Bam. The box might contain a dirty sock, just for a laugh.
"Open it." He nodded toward the box.
I opened it slowly and stared. It matched all right, but it wasn't a necklace. It was a ring. The same colour sapphire as the earrings, sparkled in the centre, surrounded by diamonds.
"It's beautiful," I breathed.
"It's a promise ring," Bam said. "As in, I promise to try not to be a jerk, or disappoint you." I mean, I promise to try." He was only human after all.
After a few moments, when those words had sunk in, he said, "I want to give us a chance. I want to be with you. Only you."
Tears welled up in my eyes again.
For the longest time, I couldn't think of what to say. Approximately a thousand things went through my head, but they all ended with the same thing.
"I want to be with you too," I said in a whisper. I didn't know where to stare first, at him or at the ring. I did a lot of both.
"See if it fits," he said.
