AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I hurry to open the front door, putting a finger to my lips and hoping Rachel doesn’t hear them.
“Just in here is fine,” I whisper, watching as the delivery elves give me knowing looks and smile approvingly as I tip them heavily on their way out once they’re done.
The last to leave doesn’t look so impressed but hands me the little box with a frown and a nod before leaving too.
I give a little smile, of satisfaction once I check it’s just as good as promised before tucking the little box into my bathrobe pocket.
It took a little doing, but once everyone was finally asleep last night, I gave my laptop and platinum card a little workout.
It feels good to see some money being put to use for once and taking a couple of bunches of red and white roses from the huge rows just delivered, I make my way back upstairs.
Sleeping beauty isn’t what I expect, but given the amount of steak I fed her for breakfast, I’m not concerned she’s napping again.
It gives me time to get her bath ready across the hall, with half the petals from the roses to lead a trail to it, the other bunch next to her for her when she wakes up.
Running her bath, and giving it some more thought, I wonder if our dinner reservation can’t be changed to home delivery.
I don’t want Valentine to miss out either. And after all, it’s as much his day as ours now that he’s back home again.
Running my hand through the bubbles and warm water, I sense her in the doorway, nothing on.
My new favorite outfit of hers.
Without a word, I take her by the hand and help her into the huge tub, making sure she lies back and gets comfortable, pulling a relaxing eye mask over her eyes.
“You joining me?” she asks, peeking out from under the eye mask.
“I want to spoil you first,” I tell her. “I’m no spa manager, but I can try,” I admit.
She purrs with pleasure. The mask working wonders as it also shields her from watching me.
“I’ll be all wrinkly,” she tells me after a long soak, my own version of a facial cleanse and massage, plus my new found skill: the foot rub.
“I like you wrinkly,” I tell her, kissing her toes before slipping my robe off and sliding in.
There’s an overflow channel, so the house doesn’t flood, and flicking a switch I’ve never even used, I feel the surprise pressure of the Jacuzzi function.
Tiny bubbles spray us under the water and Rachel sighs heavily, wanting to take her mask off.
“Not yet,” I tell her, reaching over to my robe.
“Just one more thing before you take that off.”
“You’re full of surprises, Conor Fox,” she murmurs, sliding her foot up my thigh and resting it against my arousal. Making us both groan with pleasure.
“You’re distracting me,” I tell her, reaching for her hand, opening the little velvet box in one hand, and feeling for the ring before I slip it over her finger.
“What’s that?” she asks, before gasping again.
“It’s a proposition,” I tell her, hearing my voice crack with emotion.
“Like a business proposition?” she asks, starting to tremble.
“More like a life proposition,” I reply.
She lifts her mask up and her whole face is lit up with light from the shooting rays from the diamond.
“Rachel, I love you and I want to spend every day of the rest of my life with you. Will you just say yes?” I hear myself asking her.
I had a whole speech planned, over dinner at the restaurant that’s booked solid for six months, but I managed to get us a table right by the window.
But I can’t wait. I couldn’t wait another minute without asking her the question that’s burned inside me from the moment I laid eyes on her.
She’s quiet.
Speechless.
“Will?” I ask her again. “Will you be my wife, Rachel?”
“Yes,” she whispers at first, then repeats it over and over until I get the idea. Loud and clear.
“Yes, yes, yes!”
I seal the deal with a kiss, and before long we’ve forgotten all about dinner. The day and the night ahead are ours.
And so is every day and night from now on.
Rachel is mine.
Forever.
Epilogue
Six Months Later
Rachel
“Not again!” I moan loudly, loud enough so Conor can hear.
“I’ve just cleaned up out here, and now you decide to make an appearance?” I chide Valentine, narrowing my eyes as he skulks across the freshly mopped floor with his muddy feet.
Conor catches him before he can get to the rest of the house, closing the door and bending down to have a word in his ear.
“It’s two days this time,” I tell him as if he needs reminding.
I hate it when Valentine disappears like this. It worries us both sick.
“I dunno boy, what are you up to?” Conor asks him. “Hmm?”
