Page 100 of The One Night Stand Before Christmas

Several tense beats stretch out as the entire bar watches the drama unfold.

Finally, the man mumbles, “Sorry.”

Declan’s eyes flick to me. “Is that good enough for you?”

I square my shoulders, heart hammering. “It’ll do for now.”

Declan gives a small nod, and the man takes that as his cue to leave. But before he can make it more than a few feet, Declan calls out, “One more thing.”

The man faces him. “What’s that?”

Declan reels back. The crack of knuckles against jaw echoes like a gunshot.

The man staggers, clutching his face. A few patrons cheer outright, the bartender shaking her head but grinning.

“About damn time,” she mutters.

Declan doesn’t even spare the man another glance. He wraps me in his arms, pressing a soft kiss to my lips.

“What are you doing here?” I ask. “I thought you were pulling an all-nighter.”

“I wanted to surprise you.” His mouth tips into a wicked smile. “Itisour anniversary, after all. One year ago, you screamed my name for the first time.”

I laugh breathlessly, still reeling from his unexpected presence. “And they say romance is dead.”

He smiles, but when he looks at me, there’s something else in his gaze. Something heavier.

“Let me pay and we can go up to my room. Maybe recreate that first night.”

His hand tightens at my waist. “I’d love nothing more. But there’s something I need to do first. Something I’ve been wanting to do for a while and was waiting for the right time. I wasn’t sure when that would be, but now that I’m here again, I know this is it.”

My brow furrows. “Right time for what?”

Before I have a chance to wrap my head around what he’s doing, he drops to one knee.

In the middle of the crowded bar.

Gasps ripple through the room, and I almost forget how to breathe.

“One year ago today, I walked into this very bar, feeling more lost than I ever had. I’d just learned I had an adult son, and I didn’t know how to process it. Then I saw you. And I couldn’t tear my eyes from you. I knew I’d regret it every day for the rest of my life if I didn’t talk to you.”

“I’m so glad you did,” I manage to say through the lump in my throat.

“I never thought I’d be the kind of man to drop to one knee in a room full of strangers, but you make me want things I never thought I would. That I didn’t think I deserved.” His voice breaksbefore his expression lightens. “And not just because of all those cheesy Hallmark movies you force me to watch.”

“Admit it. They’ve grown on you.”

“Maybe a little.” He flashes me an easy smile. “But they don’t hold a candle to us. To what we have. It’s better than any scripted ending. Because what we have is real. And I never want to stop experiencing this.”

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small velvet box, flicking it open to reveal a stunning round-cut solitaire.

“I’ve spent my whole life running from love,” he says, eyes locked to mine. “But I don’t want to run anymore. I promise to keep surprising you. I promise never to make you feel alone again. I promise to kill every spider in your kitchen and warm your frozen feet in the middle of the night.”

A flicker of humor curves his mouth before his voice deepens, growing tender. “Most of all, I promise to give you every single piece of me. Every day. So please, Claire. Will you marry me?”

The bar falls silent, everyone waiting.

And for once, I don’t hesitate.

“Yes.” My voice shakes, but the word is sure. “God, yes.”

The cheer that explodes around us is deafening, but I barely hear it. Declan jumps to his feet as he slides the ring onto my finger, kissing me with such intensity my knees almost buckle.

“You have me,” he whispers, resting his forehead against mine, his promise for me and me alone. “No pieces. No scraps. You own me, Claire. For the rest of my life.”

I smile through my tears. “And you own me, Declan.”