“But I left out a few details that are kind of important.”
He helped her dismount.Saber was trained to stand, and Side-eye would stick with him, which would help with his training.
He escorted Malika to the picnic—pardon me, mezze—spread on a blanket.
Before she could sit, he took her hand and dropped to one knee.He felt around in his pocket and pulled out the ring.
Adam was excellent at procurement.He had done them both proud.The ring was enormous, as requested.He’d chosen a pure, vivid green, rectangular-cut emerald for the center stone.It was the exact shade of Malika’s eyes, something Jayce would never have thought of, and was surprised that Adam did.Two diamonds offset the emerald.The band was white gold.
“It’s magnificent,” Malika said, which was her code word for happy.
He slipped the ring on her finger.It was a good fit.Adam was really good at his job.
Now, for his speech.The one Tilly had helped him prepare.
He cleared his throat.“On a scale of one to ten, you’re a nine, and I’m the one you need.”
Malika looked startled.“What?”
He blundered on.She was smart.She’d get it.He hoped.
“If being beautiful was a crime, you’d be guilty as charged.”
“Are you crazy?Have you been drinking?”she asked.
His stomach tightened into a knot.If she didn’t figure it out, he was going to look stupid.That wasn’t an especially big deal, because the ring was a hit, but it would ruin the moment, and he’d worked hard to make this just right for her.
“I think someone might’ve stolen the stars and put them in your eyes,” he said, determined to get his message across.
“Jayce,” she exclaimed.Exuberant joy backlit her eyes in a way simple stars never could.“You’reflirtingwith me!”
“There’s plenty more where that came from.If you and I were socks, we’d make a great pair.”
“We can work on when enough is enough,” she said.
Tilly told him that last one was a mistake.He should have listened.
Malika had gotten the message, though.That was what mattered.
“I love you,” Jayce said.“I want to spend the rest of my life flirting with you, making you happy, and making babies with you, in the bedroom and everywhere else.”
Her beautiful eyes sparkled and her lips curved.“The bedroom should be enough.Your parents might not be pleased if we make babies everywhere else.”
“Upon reflection, that might not have come out the way I intended,” Jayce said.
She flung herself into his arms, knocking him backward.She landed on top.
“I love you, too.We can make babies anywhere that you like, even at the risk of displeasing your parents.”
Jayce took a few seconds to ponder his luck.He’d once believed another woman was perfect.Perfect was boring, she tried to explain, but he hadn’t listened.
He was glad that he hadn’t.Perfect wasn’t boring at all.
Not when he’d found the one woman perfect for him.
Epilogue
Malika
