God, he couldn’t have made it harder.
“Let’s just get home. We have a lot to talk about.”
When he turned her around, she caught the fire in his eyes. “I want your promise,” he insisted. “Here and now, Mad. I’m not leaving without it.”
For a moment, she couldn’t speak. She felt mute in the face of so much emotion. “Dammit, Kyle.”
His mouth tipped up. “I’d prefer, Dammit,mi amor.”
My love.Clever of him to remind her he was learning Spanish for her. “You have my promise.”
“Good.” He pressed his hand to her back as they walked to the door, continuing with the whole couple’s routine they’d established.
She let it go. If this was the last time he’d lavish her with these little attentions she’d begun to like, then she might aswell enjoy it. They walked quickly home, neither one of them saying anything. The streets were quiet given the hour. When they arrived back, Spike greeted them at the door, barking excitedly.
“Was he alone this whole time?” she asked as the puppy launched himself at her leg.
“No, I had Dean come over. Turns out he’s a good dog walker. They’ve become pals. Jacqueline won’t go for a pooch, so Spike is the closest he’ll get to having one.”
Leaning down to pet him, she clenched her eyes shut as he gave her his little puppy kisses, her heart clutching as she realized her time with him was ending too. “I’ll settle Pierre for the night.”
Kyle finally picked Spike up. She knew he’d been waiting, giving them an opportunity for their usual greeting. Another clever move, but that was Kyle. “I’ll put Spike in his bed too and meet you back in a bit.”
If she dawdled a little bit with Pierre, who could blame her? She figured it was her opportunity to summon some control and prepare for the horror ahead. When she finally walked out, she heard the sultry Latin music and caught the glow of candlelight. Her throat caught. God, he’d lit the Romance Shrine and opened their nightclub.
Clenching her hands at her sides, she went in search of him and found him in the kitchen, holding a carton of ice cream and one spoon, looking as gorgeous as ever with his ash brown hair ruffled from his hands and his suit jacket casually open.
“Don’t make this harder than it already is,” she managed hoarsely.
“I was hoping to make it easy.” The tension in his body said otherwise. “Tonight might have been awful, but you and me…there’s nothing better.”
Her chest felt like it had been cracked open. “When wereyou going to tell me you were thinking about marriage? Kyle, I’m not a wife. You should know that. There is nothing wifey about me.”
His brow furrowed. “So, we’re going to start there, are we? All right. I thought you understood what I intended when I talked about this only being the beginning of you and me.”
“Clearly I missed the marriage part.”
She watched as he set the ice cream back in the freezer and laid aside the spoon. Crossing to her, he reached inside his jacket pocket and pulled out a red ring box. Her mouth dropped open in shock.
“That’s a?—”
“Yes,” he mused with a smile as he opened it and turned the simple diamond in the light.
Her breath caught—it was exactly what she would have chosen for herself if she’d ever let herself even think of such things.
“I don’t happen to care if we stand before some official and do the paperwork,” he said, holding her gaze, “but I love you and you love me. We’re best friends, Mad. Life partners. We’ve made a home together. When I said this is only the beginning, I wanted you to understand I want a future. You’re the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with, and this ring is me telling you in tangible terms how serious I am. Because words aren’t enough with you.”
God, he’d nailed her feelings on that point, but a ring? Biting her lip to keep it from trembling, she put her hands on her hips. “Kyle, you’re not thinking right?—”
“Bullshit.”There was a frightening resolve in his voice. “You have some idea in your mind about marriage and what you deserve. Forget the wife crap. I love you exactly as you are. I don’t want you to be anything but what you’ve been with me. Which is fucking perfect.”
The force of his words slammed any response down in her throat.
“I bought you this ring and planned to ask you to make that commitment with me, even though I know most chefs don’t wear rings. And I told my parents what I intended tonight because I wanted them to understand how serious I am about you.”
Her heart pulsed thickly, finally understanding the full depth of his feelings. Hearing it only made the pain worse.
“For all their faults, my parents understand how serious marriage is.” He turned the ring to catch the light. “It means forever, and that’s what I want with you. It’s what I’ve wanted from the start. It’s what I believe you want. Because you’ve shown up for me as much as I’ve shown up for you, Mad. At least be honest about that.”
