I turned to Ronan, my lips parting in disbelief. “What the…”
Then I saw him on one knee.
“Oh my…” My breath hitched as I looked down, my name spelled out in peony petals on the floor. My hand flew to my mouth as my eyes met his.
He took my hand, his fingers warm and steady. “Nina, we always find our way back to each other. Time has nothing on us. We withstand time. My love for you withstands time.” His voice was thick with emotion. “Loving you is as natural as breathing,amore mio. There is no life for me that doesn’t include you.” He exhaled shakily. “You are my beginning and my end. My greatest masterpiece, more exquisite than the finest couture.”
I choked on a sob, my chest tightening.
“You are the rhythm of my heart, the pulse in my veins.” Hesmiled softly. “Even as a doctor, I have no cure for what you do to me, and if I’m being honest, I don’t want one.”
Tears spilled freely, my makeup long forgotten.
“Will you marry me,tesoro?”
I couldn’t speak. I nodded frantically, my hands trembling. As soon as he stood, I launched myself into his arms, and he held me tightly, his breath warm against my hair. “I can’t wait to marry you.”
Finally, I found my voice. “Ronan, I love you so much. Oh my gosh. I can’t wait to marry you either.”
He pulled back enough to cup my face. “You’re going to be the most beautiful bride.” His lips curved. “And the most spoiled wife, Mrs. Romano.”
Mrs. Romano.
I barely had time to process the words before he kissed me again, sealing a future I had only ever dreamed of.
Ronan
Four Months Later
I’m going to have a wife.
That thought alone had me grinning like an idiot all week. Every time Nina looked down at her hand, staring at the ring I spent months perfecting, I felt like the luckiest bastard alive. She wanted a big wedding? She could have the biggest damn wedding of the century. I handed her my card and said,Do your worst, tesoro.
But before she could get lost in the chaos of planning, I whisked her away for four months. Four months away from my hospital, my businesses, and her boutique. Four months of only us.
We traveled through Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean. We watched the Northern Lights in Norway, rode camels through the dunes in Morocco, and dined on a private yacht in the Maldives. I took her to Kyoto during cherry blossom season, and she swore it was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. Then we went to St. Lucia, and she changed her mind. But nothing compared to Jamaica. This was her favorite. She fell in love with the energy, the food, and the beaches. I fell in love with the way her face lit up every time she heard dancehall music playing in the streets.
Now, we were at our final stop—Bora Bora.
Nina groaned as she adjusted her sun hat, rolling her eyes at me. “Youcannotthreaten every man that looks at me, Ronan.”
I sipped my drink, lounging back on the sunbed, completely unbothered. “I can, I have, and I will.”
She let out an exasperated laugh. “You’re impossible.”
I reached for her hand, brushing my thumb over the diamond on her finger. “And you’re mine.”
She tried to act like that didn’t affect her, but I knew her too well. Her breath hitched, and her fingers curled around mine. “You’re ridiculous.”
“And you love me for it.”
She leaned over, pressing a quick kiss to my lips, and I wasn’t having it. I pulled her fully into my lap, making her squeal. “Ronan!”
“What?” I smirked. “You are my fiancée,tesoro.”
Her cheeks flushed, and she shook her head. “I still can’t believe you did all of that.”
“The proposal?”
