Page 50 of Deadly Waves

Grady swallowed hard, love overwhelming him. She rarely looked earnest and vulnerable, but when she did, it got to him every time. “Thank you, sugar.”

“I never knew it was possible to love anyone as much as I love you,” Sophie admitted, casting a furtive look around the room before nodding to herself, almost as if she was making a decision, and kneeling. “I love you more than anything.”

Grady was taken aback by the way she looked at him. He couldn’t figure out why she would bend to one knee like that unless … . “What are you doing?” Grady pushed Sophie back and hopped to his feet, giving her a wide berth as he circled behind her.

“I … nothing,” Sophie said, averting her gaze. “I wasn’t doing anything.”

Grady was dubious. “Are you sure?”

“I … .” Sophie worked her jaw. She was caught. They both knew it. “I was going to propose to you,” she admitted after a beat. “I felt it was the right moment. I just … want to be with you.”

“I want to be with you, too, but you are not proposing to me,” Grady snapped. “I just … no!”

“You don’t want to marry me?” Sophie couldn’t hide the hurt feelings flashing through her eyes. “I thought … I guess you did change your mind after all, huh?”

Grady was flabbergasted. “I have not changed my mind,” he said, tugging a restless hand through his hair. “I have every intention of proposing but … just … no.”

“No what?” Now it was Sophie’s turn to be confused.

“No!” Grady barked, wagging a finger. “Proposing is my job. You can’t do it. You can’t steal my moment. That’s just … mean. How could you even consider that?”

“I wasn’t trying to steal your moment,” Sophie said. “I wanted to share a moment with you. I want our hearts to join.”

“Our hearts have already joined so that’s a steaming pile of crap right there,” Grady said, his voice getting shriller by the moment. “I’m the one who is supposed to propose. Me.” He thumped his chest for emphasis. “You don’t propose. That’s not how this works.”

Instead of being embarrassed, Sophie felt herself growing annoyed. “So when are you going to propose? Do you expect me to wait forever?”

“No,” Grady sputtered. “We should already be engaged, but you told me to wait.”

“For a few days … not months.”

“No, no.” Grady shook his head so hard his hair flew in multiple directions. “You said it wasn’t the right time. You didn’t say anything about days. I would’ve heard you if you mentioned days.”

“It was implied.”

“Well, not very well,” Grady complained. “You should’ve said it out loud when you implied it.”

“That’s not how implying works.”

“Well, it should be.” Grady was beside himself as he paced the small room. “I’m the one who is going to propose. Me. I’m going to have a big moment and everything.”

Sophie sighed as she sank to the bed. She wanted to believe he would calm himself after a few minutes, but she’d been living with him long enough to recognize the signs of a complete and total meltdown.

“Trying to steal my moment … I mean, that’s unheard of and cruel.”

“I’m sorry, Grady,” Sophie offered lamely, reaching for her dress. If she couldn’t head off the meltdown with words, perhaps nudity would work. It had in the past. “Do you want to have sex?”

“Not if you’re going to steal my moment while we’re having sex and I wouldn’t put it past you right now, you … crazy woman.”

Sophie groaned. It was going to be a long night.