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Drew hugged her back, putting his mouth to her ear. “I want you to know this,” he said quietly. “The only reason I was in that bed with those women was because I was drugged. That’s not who I am.”
She nodded. “Yes,” she replied. “I know that.”
He let out a sigh of relief. “Thanks,” he whispered. “For believing in me.”
They just swayed together like a single being, shaking with the intensity of their embrace. Drew looked up. “You know what this means, don’t you?”
“It means a whole lot of things,” she observed. “Where to even begin?”
“My uncle just fired me,” he said. “And I’m fine with that. Finally, things between us are simple, like they should have been from the start. No putting on a show, ever again. I don’t need you to save my reputation. I don’t want anything except to love you. I don’t have anything to offer you but myself.”
She pressed her hand to her shaking mouth. “Drew,” she whispered.
“Marry me,” he said. “For real.”
Jenna looked around them, at the crowd of people watching. She laughed out loud.
“You’re proposing to me here? In front of everyone?”
Drew’s laughter was so happy, she started laughing, too. “Sorry,” he said. “I got overexcited and completely forgot they were there. You just have that effect on me.”
Jenna wiped her eyes. “I...wow,” she whispered.
“Take your time,” he said. “As long as you need. I’m not going anywhere, Jenna. I want you to marry me, and I’ll spend the rest of my life making damn sure you don’t regret it.”
“Oh, God, Drew.”
Drew glanced around, as if suddenly noticing the ring of people around them, avidly listening. “Maybe some privacy, to talk it over?” he suggested. “We could skip town for a while. I’m a free man now, and your team can cover for you at Arm’s Reach for a little while, right? We could blast out of here tonight.”
“What?” Uncle Malcolm’s voice cut through the murmuring buzz of voices around them. “Who said you were a free man? Who said you could blast out of town?”
“You just banished me, Uncle,” Drew pointed out. “I think that means I can go.”
“Oh, don’t be childish,” Malcolm said gruffly. “I wasn’t myself. You’re not going anywhere. You’re my CEO!”
“Actually, you weren’t invited into this conversation at all,” Drew told him.
Ava stepped forward. She blew Jenna a kiss, her eyes shining, and then murmured into her uncle’s ear in low, soothing tones, leading him firmly away.
Drew turned back to her, and when their eyes met, that magical bubble reformed around them. They were surrounded by people, but they might as well have been alone.
Drew rested his forehead against hers. “Now, from the top,” he said. “Shall we go find someplace private so I can try this whole marriage proposal thing again?”
Jenna laughed through her tears. “How about if I just save us some time and say hell yes right now, so we can skip ahead to the good part?”
His reply was a kiss of such molten intensity, neither of them even heard the appreciative roar of applause that shook the room. It could have been miles away.
All that mattered was the two of them together. The road ahead, to parts unknown.
And the love, lighting their way.
