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She stared up at him, eyes wide. Her hands grasped his lapels, and she rose on her toes. “Do you mean it?” Her voice cracked.
Oliver pressed his forehead to hers, hooking his other arm around her waist. “I want to marry you, Julia.”
She pulled back enough to see his eyes, those same eyes she had shared countless glances with, so many unspoken words. She could hardly believe the words that had just escaped his lips—those same lips she had shared countless smiles with. How could it be true? Her joy was spilling over, and she nearly threw her arms around him. Her vision flooded with tears, making Oliver’s face a blur. “Are you being serious?”
“Yes,” he said in an exasperated voice. “I love you. I have for a very long time.”
Julia laughed as a tear rolled down her cheek. Her vision cleared and his smiling face came into view again. “I love you, too. I always have.”
Oliver wiped away the tear on her cheek, his gaze lowering to her mouth. She held her breath as he traced the curve of her lower lip with his thumb. Her throat was raw as he leaned down, brushing his lips against hers with far too much caution. She was through with being cautious. She slid her hands inside his jacket and around his waist, capturing his lips with hers in one concentrated motion. She pulled him as close as she possibly could, transforming his tentative kiss into the one she had been dreaming of for years. With her permission granted, Oliver’s response was immediate. His fingers buried in her hair, and his kisses abandoned their gentleness. Her skin erupted with shivers, and her legs shook beneath her as he kissed her again and again. She ran her fingers over his hair and the melted snowflakes in it, and he wrapped his arms around her waist. His lips slowed to playful, soft caresses, until he pulled back, leaning his forehead against hers. “Do you accept my proposal?” he murmured, tracing his thumb over her cheek again.
Her lips tingled from his kiss, her heart still thudding a quick rhythm in her chest. “Yes.” It had never been easier to answer a question in her entire life. It had always been Oliver. She had been wise enough to see that from a very young age, and she could hardly believe she had nearly given up hope. If anything was worth waiting for, it was a love like the one she felt now, surrounding her with as much warmth and security as Oliver’s arms.
She sighed, smiling up at him.“We have already been engaged for ten years, after all.”
