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Just him.
Just me.
“Grant?” I ask, confusion thick on my tongue, and surprise dancing through me. “What are you doing?”
“I wanted to ask you something, Ashley. And I don’t want it to be for show,” Grant says. “I know that you already told me yes while my parents were around, but I wanted to ask you again. For real this time.”
His thumb slides over the ring that I’m wearing, and then both of his hands curl around my own hand. His expression is gentle, loving, and serious. Slowly, I sink down onto my knees to join him. It doesn’t matter that the skin-tight white jeans that I’m wearing are going to get dirty. The only thing that matters is that he’s here, in front of me. We’re here together, no lies or falsehoods between us.
“Grant…” I trail off, the surprise and awe practically dripping off the tip of my tongue.
Grant lets go with one hand, but only so he can reach up and press it against the side of my face. His thumb swipes over the soft skin beneath my eye. His hand is so warm, I can’t help but lean my face against his tender touch.
“I know that I messed up when I walked out the other night,” says Grant.
“We both did,” I tell him. “I forgive you. You don’t have to keep apologizing.”
“I do,” says Grant. “I was scared. But I’ll never do that to you again. I have lost a lot of people in my life, Ashley. I didn’t want to lose you, not after I fell in love with you. Head over my damn heels, Ashley.”
I laugh a little bit, but the sound is breathless.
Grant leans forward and kisses me. The touch of our lips is almost magnetic. We press against each other, and when his tongue brushes over the underside of my lower lip, I open my mouth. But rather than deepening the kiss, Grant pulls backwards.
“I want you to marry me,” says Grant. “For real. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Ashley.”
“Even though you’re scared?” I ask him, my voice so soft it can barely be called a whisper.
“You’ve made me feel fearless about love,” says Grant. “You make me want to take risks that I’ve spent years avoiding.”
“You make me feel fearless, too,” I admit.
Grant pulls another little black box from his back pocket. He opens it and I can’t believe my eyes, this time he really has surprised me. I’m staring at a gorgeous rose gold band that matches the ring that I’m already wearing. But instead of larger diamonds, this one is completely encircled with the shimmering gemstones that flash as they catch the sun. Grant slips it on my finger to meet up with the first ring as he asks, “Will you marry me, Ashley?”
“Yes, Grant, I will marry you!”
Another kiss, just as soft as the first one. Grant stands up, helping me to my feet. Suddenly I feel as though I could stand here on this London balcony with him forever. Really. Just basking in the way that I feel—whole and held together, like there’s nothing that can hurt me.
Like everything is on the verge of finally being perfect.
But…
“You have a meeting to get to, Mister CEO,” I tell him.
“I know,” says Grant. He lets out a heavy sigh, pulling me in for a tighter hug. “I have to go. But I promise, when we get back to the lake house, we’re going to really celebrate. I’m going to treat you like a damn queen.”
“I’d rather you just treat me the same as always,” I say, with a laugh. I give him a gentle shove, pushing him back into the bathroom. “Go get ready. I’ll make you a cup of coffee to bring along for the walk.”
“You’re the best, baby,” says Grant, before he ducks into the bathroom, out of sight, to finish getting ready. I do as I said, putting on another pot of coffee for him. It starts bubbling into the carafe.
The whole time, I find myself marveling over how things have turned out. Engaged to Grant for real! I never imagined our fake relationship would turn out like this. But it did.
And I have never been happier.
Chapter twenty-five
Grant
Thetensionintheair is thick when the door to the conference hall finally swings shut after our new client leaves the room. Our last meeting has come to an end; the first meeting that I’ve held as the CEO of Denfield Global. That’s even how Don introduced me this time around, letting our client know that I would be heading the deals in our future meetings.
