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Instead, he got down on one knee in front of me and reached into his pocket.
The entire studio audience started to scream and launched to their feet, trying to see as he opened the ring box, presenting me with a ludicrouslygargantuan diamond.
“Tarryn, I love you. Desperately. Ardently. I can’t live another moment without you. Will you have mercy on poor Loïc and take him as your husband?” His pale blue gaze was earnest. Breathtakingly sincere.
My attention narrowed on him until the near riot in the audience was white noise.
“All I want is for you to love me despite your better judgment.” He was waiting for me to answer. His eyes were full of sweet, earnest love.
One of the interviewers tried to get control of the audience, but they were shouting and carrying on. This had gone from an interview on a respected morning show to an episode of a much more salacious talk show—the kind that had guests on who were trying to find out the paternity of their child.
Then again, we probably belonged on a show like that, too.
I was hot with embarrassment, but the look of absolute adoration in his gaze was tearing my heart to shreds. It had been inevitable that he’d want some guarantee of permanence, and I couldn’t blame him. It was what I wanted too. And once he found out about the baby?
Movement caught the corner of my eye as I stared at him, stunned and speechless. He was sliding the ring on my right ring finger as Valor stormed down the stairs, striding toward us.
“I love you, too.”
Security guards rushed the stage, but Loïc give me a deep, possessive kiss, and then turned to meet Valor’s confused wrath. Valor was looking at us like he didn’t know exactly why he was charging onto the stage, but also couldn’t stand by and do nothing.
In the pandemonium, Loïc turned to meet Valor. He yanked him close and gave him a passionate kiss that had the entire studio audience and both hosts, screaming in surprise and delight. I would have thought someone would have shut off the cameras, but I was pretty sure they’d kept rolling.
Valor pulled me to them. Loïc kissed the side of my face, while Valor hugged us both.
Someone shouted for a commercial break, thank god, and I was dragged off stage.
“What the hell was that?” Anne demanded, her eyes bright, even though her words were angry.
“I’m sorry. I had no idea he would do this.”
Valor was shaking his head, but seemed like he was fighting down a laugh.
“Was that the wrong thing to do?” Loïc asked, looking perplexed. “Now we don’t have to be a secret anymore.”
Anne sighed then headed out the door—probably to do damage control.
“I was planning to talk to Rose Red’s PR team to get their opinion on the best way to make our relationship with you public,” I admonished. “They’re going to be pissed.” The diamond on my finger felt heavy and huge, and had probably come with a complementary wheelbarrow.
“Are you angry?” Loïc asked, trailing Valor and I like a puppy.
“It was…unexpected,” Valor assured him. “From now on, though, maybe you should start talking things through with us before you do anything reckless.”
“What’s reckless about telling the world how much I care about both of you?”
“People still have trouble wrapping their heads around poly relationships. What if this hurts Tarryn’s career?”
He opened his mouth, looking horrified.
I squeezed his hand.
When we got to my dressing room, my purse was already ringing.
“I have a feeling that’s Rose Red’s PR team.” I scrubbed my face with the back of my hand, and promptly scratched myself with the unfamiliar billion-pound diamond on my finger.
Valor sat me on the couch and retrieved my purse and the lemonade he’d gone out to buy. It was still ice cold, and I accepted it with grateful, shaking hands. That was far more drama than I was used to.
“Do you think you could’ve found her a bigger ring?” Valor asked dryly.
