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He was looking amazingly handsome yet casual for his musical debut. His expensive suits were nice, but her heart fluttered at the sight of him in a tight pair of jeans. Tonight, he’d paired dark denim with a black T-shirt that fit every muscle of his ripped upper body like liquid latex had been poured over him.
That thought made her mouth go dry in an instant. She’d already sucked down two drinks since
she’d arrived for the same reason. Now, more than ever, she needed to be able to talk, but her tongue was like a dry wad of cotton balls in her mouth.
“Your friends told me you ran out this way.” He watched her with curious eyes. “I guess you didn’t like the new song.”
Bree couldn’t speak, but she shook her head. “It...was great,” she managed. And it was. The content was poignant. The melody was memorable. The accompaniment was inspired. It was a great song, even if it announced to the world that she was a cover hog and a know-it-all. She supposed that was better than telling everyone she was a world-class belcher.
Ian took a few steps closer, a wary expression lining his face. He looked concerned that she might bolt at any moment. He needn’t worry about that. Even if her legs would work, she had no idea where she was and her ancient cell phone couldn’t look up a cab company in its Yellow Pages app. She was at Gretchen’s mercy.
“But it didn’t change anything.” His soft words were defeated. She hated that. Ian was a powerful businessman, master of his universe, yet she felt like she could crush him with the slightest inclination. His words weren’t a question. He just assumed that she couldn’t forgive him.
“No, it didn’t.”
Ian’s gaze fell to the alley pavement, his shoulders slumping slightly in defeat.
“I still love you just as much as I did before I heard it.”
Ian’s head shot up, a lock of dark hair falling into his eyes. “What? You love me?”
Bree nodded.
His hands dropped to his sides in aggravation. “Then why the hell did you run? You’re giving me heart palpitations.”
She shook her head. “I don’t know. It was all too much at once. I needed fresh air. Space. I needed room to think.”
Ian stepped closer, placing his hands at her waist. “Have you had enough time to think?” he asked.
She nodded. “I’m much better now that you’re here.” Bree rested her hands on his forearms and looked up into the green eyes she’d dreamed about the past few days. There was a difference in his face tonight. Less tightness in his jaw. Less stress drawing lines into his forehead and around his eyes. Even without his phone and his computer in the mountains, his mind had been burdened with the worries of his work and his life.
Tonight there was none of that. He looked...happy. Something had changed in his life since she’d seen him last. Big changes. “What’s going on with you, Ian? This isn’t the same man from a week ago.”
“I’ve treated myself like one of my artists and given myself a makeover. A life makeover.”
Bree’s brow shot up curiously. “What does a life makeover entail?”
Ian smiled. “Everything. When Missy threatened the label the night of your showing, I realized my business isn’t my whole world. I’ve made it the center of my life, but in the end it didn’t matter nearly as much to me as you do. Or my music. Or my mental health. So I hired a business manager to offload a lot from my plate. He’s handling the business details while Keith handles the artists. I’m still involved, I still make the big decisions, but I’m not bogged down with the little stuff. It’s cut my hours in half.”
Bree was stunned by the confession. That was a huge step, one she’d never expected him to make. No wonder he looked as though he didn’t have a care in the world. “Are you going into withdrawal yet?”
He shrugged. “I have my moments. I’ve tried to fill my extra time with my music to keep from getting sucked back in. I’ve bought some new instruments. I got a baby grand piano and blank sheet music to work on some songs. Keith is acting as my agent for now, but I think I’m going to try to get a full-time agent and see where I can get this to go, if anywhere. I’m just happy to be playing again. I had no idea how badly I missed it in my life until I let it back in. So thank you for that.”
Bree didn’t know what to say. She’d thought perhaps that tonight was just a little pet project he’d do on the side. Open mic nights every other weekend. Playing his guitar as they sat by the fireplace at his penthouse. She never expected him to try pursuing it professionally again. “That’s amazing, Ian. I’m so proud of you for taking the leap. I know it’s scary, but you’re really talented.”
He smiled. “Thank you. That show wasn’t the scariest thing I did tonight, though.”
Bree’s brow furrowed in confusion. “What could be scarier than singing to a hundred rowdy drunks?”
“Doing this.”
Bree watched as Ian slipped one hand into his pocket and then dropped down onto one knee. Her eyes widened with surprise and realization as the pieces came together in her mind. He was proposing. Proposing! Her heart started racing madly in her chest. He looked up at her with dark green eyes so overflowing with love, she felt herself start to choke up.
“Briana Harper, you are the love of my life. I’ve spent years trying to catch lightning in a bottle again, but no one can compare to you. I want to spend every day of the rest of my life with you. Not with my employees. Not with my money or my fancy, empty apartment. None of that matters if you’re not with me.
“If I’m playing music, I want you there to hear it. When you take pictures, I want to be in your wake, hauling all of your equipment. I don’t just want you to be my wife—I want you to be an integral part of my life. That means I will try my hardest to make sure you always feel like you’re the most important thing in the world to me. Will you do me the honor of marrying me?”
Ian opened up the small velvet box to display the ring he’d chosen for her. She gasped when the streetlights hit the giant diamond inside. It was massive, bigger than anything she could’ve imagined and nothing like she’d ever seen. Considering she took a lot of engagement ring and wedding ring portraits, that was saying a lot. It was oval and surrounded by tiny diamonds that continued around the band.
