Page 121 of Release Me

“I’m not trying to torture you, precious, I just wanted an expert opinion.”

“And a view of my ass,” she huffs, glancing over her shoulder to pin me with a knowing look. I’m leaning against the counter closest to the door where she keeps all her decanting and wine filtering gadgets, trying to act casual even though the ring box in my pocket is burning a hole in my pants.

“That’s just an added bonus.” I grin at her, and she rolls her eyes, turning her attention back to the shelves surrounding us.

“Why don’t you just do this rosé?” She gestures to the clear bottle with pale pink liquid inside of it on the shelf closest to her, not even bothering to look at the label or ask what exactly I’m trying to pair the wine with. It’s a tell tale sign that she’s agitated, and I need to hurry up before she storms out of here and finds the nearest chair to sit down.

“Hmmm.” I tap my lips. “What about the ‘93 Thornehill Pinot Noir?”

She turns to glare at me, moving so fast I’m surprised she didn’t crack her neck. “You seriously think I’m going to let you open that bottle today when I can’t even drink it?”

“You could probably have a small sip.”

Her eyes narrow. “You’re joking right?”

“Nope. I think we’ve let it sit long enough.”

I push off the counter, pretending to head toward the shelf that holds the bottle in question because I know it will make her move over to it too.

“Don’t even think about it, Adler.” She snatches it off the shelf, and her expression goes from surly to startled when she sees the envelope taped to bottle. It’s thick and white and it has her name written on it in my handwriting. “What is this?”

I shrug. “Open it and see, precious.”

The room is quiet as she remove the envelope from the bottle and puts it back in its coveted place on the shelf. As she pulls the paper out, pools of caramel rushing over the deed for the house and land in Sonoma her parents raised her on, I lower myself to the ground, kneeling in front of her with an open ring box in my hand.

“Oh, my God,” she whispers, still looking at the paper. When she moves it away from her face and finds me down on one knee, the whisper becomes a scream that she quiets with a hand over her mouth. “Sebastian, what are you doing?”

“Finding out if you’ve had enough time to prepare your heart for what mine wants to ask of it,” I say, transporting us back to that first day in Zoe’s office, to that first time we trusted the moment to hold us instead of letting it break.

Tears slips down her cheeks, and she nods. It’s all the confirmation I need to continue.

“I wanted to be able to give you more than a ring today. I wanted to be able to promise you more than a life of financial stability and unconditional love. I’ll give you all of those things too, but more than anything, I wanted to give you back your home as a way to thank you for being mine. You’re my safe place, Nadia. My sanctuary. This ring is a promise that I’ll always be those things for you too. That as long as I’m alive, you’ll never have to face another day, another battle, another obstacle, another choice on your own because I will always be there to protect you, to support you, to love you. Do you believe that?”

“Yeah,” she gasps, the sound mixing with a joyful laugh. “I believe that.”

“Then will you please do me the honor of being my wife?”

Her answer is a crush of her lips against mine. It’s a deposit of salt and moisture and the sweet taste of her mouth. And while it’s lovely, I need more. I pull back, breaking the kiss to gaze up into her beautiful face.

“Is that a yes, Miss Hendrix?”

“That’s a hell yes, Mr. Adler.”

The End

---