Page 101 of Bright Lights and Summer Nights

“You know I don’t have patience.”

I close the distance to her, pulling her body flush to mine. “It’s one of the many things I love about you.”

She rises to her tiptoes and plants a kiss against my lips. “Good. Now, stop procrastinating and climb the damn fence. I want to see what Pembroke looks like empty.”

I lean in and give her one more kiss before backing away with a sigh. She was just saying she was unsure about breaking in, and now she’s encouraging me to get to it. God, I love her.

“I’ll let you know when I’m ready,” I tell her, holding her shoes by the thin heels so I can still climb the fence.

“Sure thing, babe.” She giggles, letting me know that as soon as my feet are on the ground on the other side, I need to be ready for her to hop over.

I make quick work of getting to the other side of the fence and landing smoothly. My eyes quickly scan my surroundings with a smirk before I train them on the top of the fence.

Just like I suspected, Emma’s already impressively climbed the fence in a knee-length white dress and waits at the top. Unlike the first time we met, when I couldn’t see her features because of the dark, tonight I can see all of her thanks to the full moon.

She waits for me with a smile on her face. She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth, and I know her well enough to know she’s going to jump at any second, even though I haven’t given her the green light yet.

“Okay, jump on one, two…”

“Three!” Emma yells, pushing her body from the top and falling right at me. Her heels drop to the ground as I make sure I catch her in my arms, not wanting her to get even a single scratch from my idea to break into the club.

“Do you ever listen?” I say, my chest rising and falling in quick succession from the rush of adrenaline.

Emma shrugs, backing out of my arms to grab her shoes. “You already know the answer to that, so I’m not even going to answer. You love me whether I listen or not, and that’s all I care about.”

I nod. She’s right.

I cock my head toward the back door of the club, the one I know happens to be unlocked tonight. “Should we sneak in?”

She lets out a giddy squeal before enthusiastically nodding her head. She must realize how loud her sound of excitement was because she throws her hand over her mouth. “Yes,” she whispers, all the fear of getting in trouble for breaking in seemingly gone.

I hold my hand out to her, hoping she doesn’t feel how clammy it’s gotten with nerves. I had one drive to win a Super Bowl in under three minutes, and I still didn’t feel as nervous as I do at this moment. All I can do is hope she doesn’t notice as I lead her toward the back door.

“It’s so quiet,” she mutters as we reach the building.

My heart hammers in my chest as my fingers wrap around the door handle. Emma doesn’t seem to notice, thank god, and she begins to rattle on about the tennis match we have tomorrow with Jackson and Peyton.

“I think we have the win in the bag,” she whispers as I pull the door open. “I’m ready to really kick their?—”

She stops as I pull her into the hallway illuminated by hundreds of tiny candles.

“Preston.” She looks back at me with wide eyes. “What is this?”

I can’t help but smile. “Keep walking, baby.”

Her fingers tighten against mine as she lets me lead her down the hallway. We follow the candles even as they continue into the room where I first started to fall for her a year ago. I press a kiss to her knuckles before dropping her hand.

She opens her mouth to say something, but the words she was about to utter get lost when her eyes land across the room.

“Oh my god.” Her hands go to her mouth as she takes in the giant, illuminated letters that spell out ‘Marry Me.’

When she turns back toward me, she finds me already on one knee with a ring box in my hand.

“Stop it.” She lets out a loud, happy sob; her hands still covering her mouth in shock.

“Emma Turner,” I begin, my mind suddenly forgetting the proposal I’d rehearsed in the mirror countless times.

“Yes,” she cries excitedly.

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