Page 207 of Mayhem and Minnie

First the dinner. Then the ring. Then the head. Then the champagne and the indirect kiss.

Good Lord, I cannot believe the lengths I’m going for only an indirect kiss. But it’s better than nothing, no?

I hear the door to the basement slowly opening and turn.

Another big breath.

The time has arrived.

“Marlowe?” She frowns. “What’s this?”

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“Ihave a surprise for you. Come,” I say as I take her hand and lead her to the table. Pulling the chair for her, I make sure she’s seated comfortably before joining her on the other side of the table.

She’s looking around with wonder in her eyes and my heart thuds furiously in my chest as I await her reaction.

“You did this for me?” she asks in a small voice.

I nod.

“You wanted something unique, so I prepared something unique for you.” I give her my signature smile.

She blushes.

Ah, my charm is working.

“You put a lot of thought into this. I don’t know what to say.”

“You like it?”

“Very much.”

“Then that’s enough for me. I have more surprises for you, too.” I wink.

“Wow… I should have put on something nicer,” she says as she looks down at her clothes.

She’s wearing one of my shirts that looks like a dress on her and a pair of black leggings. The mere fact that she’s wearing my shirt makes this so much better. She already looks stunning on a daily basis, but like this she’s absolutely breathtaking. So much so I have to remind myself not to forget to breathe.

“You look perfect, Minnie. You’re always perfect to me.”

She flutters her lashes as she averts her gaze, her entire face red.

“What’s gotten into you, Marlowe? The candles, the flowers, the compliments… Are you quite all right?” she asks with a wicked gleam in her eyes.

“I’m more than all right, my little heathen. I realized that I have not taken my fiancé duties seriously until now and I aim to remedy that.”

She narrows her eyes at me.

“Is this still about Lucien and Theron? I thought we moved past that.”

“Of course not,” I mumble.

She stares at me.

“We should eat. I got you something special,” I quickly mention as I reveal the first item on the menu, a creamy vegan risotto with truffles.

Her eyes widen and she nods in appreciation.

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