Page 67 of Wanting Mr Black

His hands disappear beneath the water, and a cheeky grin spreads across his face as he lifts his right hand upwards, revealing dripping wet black swim shorts. He hurls them onto the beach.

He’s naked.

He looks at me and lifts his brows a touch, challenging me. “We’re the only ones here.”

He’s thrown down the gauntlet. The look on his face tells me he doesn’t think I’ll copy him. My defiant streak kicks in, and I meet his eyes, unfastening the clasp of my bikini top and throwing it onto the sand and then doing the same with my briefs.

That’ll show him.

He grins and loops his arms around my waist, and I press myself against him beneath the water.

His eyes fall to my breasts. “You’re too beautiful to be covered up.”

I push my hands through his wet hair and kiss him once. “So are you.”

The taste of salt water lingers on his lips as they cover mine, and I wrap myself around him so that he’s supporting my weight.

“I love you so much,” he breathes, and I want to cry out with happiness.

“I love you too.”

As he kisses me adoringly, I can’t help the nagging voice in the back of my head that’s niggling over what he said this morning. It’s a big thing, and we haven’t mentioned it since.

I need to ask, “Why were you so calm about me missing my pill?”

He rests his forehead against mine and gazes into my eyes. “If this is going to happen, I want it to be with you.”

My heart double beats. “With me?”

“Yes.” He smiles. “With you, my beautiful Sophie.”

He kisses my forehead, and I close my eyes, suppressing a sob of happiness. Then, he slides his lips to my right cheek and leaves a light kiss before doing the same to my left. Then, finally, he presses his mouth to mine. He kisses me slow and unhurried, and I’m only slightly aware that we’re moving because I’m lost in him. His hands slide beneath my bum, supporting me as I remain clinging to him as he carries me out of the water. The heat of the sun prickles my damp, salty skin as he walks across the sand and lowers us down onto the blanket hidden away in the cove, lying the firm length of his body against mine. He kisses me, and his fingers glide up the inside of my right inner thigh and stop before they reach the most sensitive spot between my legs.

He tears his mouth from mine and that strange look in his eyes is back. “This is perfect.” He brushes his fingers across my cheek. “It’s perfect because you’re here.”

“It’s perfect because we’re here together.” I lift my head to kiss him, but he draws back slightly, as if he wants to say something and he hasn’t quite finished.

“You’re like a ray of light in my life, Sophie. I feel like I was living in shadows, my heart in darkness, hardly beating.I thought I’d feel like that forever. You’ve let the sunshine in, made my heartbeat properly, given me a chance to really live.” He presses a palm over my heart, his eyes searching my face. “You’re the woman who made my heartbeat again.”

I do the same to him and feel his heart galloping in his chest, and I’m pretty certain mine’s matching it.

“Marry me.”

I freeze. My eyes frantically search his face for any trace of a smile to show me that he might be joking.He’s got to be, hasn’t he?

My heartbeat is thudding in my ears so loud that I can barely hear myself talk over the din. “Sorry, I think I’m hearing things because I thought you just asked me to marry you.”

He smiles and brushes a damp strand of hair away from my forehead with a finger. “I did.”

I think I’m flatlining. Everything seems to happen in slow motion for the next few seconds as he reaches behind him and produces a red box from goodness knows where.

He’s lost his mind. He must have.

I sit up and stare in stunned silence as he opens the box to reveal a sparkling platinum engagement ring with the biggest square cut diamond I’ve ever seen in my life.

Shit. This is really happening.

He’s watching me carefully, waiting for me to say something.

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