Page 68 of The Game Changer

“John,” I laugh. “Put me down before you hurt one of us.”

“Sorry, babe, no can do. We need to get out of here and now,” he says.

“First, we have to say goodbye,” I remind him.

“If you insist,” he says as he beelines it for where Julia and Beckett are swaying together on the dance floor, only setting me down once we’ve reached them.

“Congratulations on the nuptials, thanks for the party, but we’re out of here,” John announces when we’ve reached Julia and Beckett’s side. I smack his chest once again for interrupting them like that. Julia laughs at us, not able to hide her reaction.

“Thank you both for everything,” she is finally able to get out with a straight face. “This day wouldn’t have been what it was without both of you. Now go, get out of here. Enjoy the rest of your time, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” Julia says as she winks at me.

“Have an amazing honeymoon! Call me as soon as you get back to the States. We’ll have to have lunch or dinner and catch up. I want all the details once you get back,” I tell my best friend as I squeeze her tightly in a hug. I can’t believe my bestie is a married woman.

“Of course!” she tells me as she squeezes back. “Have fun of your own, you’re here for, what, another week?”

“Yep, but we’re going to Stockholm tomorrow for most of it. We wanted to visit the larger city and see what it has to offer.”

“I don’t think you’re going to see much except the bed, if the way John’s looking at you has any indication.”

“We’ll see,” I sing song as we finally let go of one another.

John escorts me out and into the waiting car that will take us back to the hotel. Beckett and Julia arranged for the transportation so that no one who drank had to risk it and drive.

“Come here.” John pulls me behind him once we enter our suite. I follow him out onto a private little balcony that overlooks the city. It is so beautiful up here, even if it is nighttime and dark out. The glow of the city lights up some of our view, but we can also see the sky full of stars. I stand against the railing, John behind me as he boxes me in against the cool metal. “Did you have a good time tonight?” he asks, dropping a few kisses to my exposed shoulder. My hair is still pulled up into the updo that the hair stylist came up with this morning, giving him full access.

“I did. It was the perfect day for them.”

“They sure know how to pull off one hell of a party,” he muses.

“That they do,” I agree.

“What do you envision when you think of your wedding?” he asks quietly.

“Something small and intimate. Not a ton of people, just my closest friends and family. Maybe a hundred people, max. On the beach somewhere warm, where we can stand in the sand and pledge our lives to one another for the rest of eternity,” I tell him honestly, thinking about that with him.

“That sounds pretty perfect, let’s do it,” he says, surprising me as he turns me and drops to one knee all at the same time. I gasp, my free hand going to cover my mouth as he slips the most beautiful ring onto my finger.

“Are you serious?” is all I can think to say, shock still holding tightly to my vocal cords.

“Completely. Jill, you came into my life when everything I’d known was falling apart. You helped me navigate the mess I’d found myself in without ever blinking an eye. You’ve been there at some of my worst moments, I want you there for the best ones. Please do me the honor of becoming my wife.” He lays it all out there on the line.

“Yes!” I cry out and he immediately picks me up in his arms, swinging me around as our lips collide. “I can’t believe you just proposed!” I tell him once we break the kiss. “Have you had this in your pocket all day?” I ask, holding my hand out to admire the rock.

“Yep. Now does it make sense why I kept trying to get you out of there?” he asks.

“I guess so, but you had to know that I wouldn’t have left early.” I half chuckle at the idea.

“I know,” he admits, “but, you can’t blame a man for trying.”

“No, I guess you can’t,” I agree with him as I pull him in for another kiss.

“Can I take you to bed now?” he asks against my lips. “I need to make love to my fiancée.” He quirks a brow at me.

“Yes, please,” I tell him, and he pivots, taking me straight back into the suite and not stopping until he deposits me on the floor at the foot of the king-size bed.

“Turn around,” he commands. I do as he says, my body already on fire for him.

I feel as his fingertips ghost across the exposed skin of my shoulders as he searches for the zipper. It feels like he takes forever to lower the thing, exposing my skin inch by inch. His lips cover the skin as each portion is exposed, until finally he reaches the bottom of the zipper. The dress is loose enough now to fall from my body, pooling at my feet. I step out of it, leaving me in the matching bra and thong I bought special to wear under the dress. Besides those two items of clothing, I only have my sandals still on, which I easily kick off. John turns me in his arms, his eyes raking up and down my body, and I can feel them like a brand. Like he’s taking his fill and making sure I know I’m his.

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