Page 177 of Consume Me

Gulping the lump down my dry throat, I gaze into her eyes. We promised never to hold anything back from each other. With her, I can be vulnerable.

“I’m nervous,” I admit and chuckle, scratching at my neck.

She makes a cute grimace as if I took her by surprise.

“What’s making you nervous, baby?” she asks, playing with the ends of my hair. Everything in her is made to soothe me.

Here it goes.

“Close your eyes, please. You can open them only when I say so.”

“Okay.”

She does it without a second thought. Her trust in me is something I cherish and will never take for granted.

Carrying her upstairs, she nuzzles her face into the crook of my neck.

In our bedroom, I gently place her on the floor, surrounded by flickering candles in a heart shape, with violet rose petals scattered all around.

Plucking the ring from my jeans, I kneel and say, “Open your eyes, Silver.”

When she does, her eyes take everything in before they land on me, and they immediately glisten.

“Will you marry me?” I ask and immediately forget everything else I wanted to say because she looks so beautiful. “I never believed in love, but you showed me every day how minefor you grows even more. I want to be your everything, Mia. Your best friend and lover, your confidant and supporter. But above all, your husband, life partner, and the father of your children. So please, become my wife.”

“Yes. A million times, yes.”

She drops to her knees in front of me and springs into my arms.

“My heart is pounding like crazy.”

“Mine too,” I whisper, and I place her hand on my chest. Her face radiates while I can’t stop smiling.She said yes.This mix of pride and happiness overwhelms me in the best way.

When she leans back, she stretches her hand out to me, and I flick open the lid of the ring box.

“You had me with the box,” she says. It’s a special one, shaped like a small book with our initials engraved on it.

“Wow,” she adds when the purple diamond ring is revealed—a six-carat gem set on a platinum diamond band.

Sliding it on her finger, I lift her hand to my mouth, pressing my lips against it.

“Fiancée.”

“Fiancé.”

I love that title way better than boyfriend, and I know I’ll love it even more when she calls me husband.

“I can’t believe I didn’t see that coming,” she says, still wearing an awed expression.

“That was the point.”

Pulling her up, I take my time undressing her and then myself, savoring and memorizing this special moment. Gathering her in my arms, I lower her into the tub that’s overflowing with bubbles and rose petals.

“You’re perfect, Blake. Thank you for fulfilling my dream of you, of love, and of home.”

“I’ll never stop, Mia.”

My need for her takes over. There’s no better way to celebrate our engagement than losing ourselves in each other.

---