Page 88 of Wild Dreams

It was a red velvet box. It had to be jewelry. It seemed too soon for such an extravagant gift. I’d gotten him books and a night at a local bed and breakfast. My gaze flew to his. “Chance?”

He shifted to one knee and opened the box with a soft click. It was a diamond ring that reflected the white lights of the tree.

I gasped, not quite believing what I was seeing.

“For so long I didn’t see you as more than my sister’s best friend. But lately, it was like seeing you for the first time. I got to know you better as a person. Every minute we spent together felt like the beginning of the rest of our lives. And I know you’ll say this is too soon, but I’m going with instincts on this, and they’ve never been wrong. Marigold, will you marry me?”

He lowered the box and cupped my cheek. I was blinking away tears, his face swimming in my vision. I nodded, then choked out, “Yes. I’ll marry you.”

Then I knelt up and threw my arms around his neck. With a chuckle his arm banded around my waist.

When I eased back, Chance smoothed my hair away from my face. “You don’t think it’s too soon?”

“It’s perfect.” Chance was my fiancé. I was overwhelmed with happiness. “The perfect Christmas Eve.”

“I didn’t want to wait until tomorrow. Tonight felt like it was for us and no one else.”

“I love you, Chance.” I’d never say it enough.

“I love you too.” Then he slipped the ring onto my finger where we admired the way it caught the light.

“I’m yours,” I said as I looked up at him, not quite believing that he was mine. I hoped the sensation of this being a dream never dissipated. It gave everything a magical quality to it.

“And I’m yours,” Chance said as he kissed the back of my hand, then pulled me closer.

We made love on the plush rug in front of the fire. It was only the beginning for us, and I couldn’t wait to build a future with my dream man.

The April Before Wild Love and Wild Dreams

I accepted the drink from the bartender with a smile. As the conference coordinator, I was on my feet all day ensuring that everything ran smoothly. Since it was the last day of the conference, most attendees had already taken a shuttle to the airport and were on their way home. I could finally relax at the resort's bar.

A trio of women sat close to me on the bar stools.

"All the Wilde brothers in one spot. My ovaries can't take it," one woman gushed.

The second woman frowned. "Killian's not here. He's the famous snowboarder."

Another woman openly counted them with her fingers. "That's the rest of them. Eli, Xander, and Oliver."

Her hand was waving so wildly; I couldn't follow it to figure out their names. I only knew Eli, who was the resort manager I worked with when I was scheduling and planning conferences. He was always professional when I'd had to coordinate an event.

One woman fanned herself. "They're wild and reckless. Any one of them will help you to get over your breakup."

One brother was in a long sleeve polo with stitching that read Xander - Wilde Ski Resort Instructor. There was Eli in a suit, and a third brother—presumably Oliver—wore a button-down shirt with the top one undone, his sleeves rolled up to reveal strong forearms. His hair was dark but shorn closely to his scalp in a military-style. My face flushed when his gaze lifted to meet mine.

There was a sheet of paper on the high-top table in front him that the brothers kept referring to, as if they kept score of their games.

I couldn't seem to take my gaze away from Oliver. It was as if he had me transfixed.

A slow smile spread over his face, and he winked.

I quickly looked away, swirling the ice in my glass. I didn't want to be associated with the women next to me who clearly had too much alcohol in their quest to have a good time. I just wanted to enjoy my drink and head to my room for much-needed rest.

The women settled their bill and proclaimed loudly they were heading to the dance club. When they left, I let out a sigh of relief. I drank my drink, content to be alone at the bar. I was used to traveling by myself, and I was adept at conveying “don't approach me” vibes to any man considering it.

To my surprise, a hand braced on the counter next to my elbow. The scent of something spicy hit my nose a second before he leaned in. "Are you having a good time?"

I raised my gaze to the blue eyes that had only just winked at me a few minutes ago, my heart thumping. "Yes."

---