Page 67 of Quarantined with the Billionaire

“You heard me. Maddox proposed to me on Friday. And we picked out a ring last night.”

“Are there even jewelers open?”

“No, not now, but he has friends. He had pictures emailed to him and I got to choose. Tonight, someone is coming by with it and some selections of wedding bands that match the engagement ring.”

“Holy shit! What’s the date?”

“About that… Did you catch the governor’s announcement?”

“No. Jack told me that it’s not going to look much different. Except for he might be able to get his tattoo done now.”

“Tattoo? Ooh.” It reminded me of the one on Maddox’s back. And maybe, after I got my degree in finance, we could fill that empty pink room with a real baby. Things had been moving quickly enough, though. I didn’t need to get that far ahead of myself.

“So what date, Bailey?”

“We’re wanting to do it in May. We don’t have any idea when the restrictions are going to be completely lifted, but we already ordered the license and Maddox has a friend willing to officiate. We’re going to do it here in the backyard, and we just need a couple of witnesses. You, of course, would be my maid of honor and witness.”

“So no huge dream wedding? What good is it marrying a billionaire if you can’t even have that?”

“No one said I can’t. I can do that later. But I want to marry him now. The time is right. I don’t know how to explain it, Elise, but he’s the one, and I don’t want to wait.”

“Who am I to argue? So what should I wear?”

“This is the best part! Get on your laptop.” Elise completely thawed when I sent her to a website where she got to choose her outfit—with all expenses on Maddox.

And, even with her plus-one, we wouldn’t be over capacity for our intimate gathering.

Life was good.

I was happy and safe.

* * *

Maddox left the bathroom in what was now our bedroom, wearing nothing but his underwear, before crawling in bed next to me. The weather had been pleasant the past couple of days, so no fire was burning, but that didn’t mean I didn’t have flames flickering inside my body.

“So how much did you say I just earned?”

“What?” I asked, looking up from The Girl on the Train. I’d finally started reading the book, prepared to report its contents to my fiancé upon completion.

“How much do I earn every time I take a piss?”

“Oh.” I started laughing. “How did you know about that?”

“Ah.” Kissing my shoulder, he wrapped an arm around my waist as I closed the book. “You forgot that when you added me on Facebook, I’d get to see everything you ever posted.”

“Stalker.” Something most people didn’t know was that my soon-to-be husband had a Facebook profile—but it wasn’t under his own name. On Facebook, he was known as E.S. Steel, and there was nothing identifiable. His profile picture was a picture of one of the rosebushes in his backyard in full bloom, and there was no information about where he lived, where he worked, or who his family was. And when he showed it to me, I was shocked at how many people had accepted his friendship request, not even knowing who he was. He’d done it mainly so he could evaluate potential new hires. Loose lips sink ships, he’d said, and if these people bare their souls to strangers, how can I trust them to keep my secrets?

Of course, I’d forgotten that, by accepting his friend request as his fiancée, he’d be able to see my earlier derision for the well-to-do.

It was something we were still working through. Fortunately, Maddox really was a good man, willing to contribute millions of dollars to the charities of my choosing. For now, though, he was donating to the state of Colorado for the fight against COVID-19.

“Something like five-hundred or a thousand bucks, right?”

“Who knew urinating could be so profitable?”

Giggling, I placed the book on the nightstand before rolling on my side to look Maddox in his beautiful blue eyes. He’d let his facial hair grow out so that now he had a bit of a beard, and I stroked it with my fingers, loving how soft those hairs had finally become.

“You know I’m going to have to shave it off once we start working back in the office.”

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