Page 117 of Best I Never Had
“Hayden, this is all you,” I argue. Because it is. As much as he expressed his appreciation for all of my help, every bit of the hard work poured into this restaurant was because of his efforts. All of the days he spent brainstorming new flavor combinations and design options for the restaurant’s interior while I was at work. All the long nights taking care of miscellaneous details or organizing shipments. All of it is evident in today’s success.
He smiles, his eyes closing as he lowers his face to nuzzle his cheek against mine. “Always so modest,” he says, smiling against my skin. He turns his face, letting his lips brush against mine as his hands travel up my back to my nape. He guides me toward a kiss, one that’s so passionate that I feel breathless.
“I love you so much,” he says, his hot breath skirting over my throbbing lips.
I sigh, my heart feeling so full, brimming with too many emotions. “I love you too.”
Our bodies continue to move, no sign from either one of us wanting to separate and make the trek back home. We could stay in this moment forever, wrapped in our own bubble with no one to disturb it.
I feel Hayden’s hand roam over my body, trailing light sweeps down my arm before finding my hand. He links our fingers together and brings them to the small space between us, nestling them against our hearts. We look into each other’s eyes with every emotion, every feeling pulling to the surface.
I squeeze his hand a little tighter, wrapping my fingers around his to let him know that I don’t ever want to let him go. I feel his breath stutter, short gasps leaving his parted lips. His eyes squint, and a small furrow deepens between his brows, almost as if he’s realizing something. Some new revelation that enters his heart as his breathing kicks up and his heart beats faster against my hand.
“Marry me,” Hayden whispers.
“What?”
“Marry me,” he says again, a little louder than the whisper he let squeeze through his lips. I pull away, eyes wide and looking for any indication that he’s joking. “I mean it.”
Our bodies stop swaying, and he lets go of my hand, reaching into his pocket to reveal a small velvet envelope with a shiny metal clasp. Something so discreet I would have never noticed it.
“I got this a couple months ago, and I’ve been waiting for…I don’t know what I was waiting for because I’ve known I want to marry you for a long time now. I guess I just wanted to make sure the moment felt right.”
He takes a small step back, stooping down so he kneels on one knee as he peels back the flap of the envelope to expose a beautiful, sparkling ring that looks to be from a different time period. “Marry me?”
I nod, smiling as a tear trickles down my cheek. “Yes, of course I’ll marry you!”
He squeals. Actually, we both do as he stands, lifting me in his arms and twirling me in the small space. When we both grow dizzy, he sets me down. His trembling hands reach for my left hand, sliding the ring onto my ring finger.
“It’s vintage,” he explains. “The seller said circa 1920. Art déco.”
“It’s beautiful,” I gasp. How did he figure out something so timeless would be so perfect for me, the hopeless romantic who always dreamed of her happily ever after?
Hedrops my hand and cups my face before kissing me. He groans into my mouth as his hands move urgently over my body, pulling at my clothes and begging to be closer to me.
“We should get home before we end up deflowering little miss Soleil,” I say breathlessly as I pull away from him. “We don’t want to break a health code violation.”
He laughs, nuzzling his face into my neck as he practically carries me through the restaurant. “Agreed,” he murmurs against my skin, pecking featherlight kisses over my flushed cheeks.
I flit around the tables, blowing out all the candles as Hayden does a once-over, acting much like the responsible adults we’ve grown into. When Hayden finally locks up and we walk into the late city night, we skip as we head home.
Our home. Our future. All full of promises that we intend to keep.
