Page 308 of Sins & Secrets

“You are a devilish man,” I comment, and move to stand beside him, his hand still holding mine.

His rough chuckle is a soothing balm. “You look gorgeous,” he reassures me.

With every step, the nervousness lingers but it’s different now that I’m with him. Maybe it’s the way he holds me, or the way he peers down at me. The way his hand splays against myback as we walk in or how he helps me into the booth. I’m not sure what it is, but I want it all.

I would give him everything I have today, for him to simply want me tomorrow.

Adrian

“Sir, another?”the waiter asks, politely gathering my attention. If I recall correctly, he’s the same waiter we had our first night at the Waldorf, our dinner that never came to be.

The same tucked away booth as well.

I shake my head once. “Thank you, though.”

“And for you?” he asks Suzette.

“I’d like dessert I think,” she says and gazes back at me as if asking if I’d like to join her.

I only smile back, feeling the nerves heat.

“Maybe the dark chocolate tart?” the waiter suggests and I pray I don’t show my reaction in the least.

When the plate comes out, her diamond will be on it. My composure threatens to break when she agrees.

I’ve gone over every response she could have.

If she says it’s too soon, I’ll respond, if not now, then when?

If she thinks I’ve gone crazy, I’ll agree, I am losing it because of her.

It doesn’t matter what she thinks of it, so long as she says yes. So long as she’s mine to have and to hold, to be with me forever. For fuck’s sake, if she thinks it has to do with work, I’ll tell her how I signed a damn contract I shouldn’t have because I couldn’t get her off my mind. That alone should convince abusinesswoman like her that she should say yes before I go broke drowning in thoughts of her all day.

“Are you all right?” Suzette questions and it’s only when I look up to see her glancing at the cocktail napkin in my hand that I realize I’ve twisted and pulled and creased it to death.

“Fine,” I answer her and in my periphery I see the waiter slipping the plate down in front of her.

My heart races and I tell her that I’m perfectly fine and wait.

Her gaze doesn’t leave mine. Even when I motion to her dessert, spotting the four-carat diamond sparking from where it sits in the red velvet box.

“I just—” Suzette starts and then licks her lips. “I know I’m … I know that I—” she hesitates. This gorgeous, intelligent, strong-willed woman hesitates, because of me.

Because I didn’t sayI love youback. I know damn well that’s why.

“I want you to marry me,” I murmur, unable to hold it back any longer.

Her kissable lips part and her light blue eyes widen. “Adrian.”

I motion to the ring on her plate and she gasps, a loud yelp of a gasp, covering her mouth and jumping back slightly.

She stares at it, as if I’m not waiting, unable to breathe and desperate for her to answer me.

“Marry me,” I tell her, a command this time and that gets her attention. Her hands lower, although she still stares at me as if she’s in shock.

“For the love of all things holy, if you don’t say yes right now, I swear to God I’ll throw you over this table.”

When she smiles, this beautiful smile that reaches all the way up to her eyes, I know it’ll be all right.

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