Page 93 of Whatever You Need

“Is this your office?”Marco asked as we passed the receptionist’s desk and made our way to the end of the hall.

I opened the door and smiled. “This is it.”

He walked over to the windows and looked out at the Philadelphia skyline. “I would love to see the view at nighttime when everything is all lit up.”

“That can be arranged,” I said, admiring the handsome man in my office. It’s been a little over a month since the shooting, and even though his arm was still in a sling, he’s made great progress.

“So,” I pushed a few folders aside and leaned on the edge of my desk, “what do you think will happen to Owen?”

After the man who shot Marco was arrested, they looked further into his crimes and discovered the list of people connected to his underage sex ring. Owen’s name was at the top of the list. Talk about a strange coincidence.

“From what I’ve been told, it’s pretty messy. Everything was handed over to the Feds. My guess is that he’s going to be gone for a very long time. I know Logan was appreciative for you handing over his company laptop.”

My skin crawled just thinking about it. “I’m just glad nothing was linked back to our corporate account.”

He crossed the room and stopped in front of me. “Well, I’m just grateful that none of his filth touched you.” He moved in between my legs. “Because I would personally destroy him,” he said, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear and staring into my eyes. “You know that there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you, right?”

“I know and that’s why I love you.”

He pulled me into his chest. “I have a surprise for you.”

I twisted in his arms and looked up. “Really? What is it?”

“Come with me.” He grabbed my hand and led me down the hall to the elevators. He grinned over his shoulder when he realized I was going with him without asking a single question. Didn’t he know by now that I would follow him anywhere?

We got off on the tenth floor and I smiled into the mirror as we passed it by. We stopped at room 1005 and he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a key card.

“I take it by the look on your face that you remember this room?”

I nodded my head like an idiot until he pushed the door opened. It took a moment for my brain to register what I was seeing. While I remembered this room vividly, it looked very different than the last time we were here together. There were rose petals and tea light candles scattered everywhere. But that wasn’t what got my attention. My eyes flooded with tears at the gold letter balloons that spelled out Will You Marry Me? placed over the wall of the bed.

Marco got down on one knee and pulled out a black velvet box. I sucked in a breath and tried to speak, but the lump in my throat choked off my words.

“I never believed in fate until our eyes locked across the bar during the middle of a snowstorm. I was so nervous when you gave me your hand and let me lead you here to this very room. Our first kiss was like nothing I ever experienced before. I only wish I could remember the exact moment when I fell in love with you. I don’t know how or when it happened, but I know I’ll never love this way again.” He blew out a shaky breath. “Now, I can’t imagine going to bed at night without kissing you, or holding these hands for the rest of my life. I can’t imagine my heart beating for anyone else but you. I can’t guarantee that there won’t be tough times. We will probably have to work at this every day, but I can promise you that if you say yes, you won’t regret it. So, Amelia, will you marry me?”

I framed his face in my hands. “Marco, before I met you, love was just a word. And now, as I look into your eyes, I know why I never felt it with anyone else before. Every time I’m with you, I find more reasons to love you. I can’t imagine going through this life with anyone else but you. Yes, my answer to you will always be yes.”

He slid the ring onto my finger. The feeling of contentment settled into my bones. It wasn’t until this moment that I realized my entire life was spent chasing the wrong dream. This man was everything I could ever want and need in this lifetime.

Marco stared at the emerald-cut diamond with smaller stones encrusting the band. His fingers skimmed across my hand before he pressed a kiss to my finger and stood up. I folded my arms along his neck as he wiped the tears off my cheeks.

“You know you’re stuck with me now, right?” he said, before sealing his lips to mine. He kissed me like he never wanted to stop. There was no doubt in my mind that I was going to love this man forever.

I pulled away and admired my ring. “This is perfect.”

“You’re perfect. I don’t ever want you to forget this moment because I’m going to be honest with you.” His tone turned serious. “I will mess up from time to time. I will say stupid things. I will annoy you and get on your last nerve, but you will never doubt my love for you or regret saying yes to me. I promise to always put us first above anything else.”

“I’m not worried about any of that. I know that no matter what life throws at us, we will be okay. If it’s all we have to survive on is love, then I am confident that ours is strong enough to see us through.”

He smashed his lips down on mine and poured everything he was feeling into the moment. When he pulled back, his smile made my heart skip a beat.

“God, why did I wait so long to ask you?”

I laughed against his chest. “You don’t think we are rushing things a bit?”

We’ve technically only known each other for a little over three months. This would seem absurd to some people, but I guess when you know, you know. Besides, I was done caring about what other people think. If his shooting taught me anything, it’s that life can change in an instant. There were no guarantees that the people we love today will be here tomorrow.

“We can have a long engagement if you want.”

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