Page 98 of Unraveling the Truth About Love
“If you accept my proposal, it’s done. I never want to hide again. Partners in love and life. Forever.That’s what I want, and it’s what I’m offering you. Side by side, you and me, out in the open.”
Riley leaned forward and practically fell out of her chair. Josh caught her in his arms.
“Is that a yes, or were you trying to run away?” Josh teased.
“Yes,” she said through her tears. “Yes. Oh, Josh. Yes!”
They rose to their feet and Josh kissed her like he’d been waiting for her his whole life.Riley came away trembling even more than she had been before.
Rex stepped forward and handed Josh a Tiffany’s jewelry box.
“Here you go, little brother,” Rex said.
Riley covered her mouth; her eyes flew open wide. “Josh,” she whispered.
He opened the box and slipped the ring on her finger. “I wasn’t sure what you liked, and we can have one designed eventually. It’s a cushion-cut yellow diamondwith, well, you can see, surrounded by white diamonds.”
Riley had never seen anything so beautiful in all of her life.
“I love it, Josh, and I love you.” Riley wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again. When they parted, his brothers were beside them, reaching out to them, embracing Josh, and her mother was crying as hard as Riley was.
Riley looked up, and in that second she sawJade, her cheeks streaked with tears, too.
Jade mouthed,I’m so happy for you, which only made Riley’s tears come faster.
Jade jumped into Riley’s arms with a squeal. “You got engaged before I did!”
Riley was still in shock, moving on autopilot. “You knew?” she asked Jade.
“Of course I did, and it was painful not telling you.”
Hal Braden extended his arms to Riley. “Looks like we’ve got twoweddings to plan.”
Plan?Riley could barely think past her next breath. She folded herself into his arms. “Thank you, Mr. Braden. I promise to make him happy.”
“Oh honey, you can’tmakeanyone happy. That’s not how happiness works. Being part of his life will feed his happiness, and he’ll feed yours. We’re honored to have you as part of the family.”
Riley watched Josh from across the room.Treat had his arm around his shoulder. Hugh and Dane said something that caused Josh to bend over in fits of laughter. His back was to Riley, and he must have felt her eyes on him, because he turned and instantly found her eyes and smiled.
Riley couldn’t take her eyes off of him as he crossed the room toward her. She saw the gallant man he’d always been and couldn’t believe he was going to beher husband.Husband!She blinked away tears of joy as he approached. His dark eyes washed over her body, lingering on her breasts, then lowering to her hips, and finally drawing back up to her eyes as he closed in on her.
He wrapped his hands on either side of her waist and whispered, his cheek against hers, his breath hot on her ear, “I cannot go another night without touching you.”
A shiverran up Riley’s back. She scanned the immediate area, making sure no one was within earshot. Josh slid his hands down to the curve of her hips.
“You’re wearing Gucci Première, just like our first night together,” he said.
“You remembered,” she whispered.
He pressed his hips in to hers and embraced her. “I’ll always remember. I want to feel you close to me.”
Riley felt his desire swell againsther. “Josh,” she whispered. “Kiss me.”
He took her face between his warm palms in the way he had so many times before, the way that made her knees weak and her heart sing, and he kissed her, hesitant at first, she assumed because of their families in the room. Their tongues touched lightly; then, as if they were both too entranced to control their body’s demands, more aggressively, their tonguescolliding. Riley felt her body giving in to him. Her hands wandered down his legs.Oops. Restaurant.Riley’s eyes flew open.
She pulled back. “Josh.” His name came out in one long breath.
He looked around and she saw reality coming back to him, too. “Come with me.” He took her hand, and they hurried past the groups of family members, who were too busy talking to notice as they escaped.
