Page 52 of What the Doctor Ordered
I stretched up on tiptoes to kiss Simon on the cheek. “Thank you,” I breathed.
I turned to head up to the entrance but Simon tugged me back to him and captured my mouth with his.
“You deserve it,” he said when we pulled apart. Then, his expression grew serious. “Things are going to be changing for us, so I wanted to do this for you now.”
My chest constricted at the look he was giving me as my worried brain processed his words. The dread immediately returned despite this fun surprise. He must want to discuss the contract.
I was momentarily distracted when we walked through the grandiose gates with topiaries shaped like different animals. We were surrounded by large, sprawling enclosures and excited guests milling about. There was so much to see and so much positive energy around, it was impossible for me not to smile, despite the anxious thoughts whirling in my mind.
Simon was being extremely attentive and gentlemanly, so I was able to relax and try to enjoy myself. There were several things that made this zoo so special. It housed several species of animals that were seldom seen in captivity anywhere. It was also known for its huge enclosures that mimicked the wild habitats native to the animals in them, allowing them to take in more exotic species.
It was a bit of a struggle to resist the urge to press my nose up against the glass of one of these enclosures that was home to several different species of penguins. I could watch their antics all day. I felt like a little kid in a toy store as I pulled Simon from enclosure to enclosure, barely stopping to breathe. Simon just chuckled as he followed me around, at least one gentle handalways on me, whether it was intertwined with mine or wound around my waist or shoulder.
“I have another surprise for you,” he said out of the blue.
We had been quietly sitting next to each other on a bench, sharing an ice cream cone, which easily made me blush at the intimacy of it.
I blinked at him. “You’ve already given me an amazing day,” I told him in dismay.
Simon just laughed and pulled me up, tugging me along.
It turned out that Simon had booked us a private safari tour and somehow managed to get the staff to allow us to drive ourselves in the cheetah-patterned jeep. The zoo had a sprawling savannah where African animals wandered around freely. I was wide-eyed as we drove past elephants and giraffes, who were mainly resting peacefully as the sun started to go down.
After exploring the huge area, Simon parked the jeep overlooking the vast landscape. The sky was a breathtaking mix of orange and pinks. I was suddenly sobered as the beautiful sight reminded me that the sun was also setting on the final day of the agreement between Simon and me. I found it hard to catch my breath all of a sudden.
Despite the wonderful day we just had, I knew I couldn’t drag this out any longer. It was starting to hurt too much, knowing what could follow if we kept this up. How could I survive losing him?
“Simon,” I said suddenly, turning to face him. I couldn’t bear to look him in the eyes, so I kept my gaze down. “I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me-”
“Woah!” he exclaimed. “Why does it feel like you’re saying goodbye?”
I forced myself to look up at him, both hating and loving how the orange light made his hazel eyes glow, making them almost look gold. I swallowed hard to gather my courage. “Today is the last day of the contract,” I said through unmoving lips.
Simon fell silent as he stared at me, but then he nodded. “You’re right,” he said. “But what does that have to do with anything?”
My heart thudded painfully in my chest, and I felt my throat constrict. I rushed to push the words out. “Nothing really, I suppose” I stuttered out. “I don’t know, this is gonna sound dumb probably, but I’ve been nervous about this day coming since our relationship didn’t exactly start out the way a typical one does.”
I jumped when Simon grabbed my hand suddenly, pulling me off of the bench seat of the jeep so that we were standing before each other. I stared up at him in dismay, confused.
“I wondered why you were acting so weird,” he said, his voice low. “This whole time, you thought that the way we met might have some kind of negative effect on our relationship, that I was saying goodbye to you? You couldn’t be more wrong. Kiley, don’t you know how much I love you? Haven’t I made that clear to you these last few months?”
My breathing hitched, hope starting to flutter through me. “You have!” I said quickly. “I just wasn’t sure, I guess. We haven’t really talked about what happens now, with the contract ending and everything. You still need to get your dad’s company back! I don’t want to get in the way of that. I don’t want to cause you anyproblems. You’re going to be so busy taking over your father’s company. I just…”
His expression was suddenly fierce. “You could never be in the way,” he grumbled, easily reading my mind. He gripped my hands tightly. “I apologize. I’ve been so busy with my own plans that I haven’t been paying attention to your feelings. I plan to remedy that now, and for the rest of our lives, Kiley.”
I was too busy being stunned by what I was hearing to register that he had dropped to one knee. I was flat out hyperventilating when he pulled out a tiny black velvet box and opened it, revealing a stunning diamond ring surrounded by emeralds.
“Marry me,” he demanded. It wasn’t a request, and it was clear he wasn’t taking no for an answer.
Which was just how I liked it.
I could barely speak and it took me a moment to realize that the tightness in my throat was due to the fact that I was crying, tears streaming down my cheeks in tiny rivers. I nodded my head and wrapped my arms around Simon’s neck, vowing to never let go.
CHAPTER 23
Kiley
“I can’t believe you’re getting married, Kiley!”
