Page 123 of The Billionaire's Bride
He nods, then turns around and lowers himself onto one knee.
"Baron..." I open and shut my mouth.OMG, it can't be, can it? Is he going to—? No, is he, really?
He slides his hand into his pocket, then pulls out a ring. He holds it up and the light glitters off a band made of jade.
"Oh." I swallow. "Oh wow, how...how did you get this? Where did you get this from? Did you know I was coming here?"
"I had hoped." He smiles. "As for the rest, I got this made the day after I met you."
"You...you did?" I gape, "No, seriously?"
His lips twist. "What can I say? I saw you and knew you were going to be my wife. I should have asked you right away, but I hesitated. Not anymore."
He holds out his palm and I place my hand in his.
"No gems are free of conflict and I know how important ethical sourcing is to you." He slides the ring onto the finger of my left hand. "The green reminds me of your eyes, and the jade is forever."
"Forever." I stare down at the band on my finger.
"Will you be mine?"
"Yes," I cry, "yes!" I take a step forward, go to throw my arms around him, but he moves aside. Huh? I frown, "What is it, Barry?"
"There's one more thing you need to know," he murmurs.
My heart begins to thud and my pulse rate ratchets up. "What?" I whisper, "what do you want to tell me?"
He walks over to the coffee table and I follow him. He picks up his wallet, pulls out a photograph and hands it over to me.
"It's the photograph that I carried in my purse. I thought I'd lost it."
"I found it when I walked into your studio, the day Edward turned up," he replies.
I notice he doesn't directly refer to the attack that day, for which I am grateful.
"Thank you for returning it to me." I peer up at him from under my eyelashes.
That's you in the picture, isn't it? The girl wearing the red dress."
I nod, and he blows out a breath. "I knew it was you, the moment I saw you."
"Knew it was me?" I blink. "I don't understand what you're saying."
He moves away and begins to pace. "That day, when Edward left you and I found you on the sidewalk, it's not the first day I saw you."
"It isn't?"
He shakes his head, "I saw you first when you were much younger. Maybe you were ten or so?" He raises a shoulder. "You and your family were having lunch at a pub on the outskirts of London. I was there with the Seven. You were wearing this same red dress on that day."
"I was?" I blink.
"I noticed you because you were so happy, so utterly carefree, and wished I could be like you."
"Oh." I swallow, "That was a long time ago."
"It was," he agrees, "but I never forgot your face."
"I have a vague recollection of a family outing that summer," I murmur, "and I remember wearing that red dress. It was a gift from my mother. It was my favorite dress. She told me I resembled a shining light when I wore it."
