Page 27 of Acquiring Ainsley
His attention slid around the room before settling back on me. “We have to make this real, okay? We must make everyone in society think this is legitimate. It must be real, even if we both know that it isn’t. Deal?”
“Deal.” I hesitated. “As long as—”
“What?”
“As long as you don’t expect me to sleep with you.” I locked my gaze with his. “That’s not going to happen.”
“I’m not asking, Ainsley. I promise.” He raised his hand and held up three fingers. “Scout’s honor.”
I frowned. “You weren’t a Scout. Not even close.”
“No, I wasn’t. But you can trust me. Promise.”
I wasn’t sure I wanted to believe him, but I also didn’t know if I had any other choice. I had to save the company. I had to do something. And maybe this was payback for all the times I’d failed to keep up with the business my father had loved so much.
“If we’re going to do this, we have to sell it, okay?” he said. “And that means dramatic flourishes.”
“Fine. Whatever you want.” I was past the point of arguing, past the point of caring. Everything I’d known up until that point was screwed up, anyway. “I’ll play along—as long as you keep up your side of the agreement.”
“I promise.” A smirk spread across his face. “Now that we’ve got that settled… are you ready?”
“For what?”
“This.”
He stood from the table and continued to stare at me. Then he made his way around its circular side and got down on one knee. Around us, the restaurant fell silent, and the force of everyone’s attention turned to us. I sucked in a deep breath.
This is happening. This is really happening. Right now. Oh, my god…
Trevor took my hand. “Ainsley, I’m aware that the last few weeks have moved so fast, but I know what I want when I see it. And what I want… is you.” He tightened his grip on my fingers. “I don’t want to wait any longer. Ainsley Ross, will you marry me?”
How long had I waited to hear those words? How many times as a young girl had I envisioned the kind of proposal that I’d get? How much had I wanted a love that would sweep me off my feet?
I wasn’t getting it here. I was getting a business transaction, an agreement, an engagement in name only. This was a role I had to play, a part I needed to sell in order to make sure whatever remained of the life that I had didn’t fall apart for good.
And in the moment, it sounded good. Special. Personal. Real. That was enough.
Because what other choice did I really have?
“Yes,” I said, loud enough so that at least the rest of the front of the restaurant would hear my reply. If we were going to convince people this was legit, that had to start immediately. “I can’t believe you’re asking me”—I glanced at the other restaurant patrons—“but yes!”
“Good.” He grinned, then shoved a hand in his trouser pocket. When it emerged, he held a small ring box in an unmistakable red with gold stitching around the top. I bit back a gasp.
Oh. My. God.
I would have recognized that box anywhere—Cartier. And that fact alone made my heart skip a beat. Getting a Cartier ring had a been a dream of mine since childhood. I’d always envisioned a handsome knight in shining armor, a big diamond ring from Cartier…
“Your face,” Trevor whispered. “Are you okay? You’ve lost some color in your cheeks.”
I swallowed; my mouth had gone drier than the sandy beaches that lined the island. “I’m… I’m fine. I just didn’t expect you to have a ring. Is that—”
“What do you think it is? See for yourself.”
He grinned and opened the box, revealing a large, pear-shaped diamond solitaire encircled with smaller diamonds in what looked like a platinum setting. If seeing that box had made my heart jump, this almost made it stop. I was looking at the exact ring I would have chosen for myself, right down to the bed of small diamonds that rimmed the band.
How did he know? How did he…
“Do you like it?” Trevor’s voice sliced through the air.
