A huge, stupid smile breaks out across my face. “Of course.” The words have barely left my mouth before he tugs me to my feet. We meet standing, and our mouths collide with force, my hands burying themselves in his hair before I even realize I’ve moved. He winds his arms around my waist, pulling me up and against him, bending to deepen the kiss.
Dimly, on the edge of my perception, I’m aware of someone playing music.
When we finally break apart, both of us breathless, a quartet has started playing on the far side of the rooftop. The waiters are all clapping and cheering, and a blush heats my face.
While I’m still standing there trying to surreptitiously pinch my arm and make sure this is real, Lark reaches for my flute and uses a fork to fish the ring out. “I wondered how long it was going to take you to notice this on your own,” he teases, and I let out a shaky, breathless laugh.
The ring… oh, my God. The ring is beautiful. A single princess cut diamond that glitters in the low lights of the rooftop. He slips it onto my finger, and it fits perfectly, the rock so big that…
“Tell me you didn’t dip into savings,” I tell him, one eyebrow lifted.
He laughs and shakes his head, bending to kiss me again. “It’s my grandmother’s ring,” he says. “Family heirloom. I never used it before, because…” he stops and bites his lower lip. “Well. Maybe a part of me always knew my first marriage wasn’t right. But I want you to have this. I want you to be a part of our family now.”
My heart races. I rest my hand on his chest, and the diamond glitters brightly. Then I lean my head on his shoulder, and Lark draws me into a slow dance, swaying across the rooftop. “You’re perfect, you know that?” I murmur, head still pressed to his chest.
He laughs. “Far from it.” Then he brushes a fingertip beneath my chin and tilts my head back so I meet his gaze. “But we are perfect, Cassidy,” he whispers. “Together.”