He made her work for her freedom this time, and heard a note of frustration in her loud yell as she struggled against his hold. All of a sudden she shifted her weight in a way he wasn’t expecting and landed a solid elbow strike to his jaw before twisting free.
Dev lifted a hand to wipe his mouth when she whirled toward him and locked her hands on his wrist. She executed a swift hip swivel/thrust and lifted his arm over her shoulder while twisting her back to him.
Next thing he knew, he was on the ground on his back with the wind knocked out of him. As he struggled to draw air into his lungs, he was distantly aware of the cheers of approval for Shelby, but his focus was narrowed to the sight of her face above him.
“Where the hell did you learn that move?” he wheezed.
“Eli taught me. Didn’t expect that, did ya?”
He shook his head and reached to grab the hand she offered to help him up. Instead of getting to his feet, he gave a sharp tug that tumbled them both back down to the mat. She gave a squeak of surprise and braced her free hand next to his shoulder as they landed face to face. The second those beautiful brown eyes of hers met his, he gave her a soft smile.
“Marry me?”
She blinked at the question, and when Dev brought his hand up between them with a square-cut diamond ring pinched between his thumb and forefinger, her eyes widened in shock.
He grinned in triumph. “Didn’t expect that, did ya?”
Moisture filled her eyes as she shook her head.
“Oh my, God, he’s got a ring.”
“He’s proposing!”
“She said no.”
Shelby dropped her forehead to his chest with a breathless laugh as comments from their audience pierced their private little bubble.
Dev was fairly confident of her answer, but the fact that she hadn’t given it yet had his pulse beating a little faster. “Hey.” He nudged her shoulder. “You going to leave me hanging here, or what?”
She lifted her head, her eyes aglow with happiness. “You really need to hear it?”
“You wanted me to ask,” he countered. “So, unless you prefer candlelight and roses, and me down on my bum knee wincing in pain—”
“Oh, my God, don’t be such a drama queen.” She giggled, then shifted her body up until her mouth hovered just above his. “Yes, Dev, I’ll marry you. Happy?”
“Deliriously.”
And he lifted his
head for a kiss to seal the deal.
*****