She froze. “You want a stack of folding tables?”
“You, Chelsea. I want you. I want us. I want commitments, and promises that end with words like forever.”
“You don’t believe in forever.”
“I didn’t.” He caught her face in his hands. “But I do now. I believe in forever with you. Because I love you, and that’s never going to change. I know you have your rule against sleeping with your boss, but I have a solution—”
“You’d give up the chairmanship for me?”
Shit. Not the response he’d hoped for. His mind scrambled for the right reply to keep her from ending the conversation right then and there. “That wasn’t the solution I envisioned.” He traced her mouth with his thumb and realized she was smiling, possibly even holding back a laugh. She was teasing. “I’m baring my soul and negotiating my ass off here. Do you find it amusing, Miss Wayne?”
“Sorry. I couldn’t resist. But Rafe…” Her smile faded and her voice turned serious. “I trust you, and as for my rule—”
“I was going to suggest you make an exception to your rule, for your husband. Marry me.”
She sucked in a quick breath, and then covered her face with her hands.
“Chelsea—”
“Hold on. Give me a minute so I can do this right.”
“Do what right?” Sue his ass for offering her a job with strings attached?
“Say yes,” she whispered. “Yes, I love you. Yes, I want forever. Yes, I’ll marry you.”
His lips found hers before she finished speaking, and he absorbed her words the same way he absorbed the touch of her hands on his jaw and the heat of her tears on his cheeks. After a long moment, he drew back and looked at her in the dim light. “And the job? Or do you not care about the job?”
She laughed and smacked his chest. “I didn’t say that. I’ve dreamt of being the general manager of Las Ventanas since I was a little girl. No way am I walking away from the career opportunity of my life. Don’t ever tell your father he could have had me at half my current salary, especially since I gave notice at Tradewinds this morning.”
“My lips are sealed.” He proved it by sealing them to hers, for another quick kiss. “If we keep quiet, and move fast, I can give you your Valentine’s surprise.”
“You think?” She kissed him back, more slowly, then broke away, leaned back against the stack of tables, and reached for him. “I’m ready for my surprise.”
“Tempting, but I have another surprise in mind.”
“You do?”
“Yes.” He opened the door and tugged her out of the closet. “Seems to me, I booked a week for two at the House of Sun villa, starting today.”
She blinked at him. “You did, but I didn’t realize you intended to use that reservation. I canceled it.”
He pulled her against him, so she could feel something else he intended to use. “That’s okay. I know the outgoing manager. I’ll ask her to pull some strings as a final favor.”
Chelsea went onto her tiptoes, and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m sure she’d be delighted to accommodate you, Mr. St. Sebastian.”
“I’m counting on it, Miss Wayne.”