Her heart melted. ‘I didn’t know such a thing existed.’
‘There’s not many of them.’
She glanced at him shrewdly. The man was underplaying it. He meant it was rare, and it was stunningly large, which meant it had probably cost far too much.
‘Roman,’ she queried softly. ‘Does this stone need its own bodyguard?’
‘An over-protective arrogant jerk maybe?’ He grinned at her tenderly. But then his smile faded. ‘Can you consider it a promise from me?’ he asked gruffly. ‘Whenever—ifever—you want, then I am right here, ready, willing, desperate to sayI do. I want to marry you. But it’s up to you—time, place, everything...’ He ran his hand through her hair as he whispered, ‘Just know that, no matter what, I am yours. Always yours.’ He took the ring from the box and his fingers weren’t quite steady. ‘Please accept it,’ he asked. ‘Accept me.’
She understood that his need to give her this was part of who he was. ‘You want to spoil me.’
‘Want to give you everything.’ He nodded, the look in his eyes almost shy now.
She placed her hand on his chest, feeling his quickened but steady heartbeat. ‘You already have. But I will wear your ring. I will be your wife. I will carry your child. Our child. But you areminetoo and I want everyone to know it.’
There was a strand of tinsel in his hair and a smile in his eyes. ‘Oh, you do?’
‘I do,’ she said boldly. ‘And there will be no more edible bachelor lists for you.’
He pulled her back down, holding her prisoner in his arms. ‘Are you saying yes?’
‘I will always say yes to you.’
He threw his head back and laughed with joyous delight. ‘There’sa promise. Say yes to me now.’
She wriggled free of his hold only to straddle him. Sultry pleasure flowed through her veins. Oh, she did love him. She did love that he’d opened up for her. And, as he gazed up at her, that vulnerability unveiled again in his eyes.
‘Love me,’ he breathed.
She understood now how sweetly he loved her. How insatiably. How he ached for her the same way she did for him. And how it was the most terrifyingly wonderful thing for him too.
‘Yes,’ she promised him once more, understanding that right now he needed to hear it again and again. As did she. ‘Love me back.’
‘I do,’ he promised. ‘I will. And I will tell you, and show you, every day of my life.’
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
New Year’s Eve, one year later
‘AREN’TYOUREADYYET?’ Roman leaned against the wall and watched his wife run the styling wand through her hair. He loved watching her do that—especially when she was clad only in silk and lace underwear. But then, he loved watching her do anything, wearing anything, at any time.
Yeah, he was smitten, and he was going to run his fingers through that beautifully straightened hair within the next two seconds.
‘Almost.’ She breathed, her gaze fixed on the mirror.
‘It’s New Year’s Eve,’ he teased as he moved to stand behind her. ‘We can’t be late.’
He was looking forward to the evening ahead. To theyearsahead. The decades.
A week ago they’d looked in at the Christmas Eve Ball at the lodge before retreating upstairs. There would always be a bittersweet element to Christmas for Roman, but spending it quietly with Violet made the sweet swamp the sadness. There would always be the memory of his parents and the accident, but now the season was also linked to the joy of finding his sister. Of seeing her happy with Alex.
And now, on New Year’s Eve, he stood in his Manhattan town house. He’d just cradled his child to sleep and he’d come to find his wife. And his level of contentment was indescribable.
Violet’s gaze shifted, drinking in his reflection. When he ran his hands down her arms, she instantly smouldered.
‘Is that right?’ A teasing purr, a promise of pleasure.
She leaned back so her lush curves pressed and turned him rock-hard and ready.