“I thought you’d appreciate sleeping in this morning.” King shook his head as he crossed the room to stand at my side and muttered, “Guess I was wrong.”
I would’ve laughed, but I was too busy trying to breathe.
His hand rested on my back, patting me gently. “This isn’t going at all like I’d hoped.”
“What isn’t?” The room swam for a second. “I’m sorry. You were being so sweet. But after yesterday, I was worried when I woke up late, alone, and in a silent house. I thought something really bad had happened.”
“Right.” King shook his head as he smiled slightly down at me. “Sorry for scaring you, Briar. But um, I wanted to talk to you about yesterday.”
I winced. Yesterday. Since we’d already talked about the pictures, I had a feeling he wanted to talk about thatotherthing I did. When I went wedding dress shopping with family and didn’t tell Kingston beforehand. “Yeah, about that… I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you about it, but I’m not sorry I did it. What we have and that little girl are worth fighting for. I’m going to do anything and everything to protect the ones I love. So sorry, not sorry.”
“Goddamn, I fucking love you.” King pulled me into his arms and held me tight. The rose in his hand pressed against my shoulder, the thorns biting into my skin.
But I didn’t care.
And then we were kissing. Hard and long. Until both of us were panting with need. My hands went down to his fly, and I already had the first button undone when his hands covered mine. He pulled away and cursed under his breath. “I’m really screwing this up. It’s hard to think when you’re standing right there looking like that.”
I had nothing. My brain blanked.
Because Kingston had stepped away from me and was on his knee in front of me, holding out the most gorgeous ring I’d ever seen in my life.
“Like I said, I wanted to talk about yesterday. I fucking love you, and I want to make it official. Will you marry me, Briar?”
“Yes.” I nodded, my voice choked. But it didn’t matter. King stood up and held me tight again. Only this time, it wasn’t the rose biting into my shoulder, it was the huge freaking ring in his hand.
He gave me another long, hard kiss then pulled back to slide the large, halo blue sapphire ring onto my finger. “I know diamonds are usually the stone for engagement rings, but the second I saw this ring it made me think of your gorgeous blue eyes, and I had to have it.”
“It’s perfect.” I stared down at the huge round cut blue stone with the halo of smaller diamonds circling it. Turning my hand, the light sparkled off the stones, but I couldn’t look away from the delicate filigree dancing down the band. It was modern but also kinda antique-y. “It looks like something a princess would have.”
“Then it really is perfect. King and his princess.”
I laughed and lightly smacked his shoulder. “Oh my god. You’re so corny!”
“You’re right. You’re not a princess, you’re a fighter. And the only woman I want by my side for the rest of my life.”
“I love you.”
“I fucking love you too.”
And then we were kissing again.
I loved this man.
I couldn’t believe this was real.
Holy shit. I was getting married again!
I pulled back to say as much when someone opened the back door and stuck their head in.
Phoenix frowned at us. “Can we come in yet?”
King groaned and rested his forehead against mine. “This had sounded like such a good idea last night.”
“What…?”
But my question was answered as Phoenix, Zoe, and Joyce entered the kitchen. Followed by Roman Grier, his new wife, and my parents. My jaw dropped. Because the parade wasn’t over. My sister Ella, her husband, my bestie Lyla—who hadn’t been talking to me last I knew—King’s publicist Jayne and some tall guy holding her hand, and Mak all crowded around us.
“Dada! Bwi-are. I want Bwi-are!” Zoe wiggled out of Joyce’s arms and raced over to us with her arms raised. “Up!”