We finished lunch, and Conway packed everything up and placed the basket off to the side. Then we sat close together, his arm around my shoulder. Together, we stared at the city, my head resting on his shoulder.
“Nine months ago, my life was so different.” He stared at the scene in front of us, reliving a distant memory. “Selfish and living a life of solitude, my existence was really simple. All I cared about was success and money. But I can honestly say I was happy. I’d become the man I always wanted to be. I didn’t need to rely on my parents to start my own business. I did everything on my own—and my family was proud.”
I didn’t understand where this was going, but I didn’t interrupt him because I wanted to find out. Conway was a man of few words. He conveyed his thoughts with his expressions most of the time. Right now, his gaze was unreadable.
“But then I set my sights on you…and everything changed. Even when I saw you standing on that stage, my life shifted. You became my focal point, my muse. And after that, everything went into free fall. My simple and predictable life was no longer what it used to be. I made exceptions and changes to accommodate you. I fought my attraction to you, worked so hard to hold on to my old life. And then I paid a fortune for you, and I knew in my heart I wouldn’t have done that for anyone else. I could even say that was the moment I knew…the moment I knew there was no going back.”
My hand moved to his thigh, and I gripped the muscle through his jeans.
“I don’t know when I fell in love with you. I just know it happened a long time ago, and I kept lying to myself to avoid the truth. I know I loved you when we were in Greece. I know I loved you when I watched you work in the stables from my window. I know I loved you when you asked me to make love to you and I listened.”
“Conway…” I closed my eyes, touched by his sweetness.
“And I know I’m going to love you for the rest of my life.” He moved his hand into his left pocket and pulled out a small box.
Oh my god.
Anytime a man pulled out a small box, it only meant one thing.
This was really happening.
“Conway…”
He opened the box and revealed a diamond ring. It was enormous, the biggest rock I’d ever seen in person. At least two karats of a single flawless diamond, along with smaller diamonds along the band. Made of white gold and sparkly, it was gorgeous. It was so gorgeous I wasn’t even sure what to do. “Muse, I would ask you to marry me, but I’m not going to give you the opportunity to say no. So I’m telling you to marry me.” He grabbed my left hand and slipped the ring onto my finger. “You will be Mrs. Barsetti. You will be my wife. And you will be mine.”
I felt the weight instantly. I’d never worn jewelry, and now I was carrying something heavy and meaningful. I pulled the ring closer to me, examining the way it felt on my finger. Beautiful and perfect, it was something I didn’t even know I wanted. I didn’t care for flashy or expensive things, but Conway wanted the world to know I was his wife by the way he decorated me. “I don’t know what to say…” I didn’t realize I was crying until a large tear splashed onto my hand.
“Don’t say anything.” He clasped his hand in mine. “Just be mine. The way you’ve always been mine.”
We returned to the house and handed Carbine over to Marco.
All I could think about was the ring on my finger. It was a piece of jewelry, but it symbolized so much. Listening to Conway demand I marry him rather than ask was even better. Why ask when he knew what my answer would be.
He hooked his arm around my waist and walked with me back to the house, his face close to mine. “I thought we would have a romantic dinner.”
“Dinner?” I asked. “I don’t want dinner.” I stopped walking and circled my arms around his neck. “I want to go to bed with you. I want to make love with your ring sitting on my finger. Dante can leave dinner outside the door. Maybe we’ll get to it…but I suspect we won’t.”
He stopped walking and pivoted his body toward mine. He circled his arms around my waist, gave me a soft smile, and then pressed his forehead to mine. “As tempting as that sounds, we have other plans.”
“We do?”
“Yeah.” He kissed my hairline and pulled me inside the house. When we walked into the dining room, his entire family was there. The table was decorated with beautiful vases of flowers, and there was a sign pinned to the wall that read, “Congratulations.” They all threw their hands in the air and shouted with excitement. Conway’s parents were there, grinning with touched expressions in their eyes. Vanessa held up a half-drunk bottle of wine and yelled at the top of her lungs. Carter and Carmen clapped, and his aunt and uncle looked just as happy.