Chapter 38 - Callie
When he’s tall, dark and masked…
Dressed in my gorgeous green ball gown once more, I sit back and try to relax as Rex drives me toward Russian Hill. “Where are we going?”
“I’m afraid I can’t answer that.”
“Can’t or won’t?”
The older man just smiles and keeps driving.
When he pulls out in front of the large party venue, I’m understandably confused. “The charity ball isn’t until next week. No one is here.”
My door opens before Rex can explain and a tall, handsome masked man in a tux offers me his hand. Grinning, I accept his help, pointing toward his falcon mask. “I didn’t bring my mask.”
“You won’t need it. I just put it on for old-time’s sake. We’ll call you,” he tells Rex who promptly drives away.
Excitement and arousal swirl through the air as he escorts me into the darkened building. What is this man up to? Golden Gate prefers to host its large parties here but, tonight, a different billionaire has rented the space. There are no paps eager to snap pictures, no caterers scurrying around with heavy trays, no bartenders mixing drinks or musicians playing. Tonight, we’re alone as he leads me toward a familiar stairwell.
My heart starts pounding, remembering my fantasies about what my handsome masked stranger might do to me there months ago. Right on cue, he rasps in my ear, “Do you know how incredibly sexy you are in that dress, Callie?” Shuddering with delight, I shake my head. “So fucking sexy, I can’t think straight but I’m going to try. This way.”
The way is up the stairs and onto the rooftop terrace where a table is set up with a bottle of champagne chilling in a bucket of ice. Music is coming from somewhere, soft and sultry. My eyes boggle at the romance of it as the city lights sparkle around us. “If I wanted a pretty view of the bridge though, I could see it from your penthouse and avoid the evening chill.”
“True,” he agrees, shrugging off his coat and wrapping it around my shoulders. In an instant, I’m enveloped in his heat and scent. Delicious. Almost as good as being in his arms. Almost. “But, I wanted to do this here, the place I was right before you flitted back into my life, hummingbird.”
Something in his tone tells me this is more than a swoony little date night. He’s got something big in mind. It’s not completely unexpected. I know Ezra intends for this to be for keeps. But, when he kneels, my heart nearly stops as those determined green eyes seek mine.
“When I came to that masked ball, I thought I had everything, Callie – money, power and a budding legacy. But one chance encounter in that stairwell woke up a part of my soul which had been dormant since you walked out of my life and I realized what I was lacking, someone to share my life with. Not just any woman either, Callie. You. Always and only you from the day we met.”
He pulls a small box out of his pocket, opening it for me. A large diamond nestled between two emeralds. Am I still breathing?
He removes it from the box to show me the gold band. “Dean and Tabitha know this jeweler and when I told them I wanted something particular…”
Gasping, I stare in awe. It’s an intricate design which holds the precious gems in place – two birds. Two very different birds though both are said to be fierce fighters.
“The hummingbird and the falcon,” I murmur, ignoring the cloud of tears forming. “Ezra…”
“Will you marry me? Will you come into my home and be my wife? Will you let me adopt your son? Will you make me the happiest man alive, Callie?”
Below us, cars honk. Above us, the stars shine. In the distance, a fog horn sounds. I’m aware of and oblivious to it all. I can only stare into the forest of his eyes as my heart beats steadily harder.
“Callie?” he prompts a bit nervously when a full minute ticks by with no reply.
“Sorry, I just had to mentally pinch myself. No one’s ever asked me to marry him before and it feels sort of surreal.”
A relieved grin as he holds the ring up. “A good sort of surreal?”
“The best,” I reply before offering my finger for him to slide it on.
“So, that’s a yes?”
“It’s a yes!”
He stands and lifts me up for a crushing embrace and a passionate kiss. But, when he sets me back down again, I still need convincing that this is really happening. “How can I convince you, darling?” he asks, chuckling.
“Well… maybe we could go enjoy the privacy of that stairwell together for a bit?”
My man happily obliges my request. “My lady never has to ask me twice.”