Four Little Words
. . .
Ellie
This was the strangest day of my life.
Cade was dressed like a unicorn. On his balcony. Surrounded by man-made stars.
And he was dressed like a unicorn.
A unicorn.
“I never went to prom,” Cade said, completely unfazed by my brain breaking.
I was still struggling to comprehend what reality was, so nothing about his words made sense. “Huh?”
He kicked off the railing and slowly walked closer while my heart flipped over in my chest. He took my hand in his cooler one and gently tugged me out onto the balcony with him.
I couldn’t stop staring—especially at his horn and slippers. They both glittered.
“I was already working at my grandfather’s company after school, and prom felt like a waste of time,” he continued, stopping in the middle of the balcony and rubbing his thumb against the skin between my thumb and forefinger before letting go.
His dark gaze focused solely on me, rooting me in place.
“So I never did all the elaborate things high school boys did when asking a girl to prom, but I imagine it feels something like this.”
I swallowed, but I still couldn’t get over his outfit. I was speechless—utterly speechless—at the sight of Cade in onesie pajamas. My mouth couldn’t form words, but I needed to say something. Anything.
“You’re a unicorn,” was what I came up with.
He chuckled softly—a sound I hadn’t realized I’d missed so much. “I know it’s a shock, but I need you to focus, Darling.”
Reluctantly tearing my eyes off his horn, I focused on Cade’s face. “Right. Okay. I’m listening.”
His lips curved into a devastating smile.
“First, I want to show you something.” He took my hand again. “Come with me.”
Cade tugged me toward an iron spiral staircase at the corner of the balcony, and I climbed after him in a dreamlike trance.
More twinkly lights welcomed us on the roof.
A lump formed in my throat as it hit me why Cade had hung all the string lights and set up that projector. The city was so big, and light pollution stopped us from seeing the real night sky.
“We can’t see the stars, so you made some,” I whispered, biting my lip and side-eyeing him. “Does your family know you’re such a romantic?”
A smirk played across his lips. “No, and I’d rather keep it that way.”
It was difficult to focus on the lights when I still couldn’t stop staring at his unicorn pajamas. Another realization made me squeeze his hand. “Wait. Have you dressed like this every night since booking my entire schedule?”
Cade didn’t answer right away.
“I might’ve,” he admitted after a beat and with a wry smile. “I would’ve come to your apartment, but that landlord of yours wouldn’t budge. She had the place locked down and guarded like a fortress.”
“Yeah, Kitty’s pretty protective.” I smiled fondly and gazed around at the beautiful roof. A giant pool glimmered invitingly, some patio furniture set up perfectly for lounging, and a very familiar cabana bed with sheer yellow drapes made me do a double take. “Is that the same…?”
Cade followed my gaze, nodding. “I had it moved here from the ship. Sentimental reasons.”
I swallowed thickly, thinking about what that meant. And he still hadn’t let go of my hand.
I frowned at him. “I don’t understand. What happened to the guy who wanted to be fake married for a year and then ‘split amicably’?”
He at least had the decency to wince.
“I didn’t want to marry you for the promotion,” he said slowly, watching me closely.
“I was lying to myself when I said that, and it took a few interventions from my family to realize it. The offer was just an excuse for you to stick around so I’d have a year to convince you to fall in love with me. ”
I blinked, then almost scowled, but mostly I just wanted to bop him over the head.
“You know, for such a smart guy, you can be a real idiot.” I tried to frown, but it immediately softened. “I’d already fallen for you, Cade.”
His jaw flexed, and something flickered in his dark gaze that I’d never expected to see—vulnerability. “… Oh?”
“Yeah. I mean, how could I not? You gave me your chocolates and held me when I puked my guts up.” Tears blurred my vision, and a few slipped out, which I quickly brushed away. “That’s why it hurt so much when you wanted to keep it pretend.”
He stepped closer and drew me gently into him before I’d finished speaking, tucking me close to his chest.
“The last thing I want to do is make you cry,” he whispered against the top of my head. “I’m sorry, Darling.”
Any other day, I would’ve laughed if a man dressed up as a giant rainbow unicorn hugged me, but all my emotions bubbled to the surface instead.
I wasn’t too proud to admit I just wanted to be held.
Sniffling, I wrapped both arms around him and hugged him back.
He was the same big and warm furnace I remembered cuddling up against at night.
We stood there together, wrapped in each other’s arms, until Cade pulled back enough to press something small and solid into my palm. “Here. Put this back on.”
I glanced down, then stared open-mouthed at the sparkling diamond. An engagement ring. “What?”
“It’s already yours,” he said. “We can wait before making it official this time, but you’re going to be my wife.”
My blood pressure went through the roof, and I spluttered incoherent noises. Was he insane? I had no idea what part to even focus on right now, so I chose the thing right in front of my face. “You had another ring made?”
“It’s the original. I hired a team of divers to retrieve it.”
My jaw came loose, and I gaped at him. “You’re joking. You said it was insured.”
His gaze softened, warming my insides. “Your eyes light up when you look at this one, so a new one didn’t feel right. Put it on.”
Speechless, all I could do was stare at the ring.
He wanted to get married?
“Wait a second.” I cleared my throat, shaking my head. “Aren’t you supposed to ask first?”
Amusement flickered in his eyes. “I did. Before we got on the yacht.”
I whacked his arm. “That was a fake engagement! And you hardly asked.”
Chuckling, he pressed a tender kiss to my lips, then backed up just far enough to send goose bumps racing up my spine. “Be my wife, Ellie Darling.”
I huffed, even as my blood heated. “That still wasn’t a question.”
A sly smile took shape before he leaned down and stole another gentle kiss. “Asking isn’t really my style, but maybe there’s another way I can convince you…”
His fingers traced the band of skin between my shorts and crop top, and my breathing faltered at his sure touch.
“Cade,” I warned softly, bracing a hand on his arm.
He hummed, trailing kisses along my jaw at a snail’s pace. “Yeah, I have a few ideas.”
“Or you could just ask me!” I laughed.
My laughter cut off as he moved to my neck—kissing and licking with a resolve that had me arching against him.
“No, no. I’m much too invested in convincing you in other ways now,” he said between kisses. “Tilt your head back for me, Darling.”
A full body shiver raced through me, but I was embarrassingly quick to obey.
He kissed and nibbled, working his way back up my neck before latching on to a sensitive spot.
Great, now a unicorn was giving me a hickey.
“It’s such an easy question. Just four little words,” I tried, going hoarse. I wet my lips. “‘Will you—’”
Cade’s hand slid up my bare stomach, pulling a gasp from me as my mind went blank. My crop top didn’t allow for a bra, and he cupped my breast in a touch that morphed my blood into hot lava.
It immediately made me want to jump his bones.
“What’s that?” Cade murmured against my neck. “Will you…?”
I swallowed, struggling to form words as I grabbed his arms to hold on to something. “Cade…”
He pressed his hips against mine, and I pushed up onto my toes to align us better. But the angle wasn’t right, and he nipped at my neck before curving his free hand under my thigh and lifting it to hook around his waist.
Much better.
He pulled back just enough to gaze down at me with eyes usually reserved for a bedroom. “Go on. I’m listening. What are the four words?”
I stared into his bottomless eyes, not thinking twice before breathing out the words, “Will you marry me?”
A low, husky laugh rumbled from his chest. “Darling, I thought you’d never ask. Of course I will.”
Even with the slow-burning fire he’d lit across my skin, I laughed against him as my belly coiled tighter.
“You’re ridiculous,” I said, and it came out way more fondly than I’d intended.
He pressed more firmly against me, grinding in a lazy circle that drew a moan out of me. But I wouldn’t let him distract me again.
“Hey. I’m still waiting,” I reminded him.
“You wouldn’t deny me the honor of feasting on you every day for the rest of my life, would you?” he asked in that low, gravelly voice that made me forget my own name. “You’re not that cruel.”
A breathless laugh escaped me. “Still not the right question, Cade.”
With another low hum from his chest, he returned his attention to my neck. “Don’t make me beg.”
I outright cackled in his arms.
“You’re impossible.” I reached under the unicorn hood and grabbed a fistful of his hair, tugging him up so I could show him just how serious I was about this. “Ask me. Please.”
The teasing faded from his face, replaced by something sharper. He brushed a strand of loose hair from my eye, his gaze flicking over my face like he was committing it to memory.
“If I could spend the rest of my life playing in the sand with you, feeding you chocolate, and holding you in my arms, it wouldn’t be enough,” he said, words as soft as the cool evening breeze against my flushed cheeks.
“Eternity wouldn’t be enough. Every moment in your presence is an adventure.
For the first time in my life, I have hopes and dreams, and they all revolve around you and your little hellion cat. ”
I stared at him, my fingers immediately going slack in his hair. Cade let me go, smoothly dropped to one knee, and held up that gorgeous diamond ring. His lips curving up on one side, Cade looked the most boyish and drop-dead handsome I’d ever seen him. “Will you marry me, Darling?”
Tears brimmed over quickly, especially at the mention of Whiskey, and I nodded enthusiastically, too choked up for words. My heart felt full enough to burst.
Cade cocked a brow, mouth twitching. “I need you to say it out loud. Just one little word. You can do it.”
I let out a watery laugh and threw my arms around him. “Yes! Yes. All the yeses. I want to marry you, Cade.”
He grinned before rising to his feet and kissing me again—deep and possessive and full of heat.
“Good,” he murmured against my lips. “Now let’s get you on that bed, so I can properly worship my very, very real fiancée.”
He scooped me up and carried me bridal style across the roof, and I dropped my head back with a laugh. “Happily.”
Cade had me on the cabana bed before I realized the ring was already on my finger.
When had he managed that?