Chapter 35 #2
“Uh-uh.” He kissed her again. A little longer this time with a little more tongue.
“All in good time.” He carefully lifted the napkin he’d covered the two champagne flutes with to keep the bugs out and dropped it out of the way.
“Okay...” He took Zana’s hands in his, then promptly released them when he remembered something else he’d forgotten, holding up one finger in the universal wait-just-a-sec sign. “One more thing.”
Unbuttoning his suit jacket, he pulled the left side away from his chest to retrieve a lavender rose from the inside pocket.
“Is that a Sterling Silver?” Britt asked.
Right. That’s what the florist had called it when he asked if they had a purple rose. A Sterling Silver rose. Apparently, Zan knew her flowers as well as her jewelry.
“Laurel didn’t have any Sterlings in her wedding flowers.” He could see the wheels turning in her head.
“I may have brought it with me,” he confessed, trying to fluff up the petals. Probably was a stupid move to have kept it in his jacket throughout the ceremony. Poor thing. He carefully laid it on the tray in front of the glasses, silently promising to water it later.
“Okay.” He took Britt's hands in his again. “Where were we?”
“In a secret hideaway, apparently,” she concluded. Her blue eyes danced from the poor, parched rose to the candles to the champagne before focusing back on him. “You did all this?”
“I didn’t have a lot of time, but I was shooting for special?”
Are you asking her or telling her?
“I wanted to do something special for you, I mean.”
Telling. Definitely telling.
Why the hell am I so nervous?
She smiled. “I love it.”
“I love you.” He kissed her again. He couldn’t help himself. “I think I’ve always loved you, Zan. From the moment I met you. And it just kept growing. Every time you’d roll your eyes at me, or groan at my Would You Rather options. Best options by the way because I’m the Would You Rather Master.”
“Would You Rather Master,” she said the same time he did.
“That’s right.”
She smiled, and he bit his lip. It was either that or kiss her again, and he needed to keep going before he lost his nerve.
“I love that we became best friends, and I love that you turn to me whenever you need help. God, I love being the person you turn to, Zan. I don’t think you can even fathom how much.”
“You’re always there for me,” she whispered.
He jumped on her words. “Always. And I always will be. You’ll always be able to count on me. I promise, I’ll drop anything and everything if you need me.”
“You already do.”
Shit. Are those tears in her eyes? Tears are either really good or really, really bad.
He reached up to brush one away. “Don’t cry, Zan. I can’t stand to see you cry.”
She blinked a few times, trying to stave them off. “They’re happy tears.”
Thank God.
“Yeah?”
She nodded.
“Good. That’s good.” He ran his thumb along her cheek in the softest caress. “I could go on forever about all the things I love about you…” Swallowing hard, he lowered to one knee. “But I’d rather just love you.”
“Linc.”
“I love you, Zana. I want to spend the rest of my life loving you. Will you do me the absolute honor of marrying me?”
She covered her mouth, holding back a sob while he held his breath, waiting for her reply.
“We’re already married,” she reminded him with a tremulous smile.
“Then marry me… again.”
She sank to her knees, tears spilling silently down her cheeks. “Okay.”
He had to force himself not to look down to verify whether or not his heart had burst out of his chest, it was pounding so strongly. “You will?”
“Yes.” She smiled and everything in his world locked into perfect place. “I will.”
“I love you.”
“I love y?—”
Any other time he would have let her finish, would have reveled in the words, but right now? He would’ve died if he hadn’t kissed her immediately. He was certain of it. And he suddenly had an awful lot to live for.
When their lips parted, Linc pressed his forehead to Britt’s. He’d never been so incredibly… confused. Why was she giggling all of a sudden?
“What?”
“Did we fog up your glasses?”
He pulled them off to study them. Sure as shit, the lenses were slightly fogged. “Damn.”
She giggled some more. “My husband’s hot stuff.”
That won her a groan.
“Guess we’d better start thinking of heading back,” he said after a few more kisses, not wanting to go back at all. He loved his friends, but he’d be perfectly content staying in this moment with Zana forever.
“Probably,” she agreed. “Before they start looking for us.” She moved to stand when Linc stopped her.
“Wait. I almost forgot.” He reached into his pocket. “I bought you a ring.”
“A ring?” She blinked a few times, then looked down at the ring she was wearing on her left hand… the one he’d given her. “But I already have a ring.” She sounded slightly panicked, which made him smile. Hopefully, that meant she really liked it. “I don’t want a different one.”
When he pulled it from his pocket, she slapped her right hand on top of her left, covering her ring protectively. The look in her narrowed eyes dared him to try to swipe it off her finger. He chuckled. She looked like a kitten spitting venom.
“Good because this one’s for me.” He held up a wide, platinum band. Platinum because, like the jeweler said, it was stronger than silver or gold, and this baby had to last a lifetime because he was never taking it off. “I bought you a ring for me.”