Page 119 of Brayden
“It’s a surprise.” I take her hand and lead her out to the street.
When I stop at the door to CeeGee’s Bakery, she squeals. “I’m starving! I would give everything for a cupcake right now.”
“Well, you don’t have to give anything because here we are.” I open the door, and we walk up to the counter.
We do our usual routine of taste testing the new flavors of cupcakes available today. Leleila settles on a peanut butter cup while I go for the double dark chocolate ecstasy.
We sit down at a booth in the back, and when she’s not looking, I slip the ring out of my pocket and onto the top of her cupcake like a cupcake topper.
She lifts her head from where her gaze was staring into her purse and turns to her cupcake. My pulse is pounding as I watch her go from about to swipe a bit of frosting off the top and then lick it off her finger, as is her custom, to the moment she sees the bright diamond glimmering on the dark sugary top.
“What the heck—” Her fingers close around the ring and she lifts it out of the frosting gingerly. Her gaze flies up to meet mine. “Brayden. What is this?”
I leave the booth and sink to my knee in front of her. “Leleila, I love you more than anything. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?”
The hand holding the ring goes to cover her mouth, which has dropped open. Her eyes widen as she stares at me without speaking.
“Lei? I know you went through an engagement once before and it didn’t turn out the way you’d dreamed. If this is too soon, please say so. I’ll wait for you. You know I will.”
A mischievous glint fills her emerald eyes. “No substitute dance partner required?”
“No substitute dance partner allowed,” I say firmly. “Ever. I don’t want to share you with anyone. And I don’t ever want to be with any woman but you.”
Her mouth turns upward in a beautiful smile. “That I can get behind.” She throws her arms around my neck and leans down to kiss me hard on the lips. “Yes, I will marry you, Brayden Wild. I love you.”
I slide into her side of the booth, and then I slip the ring onto her finger. She holds her hand up to the light. “It’s so perfect,” she says of the square-cut stone in the center of a circle of diamonds. “I couldn’t have picked out anything better for me.”
I lock eyes with her. Neither could I.
