Ashton Scott

He nods at her. “Thank you.” He then leads me to a table in the back of the café that has been decorated with a beautiful tablecloth and flowers.

Glancing around the café, I note it’s empty, which is unusual for this time of the morning.

As he pulls my seat out, I ask, “What’s going on, Ashton? Why are we here?” God, I hope he’s not about to tell me something I don’t like. Is that why he’s on edge?

Nerves flutter in my tummy, and I do my best to hold myself together.

He sits across from me. “It was either bring you here or take you to the McDonald’s where we went that day after the soccer match.”

I frown. “I’m lost. What do you mean?”

His eyes burn with intensity again. “I mean I wanted to bring you to the place where I first decided to make you mine. Looking back, I couldn’t quite decide if that was at McDonald’s or here. Since Willow Street is so important to you, I chose here.”

The nerves in my tummy turn into butterflies as I realise why he’s brought me here. Or at least, why I think he’s brought me here.

I’m still trying to get my thoughts in order when he continues, “Before I met you, I had a clear plan for my life. I knew exactly where I was going and I knew how to get there. I thought I knew everything.” His eyes demand my complete attention. “Turns out I didn’t quite know everything.” He reaches into his suit jacket pocket and pulls out a piece of paper. Placing it on the table, he slides it across to me. “My father taught me to approach my life the same way I approach business—with little emotion. Life is a challenge to be conquered, and everything in it is something to be owned. I win one battle, and then I move swiftly to the next. I forgot along the way what my uncle taught me about allowing passion to guide me and about getting my priorities right. And then I met you, and you changed everything.”

I can hardly breathe.

The emotion blazing from Ashton is causing my heart to beat so fast. I have no idea what’s on the piece of paper he’s given me, because I’m waiting for him to finish speaking before I read it. And I’m not sure where he’s going with all this. I thought he was going to propose to me, but this doesn’t feel like a proposal.

I stay quiet while he continues, “I told myself I wanted Willow Street because it made good business sense. And it did. But there was so much more to it than that. I just wasn’t willing to see it for anything more than business, because without my work, what purpose did my life have? Lorelei, you’ve opened up my world and reminded me of the parts to myself I buried a long time ago.” He nods at the paper. “Open it.”

“Ashton,” I start, all flustered and confused as to where he’s going with this.

He cuts me off, all bossy, “Open the letter, Lorelei.”

My hands shake as I do what he says. Whatever this is, it feels momentous, like it’s going to change something in my life.

Once I have the letter opened, I read it, and stunned doesn’t even come close to describing my reaction. If I thought my heart was beating fast before, it’s practically leaping out of my chest now.

My head jerks up and I meet his gaze again. “Oh my God….” No more words come. Ashton has stolen them all.

The letter is from his lawyer. It details that Ashton and I are now the owners of every property on Willow Street. Equal owners. It highlights the fact that I have an equal say in any development of Willow Street, and that without my consent, no development can go ahead.

Ashton stands and comes around the table to where I am. He kneels and pulls a blue box from his pocket.

My chest squeezes with love.

Taking hold of my hand, he says, “I don’t want to go through life without you. I want you by my side. Challenging me. Pushing me to be a better man. I want you to pull me back when I forget my way. I want to raise children with you, and chase my passions with you, and grow old with you.” He lets go of my hand and opens the box for me to see the exquisite diamond ring inside. “Lorelei Winters, I love you. Will you marry me?”

Tears fall down my cheeks as I nod. “Yes.” I’m a mess of emotions as I scramble off the chair and throw myself into his arms. Taking hold of his face, I continue nodding like a mad woman. “Yes, I will marry you, Ashton Scott.” My lips crash into his and I kiss him for the longest time. I don’t ever want to stop kissing this man. He is my everything.

When he finally manages to end the kiss, he blasts me with the smile of his I love. The one I can’t get enough of. I love Ashton’s intensity and his passion, but when he smiles at me, I feel I’m home.

As he slides the ring on my finger, I say, “Are you sure you know what you’re doing with those Willow Street properties? You know I won’t make it easy for you to do what you want with them, right?”

His smile doesn’t leave his face. “I’m counting on it, baby.”

Oh God.

/> This man.

He stands, bringing me up with him, and pulls me close. “You know I won’t make it easy for you either, right?”

I hit him with a sexy smile. “I’m counting on it, baby. Oh, and one other thing?”

He arches a brow, questioningly.