Beyond words, Chelsie merely nodded. She had all she ever wanted and more than she’d ever dreamed.
“Now that we’ve got that settled, we can plan ahead.”
She lay her head on his shoulder and felt his strength. He’d be there for her always. She laughed. “Okay, let’s plan,” she agreed.
“For starters, I guess it’s a good thing you sublet your apartment after all.”
She feigned a loud gasp and propped herself up to look at the face she adored. “But what about that town house I rented?”
Panic flared in his eyes, causing her to shake her head in laughter and denial. “Gotcha,” Chelsie said with a grin, grateful for the love and the laughter she had found.
“That you do,” he whispered.
She wrapped he
r arms around him, thankful she’d been given so much.
“I don’t plan on ever letting you go.”
She smiled. “Who asked you to?”
“No more doubts? Because from now on we share everything, good and bad.”
Chelsie smiled. “I’ll share my life with you, Griff. All you had to do was ask.”
* * * * * * * * *
The Right Choice
ONE
Carly Wexler stood back and admired the window display. Rays of sunlight streamed through the plate glass, illuminating an assortment of gold and diamond wedding bands. The enduring symbols of love and commitment caused her stomach to bunch into a tight knot. She closed her eyes, firmly convinced that a fresh glance at the sparkling rings would calm her nerves. After all, nothing could go wrong when a wedding had been planned as meticulously as hers.
She opened her eyes for another look. To her left, complementary wedding bands shimmered against a black velvet backdrop. His and hers. Carly and Peter. They were, as her fiancé reminded her, well-suited, sharing mutual friends and interests. A matched set, she thought, her gaze drifting over the glittering selections.
Every piece in the window had a partner... an apt description of her relationship with her fiancé. They didn’t share a grand passion, but that was what made theirs a perfect union. In an ideal world, love and passion could coexist, making a couple a perfect fit, instead of merely offering them a perfect coexistence. But Carly no longer believed in fairy tales. Thanks to her father’s destructive actions, she had seen the damage running on pure emotion could cause. Better to accept mutual respect and caring than to risk pain and disillusionment. She brushed at her newly cut bangs, paying little attention when they fell forward again.
A plain platinum and 18-karat gold set caught her eye. Though the criss-crossed bands were flanked on either side by more jeweled rings, Carly couldn’t take her eyes off the simpler pair. “Perfect,” she murmured. Too bad her fiancé would prefer a ring with more precious stones, one designed to impress.
“Like those.” She tapped her finger against the window.
She understood Peter’s need to make a statement, just as he understood her need for the perfect wedding with all the trimmings. Give and take, she reminded herself. Her finger traced a pattern on the cool glass.
“What woman wouldn’t like all those glittering diamonds?” From directly behind her, a sexy yet unfamiliar voice vibrated in her ear.
The question intrigued her. “One with substance perhaps?” She answered without turning. Both her heart and her gaze had refocused on her ring of choice.
“And wit,” the man added with obvious admiration.
She clasped her hands behind her back. “Good taste,” she responded, enjoying the innocent game.
The answering chuckle, deep and resonant, captured her interest, diverting her from choosing the circular band that would forever bind her to her future husband.
“It takes brains to see beyond the dazzle of diamonds,” the stranger said, approval marking his masculine drawl.
“I suppose.” Curiosity aroused, she turned toward the voice, her long skirt floating around her bare legs as she moved.
The sensual voice tantalized but hadn’t deceived. A ruggedly handsome man smiled at her. Her gaze locked with his. Hazel eyes flecked with gold shimmered beneath the afternoon sun and laugh lines bracketed a sensuous mouth.