Drake slid his arm under the satin skirt so it didn’t touch the floor, but was laid out for Shana to admire.
“It’s perfect,” she whispered in a shaky voice. “Every stitch, every bead. Phillipe LaVallier made this just for me?”
“Guaranteed to fit. I sent him one of your dresses.”
“The blue one I thought I’d left in Playa Del Carmen? I kept meaning to drive over and get it, but you’re always distracting me.”
She didn’t look at him as she spoke. It seemed she couldn’t take her eyes off the shimmering gown.
“He returned it,” Drake said of her blue dress. “It’s in this box, beneath more tissue.” He confirmed this by rummaging around with his free hand.
She was still mesmerized.
It seemed a good time to say, “I want you to wear this tonight. When you marry me.”
Finally, her gaze flashed to his face, shock in her eyes. “What did you just say?”
He gazed intently at her. “I suppose it would be more appropriate to get down on one knee, but I don’t want to drag the train of this dress on the floor.”
Her mouth gaped.
Pulling a small box from the front pocket of his dress pants, he flipped the lid with his thumb and presented a ten-carat, pear-shaped diamond ring to her.
“Oh.” Her eyes misted. “That is absolutely breathtaking, Drake.”
“It’ll look even better on your finger.”
She gathered up the dress and carefully nestled it back in the billows of tissue. Drake took the ring from its velvet holder and placed it on Shana’s finger.
“You will marry me, right?” he asked, because she hadn’t yet said yes.
Fat teardrops crested the rims of her eyes and trickled down her cheeks.
“I want to spend the rest of your life with you,” he told her. How he’d survive it when she passed, he had no idea, but that wasn’t something he allowed himself to dwell on. They hadn’t discussed making her a vampire and he assumed it was an unspoken agreement that she would remain human.
But then her gaze lifted from the ring on her finger and met his. “I want to spend an eternity with you.”
His breath caught. “Forever?”
“And ever and ever.”
He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her tight. She circled his neck with her own arms and relief washed over him. He’d never have to give her up. He’d never have to be without her.
“Would you look at the size of that rock!” Yvette’s voice filled the room as she reached for Shana’s hand and inspected the ring…until Shana detangled herself from Drake and threw her arms around Yvette.
“Oh my God!” she shrieked. “I can’t believe you’re here!”
Beside them, Finn said, “Drake told us it’d either be a surprise wedding or a night of drowning his sorrows in a case of Cristal.”
Releasing Yvette, Shana gave Finn a quick welcome hug and then turned back to Drake. “As if I’d say no.”
More tears of obvious joy streamed down her cheeks.
“Now, Shana,” Jane said as she yanked a paper towel from the holder on the counter. “If you keep crying, you’re going to end up with red, puffy eyes and that just won’t do in your wedding photos.”
She clamped a shaky hand over her mouth, as though holding back a shriek of delight at the idea of wedding photos. At the idea of a wedding. Her wedding.
Drake could hardly contain his own excitement. He welcomed Yvette and Finn and then popped the corks on three bottles of champagne while Jane filled the chillers with ice.