“We’ll arrive at our destination in about fifteen minutes,” Duke said, then enclosed her in the back, while he got behind the wheel and started to drive.
Feeling decadently spoiled, she drank her champagne and nibbled on the rich candy, trying to figure out, based on their route, where Duke was taking her. It didn’t take her long to realize that he was heading to Dylan’s house, and when they arrived and she stepped out of the limo, there was a trail of red rose petals all the way up the pathway to the front door.
She started to feel giddy, from the champagne and this romantic gesture that was straight out of one of her Hallmark movies. Anticipation had her following the deep red blooms, and even when she walked inside the house, the trail continued all the way to Dylan’s master bedroom. The door was closed, but she could hear soft music playing inside.
Her heart beat so fast it felt as though it had wings. Swallowing nervously, she knocked lightly, and when Dylan’s voice beckoned her to come in, she followed his order. A shocked gasp escaped her as she took in the transformation of his bedroom. There were white twinkle lights everywhere. Hundreds of them sparkling like a dreamy, romantic wonderland. More flowers were scattered on the floor, and the bed had been turned down, where a heart had been formed with roses.
But it was the gorgeous man standing there wearing a dark suit—which was something Dylan only did on formal occasions—that stole her breath completely. He was grinning, but it was the wealth of emotion shining in his eyes that had her walking toward him, praying that this huge grand gesture came with the most important declaration of all. Because without it, all this meant nothing.
He held his hand out toward her. “Dance with me?” he asked, surprising her.
“Yes.” She let him draw her into his arms and against the warmth of his body, where she fit against him perfectly.
Curling her arm around his neck, she glanced up at him, into the eyes that looked at her with pure, undiluted adoration. “This is all too much,” she whispered. But it wasn’t. Not after all he’d put her through.
“Not for you.” He gently kissed her temple. “I wanted to give you your fairy tale, Serena. All of it.”
The sweetness of it made her melt inside, even as a part of her remained guarded as she waited to see where all this would lead. “It’s impressive. I’m going to assume you had help?”
“Maybe a little.” He continued dancing with her, the hand around her waist tightening possessively. “Everything was my idea, but Peyton and Daisy were more than happy to pull it together while I ran a few errands for tonight.”
She felt his chest rise and fall as he inhaled and exhaled a deep breath, his feet coming to a stop so they were no longer moving. He reached out and gently caressed her cheek.
“There’s something I need to say to you,” he said huskily, his eyes darkening with emotion. “I love you, Serena, and that’s not something I figured out just recently. It’s something I’ve known since high school, but I was too afraid to jeopardize our friendship. There has been no other woman that I’ve ever loved. Only you.”
She laughed softly, joyfully, the relief in her chest immense. “You figured it out.” She couldn’t stop the huge smile on her face.
He sighed, but he was grinning. “I’m a little slow and hardheaded sometimes, but I swear I can be trained with the right incentive,” he teased.
“I love you, Dylan Stone,” she said, needing him to hear those words from her, too. “So much.”
“I know. I’ve always known, but hearing the words out loud is something I’ll never get tired of.” His hand traveled slowly, sensually, down her back. “I want you to have the future you deserve. The husband, the marriage, the family, and all the babies you were meant to have. I always wanted that for you. But I realized something . . .”
She blinked back the happy tears filling her eyes, but her heart was beginning to soar at the realization that all her dreams were gradually coming true. “What’s that?”
“I’m a selfish man when it comes to you,” he said, a possessive tone to his voice. “You’re mine, and I want to be the man who gives you all those things.”
She smiled. “There is no other man I’d ever want to have those things with.”
Relief passed across his handsome features, followed by a hint of nerves. “Okay, since that’s settled, then there is just one more thing left to do.”
She blinked curiously at him. “You’ve already done so much.”
“There’s just one more thing missing from this cheesy Hallmark-style grand gesture,” he joked, as he released her to reach into the front pocket of his pants.
In the next few seconds, he was down on one knee before her, popping open the lid on a small black velvet box that revealed a stunning engagement ring. “Serena Fields, you are the love of my life. Will you marry me?”
She couldn’t deny the jolt of shock that ran through her because he’d come so far so fast, but she didn’t hesitate with her answer, because she’d waited a lifetime to say the words to him. “Yes, yes, I’ll marry you.”
He slipped the ring onto her finger, which was a perfect fit, then stood back up and kissed her—hot and deep and packed with so much feeling she never wanted it to end. They melted together with all the passion and longing they’d both been holding back, and when he started unzipping her dress, she took that as her cue to help him out of his clothes, to
o.
When they were completely naked—except for the gorgeous ring on her finger—he pushed her down onto the bed, aligned their bodies, and eased deep, deep inside her. His hands came up to cradle her face, and she opened her eyes to look into his, marveling at the fact that she was going to marry her best friend.
“You belong to me,” he said, leaving no doubt in her mind that it was true.
“Yes,” she whispered, and she wouldn’t want it any other way.