He’d made the calls as soon as he was sure Hannah was asleep. The meal. The surprise visit. It was all perfection and would be a memory she could treasure for the rest of her life. It wouldn’t be one of those awful affairs he’d seen in American movies, with the father of the bride glowering from the front row. He made a small noise of disgust. No. Not for Hannah. It would need to be something special—a gorgeous surprise she would never forget.
“Kyril?”
Her voice was clear and soft from the main room, and he flicked off the bathroom light and went to her.
Hannah stood in the center of the suite, the last of the night’s sunset glowing in her hair. She looked so radiant his breath hitched and stopped. She smiled at him, one eyebrow arched. “Will I do?”
He moved closer. Her dress was a flowing navy, draping gracefully over the little rise of her belly, and he had to resist the urge to rest his palm there. She’d twisted her hair away from her face in a sleek chignon, and elegant studs winked from her earlobes. She was perfection. He wanted to put his hands on the curve of her waist and back her right into his bedroom, but he ignored the ache of his cock, standing at attention but contained by the fabric of his pants.
“Will you do?” He chuckled, watching a pretty blush come to her cheeks. “All of Venice will want a glimpse of you. You look gorgeous.”
“Thank you. I put in my best effort.” She grinned, an endearing wrinkle in her nose. Kyril pushed down the urge to run a thumb over the line of her jaw and offered her his arm instead.
“Shall we?”
“I’m starving,” said Hannah, and tugged him toward the door. “So, yes, we shall.”
* * *
Her hand felt small in his. Delicate. Kyril relished every moment of Hannah’s joy while they lingered over dinner at a tiny but exquisite restaurant on the Grand Canal, watching the gondolas float by on the surface of the water and sipping Perrier, and he wished he didn't ever have to let go of her hand, even for an instant.
“Why would anyone ever leave this place?” Hannah murmured, the warm evening wind playing at her hair. “Except to see the rest of the world, of course. Still…” She sighed, a satisfied smile curving her lips upward. “I’d come back here again. A hundred times.”
Her voice made Kyril’s spine shiver with desire, but he only folded his napkin and set it down on the pristine tablecloth. “Wait until you see what I have planned next.”
“A surprise?” Hannah’s eyes shone. “I suppose you’ve proven yourself more than once today. Lead the way!”
* * *
The shop was close enough to walk to in the sultry evening heat, and Kyril could feel Hannah’s pulse quickening even through her palm as they made their way through the alleys bathed in the glimmer of the street lights. He pulled her to a gentle halt in front of a narrow storefront, its window spilling light out onto the street.
“What is this place?” Hannah breathed. “I was expecting gelato.”
Kyril stepped forward and pulled the door open, ignoring the posted sign—CLOSED in big block letters. “I have something more decadent in mind.”
Hannah followed him inside, into the hush of Venice’s most exclusive—and expensive—jewelry store. Kyril heard the hitch in her breath as they crossed the threshold and the door closed soundlessly behind them. The jewels winking in the cases put the display they’d seen at the museum to shame, and Hannah drank it all in, her grip tight on his elbow.
“This is too much,” she said softly.
“Just look.”
He led her slowly past the cases with a firm hand. Hannah let her eyes linger on each piece, as if the shop were a museum unto itself. The man and woman behind the counter stayed back with small smiles, letting her enjoy herself.
Hannah stopped at the very back of the store, in front of a wide case filled with engagement rings.
“Would you like to try one on?” The saleswoman smiled gently at Hannah.
Hannah’s face was pink with amusement, and her little grin warmed him to the core. “How could I refuse? All of it’s so beautiful.” She pressed her lips together and peered into the case. The saleswoman stepped forward instantly, her black suit perfectly pressed, and waited at attention. “Oooh. That one.” Hannah pointed into the case at a delicate creation—a sparkling diamond surrounded by sapphires. Fit for a queen. She giggled as the woman drew it from the case. “But only for a quick moment.”
The saleswoman slipped it onto her finger, and Hannah beamed down at it, then turned to show Kyril. “Oh, it’s gorgeous, but I could never—”
He sank to one knee in front of her, his heart pounding.
“It’s yours,” he began, and found that he had to steady himself to keep speaking. It had been a whirlwind day, a concentrated version of the week they’d spent together months ago, and all he wanted in the world was to line up a thousand days after this with Hannah. “I can give you this ring, Hannah. I can give you whatever you need in this life, anything your heart could possibly desire. It can all be yours.” She stared down at him, her mouth round with shock. “We can build our relationship. We can spend years on it, if you’d like. But I don’t want to spend another day without you as my wife. Marry me now, Hannah, and set off on our life together.”
Hannah’s mouth closed, her cheeks darkening. “I—” For a heady instant he thought she might say yes. “Kyril, I—” She looked down at the ring on her finger, and her mouth twisted. His heart sank into his shoes. “This isn’t the way.” She swallowed hard and yanked the ring from her finger, thrusting it toward the saleswoman. “You’re not asking me to marry you, you’re telling me. And I’m not that person. If you thought all this—” She waved her hand at the store. “If you thought all this was going to convince me, you’re wrong. When I get married—if I get married—I’ll choose my husband, and nothing is going to change that for me.” Her eyes flashed, and Kyril stood, reaching for her. She stepped back. “Nothing. Not fate, not a baby, and not an expensive ring.” Hannah snapped her mouth shut, spun on her heel, an
d strode toward the door.