With Every Heartbeat (Forbidden Men 4)

I nodded and swallowed. “Well, then. It sounds like you know what she’ll say when you ask.”

He shifted in his seat, looking uncomfortable. “You still don’t think I should ask her, though, do you?”

Sucking it up, I smiled at him. “Actually, I’m happy Cora found someone who’s so sure about her, and who treats her as well as you do.” I set my hand on his arm and ignored the thrill that touching him sent through me. “I think you’re going to make her an amazing husband.”

He nodded humbly, his grateful smile killing a little part of me. “Thank you. That means a lot, Zoey.”

“You really didn’t have to buy me lunch.”

Across the outdoor table from me, Quinn looked up from his sandwich. “I wanted to. Plus, I’m starving.” He sank his teeth into the bread and moaned.

“Nothing like finding the best ring ever to rouse your appetite?” I guessed.

He grinned, rather proudly. “It was a pretty amazing ring, wasn’t it?”

I nodded. “It was definitely my favorite.”

With a laugh, he dunked a handful of fries into his ketchup. “I could tell. Once you saw that one, you didn’t really look at any of the others.”

“What can I say? I have awesome taste.”

“Yes, you do.” He paused to reach across the table and cover my hand with his. His fingers were large and warm. I wanted to flip my palm up and press the two together. But I refrained as he sent me a serious look. “You were amazing today, Zoey. Thanks for going in there with me. I don’t know how I could’ve done this without you. You’re the best.”

I shrugged, even though the crack in my heart widened a couple more inches. “It was no big deal. I’m honored you thought to ask me.” Honored and yet heartbroken.

Quinn grew somber. “No, seriously. You really are the best, you know. It’s...” He glanced away before turning back to smile at me, killing me with his dimple. “It’s not easy for me to make friends. Cora and the guys at Forbidden are really the closest I’ve ever gotten to anyone. But you...you’re one of the best friends I’ve ever had. I’m glad Cora talked you into coming here this semester. I think you really helped settle her down some. I’d been getting worried that she was partying too much and just...she was starting to get so wild. But you calmed her back down to more like how she was when I first met her.” He squeezed my fingers warmly and then let go. “Thank you.”

Brushing my bangs out of my eyes, I changed the subject before I could start bawling all over him. “So how’re you going to propose?”

“Well.” He sat back and took a breath. “Her favorite place to eat is Jenny’s Crab Shack, so I was going to go in before taking her there and see if the waiter can bring the ring in with the meal, hanging from a pincher or something like that. I’m not looking forward to doing it out in such a public place.” He sent me a sick kind of smile. “But that’s what she wants.”

I nodded. “Yeah. I can see Cora getting a kick out of that kind of proposal.”

Quinn nodded. “But I still don’t know what I’m going to say.”

“What?” I set my hand over my chest. “The future heart surgeon doesn’t know how to phrase a wedding proposal?”

When he flushed, I rolled my eyes. “Just keep it simple. Get on one knee, take her hand, and stare lovingly into her eyes. Then say something like, ‘With every beat of my heart, I belong to you. I love you, Cora Lorraine Wilder. Will you marry me?’”

Quinn gazed at me. When he didn’t respond, I flushed and ducked my head. “Okay, so that was probably too corny, but I thought the heart reference would be cute, since, you know...”

?

?No. No.” He shook his head. “It wasn’t corny at all. It was…it was perfect actually. Thanks, Zoey.”

My heart beat hard in my chest as I realized in that moment, I didn’t just have a crush on Quinn Hamilton. I loved him.

Oh, God. I loved him.

“Hey,” he murmured softly, knocking on the table in front of me to get my attention.

When I lifted my face, he pointed at a couple passing by us on the sidewalk. “You can tell he likes her.”

They weren’t holding hands or even touching, and they were facing their attention down instead of ahead of them where they were going, but I totally agreed with Quinn’s assessment.

Still, I had to ask. “How can you tell?”

He smiled softly. “Watch. He picks a leaf off every tree they pass. It’s like he has to keep his hands busy to keep from reaching for her.” And on cue, the guy reached up and tugged at a new leaf from the tree he passed.