Flawless Prize

JULIET

Marry him?I stare at Caleb in disbelief, on his knee before me on the floor. My heart pounds in my chest as my mind races. He can’t possibly mean it.

Can he?

Finally, I trip over my words as I say, “Y-you want to marry me?”

I can’t believe it. Commitment-phobe from hell Caleb, the city’s hottest bachelor, is down on one knee. Asking me. Wanting me.

He takes my hand. “Marry me,” he says it again, with that irresistible confidence in his smile. “Juliet, I know I don’t deserve you, not yet, but fuck it, I’ll do anything to prove I’m the man for you. Because you…? You’ve changed everything for me. Your passion, your determination, the way you just walked into that room and told Nero fucking Barretti how to handle his business…” Caleb chuckles. “I can’t live without you, Juliet. And I don’t want to. Marry me.”

“This is crazy.” I’m shaking, light-headed. “You can’t be serious?”

“I’ve never been this serious in my life.” Caleb swears.

“This is just the adrenaline talking,” I argue. “You’re still processing everything that happened with Nero. Near-death experiences make people do crazy things. You don’t really want this. You don’t even have a ring!”

Caleb gives me a look, and continues into his office. I follow, and see him open the safe in the corner, and pull out a small velvet box.

My heart stops.

He walks back out, leading me away from the visible signs of Olivia’s mayhem, and out into the living room again. “I was planning for this to be different,” he says, looking almost nervous for the first time. “I thought, we could take a trip, or have a whole dinner planned… But if the past few months have taught me anything, it’s that life is short, and precious.”

Caleb opens the box, revealing the most gorgeous diamond ring I’ve ever seen before.

Princess cut. Six carats at least. Simple, elegant.

Perfect.

My hands fly to my mouth. “Oh my God,” I whisper—at the sight of the ring, but also everything it means.

He planned for this.

He wants this.

Me.

Caleb takes my hand, gazing into my eyes. “I can’t imagine spending my life with anyone but you. Every day. Every night…” His eyes take on that wickedly seductive gleam. “Don’t you want it too?”

I do.

The words are on my lips, but still, I hesitate. Not because I don’t love him. But because I love him so much. This man has my heart in the palm of his hand, and the thought of bonding myself to him forever is thrilling—and scary as hell.

“What if you get bored of me?” I whisper.

“Impossible.” Caleb smiles. “I haven’t even begun loving you yet. Besides, you’d come at me with a letter opener if I dared step out of line.”

“Caleb!” I cry, half-laughing. “You can’t say that.”

“Tell me yes.” Caleb kisses me hotly. “Unless you need me to order you to accept,” he adds, his voice dropping with promise.

I shiver. “That won’t be necessary,” I tell him, my heart in my throat as I realize the weight of the moment. “I love you. I want to be with you always.”

“So you’ll do it?” Caleb grips my hands.

Slowly, I nod. “Yes,” I say, breathless. “I’ll marry you.”

Caleb slides the ring onto my finger, and then sweeps me into a passionate embrace. His kiss is all-consuming, an inferno that swallows me whole. His tongue slides deep into my mouth, his body hard against me.