But to Mason, nothing was wrong. He sat down across from me, that huge form imposing.
“I’m happy you’re here baby,” he growled, blue eyes seizing mine. “Real happy.”
I looked up at him, our gazes tangling.
“It’s beautiful,” I whispered again, reaching for his hand. “This is amazing, thank you.”
Carefully, I picked up the vase and smelled the rose. Sweet and pure, the scent drugging me a bit.
“I love flowers,” was my soft admission. “Thank you for doing all of this. You really didn’t have to.”
“But I wanted to,” Mason growled, taking my hands in his, thumbs rubbing against my skin.
I shivered with pleasure. It was amazing how even this simple gesture was enough to send my heart thumping.
“But why?” I asked, trying to fathom what I had done to deserve such treatment. Even though Mason and I had been intimate, I still couldn’t quite understand why he’d gone to such lengths. I would be happy anywhere with him, whether it was in the janitor’s closet or locked in the kitchen cupboard. So long as we were together.
But the billionaire had his reasons.
“I did this because you deserve it, sweetheart. You have a big heart and you’re always trying to help those around you. It’s about time you got something special.” He squeezed my hands once more.
I stammered a little, heart pounding fiercely now.
“Oh… I mean… I just want to make a difference in the world. It’s not much, volunteering here, but it’s something.”
“It’s everything to me,” Mason growled, that gaze intense.
My heart skipped a beat.
God, I loved when he got all possessive, my insides beginning to curl. But we had work to do. Work product that was supposed to be turned in today. So going professional, I removed my hand from his big fist.
“Anyway, we should get started on the article if we want to have any hope of finishing it.” My voice took on a professional tone, all business.
“Right,” he growled, blue eyes still intense. And as I reached into my bag for a pen, Mason slipped his hand into his jumper, fiddling with something.
What was wrong?
But he’d do a reveal in his own good time, so I ignored it, pulling out a folder with all our documents.
“If I remember correctly, we were almost done,” came my business-like voice.
Mason’s reply was dry.
“Amazing, isn’t it?” he asked, one brow arched. “Most of the time, we’re barely working sweetheart.”
I bit my lip, going red. That was true. And even more, I half-expected him to jump over the table and pin me to a nearby bookshelf before ravaging my sweet form. After all, it’d happened all the previous times. It wasn’t a question of if, just a question of when.
My body went hot, insides loose and wet.
God, how did he manage to do this? No man had ever affected me this badly before.
But suddenly the big man pulled away, expression serious.
My heart tightened.
Oh no, had I done something wrong?
My eyes widened, waiting for him to say something, but the billionaire continued looking at me with those fierce blue eyes.
Shit. What was going on? Was he through with me? Did he want to break things off?
Sweat formed on the back of my neck, prickling my skin.
A lump formed in my throat, hot tears beginning to sting my eyes.
I was just about to break the silence with a fumbled apology about something or other when the billionaire got on one knee next to my chair, those blue eyes intense.
What was happening? I stared, disbelieving.
But he leaned forward, big hands and cupping my face, pulling me so close that we were forehead to forehead.
“Laney, sweetheart,” was that low growl. “Will you marry me?”
What?
I nearly choked.
Wait, what?
Marry him?
Is that what he just said?
Was I hearing things? Hallucinating maybe? Going crazy?
I blinked a few times, trying to figure out if this was real or just some strange daydream, conjuring up the impossible.
But Mr. Evercore was totally serious, expression unwavering.
Oh my god, he meant it.
He was serious.
This was a real marriage proposal.
And seeing my shock, the big man’s eyes darkened even further, pulling me into their depths.
“Laney, I want you to marry me. Right here in the prison chapel,” came those growled words.
As he spoke, I struggled to breathe. It was almost as if my throat had narrowed into a straw-thin opening.
This couldn’t be happening.
I had to be dreaming.
Oh God, Mason Evercore wanted to marry me.
What in the world?
Subtly, I pinched myself.
Ouch!
Okay, not dreaming.
Real. This was truly real.
Oh my god.
But Mason was dead serious. Still on bended knee, those blue eyes seized mine.
“I’ve never felt this way about any other woman. You’re open and giving. Sweet inside and out,” was that low rumble. He looked into my eyes, thumb caressing my cheek in a soothing manner. “And I can assure you that I’m not guilty of whatever they say I did. Even at this very moment, my team is working on getting me out, and we’re gonna prove them wrong all the way. But Laney, baby, that has nothing to do with us. We, us I mean, are something else, and I can’t wait anymore. I need you sweetheart. Will you?”