Tempt The Playboy (Tempt 2)

I leave her to her massage and go about planning the biggest surprise of my life and hopefully by the end of the night she’ll be saying yes to forever.

When it’s five minutes to ten I hear her yell, “Okay, I’m coming out.”

I’m looking at the city lights as I sip some whiskey, my tux bowtie almost choking me. I turn to watch her walk out of the room and my heart stops.

She’s stunning. Her hair is tied in the back and curled under. A few loose strands fall out, but I don’t see anything else but her dress. A dress I entrusted Lauren to pick out. It’s a champagne covered lace dress. Sweetheart neckline with little lace sleeves. There are crystals all down the dress, as well as on the little sleeves. It falls right to the floor, the bottom loose and sways as she walks over.

“You look beautiful,” I tell her as she walks to me.

“And you have never looked more handsome.”

I put my whiskey down and take her in my arms. “Shall we?” I lean down, kissing her lips lightly. We turn heads as we walk through the marble lobby, the sound of her heels on the floor. The limo driver waits for us to open his door.

“Oh, a limo.” She claps her hands together with glee. “Best night ever.”

“I hope so,” I mumble, getting in after her.

“Where are we going?” she asks as soon as the door closes behind me.

“All in due time,” I say as my palms start to sweat and my heart starts to pound fast. I use my finger to pull the collar away from my neck, giving me room to breathe.

We pull up to an underground parking garage. I step out first when the driver opens the door and hold my hand out for her to come out. “Oh, this is very secret service.” She laughs as I guide her to the unmarked elevator.

I press the button and then turn to her. “You trust me?” I ask her as she nods. “Good, now close your eyes.” And as soon as she does the elevator door pings open.

I hold her hand, escorting her inside and pressing the top button. When it comes to a stop and the door opens I guide her outside. It’s perfect, as I look around and take in the tea candle lights hanging everywhere. The little table in the middle of the roof is filled with food and a bottle of non-alcoholic champagne chilling. A group of string quartets wait to play. I see the man who arranged it all. Marshall, Barbara’s brother, also known as Empire State Building security honcho.

I guide her to the middle of the Empire State Building where you can see the whole city. Stopping her, I take both her hands in mine, kissing them and then dropping on one knee. “Open your eyes,” I say and watch her, only her, as she takes in the whole thing.

Champagne rose bouquets are placed all over the roof top. The tea lights twinkle. She looks at the quartets that are now playing “Can’t Help Falling in Love with You.” Her hand goes to her mouth and she looks down and sees me on my knees. The whole thing finally dawns on her.

“From the moment I laid eyes on you, I knew you would change my life,” I say to her, swallowing the lump that is forming in my throat now, a tear escaping her eye. “I sat next to you and I was drawn to you like a magnet. Did you know that when I got home that night I stalked you on Instagram?” I say, laughing, as I remember what seems like forever ago, while she shakes her head. “Then I texted you and you blew me off. Killed me, especially my ego.”

She now laughs.

“That day I came to your work and watched you through the bushes.”

“What?” she asks, smiling, wiping another tear.

“John, Austin, and I went on a stake-out. That’s why I had black under my eyes. I used shoe polish. I had to see if you were with someone else. I had to scope out the competition.”

“There was no one else,” she says, shaking her head.

“Then I pretended that I wanted to be your friend when all I wanted was to spend time with you. You see, for the first time in my life, I didn’t have to pretend to be interested. I was. I didn’t have to pretend that I was happy, because I was generally happy to be wherever you were. Well, except that goat yoga shit. I just felt violated, but I would do it again if you asked me to. When you left me the second time, I thought I was going to turn green like the hulk and bust out of my clothing. But then I came to you and I looked in your beautiful blue eyes and I saw that you were just as unsure of what was going on as I was, but more importantly I saw that you wanted to be with me.”