“I think you might have said something along those lines,” she said.
“It’s worth repeating.” He took her hand and led her toward the dance floor. “Dance with me, Mia.”
She couldn’t have resisted him even if she’d wanted to.
He pulled her into the circle of his arms and began to sway in time with the music. All around her, the citizens of Royal were celebrating. There was laughter and shouts and conversations pitched at a level to be heard over the music.
Mia laid her head on his chest and followed his lead around the dance floor. It was magical and sad and special all at once. She’d have loved for the music to spin on for years, keeping them here, locked together. But she knew that couldn’t happen; all too soon, the night would end and, like Cinderella, her magic would be over.
“Marry me, Mia,” he whispered.
And the whole world stopped.
Eleven
“What?”
Dave grinned. He’d caught her off guard. Good. Just how he wanted her. If she was off balance, she wouldn’t be so eager to argue with him. He’d never met a more hardheaded woman.
“Marry me.” Hell, even he couldn’t believe he was serious. But the thought of losing Mia was driving him nuts.
She went limp in his arms and he took that as a good sign. The noise level inside the club was near deafening and to make his case he’d need to get where he could talk to her loud enough to be heard.
“You want to get married?”
“Absolutely,” he told her, bending his head so he wouldn’t have to shout and so that no one else could hear him. “I’ve thought it all out and it’s the best solution to the situation.”
The past few days had been crazed, him knowing that she would be leaving and not having a way to keep her there, short of tying her to his bed—which didn’t sound like a bad plan to him at all.
But since that would be a temporary solution, he’d come up with something better. A marriage based not on love but logic.
She shook her head as if to clear it, then looked into his eyes and asked, “You love me?”
Something fisted tight around his heart, but Dave ignored it. This wasn’t about something as ephemeral as feelings. This was about— Hell.
“Who said anything about love?” He frowned a little and danced them over to a corner of the floor where they would be more alone. When they were far enough away from the crowd, he backed her into a corner and stared down at her. “I’m not talking about love. I’m talking about a contract.”
“A what? You mean a prenup?”
“No.” He smiled at her. “I mean a contract where we promise each other we’ll stay together. No divorce. No leaving. And we both sign it.”
“You’re kidding, right?” She blinked up at him and he had the distinct impression he was losing her.
He couldn’t lose her. That was the one thing he’d figured out over the past few days. The thought of her moving to Midland or Houston was enough to drive a spike through his heart. So, yeah, he could admit that he cared for her. A lot. But he wouldn’t offer a promise that was too easily broken. Love was too iffy. Too…dangerous.
“A signed contract is better than some lame promise to love and cherish. It’s a legal document,” he insisted. “One you can count on.”
“Dave…a contract isn’t a guarantee against failure.”
All around them, Royal was in party mode. The music continued to pump into the room and wild laughter and shouts rose up behind them. Dave had come here convinced that he’d found a way to keep Mia with him. Now, though, here in this darkened corner in the middle of a celebration, Dave felt as though he were losing a war.
“No, it’s not. But it’s a start. Running your life on emotion is asking for trouble,” he told her flatly. “I know because I’ve seen it up close and personal. I want you with me, Mia. But I can’t promise love.”
She reached up, cupped his cheek in the palm of her hand and said, “And that’s the only thing I want from you.”
Her hand dropped from his face, but he caught it in his and dragged it back up, holding her there, feeling the heat of her even as he saw a chill creep into her eyes. He had to keep trying, though, because he’d never once given up on something he wanted.
“We’re good together, Mia,” he said and saw a flash of hurt dart across her eyes. “You know it. We’ve been happy this past month.”