We both laugh at the memory.
“It was bullshit,” I say, smiling.
“I wanted to kiss you right then and there. And later that night, while we were dancing right here, you let me.”
“It was a great kiss,” I remind him. Toe-curling, mind-numbing. The kind that you read about in romance novels.
“If I hadn’t been such an idiot, I would’ve realized that night that you were it for me, Marisa. I wouldn’t have wasted five years not loving you the way that I should.”
I take a deep breath, not really wanting him to beat himself up over this anymore, but maybe remembering isn’t such a bad thing.
“I don’t think those five years were a waste,” I tell him, sliding my hand across his chest. “It got us here, didn’t it?”
“Sometimes I can’t believe we’re here,” he says with a laugh. “We are, against all odds. And this is exactly where I want to be.”
I smile up at him, then stretch on my tiptoes and kiss him. It’s slow and deep and probably a little too much for polite company, but I don’t care. I’m going to spend the rest of my life with this man, and I want that to start as soon as possible.
He pulls away, grinning like a complete goof, and loosely takes both of my hands in his before he drops down on one knee.
Ben presses kisses to my fingers, and I think he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a ring. I don’t know what it looks like, and right now I don’t care. I can’t look away from him in this moment.
This moment is perfect, and I don’t even know what he can possibly say, other than…
“Marry me.” His eyes are shining with tears, and his grin is a little shaky, and everything we’ve been through is nothing, nothing compared to this.
“Yes,” I say with a laugh.
Ben slides the ring on my finger. I can’t even get a good look at it through my happy tears; all I know is that it’s gorgeous, and it feels so right on my finger.
“Yeah?” he says as he stands, like he can’t believe it.
“Yes. Yes!”
Ben laughs as I help pull him up, and I think there might be applause around us, but I don’t care, because all I want to do is kiss this man and never, ever stop.
“We should get married here,” he says when we finally pull away.
“Planning already?” I tease.
He nods, wrapping his arm around me.
My knees kinda of give out on me a little, but Ben is there to keep me upright. He walks over and slips the violinist some cash, then thanks him. He calls out a congratulations to us as we walk across the promenade, back to the waiting limo.
“Where are we going now?” I ask.
Ben turns and smirks at me. “Home, to celebrate.”
“We’ve pretty much christened all the surfaces,” I tease.
“We’ll do it a second time. That seems to work out pretty well for us.”
I stop him in the middle of foot traffic for a kiss, I don’t even care.
“It sure does.”
End
* * *
About the Author
Cassie Cross
Visit my website for the latest news and upcoming releases: www.cassiecross.com
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Cassie Cross is a Maryland native and a romantic at heart, who lives outside of Baltimore with her two dogs and a closet full of shoes. Cassie's fondness for swoon-worthy men and strong women are the inspiration for most of her stories, and when she's not busy writing a book, you’ll probably find her eating takeout and indulging in her love of 80's sitcoms.
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