Her grin was huge as Mace looped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple. “Yes, yes, it does,” he agreed.
Wes hadn’t interrupted our greeting, but I could feel his heat behind my back, very close. I leaned back and, without even worrying about losing my balance, reached around. Just as I suspected, he was right there, waiting to lend me a hand or keep me upright. I grinned and looked up as I locked my arm around his waist. He smirked and winked. God, I loved when he winked at me. It was like our own special language. That one wink said, “Yes, you know I’ve got you, and I always will.”
“Mason Murphy, Rachel Denton, this is my boyfriend, Weston Channing.”
Wes held out his hand to shake first Mason's and then Rachel’s hand. “Once again, Mia, I think you mean fiancé?” He tipped his head and rubbed his nose against my temple before placing a kiss there.
Rachel’s eyes opened wide, bright as a car’s headlights in the dead of night. “You’re getting married?” she screeched.
My shoulders automatically went up toward my ears. “I so am!”
She hopped up and down, pulled off her own glove, and showed me her left hand. “Me too!”
I opened my mouth to say something, but I was so overwhelmed with emotion and joy I hopped up and down like five-year-old children would when they found out they were going on a trip to Disneyland. We hugged and squeal-hopped until we were out of breath.
“Let me see your ring!” she practically shouted.
I held out my hand.
“Stunning.” She turned my finger slightly to see the entire thing. “Understated and not ostentatious like some people I know.” She rolled her eyes and looked at Mason.
Mason's chest puffed out, and he smirked.
“Let me see yours.”
“You can’t miss it,” she said dryly, holding back an excited smile. She put out her left hand, and the bling on her finger nearly bowled me over. It was ginormous.
“Holy shit, how many carats is that?” I asked in awe, taking in all that was the giant square-cut diamond that covered the entire surface of her finger.
“Four carat center stone, one carat on each side. Total of six carats.” The cocky reply from Mason brought me right back to that moment when we’d first met and he acted like a total douchecanoe.
I pursed my lips, put a hand on my hip, and looked at him sideways.
“What? What can I say. Baseball’s been good to me, but not as good as my girl.” He tugged Rachel to his side. “You deserve more.”
“I only wanted the man,” she grumbled, but I knew she didn’t care. Rachel was not the type of woman who worried about those things. Sure, she dressed incredibly well, was perfect for keeping Mace in check, and could easily hang with all the richie riches, but deep down, she was a normal girl who just wanted the man.
Wes laid an arm on my shoulder and leaned in, his lips near my ear. Just his breath tickling the hairs there sent a ripple of desire down my spine. He’d just had me, and I was already itching for more. Would it ever not be like this? I sure as hell hoped not.
“Mia, if you want a big rock, I’m more than happy to provide. I just didn’t think you—”
I cut him off by turning around, clasping his face in my hands and slanting my lips over his.
His startled yelp was an invitation for my tongue to delve in. After a few quick tongue ticklers, I pulled back and made sure his green eyes were on mine. “I love my ring more than anything else I own. Even more than Suzi—that is, until you buy me my own personal Ducati, or maybe down the road, the MV Augusta FCC, but that goes for about a hundred and forty Gs, which is insane, but the Ducati is only forty, which is still a lot of cash…”
Wes put two fingers over my mouth and grinned like a loon. “My girl has the chance to score a half-million dollar ring and wants a crotch rocket instead. Christ, you’re the perfect woman.”
“Perfect for you!” I kissed his lips and tasted the mint from his toothpaste. Yum.
“Okay, snook-fest,” Mace chuckled, breaking through our moment. “Me and my girl are starving. Any ideas on where we’re headed for lunch? Possibly today?”
I narrowed my eyes so that I was looking through slits. “Excuse me, bat-boy, I’m kissing my fiancé. You got a problem with that?”
Mason threw up his hands in mock irritation. “Whatever. Come on, Rach. Let’s find some food!”
* * *