“Baby, say something.” His voice cracked, desperation highlighting the edges. “Please, say something. Anything. Except for no. Anything but no.”
God, he looked broken and defeated. I hated it. I didn’t want him to be so sad, so anxious. I wanted him to laugh and smile and be the happy, charming, adorable Kline I had fallen in love with.
“You broke into my company?” I blurted out, trying to take him—take us—back to that place.
He paused, eyes searching mine. “Your company?”
I tilted my head, trying my damnedest to hold back a smile. “You wanted me to sign the contract, right?”
He nodded. “Yeah, I did.” His eyes lit up, mouth quirking up at the corner. “But I want you to sign another contract too.”
“What?”
He slid a small, black box from his pocket and went down on one knee.
My hand covered my mouth. “W-what are you doing?”
“You know what I’m doing.” He gazed up at me, grinning. “Georgia, you are the only person I want to spend the rest of my life with. I knew it from the second you came barreling into my world with your rap lyrics and swollen lips and cute smiles and beautiful laughter. I knew the night of our first date, when you were buzzing on antihistamine and beatboxing about my huge cock, that you were the only woman I wanted. The only person that could make me happy for the rest of my life.”
“I beatboxed?”
His grin grew wider. “Yeah, baby, you fucking beatboxed. It’s one of my fondest memories.”
My cheeks heated. There was no doubt in my mind, beatboxing took the cake over Masturbation Camp.
“God, you’re so fucking adorable. I can’t stand it.” He laughed softly, fingers brushing across my cheek. “I can’t let you go. I want you, with me, forever. My heart in your hands and you in my arms, that’s all I’ll ever need.” He repeated the words he’d tattooed across my hip. “I said that then because I meant it, and I still mean it now.”
Happiness and relief and love, so much love, it bubbled up past my throat and urged tears to spill past my lids. And when I smiled, I tasted the saltiness on my lips.
He brushed the tears from my cheeks with a soft stroke of his thumb. “Georgia Rose Cummings, will you marry me?”
I inhaled a hiccupping breath, smiling down at him.
And then I nodded my head a thousand times.
I was saying, “Yes, yes, yes,” over and over again as he slid the ring down my finger and pulled me into his arms.
“I love you,” he whispered into my ear.
“I love you too…so much.”
He brushed his lips over mine, kissing me soft and sweet, until his tongue slipped past the seam and danced with mine. His fingers slid into my hair, gripping the strands and tilting my head as he kissed me deeper, stronger, pouring everything he was feeling into that perfect kiss.
Kline Brooks had just asked me to marry him.
And I had said yes.
“Baby, will you beatbox your vows at our wedding?” he teased, face pressed against my neck, lips sucking softly.
“I want a prenup,” I teased back.
He leaned back, his eyes meeting mine.
“See,” I said, unable to stop the smile consuming my face. “I have all of this money now. And I own this awesome business. And I really need to start looking after myself. I don’t think you’re a gold digger, but—”
He cut me off with another kiss, chuckling against my lips.
“Does this mean you’re agreeing to it?” I asked, feigning concern. “Because it’s really important to me.”
“I’ll agree to anything you want as long as I get to keep you forever,” he added, a mischievous smirk taking over his mouth. “But first, before we get into all the legalities of your money, we’ve got some more important things to do.”
“Wait…you weren’t kidding about signing your business over to me?”
“Fuck no. It’s yours.”
“Why would you—but that’s—” I stuttered, jaw dropping. “Kline, that’s ridiculous!”
“The only thing that’s ridiculous right now is that we’re still standing in this fucking office and not in my bedroom where I can take off that skirt with my mouth.”
“Oh,” I said, shocked by the sudden change in pace and my body’s quick response to that specific pace. My nipples tightened under my blouse, and I was already throbbing in anticipation between my legs.
“Baby, don’t get mad, but you’re not going to be able to move fast enough in those heels.”
“Huh?” I asked two seconds before I was airborne and thrown over Kline’s shoulder.
“Kline!” I shouted, gripping his arms for balance.
“Just hold on, Benny,” he said, chuckling, as he strode out of his office. One of his hands held tight to my skirt, keeping me covered and safe from flashing the entire office my ass cheeks.
“This is so embarrassing!” I shouted as we passed through the door and into the hallway where most of my former coworkers were gawking at us.
But he didn’t care. He was a man on a mission, solely focused on getting us the hell out of there.
“Pam! Hold all of my calls! I’ll be busy for the rest of the day!” he called over his shoulder.
“But I thought I owned the company?” I retorted, laughter spilling from my lips.