Page 95 of Not the Billionaire

He shrugged. “You’ll have to take a bite and see.”

“I know you wouldn’t do that to me.” She paused an inch from putting it in her mouth. “Should I be careful when I bite into this?”

He eyed her with confusion.

“I’m not gonna break a tooth on a diamond ring rolled inside one of these truffles, am I?”

He went still. “Uh ... I think it’s a little early to be talking about engagement, don’t you?”

She reached across the table and touched his hand. “I was kidding. But that totally happened to a friend of mine in college. It wasn’t a truffle, but her boyfriend put the ring inside her favorite kind of cookie, and she chipped a tooth when she took a bite before he could stop her.”

He started laughing. “You don’t have to worry about chipping a tooth … yet.” He thought he saw a hint of disappointment behind her eyes, but it was gone just as quickly as it had come.

As she ate another truffle, Sebastian stood and walked around the tree and returned holding a guitar in his hand.

Genevieve started clapping. “Oh, yay! I’ve been dying to hear you play ever since I remembered Franky’s mom saying you auctioned off guitar lessons at last year’s fundraiser.”

Sebastian took a seat on the blanket, rested back against the pillows, and patted the space beside him.

She popped another truffle in her mouth and hurried over, settling in beside him.

Before he played, he leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips.

“Or maybe the guitar can wait,” she whispered.

He chuckled as he pressed the fingers of his left hand against the fretboard and began to pluck the strings with his right.

Genevieve sat still next to him. He glanced over at her every once in a while as he played. Sometimes she was smiling, other times her eyes were closed as she took in the music. These were perfect moments he would always remember.

After several songs, she suddenly shifted and lay her hand over the one he was strumming with.

“What do you think you’re doing?” he asked when she removed the guitar from his hands and carefully placed it on the ground behind her.

“Okay, you’ve properly wooed me. Now kiss me already.”

He rolled over, wrapping her up in his arms as they sank back into the pillows together. “So bossy,” he replied just before he gave her what she wanted.

TWENTY-EIGHT

They stayed under the big oak tree for a while, talking and kissing and enjoying their time together. When the sun dipped low in the sky, they headed back. As they neared the barn, Genevieve was confused when Sebastian hopped down off of Buddy before they rounded the corner and tied him to one of the fence posts. He then walked over and took Charisma by the harness, leading her to stand next to Buddy.

She had no idea what he was doing, but she climbed down from her horse.

“Wait here, okay,” Sebastian told her.

A confused expression crossed her face. “O-kay.”

“No peeking,” he called back over his shoulder as he led Charisma into the barn.

Genevieve patted Buddy on the back and smoothed her hand over his silky coat. “What is he up to, Bud?”

After several long minutes, Sebastian returned and held his hand out to her.

Curiously, she followed him around the barn toward the stable and noticed a soft glow coming from within. As they got closer, she saw sheer white curtains hanging from the doorway, tied back with sashes, gently blowing in the breeze. Her steps slowed as she moved through the entrance and took in everything before her.

White rose petals were strewn about the floor, and strings of twinkly white lights hung vertically from the ceiling along the length of the barn, lighting the entire space with a warm, romantic glow.

Genevieve glanced over at Charisma, who was back in her stall, her head sticking over the door, watching them.

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