Page 112 of Without You

“Thanks, man.” Whether he’s congratulating us on having sex in the bathroom or getting engaged, I don’t care. “One more stop,” I tell Katie.

“Okay,” she agrees without asking where. She’s too busy staring at her ring to care anyway. I could be taking her to get a root canal and she’d probably smile, sigh, and hop in the truck excitedly.

The entire time I’m driving, she’s texting and taking pictures of her ring from different angles. My plan to surprise her is working out perfectly because she’s so distracted by her new bling that she’s not paying attention to what I’m doing anyway.

I lift the console between us and hand her a long piece of black fabric. “Picture time is done, babe. You need to put that on.”

“Put it on? What? Why? Like pull my hair back or something?”

She’s so adorably clueless right now. She’s got engagement ring brain.

“Over your eyes,” I explain. “I need you to not see where we’re going next.”

“What? Why?”

“Uh, because it’s a surprise? Come on, Katie, you’re smarter than that.”

She rolls her eyes but listens to my instructions, covering her eyes and tying the fabric at the back of her head. “Now what? Ooh, can we use this later tonight? Maybe I can tie you up. Or you can tie me up first, actually. I’m going to be selfish and request that. I want all the attention and to be lazy and just lay there and take it.”

“If you don’t stop talking, I’m gonna get hard again and then I’ll have to pull over and risk getting caught for having sex in public for the second time in one day.”

“It’d be worth it,” she mumbles.

“You’re not wrong. We’ll circle back to your idea later tonight, though. I won’t forget.”

She shimmies in her seat excitedly and claps. “Good. Now I’m even more excited. Okay, I can’t see a blasted thing. Where in the heck are we going?”

“Hold on to your horses, babe. It’s only another minute or so.”

“Should I be nervous?”

“Nope,” I tell her honestly. But I am. A little, anyway. I took a huge risk here and I have no idea if it’s going to pay off or if she’s going to be pissed that I made this decision without consulting her. It’s something we’ve talked about enough times that I don’t think she’ll be upset with me.

Once we arrive, I place the truck in park. “Don’t want you falling trying to get out on your own so I’ll be right there. Just hang tight.”

“You got it.” She gives me a mock salute.

“Smart ass.”

I help her out of her seat and hold on to her as we move closer to the door. After unlocking it, I step back so she can see the front, then move behind her so I can remove the blindfold.

“Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

I untie the loops and let it fall from her eyes.

She gasps.

Covers her mouth with her hands.

Spins around and dives into my arms.

And immediately starts crying.

Shit.

I don’t think these are happy tears. They’re too… hiccupy. Is that the way to say it? She’s sobbing, though, and I don’t like it.

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