Page 181 of Double Fault

Out front, the only car waiting is a sleek black Range Rover. Any doubts about whether it’s here for me disappear when Noah slides out, dressed impeccably in a suit.

“Don’t you look fancy? Where are we off to?”

“You’ll see,” he says, guiding me into the back seat with a hand on my lower back. “You’re beautiful.” He leans over and gives my cheek a kiss when he settles onto the seat beside me.

The car pulls away immediately, and from here, I can’t get a good look at the navigation system on the dash.

“Congratulations, baby.” Determined to stop wondering and enjoy myself, I lean over and kiss Noah.

“I can’t believe I did it.” With a grin that makes his eyes crinkle at the corners, he weaves our fingers together, and I could be reading into things, but I swear he looks at my empty ring finger a little longer than necessary.

Thirty minutes later, we arrive. Rather than a restaurant, though, we pull up outside a garden.

Noah slips out of the car, then helps me out. When I stumble a little in my heels, he puts a steadying hand on my waist.

“I’ve got you,” he whispers.

Yeah, he does. He’s proven time and time again that he’s always got me.

Side by side with our fingers entwined, we make our way through the gardens. They’re truly spectacular, each area more beautiful than the last.

But the whole way through, I keep waiting for something more. The racing of my heart tells me I’m either spot-on or I’ve lost my mind entirely.

Near the center of the property, we encounter the most beautiful fountain. The water that trickles from it only adds to the ambiance of the quiet evening.

Noah tugs me over to the edge of it.

“Sabrina,” he says, looking suddenly nervous. The boyish look I love so much has returned. “I can’t begin to tell you what you mean to me.” He clears his throat. “The second you walked into my house the day we met, you called me out. You had me pegged. You said I was attracted to you and you were right.” His lips tip up just a little. “I thought I could resist you, and maybe I could have if you hadn’t turned out to be so goddamn incredible.”

Eyes fixed on me, expression earnest, he gets down on one knee.

I can’t stop the high-pitched gasp that flies out of my throat. With a hand slapped over my mouth, I gape. “Oh my God. This is really happening, isn’t it?”

Chuckling, he slips a hand into his pocket and pulls out a ring box.

Tears spring to my eyes, but before they can fall, I fan my face, keeping them at bay. I want to memorize every detail of this moment, and I can’t do that with blurred vision.

“I love you so much, Curls. Would you please be my wife?”

My fingers tremble as I bring them to my lips.God, yes.I want nothing more than to be his wife.

“Sabrina?” he prompts with a soft laugh.

Oh, right. I actually have to speak. He can’t read my mind.

“Yes.” A sob threatens to choke me. “A million times yes.”

If my dress weren’t so tight, I’d get down on my knees to kiss him, but luckily I don’t have to. He stands and scoops me up, then spins around, his lips on mine.

When he sets me down and slips the ring on my finger, his hands are shaking adorably. The diamond is gorgeous and classic. I have no idea what the cut is or anything like that, but I don’t care. He picked it out, and that makes it perfect.

“I love you.” I kiss him. “I’m so excited to be your wife.”

He strokes my cheek. “I can’t wait to be your husband.” He holds me for a long moment, then gives me a final chaste kiss and clears his throat. “All right, everyone, you can come out now.”

Lucy and Alyssa and Grace appear, and my jaw drops. Then I catch sight of Maddie and Ebba. Elias and Fisher and even Whimsy are here too.

Maddie darts for us and throws her arms around me. “You’re going to be my stepmom.”

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