Page 84 of Wild Then Wed
It’s elegant. Sophisticated. A little showy, even. The kind of ring people will notice and ask about.
And itdefinitelydoesn’t look like something meant for pretend.
Sawyer takes the ring out of the box and holds out his hand.
I just stare at it.
“Do you like it?” he asks, voice quieter now.
I glance up at him, then back at the ring, then slowly extend my hand—because what else am I supposed to do? Run? It’s a little late for that.
His big fingers wrap around mine, warm and solid, and he slides the ring onto my finger. It fits perfectly. Of course it does.
I stare down at it, stunned.
“Like it?” I echo, still staring at it with wide eyes. “I love it.”
I look at the ring. Then at him.
“This is fake, right?”
Sawyer lifts a brow. “Does it look fake?”
I look down at my hand again. At the way the light catches on the stone, soft and gold and impossibly real. At how delicate the band is, how it hugs my finger like it’s always belonged there.
“No,” I murmur, raising my brow. “Which is exactly why I’m asking.”
“Oh. Good,” he says, completely unbothered. “Because no. It’s not.”
I blink.“What?”
My stomach flips.
He shrugs like we’re talking about socks and not the very expensive thing now sitting on my hand. “I can’t have my fake wife walking around with a fake ring. What would that say about me?”
“That you listened to me when I saidget something from the gas station?” I shoot back.
“Ididlisten,” he says. “And then I ignored you.”
I drop my face into my hands. “Oh my God.”
He laughs—a low, rough sound that somehow makes the whole situation worse. Or better. I haven’t decided yet.
“It’s fine,” he says easily. “I liked picking it out.”
I peek at him through my fingers. “Youlikedpicking it out?”
He nods. “Seemed like you.”
“It is,” I say quietly.
We stand there for another beat, just staring at each other. Like we’ve forgotten why we’re here. Or what comes next.
He tilts his head toward the house. “You ready?”
I swallow. “Hell no.”
His grin is quick, crooked, and stupidly charming. “Me neither.”
