Page 82 of A Royal Promise
She looked up at him shyly, and he could see the vulnerability in her expression.
“Are you saying—”
“You. I was blind to my feelings for you, Drew. Feelings that terrify me because I didn’t know I could feel this deeply.” Bri placed her petite hands in his again. “I never wanted to settle down because I thought it would keep me from exploring theworld, but now all my dreams feel worthless if I’m not sharing them with you.”
Drew leaned down, pressing his forehead to hers.She has feelings for me.He took in shallow breaths as his heart pounded in earnest. As his heart pounded forher.
“So you can see yourself settling down someday?”
She raised onto her tiptoes and pressed her lips ever so softly to his. He hummed at her touch, craving more.
“For the right person, I’d be happy to settle down right now.”
That was all the encouragement he needed. Drew covered Bri’s lips with his in a tender kiss. It was gentle and slow, unhurried. He refrained from sharing all the passion bubbling up inside of him, because there would be time for that later. This kiss was sweet with the whisper of a forever promise to each other. He cradled her neck in his hand and pressed one more kiss to her lips before pulling back.
Drew reached into his pocket and produced a red velvet box as he stood before Bri.
“First the marriage pact, now a ring? Do you just carry this stuff around in your pockets?” she teased.
“I’ve wanted to marry you for years, and I wasn’t going to miss my chance.”
He dropped to one knee. “Marry me for real, Bri. Be my wife, and I will love you and cherish you more than anything in the world. Marry me, and I will spend every day until my dying breath proving to you why you made the right decision in choosing me.”
“There is nothing in all the world that would make me happier than being your wife.”
He rose to his feet, pulling her into his chest and wrapping his arms around her. When she loosened her grip, Drew raised the velvet box between them.
“Shall I?”
She rocked on her feet, looking down at her hand and the ring she already wore from his treehouse proposal. “I know this one isn’t real, but I’ve grown fond of it.”
He glanced down at the white gold band studded with small diamonds with a large, cushion-cut diamond in the middle that she twisted around her ring finger. “What makes you think it’s not real?”
Bri’s gaze jumped to him. “You mean to tell me you gave me a real engagement ring when you fake proposed?”
Drew stepped closer, a wry grin pulling at his lips. “Like I told you, none of this was ever fake to me. Plus, I couldn’t very well have my fiancée, the woman I planned to make my queen, wearing a fake diamond in public. The paparazzi would’ve had a field day with that.”
She closed the remaining distance between them, grabbing his lapels and playing with the fabric. “You continue to surprise me, fiancé.” Bri’s eyes moved from his face back to her hand on his chest. “Are you all right if I stick with the first ring you gave me? I’m sure whatever else you picked is lovely, but this one feels like…me.”
He flicked open the box with his thumb, showing her it was empty before throwing it onto a nearby chair. “I was betting on you saying that.” His smile grew as she wrapped her arms around his neck and gazed up at him. “I love you.”
She let out a happy sigh, pressing her cheek to his chest where she surely heard the rapid thudding of his heart. “I love you, Drew. More than I ever thought possible.”
Hearing her say those words—words he hadn’t been sure he would ever hear from her lips—filled his soul. This right here was better than anything he’d imagined in his wildest dreams.
He captured her mouth with another kiss, putting his all into showing his best friend—hisfiancée—how she was the most precious thing in the world to him and that he would neverlet her forget it for a single moment of the rest of their lives together.
Epilogue
Bri
Three Months Later
Bri woke up to her alarm blaring far too early in the morning. If she had anything to say about it, no one would ever have to get up at the obscene hour of six o’clock. She was usually unable to function before nine, but circumstances were different when she was on the most wonderful trip with her fiancé. After rubbing her eyes, she pushed up off the plush mattress and brushed her teeth before tying her hair back into a ponytail.
She grabbed her phone and typed out a message to Drew, wanting to beat him to the punch for the first time.
Bri: Did you know I love you to the moon and back?
