Page 60 of Queen of Diamonds
He choked on a laugh. “I never know whether to laugh or cry around you, Kins. Promise you’ll always keep me on my toes.”
“My life’s mission. How fast can we eat?”
“There you go, leaving me in the dust. Why?”
“I’m feeling awfully needy.” She winked. “You know, the kind that requires special attention from her man.”
Leave it to her to mess with his mind. He had plans for tonight. On the other hand, he could eat pretty damn fast if she was waiting at the finish line.
Before he could answer, Brandon arrived, setting a plate between them. “For your first course, the chef has selectedLeCaviar D’Oscietra. Quail eggs with oscietra caviar, cauliflower puree, and baby gem lettuce.Bonappetite.”
Rand put one of the items from his pocket in the hand Brandon held below the table. He’d arranged this, and as much as he wanted to scoop Kinsey up and carry her home so he could give her that special attention, he was determined that the night would proceed as planned.
The sommelier arrived right behind with Kinsey’s first course wine pairing. “For the lady, an Erpacrife Nebbiolo, the perfect complement to the salty flavor of the sea.”
“It’s too bad you don’t drink,” Kinsey said after tasting the wine. “This is superb.”
“Take another sip.” After she did, he leaned across the table. “Come here.” When her face was inches from his, he kissed her. Once his mouth was on hers, he had to remind himself they were surrounded by other diners. He sat back, very much liking how her eyes had turned darker with nothing more than the brush of their lips against each other.
“You’re right. The wine is superb.” And so was her mouth.
By the time they reached dessert, Rand didn’t think he could eat another bite. But he was pretty sure Kinsey would like the crepes Suzette he’d requested. Even more, he prayed she loved the champagne that came with it.
The crepes were prepared tableside, which seemed to fascinate her. When Brandon lit the alcohol to flambé the crepes, she clapped in delight, which sent such a warm feeling to Rand’s heart that he wasn’t sure he could wait until her glass of champagne arrived to ask his question. But he had a plan, and damn if he’d mess it up with his eagerness to take them to the next step in their relationship.
“Oh my God, these are good.” She closed her eyes and moaned when she put a second bite in her mouth.
“Kinsey,” he growled. “If you don’t stop making those noises, I’m going to have you right here on this table and embarrass us both in front of everyone.”
The little minx moaned again. She’d be lucky if they made it to his car before he was on her.
“Mr. Stevens specifically requested our best champagne for his lady,” Brandon said, placing a cut crystal wineglass in front of her. “Drink it slowly,mademoiselle, as there are treasures to be found within.”
Marc had balked when Rand had called him a few days ago to arrange tonight, worried that Kinsey would swallow the surprise in the glass. Rand had promised he wouldn’t let that happen.
“That was an odd thing to say,” she said after the waiter left. As she brought the glass to her lips, she glanced down at it and stilled. Then her gaze shot up to his. “Maybe not so odd.”
With his heart pounding, he watched her fish the ring out. He knew he might be pushing things too fast, but he wanted his ring on her finger, even if she wanted to hold off on a wedding for a while.
“Rand,” she whispered.
He took the ring from her and held it between them. “Because of you, I’m smiling again. Because of you, I look forward to each new day again. Because of you, my heart beats again. I love you, Kinsey, with all that I am. Will you marry me?”
“Yes,” she said as tears pooled in her eyes. “Oh yes.”
“Give me your hand.” He slipped the ring onto her finger.
She held her hand up to the light. “It’s beautiful.”
“You’re beautiful.” He knew she wouldn’t have wanted anything showy, and he’d found what he thought was the perfect ring for her, a simple platinum band with a flawless two-carat cushion-cut diamond. Okay, it was a little showy, but out of all the ones he’d looked at, it was the one that called to him.
“Did I remember to tell you that I love you?”
She stared up as she tapped her finger on her lips, flashing the diamond at him. “Hmm, let me think.” She lowered her gaze to him. “I’m not sure. Maybe you should tell me again.”
He took her hand and brushed his thumb over the ring, liking it on her finger even more than he thought he would. “I love you, Sunshine, so much it hurts to breathe sometimes. There’s one other thing I want to give you.” He removed Zoe’s necklace from his pocket. “I told you about this necklace. I’ve carried it with me every day since Zoe died. I want you to keep it safe until we can give it to our daughter.”
“Oh, Rand.” She took the necklace from him, then lifted tear-filled eyes to his. “And we’ll tell our daughter all about her sister.”
