Page 91 of Sinful Boss

The warmth in his cool gaze and the smile on his lips has disarmed me, so I relax. “Nothing. Nothing at all.” I stand on tiptoe and kiss him. “I love you.”

“And I love you. And your entire crazy family.”

I laugh because he’s not wrong. “They really are. And I love them so much.”

“They are definitely growing on me,” he says.

After we’re both in our swimsuits, we head out to the beach where the tent is set up and lounge chairs are positioned. The thing is huge and looks like it takes up half the beach. There are children’s toys, like shovels and buckets, piled in the corner for my nieces and nephews, and a huge metal cooler full of water and sodas. The other corner has beach towels stacked and ready.

“This is so nice,” I say, taking a lounge chair and dragging it out of the tent so I can lie in the sun.

“No more than an hour,” Linc demands as he takes a seat inside the tent and pulls his phone out.

I roll my eyes. “Yes, papa.”

The sun feels glorious, and combined with the sound of the waves and the screams and laughter of children from down the beach, I don’t ever want to leave.

It seems like no time passes when I hear my family begin to slowly arrive. They come out to greet me one by one, carrying beach bags and holding drinks.

“Get up,” Lincoln says after about an hour.

I crack an eye open at him. “Why?”

“Because you’ve had enough sun. Let’s go in the water.”

He doesn’t have to tell me twice, as I’m sweating. He leads me by the hand to the water where I sigh at the refreshing lukewarm Gulf water and splash around in it.

When I turn around to get out and go back to my chair, I see Lincoln kneeling in the water, the waves splashing against his thighs, his bare chest turning red in the sun. He’s holding something out to me.

I gasp as the diamond from the ring glints in the Alabama sun.

“Quinn Renee Walker, you have changed me for the better. I was a shell of a man, but you broke that shell and showed me how to have fun and be free. You’ve breathed new life into my cold heart and made me feel warm, safe, and happy. You showed me who I am and who I want to be. I desire nothing more in this life than to spend the rest of it making you feel the same way. Marry me, little dixie. Please.”

I burst into tears and start shaking. “Oh, my God, Linc. Oh, my God.” My trembling hand reaches my mouth, and I can’t speak. I finally shake out of my shock and scream, “Yes! Yes!”

He stands and slides the ring on my finger. The thing is huge and ostentatious, but I don’t care. He lifts me and swings me around in the water.

Screams from the beach catch my attention, and my entire family is jumping up and down and clapping. Even my memaw.

I run up to them, dragging Lincoln by the hand, and scream, “I said yes, y’all!”

My sister Leanna is snapping photos like crazy with her big, fancy camera and it suddenly dawns on me why Lincoln was chatting with her last night.

“Show me the ring, babes!” She lifts her camera.

Lincoln wraps his arm around me, and I hold up my hand. She clicks the shutter a million times while we’re both smiling ear to ear. I look up at Lincoln, and he leans down and kisses me to the sound of more shutter clicks.

“I love you, Lincoln Silverstone,” I breathe.

“I love you too, wifey-to-be,” he replies.

Epilogue

Quinn

Four months later

I glance at our 16x20 engagement and wedding photos, both on the beach, next to each other on the wall of our living room as I fly out the door, Lincoln practically dragging me by the arm.

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