Page 282 of Out of Left Field

He handed me a glass. “I think about our future almost every minute of every day.”

“Almost?”

“I have to think about pitches sometimes.” He shrugged, grinning.

“I suppose that’s acceptable.”

“Cheers.” He clinked his glass against mine.

“You didn’t make a toast.” I took a sip. “Damn, this is good.”

“If I’m going to drink champagne then I make sure it’s the good kind. And I did make a toast.”

“I must have missed it.” Everett was up to so much mischief it practically crackled off of him. “What was the toast?”

“It was to our engagement, of course.”

I grinned even wider. “But you didn’t ask me to marry you.”

“Ah, but I did agree to our last name.”

“That’s not the same thing.”

“Isn’t it? Okay fine. Put this on.” Everett held out a diamond ring.

“Put it on? Why?”

“Because we’re engaged.”

Laughter spilled out of me. “But you still haven't asked me!”

“You already said yes, remember?” He took my hand and began sliding it on my finger.

“That’s not quite how I remember it.”

“Well then,” he paused, the ring just above my knuckle, and dropped to his knee. “Willa Cooper, will you marry me?”

The look in his eyes turned my blood to fire. Everett didn’t just want to marry me. He wanted to consume me. “I should probably put some thought into it. It’s a big decision.”

He flashed a devilish grin, pressing a kiss to the inside of my thigh. “Willa Cooper.” Kiss. “Will you,” kiss, kiss, “marry me?” The kisses traveled higher and higher, pushing my skirt up along the way.

I could barely breathe. “What do I get out of it?”

“My undying devotion.” He pushed my skirt up and placed the highest kiss yet. “Endless orgasms.” Another kiss. “Me.”

I couldn’t tease him a moment longer. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

He grinned as he slid the ring onto my finger. “Good. Now I can work on the next step of my devious plan.”

I gazed down at him, on his knees, happy and ready to take me to bed. “What is this devious plan?”

“Make you so happy you forget you were ever sad.”

I sank my fingers into his hair. “I’m already pretty close to that.”

He stood, picking me up off my feet. “Good, because the other part of my plan is to start a family. Immediately.”

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