Just One Kiss (Very Irresistible Bachelors #2) - Layla Hagen Page 0,88

on one of the tables, since every gala had its own seating arrangement.

I felt Ryker throw me sizzling looks every now and then but kept my composure, even though I was blushing madly. But when he surprised me by appearing behind me and kissing the side of my neck, my entire body turned to goose bumps. Hot damn.

“The moderator just left. I’ll help with the table coordination,” he said just as he let me go. Something tugged at the pocket of my dress. When I touched it, I realized there was a note half-stuffed inside.

Had Ryker just put it there?

“Ryker!” I called out after him. He looked at me over his shoulder, but merely mouthed “Later.” What?

I felt giddy, and instead of finishing assisting with the table placement, I slipped behind a partition in one corner, where the audio equipment was hidden. My stomach was full of butterflies as I opened the note.

Meet me in the room upstairs, behind the red curtain, after everyone’s gone.

My pulse quickened, thumping in my ears. I remembered the last time he’d given me a note like this. I’d gone there expecting a kiss, perhaps, and I hadn’t come out the same. What should I expect this time?

What could he possibly tell me that couldn’t wait until we were home?

That question bounced in my mind for the remaining hour. I became more nervous with every passing minute, especially once everyone left.

If I didn’t know Ryker was meeting me behind the curtain, I would have thought I was completely alone.

I crossed the empty ballroom with quick strides, barely keeping myself from breaking into a run. I was smiling from ear to ear. My heartbeat was so erratic that I felt light-headed.

When I entered the changing room, Ryker was already there, leaning against a wall, smiling widely.

“Hi! What are we doing here?” Oh God, why was my voice so throaty?

“Come closer.” His tone was playful, but his gaze was so intense that I instantly felt the air between us charge.

“Tell me, first.”

He said nothing, but he walked toward me until we were close enough to touch. He brought a hand to my face, caressing my cheek.

“Remember the first time I asked you here?” he asked softly.

I nodded.

“What did you think I wanted?”

“Something you couldn’t do with everyone watching,” I teased. Ryker laughed, sounding so happy that it warmed me on the inside. “What do you think I have in mind now?”

“Better not be sexy times,” I warned. Ryker grinned.

“No, not quite.”

He skimmed his fingers down my arm, taking both my hands in his.

“I’ll be honest. When I asked you to come here last time, I didn’t have a plan. I just knew that I wanted to be near you any way I could, for as long as I could. But now... now I have a plan.”

“You do?”

He nodded, tightening his grip on my hands.

“I’ve thought about where to do this for weeks. First I thought about taking you to a restaurant, or on a trip, but then I figured... why not do it here? It’s where I first realized that I wanted to do whatever it took to win you over. This place means something to both of us.” He interlaced our fingers, squeezing them lightly before letting go of my left hand. He reached inside his jacket. I didn’t see what he took out, because he was holding it in his closed fist. What was going on?

He opened his hand slowly, and my heart all but exploded. He was holding an engagement ring! The most beautiful one I’d ever seen. It had a round diamond in the center with tiny green gemstones around it.

“Marry me, Heather Prescott. Be my wife. You, Avery, and I are already a family, but I want to make it official. I want everyone to know that both of you are mine.”

I had never felt overwhelmed by so many emotions in a matter of seconds.

I put my arms around his neck, going up on my tiptoes and kissing him. I’d intended a light smooch only, but the second I touched my lips to his, I became ravenous... and so was he.

Ryker kissed me so deliciously well that I just wanted to melt against him. I felt him put one palm at the small of my back, pressing me into him until I was flat against his chest... and still he kept pressing. I loved the possessive touch, the nearly desperate way he was claiming my mouth. I’d been on edge this past