yes.
“Are you going to just stand there like a twat, or are you going to ask me?” I nod pointedly at the box in his hand.
He lets out a bark of laughter that lights up his whole face. Pushing away from the door, he steps toward me and takes my hand in his. Looking deep in my eyes, he says, “James Edward Parrish—”
“Urgh, seriously? You have to use the full name?”
“Absolutely,” he says with an affectionate smile. “James Edward Parrish—will you marry me?”
“That’s it? Nothing about how I complete you as a person, how your life would be empty without me, how you didn’t know what true love was until we met—”
He cuts me off by lifting his hand to grip me by the chin. “Just say yes, red.”
I grin at him. “Of course it’s yes, you idiot.”
He slides the ring on my finger and then wraps his arms around me, swooping down to seal his lips against mine. I link my hands around his neck, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss.
When we finally break away, both of us are grinning like idiots. “So this is what that tantrum was about?” I ask, one eyebrow arched.
He sighs. “I just didn’t want Will stealing your thunder. Today’s your day.”
I chuckle. “It’s Christmas, babe. Today’s everyone’s day. Besides, I don’t care one bit about bloody ‘thunder’,” I say firmly, lifting my hands in air quotes. “I just care about us.”
Shay kisses me again, and for a long moment we just get completely lost in each other. I slide my hands all over his muscled chest, running along the ink that I love so much, before sliding down farther and eventually delving into the back of his joggers.
“Please tell me Jake’s not here so we can shag in the glitter,” I murmur against his lips as my finger starts to tease his crease. “You know that’s always been a dream of mine.”
“He left for Baltimore early this morning,” Shay says, giving my own ass a squeeze over my pajamas.
I let out a soft sigh of anticipation. As much as I hate the idea of Jake having to get through Christmas Day with his asshole stepdad, it does make the current situation a lot more convenient. “Perfect. Lose the trousers and grab some lube,” I tell him. “You are so fucking me in this glitter.”
“I’m starting to think you only said yes because of the glitter,” he says with a soft chuckle.
“Hmm…it was about ninety-ten if I’m being honest,” I admit. “Ninety percent was the glitter, ten percent because I actually love you and want to be with you forever.”
His face splits into a broad grin. “Hell, I’ll take what I can get.” He brushes a soft kiss over my cheek and moves away to get the lube.
After spending a moment watching Shay’s arse as he walks toward the bedroom, I finally glance down at the ring he put on my finger. I’ve been so preoccupied with saying yes and snogging my new fiancé I haven’t had a chance to actually look at it yet, and once I set eyes on it I can’t help letting out a little squeal of delight. It’s purple. It’s a thick band made out of some kind of metal that’s been brushed violet on the outer surface, and in the center of the ring, wrapping all the way around, is an inlay of little purple stones. It’s so bloody perfect I want to cry.
“Why aren’t you undressed yet?”
I glance up to see Shay’s emerged from the bedroom completely starkers, lube bottle in hand. I let out a low growl of appreciation as my eyes roam over his gorgeous body, as beautiful today as the night he first brought me home to his apartment, back when we were perfect strangers who never thought we’d see each other again. So bloody glad we were wrong about that.
“I was just…” I hold up my hand to show him the ring. “Shay, it’s perfect.”
His mouth forms into that sexy, crooked smile I love so much. “Better than Will’s?”
“So much better than Will’s!” I exclaim. “His is so boring and not purple.”
With a soft chuckle, he prowls toward me, wrapping his arms around my waist and leaning down for a soft kiss. “I love you.”
“I love that you proposed with glitter and a purple ring,” I say, grinning against his lips.
“And I love that you said yes.”
“You’re a right idiot if you thought I’d say anything else.”
11
Shay
* * *
Okay, I’ll admit, I