‘Madly,’ she added.
‘Yes, madly. But also deeply. It’s not just lust talking here, Ruby. I really, really love you. You, the beautiful, sweet, wonderful person that you are.’
Tears pricked at her eyes. ‘I never thought a man would ever love me like that,’ she choked out. ‘Oh, Sebastian, you’ve made me so happy.’
‘I’ve made you happy? You’ve put me on cloud nine, Ruby, and I don’t think I’ll ever come down.’ He hugged her close, Ruby laying her head against his chest. His heart was thumping behind his ribs, and so was hers. She stayed in the warmth of his embrace for a while before lifting her face to his.
‘Could we perhaps skip the swim and just go to bed?’ she suggested softly.
Sebastian could not believe the feelings that coursed through him as he lay in bed with Ruby snuggled up next to him. He’d loved Jennifer but what he felt for Ruby seemed so much stronger. It was a for-ever kind of love, with the strength to face whatever problems life would throw at them as a couple.
It was time, he realised, to take the next step. Maybe it was a little premature but, as Zack said, faint heart never won fair lady.
‘Ruby?’ he murmured, giving her shoulder a little shake.
‘Hmmm?’
‘Are you awake?’
She sighed as she rolled onto her back and looked at him. ‘I am now.’
‘I was going to wait but I can’t. I have to ask you now.’
‘Ask me what?’
‘Will you marry me?’
She sat bolt upright in the bed, the sheet falling off her naked body. She snatched it back up over her breasts, her eyes wide with shock. Sebastian felt his heart sink.
‘You don’t mean that,’ she said. ‘You can’t. I mean...’
‘I do mean it,’ he insisted. ‘I told you you’d made me break all those rules I was living my life by. They were stupid rules, Ruby. Cowardly rules. Yes, I was devastated when Jennifer died but I think I was more devastated by the way she handled it, pushing me away, not letting me help nurse her. You would never be like that. We’d handle anything life throws at us together. Fight it together.’
By now tears were streaming down Ruby’s cheeks. ‘That’s beautiful, Sebastian,’ she choked out. ‘And yes, I will marry you. Wherever and whenever you want.’
The joy that exploded in Sebastian’s heart was almost impossible for him to describe.
‘In that case, as soon as possible, please,’ he said, kissing the tears from her face. ‘Unless, of course, you want a big fancy wedding.’
‘Lord, no. Though I do want a proper bridal gown, and lots and lots of photos. We can have the ceremony here, in the garden.’
‘Sounds marvellous. I’ll ask Zack to be best man.’
‘And my brothers can give me away.’
‘Done! Now I just have to go and get something,’ he said, scrambling out of the bed and heading into his walk-in wardrobe. Ruby’s heart leapt when he returned with a very small bag, one from a jewellery shop.
Surely not, she thought.
‘It took me ages to find the right one,’ he said as he produced the ring box and sank down on his knees by the bed, still stark naked.
When he flipped the box open, Ruby stared down at the most beautiful ring she’d ever seen. In the middle of a rose-gold setting was a huge ruby, encircled by diamonds. Quite big diamonds. It must have cost a fortune!
‘A perfect ruby for my perfect Ruby,’ Sebastian said as he lifted it out and slipped it on her engagement-ring finger.
‘Oh, Sebastian, it’s stunning. And it fits perfectly. How did you manage that?’
‘A combination of luck, my powers of observation and a very experienced jeweller. You really like it, then?’
‘I adore it. But, Sebastian, I can’t possibly wear it yet. And certainly not tomorrow at your sister’s place. Your family will really think things about me now.’
‘What kind of things?’ he asked as he climbed into bed next to her.
‘Well, you know. Like I’m some kind of scheming gold-digger.’
He laughed. ‘You? A gold-digger? Now that’s a funny one.’
‘I’m serious. After all, we’ve only known each other a few weeks.’
‘Has it really only been that long? It feels like an eternity.’
‘I know what you mean. I feel the same way.’
‘Trust me when I say my family won’t think any such things about you, Ruby darling,’ he said as he kissed her tenderly on her forehead, her nose, her cheek. ‘My mother will be especially delighted. Now, no more doubts. You will wear your engagement ring tomorrow and that’s that.’
‘Goodness, you can be forceful when you want to be, Mr Marshall.’
‘I can. And you are to call both your brothers tomorrow and let them know as well.’
‘They are going to be seriously surprised. I told them I was never getting married.’
‘It’s a woman’s privilege to change her mind.’
‘And a man’s,’ she pointed out.
‘True. Now can we stop with the chit-chat and celebrate our engagement as lovers should?’
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
‘WOW!’ SEBASTIAN EXCLAIMED. ‘That is one gorgeous dress.’
Ruby preened. ‘Someone with taste chose it for me.’
‘Someone who knew it would suit you too, especially the colour.’
‘It doesn’t look too sexy, does it?’ she asked, suddenly swamped by her worries over his family’s reaction to their engagement.
Sebastian scowled. ‘Don’t be nervous. You have nothing to worry about.’
Ruby sighed. ‘I can’t help worrying a bit.’
‘Then we’d better get going so we can get the surprise of our engagement over and done with and you can stop worrying.’
‘My mother used to call it the heebie-jeebies,’ she told him.
He smiled. ‘What a wonderful expression. I like the sound of your mother.’
Ruby swallowed. ‘She would have liked you too. She liked manly men. She thought Gregory Peck was gorgeous, and you know what? You look a bit like him.’
‘I’ll take that as a compliment. But I would prefer to be compared with someone a little more current. Are you ready? How do I look? Not too casual?’