He looked back at Renna, hoping his words had melted her heart as much as they had her friend’s. “So?” he asked expectantly.
A slow smile spread across her lips as if she liked stringing him along. “So what?”
He slipped his hand behind Renna’s neck and pulled her closer, so their foreheads were touching. “So, do you love me too?”
He had never been so vulnerable in his life.
Her head bobbed up and down against his forehead. “I love you too,” she whispered.
“Whew!” He threw his head back. “That is a relief!” He pulled her into a hug, her body fitting perfectly under his arms. “I was worried after the disastrous take one.”
Her body laughed against his.
“You should’ve been worried.” She backed out of the hug to look at him. “I wasn’t sure this was going to end well for you.”
“I know, but I really think I nailed it in take two,” he said with mock seriousness. “Don’t you?”
She raised an eyebrow. “It was all right, I guess.”
“All right?” He called out to the older woman who was watching them again. “You thought I did good, right?”
She ducked her head behind the house again, but Trev heard her loudly and clearly say, “Yes, sir! Pretty darn near perfect.”
Renna spoke over her shoulder. “Don’t say too much, Nellie, or it will all go to his head.”
“Never!” he said sarcastically.
She looked up at him, a glimmer in her deep green eyes. “It’s been so long, how did you know I wasn’t completely in love with someone else by now?”
“I thought about that but knew no one else could stand a chance against me.”
“How could you be sure?” she asked. “Maybe he’s the most attractive man I’ve ever seen. Maybe he writes poetry and bakes . . .” She stuttered, obviously searching her mind for something to say. “Bread.”
Trev nodded, keeping a straight face. “Yes, because the most attractive men always bake homemade bread.”
“Don’t forget about the poetry,” she added.
“He doesn’t write poetry. That was just the bread recipe.”
Her laughter escaped in the most adorable way.
Trev pulled her into him. “Since we know the bread-making poet doesn’t exist, and we know you love me . . .”
She nodded, agreeing with everything he said.
“Can we kiss now? I’ve been here like, twenty minutes, and we haven’t kissed yet. It’s torture.”
She raised her chin up, and that was all the answer he needed to bring his lips down to hers. He kissed her slowly, pouring all his feelings of love into each movement of his lips. He wanted her to feel how much she meant to him. To feel how much he needed her in his life.
The kiss solidified everything.
Trev hugged her tightly again. “Are you going to marry me or not?”
“Are you going to ask me?” she quipped back.
Trev grabbed her by the hand and knelt down on one knee.
“Renna Degray, will you agree to rhyme your name with mine?”
“What?” Her face was confused. That was clearly not the proposal she was expecting. Perhaps he should have gone with something more traditional.
Trev grimaced. “Did you know your name will be Renna Trevenna?”
“I . . . hadn’t thought about it.” Her eyebrows puckered.
He quickly added, “Well, don’t. Especially if it’s going to make you answer negatively.”
“Renna Trevenna?” she questioned, looking around, obviously mulling it over in her mind. “That’s awful!”
He nodded to the transporters. “I’ll get my advisors on it. They’ll know what to do.”
She puffed out a little laugh.
Trev laced his fingers through hers, searching her green eyes. She was the best woman he had ever known. She had the most amazing mind, her wit alone kept him constantly entertained, her happiness made him a better man, and her beauty took his breath away. She was everything to him. “Renna.” He smiled up at her, so sure of how he felt. “Will you marry me?”
She nodded first before answering. “Yes.” It wasn’t too loud or crazy. Just subtle and perfect.
That was all Trev needed to gather her into his arms and kiss her again. Renna pulled back as his kiss deepened.
His lips tried to follow after her. “What just happened?”
She looked around nervously, ducking her head like a turtle trying to hide in its shell. “I feel like everyone is watching us.”
He looked back at the transporters. “That’s because they are. I’m sure their heads are pressed against the windows as we speak.”
“Well, I’m not that kind of girl,” she said frankly.
He raised his eyebrows. “What do you mean?”
“I mean,” she gestured around them, “I’m not going to kiss you, really kiss you when the whole world is watching.”
Trev immediately grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the house.
“Where are we going?” Renna stumbled behind him, trying to keep up.
“To find some privacy.” He opened the front door. “Is there anyone in this house I should know about?”
“Nobody.” She smiled back at him and he nearly came undone.
Trev closed the space between them, pressing her back against the closed door. “I’ve been waiting six months to kiss you again, to kiss you like that night at the ball.”
“You might be disappointed.” Her green eyes sparkled, taunting him as he inched closer. “Too much buildup,” she whispered between them.
“I doubt it,” he breathed against her lips.
Then he kissed her the way he really wanted to.
They kissed until they had been kissing so long, Drake came knocking.
Epilogue
Renna
The Kingdom of Albion
Six Months Later
“You know, kidnapping is very unattractive.” Renna reached for the blindfold covering her eyes but stopped when Trev tsked at her from across the transporter. She was annoyed with his surprise, only because she hated not knowing where he was taking her. “I mean, it is probably the least attractive thing you could do.”
“You think this is the least attractive thing I could do?” Trev said skeptically.
She couldn’t see his face but could tell he was poking fun at her.
“I can think of twenty things that should be more unattractive.”
Her fake annoyance increased as he started rattling off ideas. “Throw up is more unattractive. No, I take that back, vomit coming out of my nose is extremely unattractive.”
She put her palm up to stop him. “I don’t need you to list things.”
It was too late. Trev was already continuing. “Don’t even get me started on other bodily fluids . . . the kind that should only be found in bathrooms.”
“Stop!” she giggled out, putting her hands lightly over her ears.
“Those things should be top on your list of the least attractive things about me. Trust me, I know.”