“On purpose.” He winks at me. “The girl of my dreams has been secured. The rest is history.”
And just like that, the mood is lightened. I recline in my seat as the plane dips toward the ground. The crew bustles about to secure a safe landing. When the wheels touch down, I bounce in place and clutch onto Landon. He’s become an anchor of sorts. He chuckles, looping an arm around my shoulders.
The jet rolls to a stop at his private hangar. I forgot just how wealthy he is until the reminder smacks me in the face. While holding my hand, he guides us down the stairs leading directly onto the tarmac.
I lift a hand to shield my eyes from the sun. “Where to, boss?”
A rumbling noise stirs from the back of his throat. “Careful, sugar. That title might go to my head.”
“So long as it grants me some sexual favors.”
“Soon,” he promises. “We have an important stop to make first.”
I leave my hands covering Vannah’s eyes while drawing us to a halt. “Ready?”
“Yes.” The certainty in her voice makes me chuckle.
“Are you positive?” I steady us as the wooden dock beneath us rocks slightly.
“Yes,” she repeats.
“For real?” My pulse kicks, booming low in my ears.
“Landon, quit teasing me.” Her fingers curl around my wrists, preparing to pry me off.
With a kiss on her bare shoulder, I lift my palms from her face. “Surprise.”
Vannah’s lashes flutter as she adjusts to the bright rays glittering off the water. She gasps as the view becomes clear. A blue and white monstrosity bobs in front of us on the river. The tourist trap couldn’t be more obvious if they covered the entire ship with advertisements.
“Oh, this is very unexpected.” Her smile is dazzling, stealing the breath straight from my lungs.
I lean in, ghosting my lips across her ear. “I want to take my fiancée on a boat cruise.”
The hitch in her breath betrays her shock. She whips around to face me, her gaze dropping to find me down on one knee. “What are you doing?”
“Proposing.” I dig the velvet box from my jacket, snapping the lid open to reveal its sparking contents. The solitaire emerald is encircled by ten flawless diamonds. The center stone’s rich color reminded me of Vannah’s eyes. “You’ve always been several steps ahead. I’m stealing the spotlight for a change, sugar. Is that all right?”
Her watery gaze bounces between my eyes and the ring. She’s nodding fast enough to send her red hair flying. “Uh-huh, yes. By all means.”
“I’d never planned to do this, so forgive me in advance for botching the speech.”
Vannah presses a palm to her mouth, trapping a squeal. “No, this is fantastic. Keep going.”
After a slow exhale, I grip her trembling hand in mine. “I love you. Saying those three words aloud is plenty to prove how different you are to me. This might seem fast, but I’ve learned to trust my gut instincts when it comes to you. You encourage me to be a better version of myself, while accepting I’ll never be a tender soul. We create a balance that I didn’t recognize as vital until you came along. Sharing this life, blending our futures, will be my greatest success. If you say yes, that is.”
Her fingers twitch in my hold as she fights the urge to fidget. “Oh, this is really happening.”
“Yeah, sugar. You’re not getting away from me.” I lift the platinum promise from its teal pillow, holding it up for her to see. “Savannah, sworn enemy turned lover, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
“Yes, yes! A billion plus one. Slide that beauty on me.”
I do as she so eloquently instructed, the band gliding over her delicate digit. “Perfect fit.”
“It’s gorgeous,” she coos while thrusting her arm out for better inspection. The sun catches the facets, casting a rainbow glow in all directions.
“Just like you.” I stand, giving her some space to enjoy the moment.
“No way are you going anywhere.” She cuddles into my chest, exhaling the shock on a shuttering breath. “You planned this?”
“I’ve been planning to get my claim on you for quite some time now.”
She sniffs, moisture glistening in her gaze. “I’m totally blown away. You’re turning me into a sap.”
“You? What about me? I just kneeled on some soggy planks in a custom Tom Ford suit.”
Her chin rests on my sternum as she stares up at me. “Regrets?”
I drag my thumb along her uplifted cheekbone. “Not a single one.”
“Well, for the record, this is much better than your first attempt.”
A groan tumbles from me as I avert my eyes. “I’d rather forget that ever happened.”
“Wish granted.” Vannah latches herself around me in the next second, the hug fierce and possessive. “I love you, fiancé. You’re my favorite.”
I chuckle, our chests jumping together from the amusement. “Is that because I bought you a big rock?”
“Did you ever.” Her attention returns to the item in question over my shoulder. “Holy shit, this baby is bigger than my knuckle.”
I don’t take my eyes from her blinding grin. “Best purchase I ever made.”
She gnaws on her bottom lip. “What if I lose it?”
“The stones are very well insured.”
“I’m never taking it off,” she assures me.
“Funny you should mention that,” I breathe into her freckled skin. “Once this river tour is done, I’m going to make love to you wearing only that.”
She sticks out her bottom lip. “How do you expect me to think of anything else until then?”
“Consider it foreplay, sugar.” I hoist her up in my arms and stride forward onto the crowded deck. Vannah wraps her legs around me. I press my arousal between us. We fall deeper with each passing moment.
“Let’s see who comes out ahead.” She winks at me, shimmying her ass against me.
I’ve met my match indeed.
It turns out the love and happiness from another can grant me the freedom to claim my own. That’s a tale worth telling.
“All rise.”
The pastor’s command reaches me from my hiding spot behind the pavilion. Those two words are a direct line to my pulse, kicking the steady thumping into a deafening roar. The synchronized whoosh from our guests rising from their seats ripples across the wooden deck. I gulp at the knot cramping my windpipe. The attempt at loosening the vise is an audible gong clanging into the gentle breeze. My father noticeably tightens his grip where our arms are looped.
“All good, Vannah?”
I swing my focus to the man responsible for raising and molding me. We’ve managed to drop most of our emotional baggage in the months since I finally let my feelings fly. The biggest shock is his continued support while I dominate in my freelance adventure with Global Winters. Our relationship still has room for improvement, of course. It gives us a mutual goal to achieve together, like in the old days.
After clearing the lump from my throat, I offer a jerky nod. “Couldn’t be better. Just wedding jitters, I guess.”