He held up a black velvet ring box.
He opened it.
Nestled inside, sparkling in the winter sunlight flooding my parents’ front room, was the most beautiful diamond ring I’d ever seen. It was a platinum band with delicate filigree work that encased smaller diamonds along the top half of the very slender band. Clasped in the middle was an oval diamond. It was perfect. Not too over-the-top for my small hand.
And exactly my taste.
But it was an engagement ring!
We’d only been dating two weeks!
I didn’t have to say that. He read it in my expression. Reid reached for my hand, his fingers curling around it. “I know it’s soon.”
“Uh-huh.” I nodded. It was very soon.
What scared me the most, however, was how much I still wanted to yell “YES!” at the top of my lungs.
“You know me, Ev.” He tugged on my hand. “You know I’m a man who goes after what I want. It’s why I’m successful. Business is one thing … finding the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with is the most important thing that will ever happen to me. I never thought I’d find you. I didn’t even know feeling so much for someone was possible. And it hasn’t been easy. It’s been complicated. But all the best things are. And you, my love, are not just what I want. You’re everything I need to be happy. And I don’t see any reason to mess about for the sake of what we’re supposed to do. I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. And I want it to start right now.”
“Oh my goodness,” I whispered, feeling raw and terrified and thrilled and excited … because I wanted and needed him too. So much. It was overwhelming.
“Will you do me the absolute honor of marrying me, Evan Munro?”
Some people would call us crazy.
Impulsive.
I didn’t care.
I grinned, nodding, as I threw myself at him, almost taking him to his arse. Reid gave a bark of surprised laughter and caught me, his arms bound tightly around me.
“Is that a yes?”
“Yes!” I reared back my head to yell, “Yes, yes, yes!”
He kissed me, hard, possessive, and it was inappropriate in front of our families, but I didn’t care. And as he did this, he fumbled for my hand, blindly sliding the engagement ring on my finger. I broke the kiss to stare down at it, disbelieving this was real.
“Happy Christmas, Ev,” he murmured huskily in my ear.
My gaze moved from the ring to his face. “Best one ever.”
He grinned and opened his mouth to reply, but the words were cut off as our mothers fell upon us in joy.
“It’s finally happening!”
“Let me see the ring.”
“Oh my God, it’s beautiful!”
“You should get married next Christmas.”
“A Christmas wedding would be stunning.”
“A sleigh! She could arrive in a sleigh!”
“Oh, heaven! And we could have a Christmas choir singing her up the aisle.”
“And we—”
“Enough!” Patrick yelled.
A deafening silence fell over the room, and my heart sank.
Patrick glared at Reid.
Oh, boy.
But then a smirk curled the corners of his mouth. “You didn’t have to propose to convince me. Marriage is life, mate. She’s cute, but have you really thought this through?”
I reached past Dad for the large cushion on his armchair and chucked it at my brother.
He laughed, blocking it with his hands.
Relaxing, Reid stood and looked between Dad and Patrick. “I have your blessing, then?”
Dad mock scowled. “Think you’re supposed to ask that before you ask the bride.”
“Och, Harold, that’s not how it’s done now,” Mum said. “Stop teasing the poor boy.”
I snorted at Mum calling Reid a boy.
Patrick grinned. “Aw, are we teasing you, wee man?”
Reid rolled his eyes. “I take it that means I have your blessing?”
My big brother looked at me, his gaze softening. “If you make Evan happy, that’s all I care about.”
“You’ll be my best man, then?”
“Who the fuck else would be?”
Assured all was well with the guys, Mum and Annie crowded in, bombarding me with wedding plans already. My ears were ringing. I felt a little faint.
“Enough!” Reid repeated Patrick’s command from earlier, pushing through the mums to get to me. I grabbed onto him like a lifeline. “Let Ev breathe, for Christ’s sake.”
“We’re just excited,” Annie replied.
“And I’m glad. But let Ev get used to the idea of being engaged before you shove Christmas wedding plans down her throat. There will be no Christmas wedding.”
“There won’t?” I asked.
Reid stared down at me. “I don’t want to wait a year. Do you?”
My heart. Honestly, I couldn’t withstand another romantic word out of his mouth or I’d expire on the spot. “No. I don’t want to wait.”
“Oh, but—”
“You heard them,” Dad interrupted Mum, taking her by the shoulders and physically steering her toward the door. “Now let’s go make breakfast. I’m sure everybody needs sustenance after all the excitement.”
Annie trailed at the back of Mum, still discussing wedding plans.
Reid pulled me in tight to his side and kissed my temple. “Have I mentioned lately how much I appreciate your dad?”
“He is wonderful.” I covered Reid’s chest, his heart, with my hand. The engagement ring sparkled in the light. “And so are you.”
“Best Christmas ever,” Reid murmured, his eyes hot with love and desire.
“Best Christmas ever,” I agreed. “Can’t wait to celebrate on our own tonight.”
“Oh, dear God,” Patrick groaned, reminding us he was still there. “I’m in pain. Physical pain. New rule.” He wagged his finger at us. “When I’m in the room, we will all pretend that yours is a spiritual union in name only.”
Reid shook with laughter at my side. “Really?”
“I will end you,” Patrick warned. “If you break this rule, I will end you.”
Chuckling, I teased, “What if I break the rule? I mean, technically, I was the one who just reminded you that your best friend is bonking your wee sister.”
Patrick cut me a wounded look. “Too soon, Ev. Too. Damn. Soon.”
“Aw, fine, fine.” I hurried toward my brother to give him a reassuring cuddle. “I’m a nun, and Reid is happy to spend a long, sexless life with me. Okay, sweetie, that better?” I patted his back.
“Yes,” he grumbled like a little boy. “Much.”
“Good news, though.” I pulled back and gave him a tender smile. “You can rest easy knowing your best friend found a woman who loves him for who he is. And your wee sister found a man who treats her like a queen. That’s a nice Christmas present for a big brother.”
“Aye.” He nodded, a little gruff now. “Aye, it’s a pretty good Christmas present.”
“You should have invited your receptionist for Christmas breakfast, and then we’d all be in on the joy.” I winked.