Two months later…
THE SUN WAS just starting to go down and Ellie looked around the now-empty tent, sighing with relief – another successful Barefoot Brides event. Today’s couple was young and sweet and so in love that she almost cried twice. All of the couples were in love, but tonight’s pair just seemed so much more. It was hard to put her finger on but it was like there had been something tangible in the air…she could feel it.
Their love.
Their happiness.
And it made her smile for their future.
Kicking her shoes off, she waved to the last of the wait staff and made her way out onto the beach. It was going to be a beautiful sunset. Slowly, Ellie walked over to the arbor and gently touched the exotic flowers that were tucked in to it.
“Now there’s a beautiful sight.”
Gasping, she turned at the sound of Max’s voice. “Max! What are you…?” Her words instantly died in her throat when she saw him. It was a Saturday night and he had no reason to be there. And yet, there he was, wearing a suit and looking like he’d stepped off the cover of GQ.
He walked toward her and at the arbor, he broke off one of the white lilies and reached out to tuck it into her hair.
“Max…” she whispered.
Taking her hand in his, he pulled her in close under the arbor and kissed her. It was a soft kiss – the kind that was just enough to curl your toes and have you wishing for more. When he raised his head, Max cupped her cheek. “How was the wedding?”
The wedding? He was here, dressed up in a suit and asking about a stranger’s wedding? Ellie cleared her throat. “It was…it was good. Really good. They were a sweet couple and everyone was wonderful.” She studied him. “What are you doing here?”
He smiled at her, his fingers caressing her cheek. “I was sitting home alone and thinking about you. And then I thought about the weekend we spent here at Casa Blanca and how much I enjoyed walking on the beach with you.”
“Oh…” she sighed, melting against him.
“I knew you’d be dressed up and looking beautiful and so I figured I’d dress up and we could pretend that we were out on a fabulously romantic date – even if it is after a long day of work.” He paused. “I figured if I showed up here dressed casually, we’d look a bit awkward. And I imagined us walking along and doing a little dancing on the beach and I thought you deserved to dance with a man who wanted to look his best for you. For this.”
“You put a lot of thought into this,” she commented, doing her best to sound serious even as her heart was doing a little happy dance at his thoughtfulness.
He nodded. Wrapping his arms around her, he began to sway. There wasn’t any music – just the sound of the waves crashing on the shore and yet Ellie found herself easily moving with him. After a few minutes of their impromptu dance, Max pulled back, his expression almost unreadable. Elle was about to ask him if he was all right when he dropped to one knee.
“You said this was your dream spot,” he said softly.
For the second time, she gasped. Her hands flew to cover her heart that was now definitely beating out of control.
“Ellie Shaw, I love you. And more than anything, I want a life with you.” He pulled a small box from his pocket and opened it, revealing a beautiful vintage diamond ring.
“Oh, Max,” she said, her voice quiet and shaking. “Yes!”
He stood and placed the ring on her finger before kissing her again. This time it was more intense, more everything. When he lifted his head he smiled, resting his forehead against hers. “When I walked out onto the sand and saw you standing here by the arbor, I knew I made the right decision. This may be your dream spot, but you’re my dream come true, Ellie. I love you.”
“I love you too, Max. And thank you for making all of my dreams come true.”
He took her by the hand and led her away from the arbor, toward the far end of the property where the villas were.
“Where are we going?”
“Blue Casbah,” he said, grinning. “I knew you were off tomorrow and I wanted to surprise you.”
She chuckled softly. “Consider me surprised! I loved it there. It was so beautiful and that really was an amazing weekend.”
“Well, prepare yourself for another amazing one.” They reached the villa and when Max opened the door, they were met with dim lighting and the sight of dozens of candles lit around the pool.
“Wow,” she sighed happily. “Look at this…”
He led her out the back doors and over to the table that had been set with dinner for two. “I hope you haven’t eaten yet.”
She shook her head. “I rarely have the time and now that I’m seeing all of this here, I’m realizing that I’m starving.”
“Well damn…” he murmured.
“What? What’s the matter?”
“I was kind of hoping you’d be a little less…hungry for food and…”
“Hungrier for you?” she finished for him, smiling. When he nodded, she laughed. “How about this, we eat dinner now and then I promise to give you my full attention for the rest of the night.”
Max chuckled and held out a chair for Ellie to sit in. “I guess I see how it’s going to be. I ask you to marry me and then food becomes the priority,” he said dramatically. “I’ll get used to it…” Then he sat down.
Ellie waited for a moment and then stood back up. She almost laughed at the expression on Max’s face – part hopeful, part confused. In a flash, she shimmied out of her dress and stood before him in nothing but scraps of blue lace.
“Compromise,” she said easily. “Just to show that I am not taking you for granted.” She was just about to sit back down when Max’s arm banded around her waist as he pulled her into his lap.
“Compromise,” he mimicked thickly, nuzzling her neck. “This way I can touch you and feed you and work you up into a frenzy.”
“I like the way you think,” she said huskily.
“Stick with me,” Max teased. “I’ve got all kinds of good ideas.”
And she knew it to be true.