Chapter Twenty-Five
Kase
He paced nervously back and forth in front of the jet as he awaited her arrival. Today was the day they left for overseas. Hopefully, that wasn’t all they would be doing that day.
“Everything is fine, sir,” the pilot assured him from where he hid just inside the hatch, holding a cord in his hands. “You can relax.”
“What if she doesn’t like it? What if it’s too soon?”
The pilot chuckled. “I’ve been flying for you and your kind for two decades now, Kase. I’ve seen my fair share of proposals. Do you know how many times someone has been rejected?”
“No, how many?”
“None.”
“Great!” He tossed his hands in the air. “Now there’s pressure on me to continue that unbroken streak. Just great.”
He fidgeted while he paced, fumbling the small velvet-covered box in his pocket, turning it over and over until he was sure he’d worn away the exterior.
“What if she doesn’t like the ring?” he asked, taking it out and popping the top.
Don, the pilot, smiled easily. “Then she has poor taste, sir.” He pretended to frown. “Although if she likes you, that’s already a given.”
“Careful, Don,” Kase warned, wagging his finger up the stairs. The pilot ducked back inside, leaving the sound of laughter in the air. They were still in easy speaking range however, and the conversation continued.
“She’s going to love it, Kase. Stop fretting like a worried hen.”
“I am not fretting,” he protested.
“I grew up on a farm,” Don called back. “You’re fretting. I’ve seen it. Here she comes.”
Kase spun. A black luxury SUV had emerged onto the tarmac and angled toward the jet. Anxiously, he bounced back and forth from one foot to the other until it came to a halt. Then he dashed over to it and opened the door.
“Why, thank you, good sir,” Michelle said, getting out of the car.
She was wearing a black loose-fitting shirt with a high neck and cutout across her neck and upper chest, paired with white pants and black sandals. It looked amazing.
“Why are you wearing a suit?”
“I always wear a suit to fly.”
She stopped. “You’re lying.”
“Of course I’m lying,” he said with a laugh, hooking her arm. “They’re bloody hot and uncomfortable.”
“Well, you look damn good, whatever the reason.”
“Thank you.” He glanced at the hatch, saw Don’s head just peering out, and nodded at him. “Michelle,” he said, stopping, facing the side of the plane. “There’s something I’d like to ask you.”
Don pulled the rope, and a banner that had been tightly rolled up fell loose, draping itself along the side of the plane. At the same time he dropped to one knee.
“Kase!” she gasped, covering her mouth.
“Will you, Michelle Deborah Barden, do me the unimaginable honor of becoming my wife?”
He opened the box, displaying to her the ring made of pure quicksilver. Tiny scales ran around the outside of the band, whilst two slightly larger ones had been molded around the sides of a diamond and then set into the top of the band. The entire thing shone brightly in the sunlight.
“Kase, I don’t know what to say,” she said, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.
“There are really only two choices,” he said, his heart thundering violently.
“What? Oh, no, that’s not what I meant!” she yelped. “I accept. Oh, Kase, I so accept, yes. Yes, a thousand times yes!” She tackled him to the ground, smothering him in kisses, the ring all but forgotten.
He shut the box with a snap of his fingers and then wrapped his hands around her, returning the kisses with rapid interest.
“Is that why you’re wearing the suit?” she asked with a laugh.
“Yes,” he said, helping her to her feet. “I wanted to impress you.”
“Oh my goodness, Kase.” She pressed herself to his side. “You already impress me, you loser. You didn’t need to dress up.”
“I figured you’d appreciate it for the pictures.”
“Pictures?”
He pointed behind them to where the driver was standing, a large camera in hand.
“You sneak!” she yelped. “You set me up.”
Grinning, he nodded. “Yup.”
“Unbelievable.”
“I love you. Now stop whining about being engaged and let me put the ring on your finger, will you?”
Still looking shocked, she extended her hand for him.
“Kase, it’s beautiful,” she whispered, lifting her hand to examine it more closely.
“Then it’s worthy of you,” he said with a wink, well aware of how much she secretly loved such cheesy lines.
Michelle groaned, but her lips turned up into a smile anyway. “I get to put up with this for the rest of my life now, don’t I?”
He smiled. “A lot longer than you bargained for,” he said cryptically, knowing she would interpret it to mean she might not have planned for it for the rest of her life.
Wasn’t she going to be surprised when she found what being mated to a dragon and wearing a part of him did for her life span. There was so much he had yet to tell her. But why rush it?
After all, they were going to have centuries together.
********
********
This concludes Dragon Bound, Quicksilver Dragons Book 2.
Stoen’s story is up next! To be notified when it’s available and to get a bonus scene between Michelle & Kase, click the link below.
(If you’re already signed up, you can find the link to the bonus scene in one of your emails from me)
I hope you enjoyed the adventure.
If you enjoyed it, please considering leaving a review to help others find the story as well.