“Or anything else,” she adds. “Oh, that gala at the hospital for the new children’s wing was fun.”

“I think that was the first time you saw Will Montgomery in person.”

“You’re right,” she says, laughing. “I was too shy to talk to him.”

“I guess it all worked out in the end, now that you’ve met him a few times.”

“Lots of things have worked out in the end. Oh, look, you even included the photo from the night of Hamilton,” she says with a grin.

“Of course, you looked amazing that night.”

“This is beautiful,” she says after pushing her empty plate away.

“That’s not the last page,” I reply, feeling the butterflies start to take flight in my belly. She flips the page, then looks up at me in confusion.

“It just says: There’s more in the living room.”

“I guess we’d better go in there, then.”

She hops off her stool and follows me around the corner to the living room and gasps. I step inside the heart that I’ve arranged with more flameless candles and turn to her. Her eyes roam over the room, looking at the fifteen-dozen red roses—one dozen for every year I’ve known her—in small bouquets on the floor and on every available surface.

I extend my hand, offering it to her, and she crosses to me, stepping inside the heart with me, her jaw still dropped in surprise.

“Joy, you are the most incredible woman I’ve ever known. You’re funny, smart, and successful and you’ve been my best friend since I was a boy. You’ve been there with me through everything, from our internships, building our careers, the death of your mother. Hell, every important moment of my life includes you, Joy. You know me better than anyone.

“You’re the brightest part of my day, every day, and frankly, the idea of not having you by my side is an agony I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. I’m standing before you now, asking you to not just be my friend, but to be my partner in all things. To have a family, to go through all of life’s ups and downs, and to love with me for the rest of our lives.”

There’s a red velvet pillow in front of me. I kneel on one knee and pull a small box out of my pocket. I open it, offering her the ring I’ve had waiting just for her.

“Will you be my wife, Joy Thompson? Will you marry me?”

Tears roll down her cheeks unchecked, but she doesn’t say anything. She chews her lip then, suddenly, she kneels before me, cupping my face in her hands.

“Joy? I need an answer, baby.”

~Joy~

He’s staring at me with so much hope and love, it takes my breath away. Isn’t this how every woman wants to be looked at when she’s asked to marry? With adoration?

“Joy?”

“Of course,” I whisper, then clear my throat and lean in to kiss him soundly. “Of course, I’ll marry you, Jace Crawford.”

“You scared me there,” he says, tipping his forehead against mine, then reaches for the ring nestled in the box and slips it on my finger.

“This is just stunning.” I tear my gaze from the solitaire diamond on my finger to Jace’s face. “Thank you, so much.”

“No, thank you.” He pulls me to my feet, then lifts me in his arms and carries me upstairs. “You know what the best part of flameless candles is?”

“What’s that?”

“No fire hazard.” He winks at me as Carl races ahead of us up the steps. “With all of the animals in this house, I didn’t dare use real candles.”

“You’re such a smart man.” I kiss his cheek. “You know, I could get used to all these rides I get from you.”

“Good. I like carrying you.”

“That bath was a nice touch,” I inform him as he sets me on the floor and peels the covers back on the bed. “I might have agreed to marry you from that alone. You could have proposed when I was sitting in that water, and I would have scrambled to say yes.”

“Good to know the way to your heart is through the tub,” he says, his eyes full of humor.

“Should we make some calls?” I ask. “Noel will freak if she’s not the first to know.”

“She already knows,” he says with a laugh. “Sometimes, a guy needs a little help.”

“You asked her to help you?” I don’t know why, but that touches me. That they worked together to make this proposal special means a lot to me. “That’s sweet.”

“I wanted to make sure that tonight was romantic and exactly what you’d want.”

“And you did,” I reply, just before he lowers his lips to mine, kissing me with love and passion. He steps closer, pressing himself against me, and I can feel his hardness against my belly. “I guess it’s been a few days.”

“Too long,” he agrees. “But you’ve been sick.”

“I’m feeling better now.” I wiggle my brows and laugh when he tackles me to the bed, his face buried in my neck. He immediately unfastens my jeans and dives inside with a hand, finding me wet and wanting.

“You’re slick,” he says. His movements gentle, and he unwraps me from my clothes like I’m the best present ever. “And so fucking beautiful.”

“You’re not so bad yourself,” I inform him as I slide my hand up under the hem of his shirt and over the rigid muscles of his abs. “Seriously, your stomach should come with a warning label.”

He grins against my left breast before taking the nipple into his mouth and sucking gently.

“What would it say?” he asks.

“May cause spontaneous horniness,” I reply with a laugh as he strips out of his shirt and tosses it aside.

“This stomach?” He flexes his muscles, making me laugh harder.

“Yes, those muscles. Don’t get a big head, now.”

“The woman I love just agreed to marry me,” he says, falling over me again and kissing me deeply. “My head is huge.”

“You’re silly.”

“You’re beautiful,” he breathes and kisses his way down my sternum to my belly, before covering me with his body once again and filling me up. “You’re incredible, Joy.”

He’s moving, in and out in a steady rhythm, not too slow and not too fast. My toes curl, and my fingers fist in his hair, holding on tightly as I feel an orgasm already making its way down my spine.

“God, the way you make me feel,” he whispers in my ear, and it sends me over into a silent, intense climax that leaves me reeling and loving him more—something I didn’t even think was possible.

Once we’re cleaned up and snuggling in bed, Jace clears his throat.

“How long should this engagement be, do you think?”

“I don’t know.” I frown up at him. “Are you in a hurry?”

“Well, yeah. I’m anxious to make you Dr. Crawford.”

I slowly shake my head. “I’m still going to be Dr. Thompson.”

“Like hell.”

“No, really, Jace, I won’t be changing my last name.”

“What are you talking about?” He scowls down at me. “We’re getting married, and we were both raised with traditional family values. Of course, you’ll change your name.”

“It’s not about that.” I sigh and rub my hands over my face, trying to gather my thoughts. “Jace, my entire business is under my name as Dr. Joy Thompson. That’s how my patients know me, but more than that, it’s how everything is filed with the IRS. Dismantling it all and putting it back together will take months, if not years.”

“People do it every day.” His expression is hard.

“I’m not trying to hurt you,” I insist. “This isn’t because I don’t love you, or that I’m not proud of you. You know that.”

“I just don’t understand,” he replies.

“Can we talk it out another time?” I ask wearily. “This is all so new, and we should be excited not bickering like an old couple.”

“Okay.” He sighs and tugs me closer. “We’ll talk about it later.”