“Y

ou’re turning pink, sweetheart.”

I was almost asleep, the sun lulling me into a beautiful mid-day nap. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been asleep in the middle of the day. And as much as I wanted to continue into dreamland, enjoying the warmth of the sun on my skin, I did not want to spend the next five days on this tropical island with a sunburn.

“Want me to put some sunblock on you?”

I opened one eye and looked right at Aiden.

“That’s your sole responsibility as my boyfriend. SPF duty.”

“Well, then, scoot over, baby. I’ll lotion you up.”

I had to laugh when Aiden got silly. There was something about this giant lumberjack man using silly voices that totally made me go goofy.

“I think we need to clarify something, though,” he said as he rubbed the cold lotion into my back, making my entire body go a little wobbly. The man’s hands always made my body react in amazingly magnificent ways.

“Hmmm?”

“Like that, do ya?” he teased.

“Shut it and keep rubbing.”

“Right. So, about my responsibilities, as you so eloquently put it.”

“Yes?”

“Is SPF the only responsibility? You said sole, and I’m not one to argue, but I was under the impression I was in charge of more than just UVB rays.”

“Are you looking for some sort of promotion? And oh my God, please don’t ever stop rubbing lotion on my back.”

He chuckled, and the gruff sound of his laugh did ridiculous things to my lady parts. We’d been on this island for only one day and I was already completely relaxed and totally over-the-top in love with my boyfriend. If he wanted to rub lotion all over me, I would absolutely let him. And then I’d return the favor. Over and over again.

“I’d take a promotion, but I want to discuss terms.”

“Like what? Your title?”

“That and compensation.”

“You’re a smart business man, Aiden Daniels. Anyone ever told you that?”

“A few people.”

His strong fingers kneaded the muscles between my shoulder blades and I let out a moan. I had not one care about who could hear me.

“So, your promotion. I could be persuaded to call you man friend. I know boy is a little misleading. There’s nothing boyish about you.”

“That’s an interesting offer.”

“There are lots of perks,” I said, looking over my shoulder at him and waggling my eyebrows. “Should we discuss your benefits package?”

I watched him toss his head back and laugh the best, full, deep, rumbly laugh—my absolute favorite laugh of his—and considered my job done. If Aiden was rubbing lotion on my body and laughing, there was absolutely nothing that could make this day any better.

When he was done laughing he said, “Babe, my hands are covered in lotion. Can you grab my sunglasses case?”

“It’s the very least I could do,” I said, a little sass in my voice. I was feeling particularly cheeky. Was this what being relaxed felt like? It was a totally new experience for me. I reached into the beach bag that was right next to my lounge chair and found the hard case that held Aiden’s sunglasses. I rolled over and sat up, then opened the case to grab his glasses and put them on, so he wouldn’t have to get sunblock all over them. But when I opened the case, the sunglasses weren’t there.

Instead, a beautiful diamond ring sparkled in the light.

“What did you find there?” Aiden asked, his voice knowing and a little haughty.

I glanced up at him, my mouth hanging wide-open, only to find him wearing his sunglasses.

“What is this?” I managed to ask, my voice up two octaves.

“I’m hoping it’s part of my benefits package for my new promotion.”

“Aiden,” I whispered, looking down again at the ring, lying where plain black sunglasses should be.

He reached into the case with his giant fingers and pulled out the ring, which wasn’t small by any means, but looked dainty next to his big paws.

“I was thinking, though, as part of the negotiation of terms, we could put the title of husband on the table for discussion.”

A sob escaped me. I couldn’t help it. The word husband came out of his mouth and I was a leaky faucet.

“I think I’ve put in a lot of hours—hard hours, Rose—lots of manual labor. Not to mention tech support. Who programed your fancy new tablet last month?”

“Stop,” I cried. Well, laughed and cried.

Before I could stop him—and I wouldn’t have even if I could—Aiden knelt to one knee in the sand next to me and pushed the sunglasses up into his hair, so I could see his beautiful eyes. He wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but he was getting teary too.

“Rose, since the day I first laid eyes on you, there was no doubt in my mind that I wanted you forever. I want to be worthy of your love and I promise if you give me the honor of becoming my wife, I’ll spend the rest of forever making sure I earn every precious moment.” He took in a shaky breath, and blew it out, seeming to compose himself, and all I wanted to do was jump in his lap and kiss him silly. “I want children with you, a house with you, a life with you, and I can’t imagine any of that with anyone but you. You make every day worth living, and I hope to spend the rest of my life trying to make you ten times as happy as you make me. Will you marry me, Rose?”

I had no words to compete with that, so I just nodded, smiling through the happiest tears of my entire life.

“I love you so much, sweetheart,” he said as he slid the gorgeous ring down my finger.

“There was never anyone but you. Ever, Aiden. It was always you.”

I flew into his arms, not caring one bit what anyone else around us thought. In the distance I heard clapping and hollering, and eventually it would register that people were celebrating our engagement, but for me, right then, it was just him and me.

The way it was always meant to be.