A Virgin for His Prize(50)
Was that what it meant to marry rather than take a lover? No other woman had ever influenced Maxwell’s plans.
He sipped his wine, almost enjoying the sense of being off-kilter. It was so foreign to him. Maybe when the source was the woman who had blown his mind in bed the night before, it wasn’t such a bad thing.
“I told your father I was going to marry you,” Maxwell informed her.
Romi cast Maxwell a wary glance. “You were right.”
“He seemed to think it would only happen if you wanted it to.”
Romi grinned. “He was right, too.”
For the first time in adult memory, Maxwell did not know what to say. She had chosen him even though he didn’t love her like her father had loved her mother. What did that mean? Did she see an expiration date on their relationship?
Was the sex that good?
Did she plan to find the love of her life after Maxwell?
Anger washed over him at the idea.
Romi handed him the Tiffany box.
He took it with a silent question.
“I’d like to tell our children about the moment their father proposed.”
That did not sound like a woman planning to move on to someone else later. Still, he couldn’t let her think this was a romantic moment between two people who believed in forever. “I am not going on one knee.”
“Fine.” She stared at him expectantly, the vibrant blue of her eyes glowing with it.
“You already agreed to marry me.”
“Yes.” She sighed, some of the expectation dimming and along with it the glow. “Do you really want me to put the ring on myself?”
“No!” Damn. Where had that come from?
Her expression lightened and only then did he realize hurt had begun to shadow her blue gaze. That’s where the glow had gone.
The Russian curse words that flowed through his mind in that moment put the others to shame.
He stood and moved around the table until he stood beside her chair. Leaning down, he gripped the back of the chair and turned it so she faced him.
Her eyes had gone round, her mouth dropping open in surprise. “Max?”
“There should be a story for our children.” Russians understood family stories, the history that really mattered.
It wasn’t about promising love for a lifetime.
He dropped to one knee, flipped the ring box open and offered it to Romi. “Will you marry me, Ramona Grayson?”
Beautiful blue eyes glistening suspiciously, she nodded her head really fast.
“Words, dorogaya. Give me the words. For your children.” And for him, though he would never say so.
“Yes, Maxwell Black, I will marry you and I don’t care how airtight that book you call a prenuptial agreement is, you’ll have a heck of a time getting rid of me.”
He didn’t argue with her. Maxwell didn’t want to dwell on invoking the clauses in the contract.
He took the ring from the box and put his hand out imperiously for hers. She gave it to him without hesitation, placing her left hand into his.
He slid the custom-designed engagement ring onto her finger and only then did she look down at it.
The ten-karat blue sapphire was the same shade as her eyes, the large diamonds on either side sparkling with Romi’s effervescence. Set in a vintage-style Russian gold filigree band, he was very pleased with the Tiffany master jeweler’s design.
“It’s beautiful,” she said in an emotion-laden voice.
“I had it designed for you.”
“You’re a planner.”
“I am.” No need to tell her the designers had been working on the ring since well before Jeremy Archer’s marriage contract offer for his daughter.
“It’s really big.”
“But it fits you.” And he didn’t mean the size. Naturally, he’d gotten that right.
She choked out a laugh. “It does. I should be all about how ostentatious it is, but I love it.”
“It sparkles like you do.”
“Ooh, you really do say some of the cheesiest things and make them sound way too romantic.”
He shrugged. “It’s a gift.”
That had only manifested for this woman, but who was keeping track?
“Are you ready to go home?” he asked.
Romi’s face contorted with emotion. “Other than college dorms, I’ve never lived anywhere but here.”
“You like the penthouse.”
“I do.”
“But this is home.”
“Dad needed me for so long, I couldn’t think of living anywhere else.”
“Even so, you love this house, don’t you?”
Romi nodded but smiled as she stood, no reluctance evident in her manner. “I’m ready to go.”
They hadn’t finished dinner, but he didn’t think either of them was worried about that right now.