Seduced By The British Billionaire(27)

When a glimmer caught her eye, she focused at the bottom of the sparkling beverage. Its blush color masked something hard and shiny at the base of her petite goblet. “What…” She intensely stared, then fished it out with her finger

Charles laughed softly. “How un-lady like,” he kidded, drawing attention to her behavior.

She gasped as her fingers produced a rather abundant treasure from her drink. “Oh…my…God…” Her heart trilled at the sight of it. Platinum, diamonds, and perfectly shimmering in the sunlight, it was a jewel fit for queens. Or so it seemed to her, the ring glistening magically in her fingertips.

After mesmerizingly gazing at it, she tilted her head towards her beaming would-be fiancé. “You’re kidding right?” She held out the ring for him to see.

“Of course not,” he warmly smiled, taking the ring from her palm.

To her surprise he dropped to one knee. “I haven’t quite given you a formal proposal yet, my love.” He combed his hair from his face, revealing those sea blue eyes. They gazed upwards to her.

She thought her knees were going to buckle. Butterflies sieged her stomach until she could barely stand it. She just stood there dumbfounded and utterly speechless. Her hands trailed to her mouth in hopes of hiding the surprise, cupping it delicately as many women do.

His entire countenance changed almost immediately. He grew serious, rolling the ring around in the palm of his hand. Then taking it, diamonds facing upwards, he held it up to her.

Clearing his throat, he paralleled tradition as men have done for centuries. “Amber Baptiste,” he started off. “From the moment I met you I’ve known clearly and unmistakably the love I hold for you. Despite the awkward situations we’ve been through and the undoubtedly backwards way our relationship has evolved…I can’t help but find myself the happiest I’ve ever been in my life,” he paused, taking in the emotions she exuded.

Her eyes were moist with tears. But they were tears of happiness, threatening to trail down her beautiful cheekbones.

The breeze stilled and the waters almost calmed on cue for the moment. It was a special twinkling in their lives that may never end. It would forever remain a fixture in their memories, which was something Charles had intended to create. He wanted her to remember this day.

He took a breath to deliver the final speech. “I know I’ve hurt you in the past, and for that I cannot apologize enough. But I promise from here on, that I will remain truthful and honest with you till death do us part. Amber, will you do me the honor of being my wife?”

Her entire life flashed before her eyes. She was born, she grew up, and nothing had seemed quite so spectacular. Her childhood was spent in foster homes, no one really wanting a small dark skinned little girl at the time. Her mother had been some ex-druggy who couldn’t cope with her pregnancy. Her father was some dead-beat loan shark who took off to some foreign country to escape welfare. It was the same thing with many of the other children growing up in New York City, just different situations.

Life held almost nothing for her except for art. Painting was a way to dive deep within her soul and escape everything. It was her own form of expression coming alive before her eyes. She needed it. She thrived off of it, soaking in the raw emotions it invoked within her.

She had never quite thought it would ever amount to anything and it hadn’t. She did it because of the endless need within her to satisfy the craving. It was her one outlet that made everything else seem worth it. And now she had this magnificent creature before her, holding the key to her happiness. All she had to do was take it.

Her fingers outstretched, probing for the gem. It sparkled so. Letting him slide the ring on her left hand, she trembled inside. Her fate was sealed in the precious metal caressing her soft delicate hand.

She looked him in the eyes and answered him for a second time, but this time not in words. Her body radiated certainty, securing him with exuberant absolution.

“I have one more thing for you,” he pulled out a small object from the pocket of his long white pants. He was surely dressed for the part.

“What is it?” she was riddled with curiosity. No matter how interested she was in the second thing he had for her, she couldn’t stop staring at her hand. If she fell overboard she might drown from the weight. Dear Lord, it was too much. She didn’t even want to know how much he spent on it. It had to be worth more than everything she owned put together.

He dangled the key-chain vigorously in front of her. Hanging from the silver ring was a flip open car key covered in brilliant pink crystals. “Here,” he said. “I thought you could use this, seeing as your car isn’t in the best of conditions…” He tried to word it so as not to offend her.