The Cowboy's Runaway Bride(32)

Maddie’s brow wrinkled. “So you hired me to clean cabins that you didn’t really need cleaned?”

He wrapped her more firmly in his embrace. “You have no idea how many times Carol asked me what I was going to do with those cabins. When I met you, I knew those cabins would be a good excuse to spend time with you.” He smiled down at her. “I couldn’t let you wander Wyoming in your wedding dress.” His hands tightened around her waist. “As soon as I met you, I wanted you. I had to hope you felt the same - in time.”

“I did,” Maddie breathed. “I mean, I do. I love you, Garrett.”

“Good.” His lips claimed hers, his tongue demanding entry, which she gladly gave. Maddie lost herself in his kiss.

“Come home with me,” he murmured against her lips.

She nodded, her pulse pounding as he ravished her once more. Garrett finally dragged his mouth away, cupping her face. “But first, I have to ask you something.”

Maddie held her breath as she watched him get down on one knee on the side of the highway. He pulled out a small velvet box from his pocket. Garrett took her hand, her spine tingling with excitement and anticipation at his touch.

He looked into her eyes, his emotions laid bare. “Maddie Stanton, I love you. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

For a second, she couldn’t speak. Then she gripped his hand. “Yes,” she breathed. “Yes!” Garrett loved her. The reality was even better than her fantasies.#p#分页标题#e#

Garrett stood, still holding the box as he pulled her to him.

“I already said I’d marry you two weeks ago.” Maddie smiled and looked into his face, joy flooding through her. She finally knew exactly how Garrett felt about her. All her hopes and dreams had come true! “I love you.” She tugged his head down, knowing she would never grow tired of saying those three little words to him. Kissing him for all she was worth, she was reluctant to come up for air.

Flashing a grin, Garrett brandished the box in front of her. “You haven’t seen the ring yet.”

“I don’t care about a ring.” Her tone was serious. “All I want is you.”

“Sweetheart, you’ve got me for the rest of your life.” He kissed her swiftly, then opened the box. Nestled inside, a huge solitaire diamond engagement ring with a platinum band sparkled at her. She had never seen a diamond so large. Fleetingly, she wondered if it was even bigger than the Hope diamond.

“As soon as I proposed the first time, I ordered the ring to be custom-made. It should have arrived a week ago,” he grumbled, lifting it out of the box. “It got here this afternoon, after you’d gone.” Concern was etched on his face as she remained silent. “If it doesn’t fit, we can get the band resized.”

Maddie’s lips parted, but no sound emerged. She realized Garrett was waiting for her to say something. As if in a dream, she held out her hand so he could slide the ring on her finger.

“If you don’t like it—”

She blinked, coming out of her trance. “Garrett, it’s so big!” She watched the light play against the facets, admiring the beauty of the stone and the workmanship. “But it’s stunning.“ A smile teased the corners of her mouth. “And it fits perfectly.” She lifted her gaze to his, the expression on her face becoming worried. “Are you sure you can afford it?”

He gave a shout of laughter. “Hell, yeah, I can afford it.” Gathering her in his embrace, he confessed, “Maddie, my brothers and I are collectively billionaires, not including our grandfather’s estate.”

Her knees started to sag, and she was glad that he held her so securely. “B ...billionaires?” Maddie’s eyes widened as she gazed at him.

“Yeah.” He looked a little discomfited. “Right now, my net worth is half a billion dollars. It’s not something I advertise. My brother Alex is a genius playing the stock market. I combined his know-how with my business studies and,” he shrugged, “I made a nice chunk of money. Enough to buy the ranch. Alex and I still sometimes invest in the same business deals.”

The mysterious conference calls. “So that’s what you do in the study. But ... I overheard you one day, saying you wanted to consolidate,” she confessed, a blush tingeing her cheeks.

He smiled. “I decided to streamline a little, that’s all, so I could spend less time in the study and more time with you. I was going to tell you, sweetheart, once the ring arrived.” He stroked her hair. “I was a goner as soon as I saw you on the highway. But I wanted to find out if you could have feelings for me without knowing how much I was worth.”