Page 120 of Code Violation

“You haven’t finished turning pages yet,” Silas breathes against my neck.

Eyes narrowed with suspicion, I sit up and pull the book from my lap. “What else do you have up your sleeve, Mr. Stanton?”

I don’t miss his deep swallow or the way he glances briefly at the book and then back up at me.

“Why don’t you turn the page and find out?”

Keeping my eyes trained on his, I let the next page fall open, anticipation swirling inside me.

“Take a look, Ves. Tell me, what do you see?”

It takes my brain a good few seconds to catch up with my eyes. But when it does, the tears begin to flow.

I’ve come to realize that this entire book is likely blank, aside from the email, tickets, and the handwritten message from Silas.

The one I’m looking at right now.

The one that asks me, in the simplest way, to marry him.

Beneath the message is a yellow gold ring with an oval-cut red gemstone set into it.

Silas pulls the clear tape holding the ring in place and pinches it between his fingers.

“I don’t know whether to scream, laugh, or keep sobbing,” I say, shaking my head in disbelief.

He chuckles, relieved at the elation in my voice.

As if I was ever going to say no.

“How about you go ahead and try it on for size?”

I hold out my left hand, now giggling like a freaking schoolgirl.

Silas slides the ring onto my finger. It’s a little loose, although it won’t fall off, and he doesn’t look concerned.

“When I had this made, the jeweler advised that your fingers might swell as your body grew our baby. And since I never want you to take my ring off, I figured we could adjust it after you gave birth.”

The tears continue to tumble as I stare down at something so beautiful. “Is it a ruby?”

Silas rubs his thumb across the gemstone until it really sparkles. “No. It’s a red diamond. The rarest of all colored diamonds.”

My breath catches in my throat. “I don’t even want to know how much this cost.”

He pushes a piece of hair behind my ear. “Way more than those Gucci bags. Say yes, Vesper. Spend a life with me and our baby. Let me love you in the way you were always supposed to be loved.”

I nod before I can speak. “Yes,” I croak out, throwing my arms around his neck. “So much yes.”

And in the blink of an eye, the coloring book is tossed onto the coffee table behind me, and I’m lying down on the couch again, my new fiancé hovering over me as he hooks a thumb under the waistband of his boxer briefs and pushes them down his legs.

“How’s the pain?” he asks, taking my left nipple into his mouth and sucking gently, feeding on my release.

I moan and fist his thick cock, guiding it toward my entrance. “Totally nonexistent.”

epilogue

. . .

Silas