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I walk to Amelia, her brow furrows with confusion.
Dom steps back as my friends gather around us.
Then I reach into my pocket, pull out a small velvet box, and hold it close to my chest for a moment longer than necessary.
“Amelia,” I say softly as I kneel before her. She swallows hard, surprise etched across her features.
Gasps surround us as guests turn our way.
“I’d be honored if you’ll...” My heart pounds against my ribcage. I flick open the box to reveal a massive oval shaped diamond set on a thin gold band.
I never planned to buy her something so expensive the night I offered her the deal. But the moment I knew she was mine forever, I redesigned the ring, much to the chagrin of the jeweler. Though he never complained about how much extra commission he made.
Her breath hitches. This wasn’t something she ever expected from me or this arrangement.
“Will you marry me?” I ask her for the first time.
Chapter 20
Amelia
Isway to the music in front of West. With his arms wrapped around my waist and his lips brushing against my neck, shivers zip down my spine.
When the music stops, the room falls silent as Gordon picks up the microphone again.
“Today,” Gordon begins, his voice carrying across the room. “I stand before you not as the head of NeuroPort Dynamics, but as a father. A proud father.”
West’s grip tightens.
I lean my back against his chest as Gordon’s gaze sweeps across the room, landing on each of his children. “Westley, Easton, Dash, Arabella. Each of you has grown into a remarkable individual. You’ve exceeded every expectation I ever had.”
West groans. His chest rises and falls against my back, his breathing measured and controlled.
“But today,” Gordon continues, his eyes settling on us. “We celebrate more than my proud father moments. We celebrate love. And more importantly, Westley and Amelia. I can’t tell you how much your union brings new life to our family.”
West’s lips pause on my neck, and I sense his surprise in his tone. “What the fuck is he up to?”
Obviously not what he expected.
“Amelia,” Gordon addresses me directly. “You’ve brought a light into my son’s life that I’ve never seen since—”
West’s arms tighten as he tenses behind me.
Gordon continues his speech. The room hanging on every word. But I’m more focused on the man holding me, on his uneven breathing, and the way he glances at Dom.
“You know,” Gordon says, a wistful smile playing on his lips, “I never thought I’d see the day West would settle down. At least, not without a little pushing.”
My mind flashes to Elizabeth Jameson, the woman Gordon had wanted West to marry. Is that what he means by pushing? Before I can dwell on it, Gordon takes the speech in an unexpected direction.
“Some of you might not know this, but my son once vowed he’d never marry.” Gordon’s eyes soften as he looks at West. “It was after he lost someone to the bratva.”
The room collectively inhales, and West goes completely still behind me. His breath catches, then whispers, “What the fuck!”
I want to turn and look at him, but I’m frozen in place.
Gordon continues, oblivious to the tension radiating from his son. “It broke my heart to see him so devastated. For years, he threw himself into work, avoiding any real connections.”
My mind reels as I try to remember if anyone at work had ever mentioned how devastated he was, but nothing surfaces.