Page 120 of A Million Times, Yes

Her body tightened before it relaxed. “You’re right.”

“HR couldn’t be more pleased with her performance.”

“You checked with them?”

“And with her boss. Since Debbie’s one-year review is coming up, I didn’t want there to be any surprises. There won’t be—well, aside from the raise she’s getting.”

“What? She’s getting a raise?”

“Yes.”

“Jordan . . .”

I kissed her hair. “I know, baby.”

I also knew my head was exploding and I didn’t want to wait another second to carry out this plan.

I picked up my beer and held it to my lips, swallowing until the bottle was empty, and then I moved her forward a few inches to give me enough room to step out onto the bath mat.

“Where are you going?” she asked.

I reached for a towel and quickly dried off, wrapping it around my waist. “I’ve got to do something.” I leaned across the edge of the tub to kiss her. “I’ll be right back.”

She smiled. “Hurry.”

I left the en suite and walked out of the bedroom, through the living room and kitchen, and into my office, the drips from the bath running down my back and legs as I took a seat behind my desk. There was a keypad on the underside of the wood that took a series of six numbers before it unlocked the top drawer. Once it was open, I looked inside, grabbed what I came for, shut the drawer, and went back to the bathroom.

But instead of joining her in the water, I stood in the doorway and watched her.

She was stretched across the porcelain tub, the tips of her toes sticking out, her hands folded over both edges, her hair floating around her. And the bubbles were like a blanket covering her body.

“What are you doing over there?” Her tone was sly.

My shoulder was pressed into the doorframe, my arms crossed. I could feel the smile moving across my face, the heat spreading over myskin. Despite the candles Maya had lit, the darkness of the bathroom was probably doing a good job masking my flushed flesh.

“I’m admiring,” I replied.

“The bubbles aren’t giving you much of a view, are they?”

“Any view of you is incredible.”

“Aww.You’re so cute.”

I moved over to the tub, but I didn’t climb in. “Get on your knees for me.”

She turned her head toward me a bit more. “My knees?”

“Yes.”

She lifted herself out of the water and kneeled upright. In this position, the light from the candles flickered on her skin, the glow just enough that I could see the fire in her eyes.

As she went to hold the edge of the tub, I picked up one of her hands. “I love you, Maya. I love you more than anything.”

“I love you too.”

I squatted to the tile, placing one knee on the bath mat, and looked up at her.

“Jordan . . . are you . . . ?”

“In my mind, every time I thought of this moment, the location of where I was going to do it held so much significance. What the scenery would look like. Having the sun shine on your face—or, even better, a sunset. But as I was lying in this bathtub with you, knowing this was a question I’ve been wanting to ask you for a while, I asked myself if any of that really mattered.” I rubbed my thumb over the back of her hand. “All you’ve ever wanted from me was us. And that’s what I want to give you. But I want to give you more.” I released her hand just long enough to lift the top of the box I was hiding behind my back, and when both arms were out in front of me, I retook her fingers and set the box on the lip of the tub. “But more isn’t enough either. I want to give you forever, baby.”

Her other hand was over her mouth; tears filled her eyes. “Oh my God ...” she whispered.

I pulled out the ring that I’d designed, that I’d been taking with me to all the places we’d traveled to lately, waiting to see if any of the destinations felt like the right one. I placed the diamond at the base of her ring finger. The band was an infinity style made of all diamonds, the stone a round solitaire that had enough carats to please me, but not enough to displease her.

A ring that, as long as she said yes, would be on her finger when her best friend and our families came to New York this weekend to celebrate our surprise engagement.

“Maya Nolan, will you be my wife?”

She threw her arms around my neck and pressed our lips together. “A million times, yes.”