Page 35 of Reckless Dynasty (Knight's Ridge Empire 9)

“I thought I warned you, baby,” I taunt once I’ve swallowed my mouthful. “When we want something. We take it.”

“Don’t worry, I’m well aware of what happens when you want something.”

Her eyes follow me as I move around her.

Placing what’s left of the cheesecake on the bedside table, I pull my top drawer open and lift out what I’ve been hiding in here.

“W-what’s that?” she asks as I stalk back over.

“A gift,” I confess, my stomach knotting that she’s not going to like it, or think it’s stupid.

“Toby,” she sighs. “I don’t need—”

“Shh…” I press my fingers to her lips to stop her arguing. “This isn’t about money, this is about us.”

“O-okay,” she mumbles around my fingers.

“Open it,” I encourage, dropping my hand and tapping the top of the box.

She reaches out and pulls the lid off, revealing two smaller boxes inside, one black and one white.

Ripping her eyes from them, she glances up at me.

“Black one first,” I encourage.

She nods and reaches for it, lifting it out of the larger box and pulling the lid free.

Her brow wrinkles when she sees what’s hiding inside.

“Have you bought me a teeny tiny person house?” she muses, taking in the size of the key.

“Nope,” I say, reaching for it and pulling the leather cord it’s hanging from free. “It’s mine.” I place it over my head, letting the small key hang down on my chest.

“You’re giving me a gift that belongs to you?” she asks, one of her brows lifting in confusion after ripping her gaze from it.

“Something like that. Next one.”

My pulse spikes with anticipation as she reaches for it. The second she has the white box out, I throw the larger one to the floor and close the space between us.

She gasps the second she opens it and reality hits her.

“Toby, it’s—”

“You sure you still want to be mine?” I ask as my heart thunders in my chest.

Her dark eyes hold mine, and my head spins as I wait.

Her lips part, and I swear the time it takes for her to speak is the longest second of my life.

“Yes.”

All the air rushes out of my lungs and relief floods me. Anyone would think she’d just agreed to be my wife or something, but to me, this is enough. For now.

“It’s beautiful.”

“That’s a relief, because you’re not going to be able to take it off.”

She runs her finger over the padlock that hangs from the silver chain.