Page 123 of Take the Plunge

He gets down on one knee and strokes his thumb over my hand. “I’m crazy in love with you, Kian. You taught me how to love again. How to trust again. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?”

I gasp. I’m aware of the man behind the counter watching us, his mouth quivering as though he can’t decide if it’s okay to grin or not yet.

Worry swirls in Jett’s eyes. “Kian?”

I wiggle my finger. “It’s comfier than I thought it would be. The ring, I mean. Yeah, I think I could get used to wearing it.”

“Is that a yes?”

I nod, lean down, cup his face, and kiss him. “That’s a yes. I would love to marry you, Jett Harris.”

He stands, wraps his arms around me, lifts me off the floor, and smashes his lips to mine. “I love you too.”

The man behind the counter claps and whistles.

“You need an engagement ring too,” I say once Jett has put me down.

“If I may,” the man says. “I have the perfect companion to that ring.” He nods at my hand and takes a set of sizing rings out of a drawer beneath the till. “Could I measure your finger?” He gestures to Jett.

Jett steps up to the counter and lets the man try different sizing rings until he finds the right one. He goes to one of the displays and retrieves another signet ring. It’s chunkier than the one I’m wearing and a little bit more expensive. The man gives it to me, and I slide it onto Jett’s ring finger. It fits well and looks good beside his other rings. I put my hand beside his. The salesman is right. The rings complement each other nicely.

We look into each other’s eyes, not needing any words to communicate that the rings are perfect together and perfect for us, just like Jett is perfect for me.

He pays for mine, and I pay for his by tapping into those savings I mentioned earlier. After the salesman congratulates us yet again, we walk out of the shop, empty ring boxes in a paper bag, fingers intertwined.

We climb up the one hundred and ninety-nine steps together. By the time we reach the top, the sun is setting. We sit on the clifftop, arms around each other, watching the sky and ocean turn orange, red, and purple.

“How do you feel about a small registry office wedding, just us and a couple of witnesses, and then a proper ceremony at your granddad’s holiday house?” Jett asks.

I lean my head on his shoulder. “I love that idea.”

“Next summer, after you’ve graduated?”

“Maybe the summer after, when we can afford to pay for a party.”

“Can you wait that long?”

I lift my head, put my fingers under his chin, and turn his face so he’s looking at me. “Yes. We’ll be living together, and I’ll have this ring to remind me that we’ve promised to get married and spend the rest of our lives together. Once we’re married, we can chase everyone away and spend our honeymoon there.” I kiss him again. “Making love whenever and wherever we want.” And again. “Skinny-dipping under the stars.” And again.

“That sounds perfect.”

“It does, doesn’t it?” I grasp his hand, stand, and tug him to his feet.

“Where are we going?”

“To the youth hostel. You proposed to me. Now you have to make love to me until we’re hot, sweaty, and exhausted.”

“I can’t think of anything I’d rather do.”

“Or anyone?”

Jett laughs and embraces me. “There will never be anyone else but you.”

* * *