Enchanted (The Accidental Billionaires #4)(70)

He popped the box open.

Tears sprang to my eyes as I looked at the perfect, shockingly large diamond winking at me.

“Marry me, Andie. Put me out of my misery,” Noah said huskily.

I laughed. The demand was so authentically Noah that I couldn’t help myself.

I nodded as tears trickled down my cheeks. “It took you long enough.”

He grinned up at me as he pulled the ring from the box and put it on my finger. “I wanted to make sure you’d say yes.”

I doubted very much that he would have ever taken no for an answer, but my heart ached over the fact that Noah had given me time and space when he’d thought that I needed it.

He was completely unselfish in that way, and there were very few people who truly had that kind of thoughtfulness in their nature.

Luckily, I was going to marry a guy who would always put my needs before his own, even though I didn’t want him to do it.

I’d never take him for granted, and I’d always put his needs before mine, too. I loved him too much not to do it.

“I love you,” I said tearfully as I fumbled to undo my seat belt.

The second I was free, I threw myself into his arms.

“I love you, too, Andie,” he said, his voice guttural as he wrapped his arms around me.

I hugged him tightly. “Thank you for waiting for me.”

I’d hesitated once, but I’d never do it again.

Life and time were too damn precious to waste.

He sat back down in his recliner and pulled me into his lap. “I didn’t know I was actually waiting until I met you.”

I lowered my head and kissed him. It was a slow, thorough embrace of promise and tender devotion.

Putting my forehead against his once our lips had parted, I let out a shaky breath.

Noah had the power to love me or destroy me, but I had complete faith in him and his intentions.

“I’m taking you to Napa,” he said in a casual tone.

I froze. “You’re kidding, right?”

“Not kidding,” he denied.

In the same conversation that I made that joke about eloping, I’d also said that I wished I could just quietly get married outside in a vineyard somewhere.

It had sounded so romantic, and so amazingly simple.

Certainly, he didn’t think . . .

“Marry me there, Andie. Let’s make it simple and beautiful. Just you and me. We’ll make our promises together. Without all of the fuss.”

“Noah, we can’t. Your siblings and cousins—”

“Will survive just fine without another damn wedding to attend,” he finished. “When we get back to California, we can have a big damn party with an enormous cake, and a bunch of great food. After that, we’ll figure out where we want to go on our honeymoon.”

God, I was so down with what he was proposing.

A simple ceremony in a vineyard.

A romantic dinner and a stroll through the rolling hills after it was over.

No crazy wedding frenzies.

No frantic preparations.

No uneven sides of the aisle.

I knew damn well Noah was doing this for me. “Is this really what you want?”

“Yeah,” he answered, sounding truthful. “There’s been plenty of weddings in my family. All I want is to be married to you, Andie. I want to stand face to face and make our vows. That’s all that matters.”

I was flustered. “I don’t have a dress—”

“We’ll shop. I’m not going to make you say your vows today. Or tomorrow. We have time to make everything perfect.”

I put my head on his shoulder as my entire body started to shake.

Within seconds, I was wracked with big, ugly sobs that I couldn’t hold back.

Noah put his hand up and stroked over my hair gently. “Oh, fuck! Don’t cry,” he rasped, his tone worried.

“I can’t help it. You shouldn’t be so amazing, and I probably wouldn’t cry,” I choked out.

“Does that mean you’re game for the plan?” He sounded incredibly hopeful.

“I’m all over it,” I answered as I raised my head and swiped the tears from my face. Maybe what I’d said wasn’t completely a joke.

It had actually been what I’d consider a perfect wedding.

I just hadn’t admitted it to myself at the time.

But somehow, Noah had known, even when I hadn’t.

“We definitely need to have that big party,” I warned him. “I’d like to meet your East Coast family, and I wouldn’t feel right if there wasn’t some family celebration.”

“I’m sure Riley, Skye, and Jade would be happy to help you plan it,” he said drily.

“And Layla,” I added.

“You can do that up any way you want,” he offered. “As long as it has good food.”

I punched him in the arm playfully. “I think that’s my line.”

He stood up, sweeping me up into his arms as he got out of his seat. “It’s a short flight. I think we better hurry.”

I gave him a questioning look. “Why?”

He opened the door to the bedroom, and tossed me onto the bed. “We need to break in this damn jet.”

I snorted. “I think you mean we need to try out the bed.”