Stranded with a Billionaire (Billionaire Boys Club #1)(87)

Logan’s cold expression finally cracked. He exhaled loudly, and then buried his face against her.

“Logan?” She touched his hair.

“I thought you were going to leave me again.” The relief in his voice was evident, and he began to press kisses on her stomach. “You scared the shit out of me.”

“Sorry,” she said, the nervous giggle escaping her throat. Damn stupid giggle. “I’m . . . I won’t run again. Not without talking to you first. I just . . . it’s hard to know where I fit in your world when I’ve always had trouble even fitting in to my own.”

“I know where you fit,” Logan said, sitting up suddenly. He pressed a fist to his heart. “Right here, Bront?.”

Sudden tears pricked her eyes. “I love you, Logan.”

“I love you, too,” he told her, leaning down and kissing her mouth lightly. “And I want you to be comfortable with me. If something bothers you, tell me so I can fix it or change it.”

“I think it’s me more than you, Logan. I thought that if I came to you and did nothing but sit around your house, I’d turn into one of those women that you hate. I’d do nothing but spend your money on shoes and purses all day long, like Danica.”

“It wasn’t that Danica spent my money, love. If you dedicated your life to shopping, you wouldn’t be able to spend all my money. It was that she valued the money more than she valued our relationship. You’ve never been like that. You never will be. It’s not in your nature.” He picked up her hand and kissed the palm of it tenderly. “That’s one reason why I fell for you so hard.”

“I might spend some of your money,” Bront? blurted, waiting for him to react. But he didn’t; he only continued to smile at her. “I’ve realized that I was resenting you for my being a waitress, which is stupid. It isn’t your fault I picked a major that wouldn’t get me anywhere except waiting tables. It wasn’t that you wanted me to make something of myself. It’s that I wasn’t happy with who I was. That doesn’t change with or without money, really. But Gretchen woke me up, and I realized that only I can make myself satisfied with my career path. All I know is I that being without you made me unhappy even when I was waiting tables again. So . . .” She breathed deep and blurted, “I want to go back to college and get a graduate degree. Or start a charity to donate books to schools and retirement homes like Gretchen does, but on a bigger scale. Or do both. Or all of it. I’m not sure. But I want to do something with myself. I’ll get bored sitting around your apartment all day.”

A smile curved his hard mouth. “Love, I want you to do whatever makes you happy. And if going back to school helps you—or starting a charity—then we’ll do both. As long as we do it together.”

“Together.” She blinked rapidly, overcome. “I’m sorry I’ve made this so difficult. I—”

“Shhh,” he told her. “You didn’t. You were just frightened, and I tend to be overbearing and controlling. It’s part of my nature.”

“It is,” she agreed with a small smile. “You’re used to handling the situation. But a girl likes to be asked every now and then.”

“I promise to ask more,” he said, and his eyes grew serious again. He reached into the inner pocket of his jacket and produced a small box. Logan held it out to her. “Starting now.”

She sucked in a breath, staring at the small, dark blue box. Her fingers trembled as she reached for it, and slowly snapped the case open.

An oval diamond the size of a pebble was set into a thick gold band. She stared at the ring in surprise, then at Logan.

“I picked the inscription for you,” he said, his voice a little gruff. “Do you like it?”

“Inscription?” She pulled the ring out of the box and peered at the inside of the band, turning the ring to read the tiny lettering printed there. “‘Every heart hears a song, incomplete, until another heart whispers back.’” Her eyes filled with the tears she’d been unable to hold back. “It’s beautiful. Ovid?”

“Plato, actually,” he told her with a grin. A laugh escaped her, wild and free. Plato. Of course it was. How very perfect.

“You’re my heart, Bront?. I know it feels like such a short time together, but I want to wake up every day with you at my side and in my life.” He took the ring from her trembling fingers and held it out to her. “Will you marry me?”

“Of course I will,” she said, throwing her arms around his neck. “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too,” Logan told her. “Waitress, philosopher, or charitable organizer, I’ll love you all the same as long as you’ll be mine.”

Slipping the ring on her finger, she kissed him with all the love in her heart.

Epilogue

It didn’t take long for Bront? to decide what she wanted to do with her life. Gretchen’s book donation charity had inspired her, and after signing up for continuing education classes at NYU, she worked with Logan’s financial advisors to set up a charity. Philosophy Reads was soon born, complete with a fancy website and nonprofit status. Her goal? To bring her love of reading and knowledge to those who couldn’t afford it or couldn’t get out. Bront? selected two books—one classic and one modern—and then purchased hundreds of copies. These she had delivered to local libraries, retirement homes, and hospitals, and she set up weekly meetings for people to meet and discuss them.