The Drake Unwound Complete Collection (The Drake Series Book 9)(79)
"Dr. Delish suits you better. You are delicious," she said. "At least you were the last time I tasted you."
"Mmm, Ms. Bennet, you are definitely giving me ideas…"
"You're never short of ideas."
"No, I'm not." I pulled down the shoulder strap of her dress and bit her shoulder playfully. "Yes, very tasty. Very tasty indeed. I'm going to sample more of your wares."
She leaned back and laid her hands over mine, which held the ring box.
"What's this?" she said and took the box, which was tied with a silver ribbon. She turned around and looked in my eyes. "Drake…"
"Open it." My heart was practically bursting while I watched her with the box in her hand. She hesitated for she must have realized what it was – an engagement ring. I felt pretty certain she’d accept, but there was always the chance it would scare her off instead.
When she stood there, unmoving, her mouth open, I decided to take control and took it from her.
"Let's do this properly," I said and opened the box after removing the ribbon. Inside the royal blue velvet ring box was the ring. I opened the box and knelt down in front of her. "See? You've brought me to my knees, Katherine.” I smiled up at her. She had covered her mouth, her eyes wide, tears beginning to form.
"I said once that people might think I was your sub, if they saw the way I was with you. But while I'm kneeling down to you now, it's probably the last, so I hope you appreciate it."
She said nothing. Instead, she stared at the ring – a single solitaire diamond, several carats in weight.
"Katherine," I said, my voice emotional. "I know we agreed that you were collared and that it was as good as an engagement, but I've been thinking a lot about this. Finding out I had a son, meeting him, doing what I could to help him made me realize I don't want to go through life without a family. I don't know what the future will hold for us. I only know that I can't imagine not spending it with you."
She still said nothing and then finally, she looked up from the ring to my eyes.
"Drake, are you sure of this? I thought you didn't want to get married again."
"Kate," I said, unable to mask the emotion in my voice. "I love you so much. I didn’t realize how much until that night I thought I'd lost you. I said I never wanted us to be parted again, and I meant it."
I took the ring out of the box and slipped it on the ring finger of her left hand.
Then I cleared my throat, my voice thick with emotion. "I believe the proper words are 'I love you, Katherine. Will you marry me?'" I smiled up at her.
Her eyes were filled with tears but still she didn’t speak.
"I believe the desired response is 'Yes, Drake, I love you and will marry you.'"
"Yes," she said finally. "Yes, Drake, I love you and will marry you."
I stood up and pulled Kate into my arms, unable to imagine life without her, and thanked the heavens that she said yes.
Our flight to Nairobi was short and I watched out the window over Kate’s shoulder as we flew across the African continent, the thin clouds visible below our plane, the sun shining on the lakes.
"We're almost there," I said, taking her hand in mine, threading our fingers together. "If you look out now, you'll see the city."
Kate watched out the window while we landed and I was filled with happiness that I had scarcely believed was possible only six months earlier. I had been between submissives and felt caught up in the mundane everyday. I wasn’t unhappy. But I wasn’t happy.
With Kate, I was finally happy.
After we touched down and slowed, I turned to her.
"Well, Ms. Bennet. Here we are," I said, smiling. I pulled her hand up to my lips and kissed her knuckles, remembering that first day at Ethan’s apartment and how shocked and thrilled I had been when I realized the hot little brunette with the wide green eyes and nice rack was Katherine.
She smiled at me and turned back to the window while we taxied to the terminal.
In the distance, the Ngong Hills were dark against a perfectly clear blue sky.