“Yes, I did. Now that my name is by yours, I want my ring on your finger.”
Giving her a swift kiss, he pulled back and snapped open the box.
Rachel gasped as three rings nestled in black velvet came into view.
“Cole,” she whispered, placing a hand over her mouth, “it’s too much.”
“Rachel, it’s hardly enough. I want everyone to know you belong to me.”
With a grin she couldn’t seem to help, Rachel arched a brow. “Do you really think there will be any confusion?”
Cole chuckled softly. “Not if you’re wearing my ring.”
“And answering to Mrs. Madison?”
“Stop it, or you will become intimately acquainted with the interior of this vehicle.”
He placed the box in his lap, and as he took her left hand, Rachel watched with a mixture of awe and excitement. Raising her hand to his lips, he pressed a gentle kiss on the back of her knuckles, and then he raised his eyes to hers as he pulled out the first piece of jewelry. It was a simple platinum ring with four round diamonds embedded across the top of the band.
As Cole slid it on her finger, he whispered, “I want you to be mine. My hope is that you wear this ring first, so it will always be closest to your heart and remind you of how much I love you.”
Rachel could feel a tear slide free and run down her cheek.
His eyes met hers as he asked, “Will you?”
Is there really any doubt? Rachel thought as she stared at the wedding ring on her finger. Somehow, this man had bulldozed his way into her life, and now, only a week later, she couldn’t imagine going minutes without knowing he would be there permanently.
“Yes, of course. Cole, it’s stunning.”
When the ring was firmly in place, he brought it up to his mouth and kissed it where it lay on her finger. He then reached down and pulled out the second ring. This one was a beautiful platinum band that sparkled with twinkly diamonds surrounding the largest cobalt sapphire Rachel had ever seen. Slowly, Cole slid the ring down the same finger until it locked in place with the wedding band.
“This is to remind you that every time I look into your eyes, the color of this stone, I fall in love all over again.”
Blinking back several tears, Rachel wondered how the heck she had ever gotten so lucky. All she’d had to do was say yes, and then she completely belonged to this magnificent man. It was, she realized, simply because Cole had never taken no as an answer.
Leaning across the console, Rachel cupped his face and kissed him with as much love as she could. His lips parted for her tongue, and she showed no hesitation in pushing deep into his mouth.
Nothing could ruin this night, absolutely nothing.
Knock…knock…knock.
Rachel pulled away from Cole and looked out of the car window. When she could see Mason glaring right at her with a frown, Rachel took it back.
Well, nothing, except for that.
Cole quickly slipped the final band on his wedding finger and unlocked the car doors. “You ready?” he asked.
Before Rachel could respond, the passenger door was pulled open, and he could hear Mason.
“Were you two planning on coming inside? Or were you going to sit out here all night?”
Cole had several retorts just on the tip of his tongue, but he didn’t think Rachel would appreciate any of them. So, he climbed out of the car and shut the door with a firm hand, choosing to let Rachel decide how she wanted to proceed.
“We just got here. Jesus, Mase. Relax, would you?” she grumbled as she slammed the door in the same manner he had.
Cole tried not to wince as he reminded himself the car had been built to withstand much worse.
“Mason,” a soft voice chimed in.
Cole turned to see one of the women Rachel had been with the night they had all met at Whipped. Due to the way she was frowning at Mason, he had to assume it was Lena, Mason’s wife.
“What?” Mason snapped, looking over the car roof in her direction.
As he did, his eyes came to a halt on Cole’s, and as they glared at one another, Cole found himself in a pissing contest with his wife’s brother.
“Excuse me?” Lena questioned in a tone that showed how much she did not appreciate being talked to that way.
As she marched forward, Cole had to admit that he was impressed with the confident, pissed-off demeanor she had going on. This was a woman who knew her mind, and she was certainly not afraid of anything, including her annoyed husband.
“Don’t snap at me, Langley.”
Immediately, Cole noticed Mason’s mood shift. Mason tore his eyes away from him to look where his wife was now standing beside Rachel.
All three of them stood on the opposite side of the car to Cole, and as he studied the close-knit family, he could definitely see the resemblance between the siblings. Although he had spoken to Mason that first night he’d visited Rachel in the restaurant, he hadn’t had long to get a good look at him. Now, as the other man mumbled something to his wife and scowled occasionally at Rachel, Cole could really see it. The dark hair, the blue eyes, and as they all finally turned to look at him, he saw the same frown as well.
Wow, Cole thought, someone in their family had strong genes. These two could pass as twins.
As they all stood silently in the frigid night air, Lena rolled her eyes as she came around the trunk of the car. When she finally reached him, she held out her hand. “It’s time we were formally introduced. I’m Lena, Mason’s wife and Rachel’s sister-in-law. You must be Cole.”
Cole liked her immediately. Her mass of brown curls spilled down over her shoulders, and as he took her hand in a gentle grip, he was shocked at how firm her handshake was. She was definitely confident, just as he had first suspected.
“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Cole.”
Cole gave her a genuine smile, and then he realized she still hadn’t let go of his hand.
“It’s not that much of a pleasure,” Mason called out from across the car. “I’m telling you, if she really liked you, she’d be yelling at you right now.”
Cole was surprised when Lena winked up at him.
Then, she turned her head to lock eyes with Mason. “Langley, you know I only enjoy arguing with you. It gets me all hot and bothered.”
As she turned back to Cole, finally releasing his hand, she told him softly, “He’ll come around. Just give him time.”
Cole thought that was probably good advice, but as he looked back to the brother-sister pair glaring at one another, he thought it was a shame he’d never been one to take good advice.
“Well, I hope so since I just married his sister.”
What is that phrase? Oh yes, there it is, Cole thought with a shit-eating grin aimed at the tall Langley currently glowering at him. If looks could kill.
22
It’s official, Rachel thought as she stared slack jawed at Cole from across the trunk of the car. This man is fucking insane.
“What did you just say?” her brother practically growled.
The sound was so foreign coming from her usually congenial brother that Rachel lost the words she was about to yell at Cole, and instead, she spun around to face Mason. That was when she heard Cole’s reply.