Deciding it was better for her not to be sitting on his lap while she was having this discussion, she stood in front of him. Jake sat forward on the sofa, legs spread wide, elbows resting on his knees. But he wasn’t relaxed. She could practically see the tension rolling off him.
She licked her suddenly dry lips and launched into her prepared speech. “I know you like to be in control in the bedroom.”
If it were possible, Jake’s tension grew until it filled the room, permeating the air around them. He was like a living statue, not moving, barely breathing. She wished she knew what was going through his mind.
Dinner churned in her belly, but she was committed now. “I never imagined acting that way in the bedroom. Giving up control to a man.”
Jake linked his hands together, knuckles white. She had a feeling he was trying to keep from reaching for her. “I know it’s a lot to ask of you,” he began.
Knees weak, she perched on the edge of the coffee table. “It is a lot, but it’s what you need.” Keeping her hands closed around the bracelet and ring, she wrapped her arms around herself. This was much harder than she’d anticipated. And it shouldn’t be. This was Jake, the man she loved and trusted.
“Where do you see us going from here?” Now that she’d started, she wanted everything laid out between them. “I mean, do you want to continue as we are, having sex but keeping our own apartments? Do you see us living together somewhere down the road?” She held her breath, her heart pounding in anticipation. Please say yes.
Jake bolted from the sofa, his face hard as stone, his gaze narrowed. “Fuck no. I don’t see us living together.” He moved toward her, but she pulled back.
Jumping up from the coffee table, she took a step away. She looked down, expecting to see a hole in her chest where her heart resided. He’d just ripped hers out. So, he didn’t see them living together. All her hopes and dreams for the future went up in flames, leaving her feeling numb.
“I see,” she began. She had to bring this conversation to an end and get rid of Jake before she started to cry. That just wouldn’t do. “So you just want the occasional night of sex. That would work for you.” She’d be sophisticated and adult about this even if it killed her.
“Fuck.” He dragged his hand through his hair. “I’m not doing this right. No, I don’t want to live with you.”
“You already said that,” she snapped. He didn’t have to sound quite so appalled by the idea.
“Sapphire.” He took another step in her direction, but she moved away again. She couldn’t let him touch her. She’d fall completely apart if he did.
“Babe,” he began again, his gaze softening as it fell upon her. “I don’t want to live with you. I want to marry you.” He reached into his jeans pocket and drew something out. He opened his palm to reveal a platinum band with a single solitary diamond.
Thunderstruck, she stared at the shiny stone. Jake went down on one knee in front of her. “Marry me.”
Sapphire trembled. There were no words of love from Jake, just the blunt proposal. But she knew her man well. From Jake, a ring was an undying promise of love and devotion.
“I have something for you first.” She ignored his dark scowl and opened her own hands in front of her. “I made these, for you, for us.”
He studied the ring and the bracelet. “Why?”
She licked her lips. “I know how much you need control, need to know I’ll surrender to you in the bedroom.” She held up the bracelet she’d crafted. “It has the logo from your company, the shield with two swords. That’s you. The protector. The knight in more than name.”
His eyes grew darker and if she weren’t mistaken his cheeks were tinged red. “Babe, I’m no hero.”
He was, he just didn’t realize it. “I put sapphires on it to represent me. The two of us together. A promise. A pledge.”
Jake swallowed hard as he studied the bracelet. “What does it mean?”
Sapphire felt as though her heart would explode, it was so filled with love. “I’ll wear the bracelet as a constant reminder that I’m yours.” She opened her other hand to reveal the ring she’d crafted. “This is for you if you want it. It’s the same design and would fit on your pinky finger.” Her fingers itched to close around it, but she kept her palm open, displaying the ring. “That is, if you want to wear it. You don’t have to.”
Jake had never been in love with a woman before, wasn’t even sure he knew what the feeling was like, until now. Sapphire stood before him, making herself more vulnerable to him than if she was standing naked.
He studied the two beautiful pieces of jewelry she’d created with her creativity and own two hands. His heart thudded heavily in his chest and his dick grew hard. This beautiful, special woman was pledging herself to him, willing to give him what he needed from her. He’d never met anyone as selfless as Sapphire.
Furthermore, she saw him as some kind of hero, a knight. Maybe a tarnished one, but that was okay by him.
He swallowed the lump in his throat. “I’d love for you to wear the bracelet and I’d be honored to wear the ring you made.”
Her smile lit up the entire room. Hell, it lit up the entire world, his world. “But you still haven’t answered my question. He held the diamond engagement ring up. “Will you marry me?”
She nodded, her eyes welling with tears. “Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you.”
He took her hand in his and slipped the ring on her finger. Then he surged to his feet and kissed her, sealing their pact. She was truly his now.
As always, she opened to him, her mouth accepting him, her tongue dueling with his. He craved the taste of her, the warmth and caring. The commitment.
Then he felt her pushing against his shoulders. He lightened the kiss, letting their mouths barely touch for a few seconds before pulling totally away.
She held up the bracelet and ring in front of her. He took the bracelet, more of a cuff really, and snapped it around her waist. Savage satisfaction filled him. She belonged to him totally.
Sapphire lifted his hand and slipped the broad, heavy band onto the pinky finger of his right hand. This was his promise to her, to care for her always and to never abuse her trust. No one had ever given him a gift this precious. “You won’t be sorry,” he promised her.
“I know.” She cupped his cheeks and pulled his head lower so she could reach him. “I love you, Jake Knight.”
Something inside him snapped. He had to have her. Now. She was wearing his ring and the bracelet that signified her acceptance of him, but it wasn’t enough. He needed to mark her with his body.
He bent down, tossed her over his shoulder and headed to the bedroom with her happy laughter ringing in his ears.
Chapter Fifteen
Sapphire hung over Jake’s shoulder as he carried her to the bedroom. The flash of heat in his eyes left her with no doubts about how they were going to spend the rest of their evening. He’d tossed her over his shoulder as though she weighed nothing and, she admitted to herself, it was quite a turn-on. Jake was incredibly strong, but she never feared he’d use it against her.
From her vantage point, she had a great view of his butt and would have patted it but she was too busy admiring her engagement ring. She turned her hand one way, then another. The ring was simple in design, but it suited her perfectly and fit as though it had been made for her. The bracelet she’d crafted circled her wrist, an endless promise. And he was wearing the ring she’d given him. The only way this night could get more perfect would be if Jake told her he loved her.