Page 97 of A Devious Arrangement
There’s a squeak of shoes, and my attention returns to Bash as he lowers himself onto one knee in front of me.
My mouth drops open when he holds out a diamond ring that can’t be less than ten carats.
“What are you?—”
“Just listen for a second. I have to say this.”
I snap my teeth closed, even as my eyes go wide.
“You consume my thoughts and possess me in a way I never imagined. There’s not a second that I breathe that my thoughts don’t turn to you. You intrigued me from the start, but I never expected the way you’d own me to my soul. It’s your infectious laugh, the way you smile, how you aren’t afraid to give me shit when I deserve it.”
He smirks, and a bubbling chuckle fills my chest.
“I’ve never believed I’d find love, and maybe I still shouldn’t because what we have is beyond that. I know that you’re afraid. Afraid that it’s these very feelings that can hurt you. I need you to trust me, Anastasia. Trust that I would cut out my very soul to see you smile. That I will never abandon you, and I’ll always be there to help you get into trouble.”
His voice drops to barely above a whisper as he pleads. “All that I ask is that you let me love you. You don’t even have to say it back. Just let me be the one who stands beside you.”
“You’ve come a long way from Ilicked it, so you’re mine.” There are tears in my laugh.
He chuckles at my response, but there’s a nervousness in how he holds himself. “That’s still true. You’re not getting away from me.”
I lean over and kiss him, resting my forehead against his. “Bash…I love you too.”
His smile is blinding. “I knew it.”
I roll my eyes. “Don’t you have something to ask me?”
He turns serious. “Marry me. Spend the rest of your life with me.”
A part of me wants to torture him, pay him back for deceiving me, but my heart wins out. “Yes. I’ll marry you.”
Cheers fill the room, but I can barely hear them as Bash pulls me onto his lap and kisses me. There’s a desperation to his touch that I give in to, letting him take control.
“Get off of my sister,” Nikolai yells, and I wince.
This is totally not going to go over well.
Xander steps in before I can respond. “You missed a lot. Let me fill you in. We’re going to be family, after all.”
“Like hell we are,” my brother responds, struggling to get out of his grip.
Matthias walks up laughing and slaps Nikolai on the back. “It’s funny that you think you get a choice in this.”
I collapse against Bash and watch as my brother’s forced out of the room. “I feel a little bad for him.”
Bash chuckles. “Don’t. He’ll have to get used to it.” He lifts my chin, grazing my bottom lip with my thumb, and promises, “After all, you’re mine now.”
Chapter 48
Bash
“I’ll join you,”I tell Stasia, but she stubbornly shakes her head no. There are still splatters of crimson dusting her cheeks that refused to come off when I wiped it with a cloth before heading to the hotel.
I have to stop myself from rolling my eyes as she says the two words every guy knows are a lie.
“I’m fine.” There’s a dare on her tongue. One that challenges me to call her out on her lie. But it’s the way she looks at the wall behind me, her fingers clasped in front of her, that gives away the turmoil growing inside her.
“My girl is anything but fine.” My mouth grows dry as tension builds at the back of my neck. I want to lift her off her feet and drag her to the bathroom, but I resist when I meet Stasia’s glowing eyes. I breathe deeply through my nose and shove my hands into my pockets to stop myself from reaching out to her. Her lifted chin and arched brow dare me to argue, letting me know she’s prepared to fight me on this.
