Page 91 of Defending Love
“Both,” I replied as I squeezed Damien’s hand. “Mom must have said yes. What would you have said?”
Damien looked at Eli and back at me. “Anyone who makes my sister happy, really happy, when the world around her is crumbling, is okay by me.”
“How is Mom?” I asked.
“She’s a godsend,” Ella replied. “Being able to sneak out and be here would be more difficult if she wasn’t staying with Dylan. And he loves Hoosier. Duchess, not so much.”
I laughed. Duchess was their very spoiled cat.
“Mom wants to go back to Florida after the holidays,” Damien said.
“Have you discouraged her?” Eli asked.
Damien shook his head. “Mom’s not ready to lose her independence. She knows she has a place to live with us. It’s her choice.”
I looked at my sister-in-law. “You have done the impossible.”
She grinned. “What have I done?”
“You’ve made this narcissistic asshole actually take other people’s feelings into consideration—a feat I never thought was possible.”
Ella hugged Damien’s arm. “He has his moments.”
“Like when he nominated me for the board to take Dad’s place.”
My brother smiled. “Not nepotism, you’re the most qualified. And I was wrong about Mom. She wanted to stay on.”
After one round of drinks and a second round of waters, we called it a night.
Although the walk to our condo was only a few blocks, Damien offered to drive. Eli and I chose to walk the quiet city streets as the light snow continued to fall. The circle and streets were decorated with colorful lights, the strings blowing in the wintry wind.
With my hand in Eli’s we stood, looking up at the monument.
“I should have waited to propose here.”
Warmth filled my cheeks. “I couldn’t believe you did it in front of all those people—even Damien and Ella.”
“It was a risk.” He tugged me until we were facing one another. “You could have said no.”
A smile tugged at my lips. “I haven’t yet.”
Once back to our condo, Eli avoided the lights and turned on the fireplace. Our decorated tree filled with white lights near the windows and the flames were our only illumination.
“Mrs. Rhodes,” he said, removing my wool coat.
“Dr. Sinclair.”
His lips met mine. “You can be both.”
“I can.”
Passion radiated from his sexy gaze. “I have a request of my future wife.”
My eyebrows quirked. “What kind of request? Am I going to say no?”
“First, I have a question.”
Lifting my arms to his shoulders, I asked, “Is it as important as the one you asked earlier?” I wiggled my finger, the diamond sparkling with the fire’s glow.
