She smiled up at him. "I know. I just wasn't sure if you were ready to say it."
"I'm more than f**king ready. You're mine and I want it official." His eyes were intense, his body tight. "I should have told you that I loved you. I'll make sure you hear it so often from now on that you'll be tired of hearing me say it. You deserve to hear it every f**king day. Maybe I haven't verbalized it because there aren't really words to explain how I feel about you. Love seems lukewarm, not enough. But I love hearing it coming from your lips. I should have known that you wanted to hear it." He sighed. "You're my life, sweetheart. Please be mine. Mine forever."
She threw herself into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes tightly, knowing he held his whole world in his arms at that very moment.
"Mine forever," she breathed, close to his ear, her voice incredulous.
He pulled back to look at her face. She was crying, tears spilling from her eyes in an endless stream.
"Don't cry. I don't like it."
"I know. But they're happy tears."
Fuck! Crying was crying, and he hated to see her cry. He plucked the ring from her trembling fingers and grasped her hand gently, sliding the ring on her finger. His heart raced as he stated, "You're marrying me."
"I thought you were asking." she shot him an amused look. "I haven't said yes."
"You will." he warned, his expression dark. "Say that you will." Say it. Before I have a damn heart attack. Say it.. Now. Right f**king now!
She pried his fist open and pick up the heart gently. She tore it up, letting the tiny pieces scatter over the couch. "Wish granted."
He blew out a relieved breath, his heart hammering. "Yes?"
"Yes. I'll marry you. I love you, too."
"Soon," he demanded.
"We'll see. Compromise?"
"No!" He took her hand in his and gently kissed the ring he had placed on her finger. "No compromise this time."
She wrapped her arms around his neck, dropping a soft kiss on his lips as she caressed the nape of his neck. "A small compromise?"
"No."
He groaned as she pulled his head down and gave him a toe-curling, hot embrace that had him panting in the aftermath.
"You can give a little," she told him in a low, persuasive voice.
He growled as her hand moved down his chest and palmed his erection through his pants. "Are you trying to seduce me into compromise?"
"Maybe. Is it working?" she answered in her irresistible “fuck-me” voice.
"Hell yes, it's working," he growled, pulling her into his arms. "Fine. We'll talk terms. Later." He stood and pulled her to her feet.
Fuck! He was easy.
"Later." she agreed. "Much later." She grabbed his tie and tugged, leading him willingly toward the bedroom.
Maybe being easy wasn't always a bad thing.
They missed dinner and ordered room service hours later. In the hours preceding their celebratory engagement dinner in the suite, Simon learned that compromise wasn't bad at all and that being easy could be a very, very good thing.
~The End~