Chapter 422: A Proposal or two
Isabella’s breath caught in her throat as Ian knelt before her. She brought her hand to her mouth, her eyes welling up with tears. The hints that Nora and Erasmi had dropped had not prepare her for the shock of this unexpected proposal.
And the ring was such a stunner... It was something she’d never expected... Of all the things she had imagined in her head about her perfect wedding, the one thing that she’d never been sure of was the ring. Diamonds somehow always felt cold and impersonal while rubies somehow felt too boring and traditional... However, he seemed to have created a perfect ring with diamonds, rubies and sapphire. This was the perfect ring... from the perfect man...
As she looked down at the ring and then at Ian’s eyes, a mix of emotions washed over her. She wanted to hug him, to take the ring, to say yes a hundred times over, but she found herself frozen in the moment. Her lips opened and closed in a comical guppy-fish fashion, attempting to process the overwhelming rush of feelings and finding herself tongue-tied.
Suddenly a smile covered his face and she knew he was going to say something. and he did..."Doll, while I am willing to wait all my life for you, I’d really appreciate an acceptance before I have to schedule my knee replacement surgery."
Her laughter bubbled up, a welcome release of the tension she hadn’t realized she was holding. "You and your sense of humor, Ian. Always on point." Shaking her head, she extended her hand to him, " I guess I should put you out of your misery and save you from fake knees...Oh Ian, I’ll never want to take it off... its so beautiful..."
Finally, she let go of the feelings and as Ian held her hand, slipping the ring onto her finger. "Only because its on your hand doll," he whispered as he pulled her close to him, "Now, let me just..."
Bending his head, Ian caught her lips in a kiss. He tilted her head back over his arm and kissed her, starting with a gentle touch that swiftly intensified, leaving her clinging to him as the only stable anchor in a world that seemed to sway and spin. Her lips parted at the insistent touch of his tongue against them, sending electric tremors within her.
Before she could be swept away, however, she heard the sound of her distant chreering and her eyes snapped open. The realization hit her – they were still at Demetri and Nora’s wedding.
A swift panic set in, and she jumped back from his arms, ready to take off and hide the ring. Before she could slide off the ring, Ian caught her hand and pullled her into his arms," That ring has barely been there a minute and you are already taking it off? Doll, ours is going to be the shortest engagement in the history... You said you never wanted to take it off."