Page 56 of Meet Me at the Altar

“Are those for me?” she asked, looking up when I stood in the doorway.

“I mean, there’s only you and me, and they’re damn sure not mine.”

She stood in the bathtub and danced. Bubbles bounced and jiggled off her breasts and hips. “Those tulips are beautiful, baby.”

“Glad you like ’em. I’m gonna put them in some water. Don’t slip your ass up and fall in that tub,” I warned as I headed out of the bathroom.

“I’m not, but ooohh, can I see the box?”

“You will when I come back,” I called over my shoulder.

I chuckled at the sound of her groaning. Once I’d placed the flowers in some water, I returned with the little jewelry box in my hand. She was soaking in the tub once more, pretending to read but doing some major pouting.

“You gon’ sit there and look sad, or are you gon’ open this box?” I asked, extending the box to her.

She eagerly set her iPad on the side of the tub and accepted the box. She opened it, and her eyes watered the minute that she saw the eighteen-karat white-gold mood bangle. It was set with diamonds that curved along the angle of her wrist.

I removed it, and before I placed it on her wrist, I showed her the inside. She read the inscription. “The day I married my best friend.”

“And our wedding date is engraved underneath.”

“I see that. God, I love you so much.” Tears poured down her face as she stared at the bangle as I placed it on her wrist.

When I finished, I leaned in and kissed her passionately, letting her know that my heart was completely hers, and I would never risk losing her again.

“You’re my world, and you always have been. You’re my best friend, my confidant, and the one who encouraged me to go for it all. Without you, I never would have accomplished all that I have. Because of that, I want to pour back into you,” I explained, removing my cufflinks from my shirt.

“What do you mean?”

“I went to see my attorney today. In fact, I’ve been seeing him quite a bit lately.”

“Is everything okay, babe?” she asked, watching me closely with a concerned look as I sat on the edge of the tub.

“Never better. I’ve invested in your future. As of today, you have five percent ownership in mine and Silas’s company, withSilas having fifty percent and me having forty-five percent. And in my urban wear line, you have thirty-five percent, and I have fifty-five percent, and Silas has ten percent.”

“What? Why?” she asked, sobbing.

“Because that’s how much I love you. No matter what happens in the future, I want your future to always be secure.”

“I’m secure as long as you’re here.”

“Now you will be, even if anything happens to me.”

“Let’s not talk about that, okay?” she asked softly.

I bobbed my head. “Okay. So, other than this evening, how was your day?”

“Extremely busy, but my executive assistant spent the day going over résumés for the executive positions, and we have whittled it down to twenty-two.”

“That’s wassup.”

“You should have the final résumés on your desk by next week, Mr. Jones,” she replied sweetly, laughing.

I removed my shoes, kissed her lips, and asked, “Why didn’t I do this sooner? You’ve only made my workdays much easier since you’ve been there.”

“Yep, and it’s only been two weeks.”

We laughed, and I undressed. When I finished, I removed the iPad from the side of the tub and set it on the counter.