Lawful Lover
Page 63
She smiled. “I am so glad it’s over. Hannigan is a bastard who thinks he’s above the law. It’s nice to know he realizes he can’t get away with that kind of behavior anymore.”
Daniel caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“Good thing is you’ll never have to find out,” she murmured. “I think we should celebrate.”
“Anything you want. You pick the time and place.”
“Hmm… ” She tapped her finger against her lips. “I want you to take some time off from work. Just one day, and spend it with me. We don’t have to go anywhere or do anything. I just want to have you all to myself for a little while.”
He simply stared at her for a moment, then shook his head, laughing. “You know what? Any other woman would have tried to pick the most expensive restaurant in the city, but you, you only want my time, nothing else.” His eyes sparkled as he leaned over and kissed her once more. “I love you, Sabrina.”
Before she had a chance to respond, the cab slowed and came to a stop in front of their building.
Daniel reached into his jacket pocket, then froze for a moment.
For a split second she wondered if he’d lost his wallet in the elevator, but then a smile formed on his lips.
He leaned toward the front, addressing the cab driver. “Could you please wait for just a moment?”
The driver nodded.
Curious, Sabrina watched as Daniel turned his attention back to her and pulled something from his jacket pocket. Automatically, she dropped her gaze to his hand.
When she recognized what lay in his palm, her eyes widened and her heart raced faster than a herd of horses at the Kentucky Derby.
“Oh my god,” she whispered, cupping her hands over her mouth.
Daniel opened the box, revealing a diamond solitaire sitting in a red velvet cushion.
“I bought it today after I got the news that Hannigan dropped his lawsuit and realized that you were the reason for him dropping it. I knew then that I had to make a change in my life and make sure you knew we belonged together.”
A tear loosened from her eye and ran down her cheek.
“Believe me, this is not how or where I wanted to do this, but I also don’t want to wait a moment longer. After everything that happened today and the fear I had of losing you for good… ” He shook his head and took a deep breath. “Sabrina Palmer, I love you more than anything in this world, and I don’t want to spend a single day without you in my life.”
He removed the ring from the box and held it out to her. “Will you marry me?”
Sabrina’s heart beat as if it wanted to jump out of her chest. “Yes!” she managed to choke out. “Yes!”
Daniel slipped the ring on her finger, then pulled her into his arms. “You have no idea how happy you’re making me. I love you so much, baby.”
Sabrina sniffled, unable to stop her tears from streaming down her face. “I love you, Daniel. More than anything. I can’t wait to be your wife.”
“Congratulations,” the cab driver’s brusque voice interrupted.
“Sorry.” Daniel reached into his jacket and pulled out his wallet.
He handed the driver several bills, then opened the door and stepped out. He extended his hand to Sabrina and helped her out of the cab. As soon as she stood, he pulled her back into his arms.
“You do know that you’ll have to resign your membership in the Eternal Bachelors Club and give up three-and-a-half million dollars, don’t you?”
“What’s three-and-a-half million dollars when I can have you?”
She beamed at him.
Then Daniel smirked. “You realize that by agreeing to marry me, our previous contract will be null and void.”
She nodded. “We can draft a new one if you’d like.”
“You want that?” He raised a brow and grinned.
“Yes, and I know a fantastic lawyer who can help us out.”
He laughed. “And what terms do you propose?”
“Well, for starters, I’d like to keep paragraph eleven of the current contract. Taking it out would be a deal breaker.”
“I agree. A total deal breaker. What else?”
“You are required to come home early at least once a week.”
Daniel nodded thoughtfully. “I can do that. But I have one condition myself. And it’s non-negotiable.”
She lifted her chin, wondering what he had in mind. “What is it?”
“No termination clause for either one of us this time, Sabrina. Per sempre. Forever.”
Daniel caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“Good thing is you’ll never have to find out,” she murmured. “I think we should celebrate.”
“Anything you want. You pick the time and place.”
“Hmm… ” She tapped her finger against her lips. “I want you to take some time off from work. Just one day, and spend it with me. We don’t have to go anywhere or do anything. I just want to have you all to myself for a little while.”
He simply stared at her for a moment, then shook his head, laughing. “You know what? Any other woman would have tried to pick the most expensive restaurant in the city, but you, you only want my time, nothing else.” His eyes sparkled as he leaned over and kissed her once more. “I love you, Sabrina.”
Before she had a chance to respond, the cab slowed and came to a stop in front of their building.
Daniel reached into his jacket pocket, then froze for a moment.
For a split second she wondered if he’d lost his wallet in the elevator, but then a smile formed on his lips.
He leaned toward the front, addressing the cab driver. “Could you please wait for just a moment?”
The driver nodded.
Curious, Sabrina watched as Daniel turned his attention back to her and pulled something from his jacket pocket. Automatically, she dropped her gaze to his hand.
When she recognized what lay in his palm, her eyes widened and her heart raced faster than a herd of horses at the Kentucky Derby.
“Oh my god,” she whispered, cupping her hands over her mouth.
Daniel opened the box, revealing a diamond solitaire sitting in a red velvet cushion.
“I bought it today after I got the news that Hannigan dropped his lawsuit and realized that you were the reason for him dropping it. I knew then that I had to make a change in my life and make sure you knew we belonged together.”
A tear loosened from her eye and ran down her cheek.
“Believe me, this is not how or where I wanted to do this, but I also don’t want to wait a moment longer. After everything that happened today and the fear I had of losing you for good… ” He shook his head and took a deep breath. “Sabrina Palmer, I love you more than anything in this world, and I don’t want to spend a single day without you in my life.”
He removed the ring from the box and held it out to her. “Will you marry me?”
Sabrina’s heart beat as if it wanted to jump out of her chest. “Yes!” she managed to choke out. “Yes!”
Daniel slipped the ring on her finger, then pulled her into his arms. “You have no idea how happy you’re making me. I love you so much, baby.”
Sabrina sniffled, unable to stop her tears from streaming down her face. “I love you, Daniel. More than anything. I can’t wait to be your wife.”
“Congratulations,” the cab driver’s brusque voice interrupted.
“Sorry.” Daniel reached into his jacket and pulled out his wallet.
He handed the driver several bills, then opened the door and stepped out. He extended his hand to Sabrina and helped her out of the cab. As soon as she stood, he pulled her back into his arms.
“You do know that you’ll have to resign your membership in the Eternal Bachelors Club and give up three-and-a-half million dollars, don’t you?”
“What’s three-and-a-half million dollars when I can have you?”
She beamed at him.
Then Daniel smirked. “You realize that by agreeing to marry me, our previous contract will be null and void.”
She nodded. “We can draft a new one if you’d like.”
“You want that?” He raised a brow and grinned.
“Yes, and I know a fantastic lawyer who can help us out.”
He laughed. “And what terms do you propose?”
“Well, for starters, I’d like to keep paragraph eleven of the current contract. Taking it out would be a deal breaker.”
“I agree. A total deal breaker. What else?”
“You are required to come home early at least once a week.”
Daniel nodded thoughtfully. “I can do that. But I have one condition myself. And it’s non-negotiable.”
She lifted her chin, wondering what he had in mind. “What is it?”
“No termination clause for either one of us this time, Sabrina. Per sempre. Forever.”
