Chapter 9

NINE

Letty

“What did you want to talk about?” I ask, watching Hugh as he leads me out of the library and down the hall. His hand is warm around mine, and the way his thumb absently strokes my knuckles sends shivers down my spine.

“I don’t want to do it here,” he says, his voice soft yet firm.

“In… your house?” I tease, my brow lifting.

He laughs, a deep, rumbling sound that makes my heart skip. “Not in the hallway.”

“Oh, uh-oh. Is this going to be one of those super serious conversations? Because I’m not sure I’m ready for that,” I tell him, trying to keep my tone light. But my stomach does a little flip as he continues up the stairs, tugging me along behind him.

When we step into his bedroom, I blink. His room is massive—modern, with a clean, masculine vibe that screams Hugh. I’ve been in here before, but tonight, it feels different. There’s a tension in the air, like the walls themselves are holding their breath.

“Bedroom? Hmm… Maybe I am ready for this talk,” I say, waggling my eyebrows at him.

He laughs again, but there’s a flicker of nerves in his expression. “I’m not trying to get you back into bed,” he says with a sigh. “Well, not right this second.”

I grin. “That sounds promising.”

“I hope so,” he mutters, mostly to himself, as he releases my hand and strides toward the closet.

“What are you rifling around for?” I ask, crossing my arms and leaning against the doorway. I’m trying to keep the mood light, but his serious tone is starting to make me nervous.

“There’s a few things that we need to talk about.”

“Such as?”

“First, I paid off that loan shark. He won’t be bothering you anymore.”

“Hugh! You didn’t have to do that.”

“Of course I did. No one is going to threaten my girl.”

“Thank you,” I say softly, taking a step towards the closet.

“Then, I have something I want to ask you,” he says, his voice muffled as he digs through a shelf.

I pause, my heart thudding in my chest. “Okay,” I say slowly, suddenly feeling like I’m on the edge of something big.

He emerges from the closet holding a small black box, and my breath catches.

“Hugh…”

“I know this is fast,” he says quickly, walking toward me, his expression both intense and vulnerable. “But I also know that I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life.”

I blink, my throat tightening as he drops to one knee in front of me.

“I love you, Letty. I’ve loved you since the day you walked into my office and told me I was too uptight for my own good.”

I let out a choked laugh, tears springing to my eyes. “You were.”

He grins. “And you’ve been driving me crazy ever since—in the best possible way. I don’t want to waste another second without you by my side. So…” He opens the box, revealing a stunning diamond ring that catches the light like a little piece of the sun.

“Will you marry me?”

The air leaves my lungs in a rush. This is happening. This can’t be happening.

“I…” I falter, my hands flying to my face. “Are you sure?”

“Am I sure?” He asks, choking back a laugh and I nod, feeling the blush stain my cheeks.

“Yeah, I mean, you just bought me from an auction house a few days ago. People will talk about you marrying your assistant.”

“Who cares?”

“And you’ll be tied to me and my family. My terrible family. My brother will probably try to get more money out of you,” I warn him.

“I have money and I won’t let him get to me, to either of us. I already paid off that loan shark and warned him to stay far away from us. He won’t be bothering you again.”

“How did you find the loan shark?” I ask in surprise.

“I have contacts. I do deal in security and intelligence,” he reminds me, and I nod.

“I feel like we’ve gotten off track,” he says, and I blink, realizing that he’s right.

“Oh…”

“You don’t have to say yes right away,” he says quickly, standing and taking my hands in his. “I know it’s a lot. And if you need time, I’ll give it to you. But just—don’t say no. Please.”

His words break something open inside me, and suddenly, I know there’s no point in pretending I need more time to think about this.

“Yes,” I whisper, my voice trembling. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

His face lights up with a mixture of relief and joy, and before I know it, he’s pulling me into his arms, spinning me around as I laugh.

“You’re sure?” he asks, setting me down and cupping my face, his thumbs brushing away the tears I didn’t realize were falling.

“Yes, Hugh,” I say, smiling up at him. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”

He leans down, capturing my lips in a kiss so deep and so full of emotion that it steals what little breath I have left.

When he finally pulls back, his eyes are blazing. “You’ve made me the happiest man alive,” he murmurs, slipping the ring onto my finger.

I stare down at it, the weight of it—both literal and figurative—settling over me. This is real. I’m engaged. To Hugh. My boss. My… fiancé.

“Am I still going to be your assistant?” I ask him, and he shrugs.

“If you want. We can do anything that you want. To be honest, I cut way back on my hours and responsibilities when I hired you.”

“Yeah, I always kind of wondered about that.”

“Can you blame me? Who would want to work when they could be hanging out with you?”

“You’re so sweet.”

“Only for you.”

“You’re going to make me cry again,” I say, blinking rapidly as my vision blurs.

“Can’t have that. I think that I would do anything to never see you sad or in tears.”

“Does this feel like it’s all moving fast?”

“No, I’ve been moving slow for eight months now.”

I laugh, swatting his chest. “Oh, stop. Well, I’m going to need time to process this, you know. My brain is still catching up.”

“Take all the time you need,” he says, pulling me close. “As long as you do it right here. With me.”

I snuggle into his chest, breathing in his familiar scent. “Hugh?”

“Yeah?”

“Is there more to this talk? Or was the proposal the big thing?”

He chuckles. “There’s more.”

I tilt my head back to look at him, raising a brow. “What else could you possibly have up your sleeve tonight?”

“Well…” He hesitates, suddenly looking sheepish.

“What is it?” I press, my curiosity piqued.

“I want you to move in with me,” he says, his words tumbling out in a rush. “I know we just got engaged, and it’s probably too soon to be asking for something like this, but I can’t stand the thought of you being anywhere else. I want you here, with me. Always.”

My lips part, but no sound comes out. My head is spinning, and I feel like I’m in some kind of romantic fever dream.

“Hugh…”

“Before you say anything,” he says, his hands tightening on my waist, “I need you to know that this isn’t just about convenience. It’s not about proximity. It’s about you. You’re it for me, Letty. And I want to build a life with you—starting right now.”

His words hit me like a freight train, and suddenly, all the doubts I’ve been carrying—the fear that this is all happening too fast, that we’re rushing into something reckless—melt away.

“Okay,” I whisper.

“Okay?” he repeats, his brows lifting in surprise.

“Okay,” I say again, louder this time, a smile spreading across my face. “I’ll move in with you.”

The relief that washes over his features makes my chest ache.

“You mean it?”

“Yes,” I say, laughing as he pulls me into another bone-crushing hug. “But I’m warning you now—I have a lot of stuff. You might regret this once you see how many boxes it takes to move me.”

“I could never regret you,” he says, his voice low and full of promise.

My heart swells as I look up at him, and for the first time in years, I feel like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.

“Letty Walters,” he murmurs, testing the name out, and my cheeks heat.

“Not yet,” I tease, though the thought makes my stomach flip in the best way.

“Soon,” he says firmly.

“Very soon,” I agree, and when he kisses me again, it feels like the beginning of forever.