“My hooker boots!”
“It took me forever to find them,” he said, smiling fondly at the cheap, fake leather. “What were you thinking, hiding gems like these under your bed?”
“Well, gosh, you’re right. They do bring back such fond memories, I should have put them on the mantel.”
“Is that sarcasm I sense?”
“From me?” Sophie asked, wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing her nose into his neck.
He nibbled her ear for a split second before gently pushing her aside. “None of that, you harlot. Here, put these on.”
Sophie stared at him. “I am not wearing those to dinner.”
“Why, you worried about some surly man hitting on you in the elevator?” he asked, giving her bare legs an appreciative glance.
“I’m pretty sure I’ll be stuck with a surly man, regardless of shoe choice,” Sophie said, reluctantly accepting the boots. “You really want me to wear these? When you said you wanted to go to Vegas to celebrate a year since we first met, I didn’t realize you wanted to actually celebrate the hooker part of it.”
“I thought I was being sweet,” he said with mock affront. “Don’t women like reliving a couple’s first meeting?”
“Not when the first meeting involves a near-death experience and ultimate humiliation. And I told you I wanted to stay in one of the tacky hotels. You picked the same boring one as before,” she grumbled as she reluctantly pulled off her black pumps and slipped into the boots. “God, I’d forgotten how uncomfortable these are.”
“Oh, quit whining,” he said, pulling her out the hotel room door and toward the elevator lobby.
Gray punched the elevator button and leaned in for a kiss, pulling back when they finally heard the elevator arrival chime.
“Hey, it’s the same elevator as before!” Sophie said in happy realization. “What are the odds?”
“One in eight,” he replied, guiding her into the elevator. “Or twelve-point-five percent. There are eight possible elevators, so the chances of us getting this one—”
“Oh jeez,” she said, cutting him off. “Just when I think you’re finally beginning to understand romance…”
Suddenly the lights went out, and the elevator jolted to a sudden stop. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Sophie said incredulously. “What are the odds of this? You’d think they’d have fixed—Gray, what the hell are you doing down there?”
Sophie squinted through the dark to find him.
“Hold on, I have a light,” he grumbled.
“You carry a flashlight now?” she asked, still struggling to see his figure. “Although I guess it’s not a bad idea at this hotel—”
She broke off again as a tiny stream of light flicked on. It served as a spotlight for one very large, very sparkly diamond ring.
Dimly she could see Gray’s shadow outlined behind it.
He was on his knee.
“Oh my God,” she whispered, a shaky hand covering her mouth.
“Marry me,” Gray commanded gruffly.
“Is that a question?” she asked with a choked laugh.
“More like a plea,” he said. “Please hurry up and decide. I can’t imagine all the germs on this elevator floor.”
“You planned this,” Sophie realized in wonder. “You were actually crazy enough to ask them to stall this elevator?”
“You said you wanted romance.”
“I can’t believe I’m wearing a miniskirt!” She plucked the ring out of the box and inspected the flawless solitaire diamond.
“Sophie, if you don’t answer my question, so help me—”
“Yes!” she burst out. “Of course, yes.”
“Thank God,” he said with relief. “Do you have any idea how many palms I had to grease to organize this whole debacle—”
Sophie threw herself at him, both of them falling awkwardly to the ground. “You did this for me,” she said, gazing down at his face in the dark.
“I’d do anything for you,” he said simply.
“I love you,” she whispered.
“I know.”
Sophie bit him.
“Fine. I love you too. If someone would have told me a year ago I’d be in love with a blonde prostitute—”
She broke off his words with a messy kiss. “How long did you arrange for us to be stuck in a black box together?”
“I, um, didn’t exactly specify. I wasn’t sure how long it would take to talk you into it.”
“So we might have some time?” she asked playfully.
“Probably. I implied that you were a little high-strung, so they’ll probably err on the side of caution and leave us in here a while.”
“Then I guess it’s convenient that I’m wearing a tiny little outfit.”
His hand slid up the back of her thigh. “I guess it is.”
“Wanna make babies?”
“Will they be quiet and well behaved, and read nonfiction?”
“No chance in hell.”
“Then yes. Definitely,” he said as he began untying her halter top.
*