Eye Candy

“Did you really?” she asks, leaning around me.

She’s stepping out of character now. This is real—the way she’s looking at me. Those big blue flames burning me up the way they always do.

There she is.

I nod, keeping her eyes.

“Well,” Riley furrows her brow and leans back around behind me. “That was very irresponsible of you. I suspect you were looking to drive yourself home?”

“Nah. I wouldn’t do that.”

She pats down the front of my thighs. “Why did you drink that much?”

“Nerves,” I answer. “Just needed to take the edge off, ya know?”

“’Cause of all those crimes you committed?” she whispers at my shoulder as her hands press the pockets of my jeans. “Are you feeling guilty? Is that why your nerves are shot?”

“No.”

“You should. Breaking a law, or several, isn’t something we take lightly around here.” The fingers of her right hand curl under, taking more of my pocket with them, and grip. “Ah ha,” she says, sounding triumphant.

I blow out the breath I’m holding, grateful for the bar. My body sags into it as a thousand heartbeats fill my chest.

“Well well. What do we have—”

Riley’s voice drops out when she pulls the small black box out of my pocket.

I take one last deep breath before I turn around, watching her study the thing she’s holding like she doesn’t have any idea what it is, or what’s in it.

And that’s definitely not the fucking case.

Every woman knows what’s in that box.

“Wait! That’s my cue.” Reed shoots out of his chair and moves off to the side, phone raised and pointed at us.

I glare at him. “Really?”

He’s fucking filming this?

If I wasn’t already nervous enough . . .

“My mom insisted,” he replies, smirking above his phone. “Whenever you’re ready.”

“Gee. Thanks.”

“Oh my God,” one of the girls whispers, sounding the most like Mia. “He’s proposing.”

“Told you. That’s a winning outfit right there,” Tessa says.

“Reed, make sure you zoom.”

That suggestion comes from Beth.

“I’d like to take care of this today, if everyone’s finished speaking up and ruining the moment.” I sweep my gaze across the table, brows lifted in question. “We good? Anything else?”

“You might wanna kneel,” some guy I don’t even know suggests from the crowd.

I realize then all eyes are on us, on me and what I’m about to do. And looking to Riley, to her sweet face studying that box like it’s the most precious thing she’s ever held in her hands, the tears in her eyes, her head nodding like crazy, already answering the question I have yet to even ask, suddenly, I forget why the fuck I was nervous about this in the first place.

I’m doing this here in front of everyone for a reason.

I’m giving her this moment to look back on and remember who she shared it with, knowing the most important people to Riley are filling this room, and the ones that couldn’t make it will apparently see a video.

This is how I’ve had it planned for the past three months. And that look on her face is why.

I can stand a little attention for that look. It’s worth it.

“Do you wanna open it?” I ask her, my voice carrying like we’re the only ones in the bar now that everyone’s gone quiet. Even the music got turned down at some point. “I was gonna do it, do the whole present it to you thing, but if you—”

Riley quickly shoves the box against my chest and pulls back. “You can do it,” she rushes out, hands knotting together and pressing against her stomach.

I chuckle, watching Riley give me the prettiest smile I think she’s ever given me and cutely shrug her shoulders.

“I’d hate to ruin the moment,” she teases.

“Certainly not.” Clearing my throat, I drop to one knee and look up at her.

Tears start spilling down her face.

“CJ, what are you doing down there?” Nolan asks me.

I lower my head for a breath as collective chuckles fill the room, then looking down the bar, I spot Nolan hanging over the edge, head tilted down and face serious. His mask is off now and his hair is wild. Hattie’s holding on to him so he doesn’t fall onto the floor.

“Asking Ms. Riley to marry me,” I annouce.

At those words, Riley whimpers.

“For real? That’s really what you’re doing?” Nolan questions before pushing up and looking toward the table. “Mom, I gotta do this for Ryan. This is what I’m talking about.”

“For fuck’s sake,” I grunt, keeping my voice low, but Riley hears me and giggles.

I look up at her with pleading eyes.

“Oh, baby. Come here,” Mia urges, sniffling, a steady stream of tears pouring down her face now too. “We’ll talk about it later. Let CJ do his thing.”

“Yes. Everyone please.” Riley stomps her foot and shushes the crowd. “Let my man do his thing,” she says, smiling at me and lifting her chin.

Shaking my head, grinning, already thinking this is the best fucking proposal in the books just going off her reaction alone, I pause, but only to make sure I don’t get interrupted again, before I finally open the box and lift it for her to see.

Riley gasps, hand flying up to her mouth.

“I think you know how crazy I am about you,” I begin, watching the best thing that’s ever happened to me finally pry her eyes off the ring to look into my face. “I don’t think you know how I’ll go out of my mind if I can’t spend every day of my life with you.”

“Aww,” Reed says.

I grit my teeth. “I’m regrettin’ asking your permission.”

“No, you’re not.”

Riley looks shocked. “You asked his permission?”

I nod. “His. Your parents’. I’m suddenly wondering if I need to take a moment and survey the room.”

Riley bursts into laughter, along with the crowd gathered around us. “Please don’t take another minute,” she says. “Oh my God. I’ll die if you don’t ask me soon.”

I smile at her, looking down briefly before meeting her eyes again. “We were always meant for this, darlin’, and for everything that’s coming after this. And there’s a lot coming. I’m telling you—I want it all. Whatever it is. And I want it with you. Will you marry me?”

“Yes!” she shouts, as if she’s been holding that one word in her entire life, just waiting on me so she can say it.

Clapping, cheering, and hollering, the crowd goes nuts around us as I slide the ring on her finger, letting the box fall to the floor. Standing, I pull Riley into my arms and lift her up, kissing her while my hands roam all that black leather.

“Jesus Christ. Please tell me this isn’t a rental,” I say against her smiling lips.

She giggles and kisses me. “It’s all mine. Bought and paid for.”

“Sweetest words I’ve ever heard, second to that yes you just gave me,” I say.

Riley leans back and cups my face, staring into my eyes. “I love you.”

“I love you, darlin’.”

We share another slow, soft kiss before our friends come over to give well wishes, practically trampling us to do just that.