She sipped her Piña Colada. Gabe had dropped a cherry into the frozen mixture. Gabe was like that. He said every day with her was like having dessert with a cherry on top. She felt the same way about him. Since the hurricane three months ago, they’d practically been inseparable. Gabe was her knight in shining armor in more ways than one. In fact, he’d used his connections to reach out to a friend of a friend of a friend who was married to an executive at Tri-Vision, the parent company of the network that produced Flip It or Forget It. A few strings had been pulled and Candace’s contract had been resurrected, so to speak. Shooting was scheduled to begin in a few weeks. Yes, it really was good to have friends in high places. And it never would have happened if she hadn’t met Gabe.
“You are full of surprises, Mr. Hunt.”
“I love surprising you, baby. I get a kick out of seeing your reaction.”
He kissed the back of her hand. His warm breath brushing across her knuckles sent a thrill of excitement through her. Gabe’s kisses always took her breath away, and this chaste display of affection was no exception.
“Mmm,” she murmured. “And to think, I almost passed you and your little red truck up.”
He chuckled. “I’ll toast to that.” He pulled a bottle of champagne from a nearby cooler.
“I already have rum,” she reminded him.
“But what toast would be complete without champagne?”
As Gabe popped the cork, Candace heard the rhythmic hum of Jet Skis approaching. She looked up to see a group of five watercrafts with two riders each. The procession slowed down and approached their boat.
“Expecting company?” she asked him.
“Yep.”
Candace stifled the feelings of disappointment burgeoning inside her. She’d wanted to spend this entire dinner alone with him and no one else. She’d met plenty of his friends, and they were all nice, but right now, she wanted him all to herself. Was that so wrong?
She waited as the water vessels passed the port side of Gabe’s Catalina. Within seconds, it became apparent the riders wouldn’t stop. Her heart raced when the rider on the back of the first sea doo held up a banner that spelled her name. Her mouth dropped as she watched it unfurl and flap in the breeze.
How does he know my name?
She watched as the second rider passed and unfurled a banner that read WILL.
Her heart palpitated as she watched one Jet Ski after another near the boat display a banner and then speed away. She read each one in succession. YOU…MARRY…ME?
She turned to Gabe, tears threatening to blur her vision. This was the most beautiful proposal she’d ever seen.
“Well?” Gabe asked. “Will you?”
She jumped into his lap and threw her arms around his neck, nearly knocking over their flutes of champagne. “Yes, I’ll marry you!” She frantically kissed him on the lips, nose, and cheeks. “Yes! Yes! Yes!”
His hearty laugh floated through the air as he balanced her on his knee. “I’m sorry, I’m not sure I heard you correctly.”
She clasped his face in her hands and stared into his mesmerizing eyes. “Yes, Gabe Hunt. I will marry you. You’re all I’ve ever wanted in a man. I’ll take you now, forever, rich, poor, scrubbed clean or paint-splashed. I love you.”
He smiled. “Good, that’s what I thought you said.”
He claimed her lips with a kiss so tender she thought she would melt right here on the deck of his boat. The love she felt for this man was intense, overpowering. And she couldn’t wait to be his wife and share the rest of their lives together.
THE END
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I want to thank the members of STARR (Serious, Truthful, And Ready to Read).
Denise Bolds
Tamara Cook
Erica George
Roxie Jones
These are my beta readers, who graciously volunteered their time to read my book in advance, and provide me with valuable feedback on content, flow, and believability of characters. They’ve been instrumental in finding grammatical errors and helping me polish this book into a work that I hope other readers will love. Thanks ladies! I could not have done this without you.
NOTE TO READERS
Dear Reader,
I hope you enjoyed reading about Gabe and Candace’s journey toward love. Please feel free to post a review on the retail site where you purchased this book or on Goodreads. Thank you for supporting my work.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chanta Jefferson Rand is an Emma Award winning, Debut Author of the Year, a multi-published, best-selling author of sizzling-hot romance, and the former host of The Chanta Rand Show. An avid reader of all genres, she stepped onto the scene in 2010 with her first published historical romance, Pharaoh's Desire.
Chanta is a history junkie, a Walking Dead fan, and a recovering shoe addict. She never met a stiletto she didn't like! If you still want more, check her out at www.ChantaRand.com.
Remember: You can't expect any sizzle...if you don't turn up the heat!
CONNECT WITH ME
Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChantaRand
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