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He knelt in front of her with a bouquet of red sunflowers. They looked like a sunset exploded over the soft slim petals. His hair was thick and dark, just begging for her fingers to slide their way through their silky locks. The smile he wore was devilishly handsome. But it was his eyes that had caused her breath to hitch in her throat. Such love and devotion stared at her from those amber spheres. Hailey felt his love shining out of those eyes of his, felt it to her core. This man was everything to her, and he was finally getting off his ass and on his knee to ask her to mate him.
Apparently her declaration of wanting to spend forever with him was not good enough. He had to do it his way and that meant waiting three months for him to finally get around to this. Hailey’s patience had been wearing thin on the subject. Every time she would ask about their mating, he would smile, a secret hiding in the expression and tell her to not worry about it. He must have forgotten who he was talking to because worrying was a favorite pastime of Hailey’s.
But now, in this moment, he was getting around to doing what she had dreamed countless nights on. Sharply dressed in one of her favorite suits, he looked cleaned, pressed and sexy as hell. He wanted to look nice for her, she realized. Dak knew how much she enjoyed looking at him in a suit, it was like lingerie to a woman. Hailey however was something of a mess. She had been painting a bookshelf and for some reason, the paint was more attracted to her than the wood. She had blue smudges all over her arms and legs, matting a few pieces of her hair and a big spot on her cheek where a mosquito had bitten her and she slapped at it.
Dak reached into his jacket and pulled out a box. It was small and one every woman knew the shape of by heart.
“Céile,” he paused, mischief glittering his eyes. The anticipation that has nestled in her chest and the smile that had been growing on her face faltered. His expression wasn’t right. It didn’t match the situation. He was too excited, too mischievous and too playful. “Will you… hold these for me?” He handed her the flowers and bent to…tie his shoe?
What the fuck?
Hailey stared open mouthed, gaping and hands full. Without thinking, she flipped opened the box and found it to be empty. Her breath was ragged as color began to creep up her neck. This wasn’t the proposal she had thought it was going to be. Hell, it wasn’t even a proposal! What was he playing?
When Dak was done tying his shoe, he stood and took the flowers and box back from her. “Thanks,” he grinned and she wanted to smack him. “Oh wait, no. These are yours.” He handed back the flowers. “How’s the painting going?”
Still a bit shell shocked, Hailey took back the flowers but didn’t say anything. Her eyes were wide and she felt she had no control over her features as her mind raced. How could he just? When he knew that she? And then he?
Dak was smiling at her, knowingly. The Bastard.
“Sorry, Céile. I’ve got to get this box over to Dane.” He tossed it in the air and caught it. Her eyes followed the flip. “What would you like for dinner later? I’ve been craving Mexican, myself.”
Hailey finally found her voice. “T-that’s fine.”
“Good.” He kissed her cheek, the non-painted one and then walked passed her over to Dane’s cottage.
She found that even though he had given her flowers, she still wanted to throat punch him.
