Wild Forces: A Friends to Lovers Romance (O-Town Book 2) by Karen Renee (summer reads .TXT) 📕

to two. After an hour, we drove into downtown St. Augustine. I assumed we were taking the really long way home, but then Gabe hooked a right onto King Street.

“Where are we going?”

He grinned. “Just wait and see, honey.”

After another ten minutes, he pulled his new Ford Explorer into a parking lot for a local winery.

I shot him a confused look. “You don’t even like wine that much.”

He chuckled. “C’mon, Daughtry.”

We walked into a small shop, and a clerk behind the counter told us they were closing soon.

“Mr. Huntley called Mr. Rockwell about us,” Gabe said with a smile.

The clerks eyes widened. “Oh. So sorry. Yes, just walk down this hall, the elevator is on your right.”

Gabe wrapped an arm around my shoulders and guided us down the hall.

“What is going on, Gabe?” I asked when we stopped by the elevator.

“Patience, baby,” he muttered, as he nuzzled my neck.

In the elevator, Gabe pressed the button for the third floor, and I wondered how he knew which floor he wanted. Keeping his request for ‘patience’ in mind, I held my tongue. The doors opened onto the roof.

Gabe grabbed my hand and guided me to a table set up in the middle of an open space. The bistro-style table held two bottles of wine, a charcuterie board, and a stemmed Pilsner glass with rashers of bacon inside it.

“Gabe, what on earth—”

He chuckled. “Don’t get impatient on me now, Daughtry. Took a lot of doing for all this to happen. So, enjoy, okay?”

I pressed my lips together as I fought a smile. “Okay.”

He pulled my chair out for me, and I sat down. He moved his chair closer to mine, and then I realized we weren’t completely alone. A small stage was to our left, and I could see and hear the quartet of musicians were preparing to perform.

“How did you—”

He cut me off again, but this time with a finger to my lips. “Relax, Cassie. And listen to the music.”

I wanted to bounce in my seat because anytime Gabe played music for me it excited me, but for him to have arranged live music... this would be the ultimate treat. My reaction did not go unnoticed.

“Yeah. I think you’re gonna like this, baby.”

Gabe looked to the stage and threw his chin up dramatically. The piano player started and immediately I stiffened in my chair as the distinct sounds of “Blue Rondo ala Turk” filled the air.

Oblivious to my reaction, Gabe leaned forward and grabbed the glass holding the bacon. “Candied bacon?”

“Why this song?”

He set the glass down, and cupped my cheek. “Honey, it’s how we met. Not the most ideal circumstances, but we both appreciate the hell out of this song.”

I exhaled, realizing I was overreacting.

Gabe grabbed one of the bottles of wine, but asked, “Red or white, Cassandra?”

I deliberated for a moment. “White.”

“A fine choice,” he said, as if he were a waiter. He grabbed a glass and turned his body a little as he poured.

“You are such a goof,” I muttered.

He handed me the glass. “You love me?”

With the glass half-way to my lips, I dipped my chin at him. “Like you even have to ask.”

I took a sip, surprised at how sweet the wine was, but when I went to set the glass down, a red velvet box sat there. The box was open and a stunning engagement ring sparkled back at me.

My breath caught because the ring was better than anything I would’ve picked out for myself. The main focus was the round diamond in the center, but it was surrounded by smaller diamonds in an art-deco inspired setting. I put my wine glass down next to the box, and looked at Gabe.

He grabbed my hand, and I realized he’d dropped to one knee. “I was going to wait for this part until they got to ‘Blue Monk’ on the playlist, but I forgot how impatient you can be, Cassie-Cass. So, uh, I never told you, but Dad says Monk beats Brubeck.”

I felt my eyes widen, and Gabe chuckled. “Yeah. I was pretty floored myself, Daughtry.” He cleared his throat. “Some might say we haven’t been together that long, but I would argue we’ve been together a long damn time. Which means, it’s past time for me to make you a Sullivan.” He slipped the ring from the box and I saw his fingers were shaking as he slid it onto my ring finger. “Will you marry me, Cassandra Ivy?”

I looked up from my hand, and asked, “Are you crazy?”

Gabe

THAT WAS NOT THE REACTION I expected. My stomach twisted with nerves, but I powered through it. “You bet I am. I’m crazy about you, Daughtry.”

She leaned forward to cup my cheeks. “Like you had to ask! Of course I’ll marry you, Gabe,” she cried and kissed me so hard I couldn’t take over her kiss.

When she finally came up for air, her eyes were watery. “How long have you been planning this, Gabe?”

I shrugged as I took my seat. “Beast - better known as Mr. Huntley to the people around here - mentioned how much Janie loves this place. I knew we’d be up this way, and I thought it would be a great spot to pop the question because you wouldn’t be expecting it.”

She laughed, and it sounded better than the music.

“You definitely caught me off-guard.”

I smiled and kissed her again.

The quartet moved onto “Blue Monk,” and she smiled. “Is this your way of admitting that ‘Blue Monk’ won?”

I shook my head. “No, baby. It’s my way of saying, I love the way you think and I’ll never get tired of debating music with you.”

Her eyes suddenly narrowed. “You aren’t trying to get married before Brock, are you? Cecilia told me they’re nowhere near marriage discussions.”

I chuckled. “I can be very competitive, you’re right. But this has nothing to do with my brother. Besides, you never know. Brock might be closer to popping the question to her than even Cecilia realizes.”

Her eyes widened. “Really?”

I dipped