In the evening, after Braden drove Elise to a hot spring hotel near S Lake, he was busy replying to company messages in their room. Nearly half an hour passed, and they hadn't spoken.
Sitting on the bed watching TV, Elise still couldn't believe she'd been proposed to just like that. Sipping red wine, she looked down at the ring on her left ring finger. The feeling was surreal. She thought back to the day Braden walked her down the aisle as a stand-in for Graham, when they exchanged rings.
Now that she was with Braden, that wedding felt like a rehearsal, a practice run for their own future wedding.
Yet she wondered, when did he prepare this ring?
"What's on your mind?" he asked gently, noticing her gaze fixed on him as he set down his phone.
Yet she wondered, when did he prepare this ring? "When did you get this ring? And you even knew my size," she put down her wine glass, giving him a serious look.
"One day after you completely enchanted me, I found the time to pick it out," he teased, emphasizing her allure.
"No need to keep reminding me how unreserved I am…" She could feel her heart pounding, and in her shyness, she took another sip of wine.
He set her wine glass back on the table, and before she could ask what he intended, he lifted her onto his lap, his arms holding her close. As their eyes met, his gaze seemed to blaze with intensity.
The intensity of his stare was so dazzling that she couldn't bear to look directly at him. Her shyness painted her ears red, though she was unaware.
All she knew was that, pressed against him, the heat between them was rising fast. She dared not move, remaining perfectly still.
"But I love you just like this," he murmured, pressing a kiss to her neck. "You make it impossible for me to stay calm—I just want to keep looking at you, so gentle and beautiful."
"I don't know what you're talking about…" she feigned innocence, though every place his lips touched burned, leaving her feeling a ticklish warmth.
"Didn't you say you wanted to hear me tell you I love you?" His hand slipped beneath her clothes, gently pressing against her soft curves. "So, I'm telling you now—I love you."
His fingers teased her sensitive peaks as he unfastened the buttons of her blouse, sliding her bra upwards. Holding her, he kissed and sucked gently, making her body tremble involuntarily.
Her fingers tangled in his hair, her palm resting on the nape of his neck. She gasped repeatedly, struggling to hold back the sounds of pleasure that rose with his every touch.
What she had wanted to hear wasn't quite this, yet deep down, she craved to be completely his.
Hearing her delicate breaths, her restrained, shy sounds stirred something wicked in him. He left her chest to claim her lips, coaxing her tongue as he savored her sweetness. His hand slipped under her skirt, caressing her tender softness through the lace panties he'd chosen for her.
Her lace was already soaked with her warmth, but it wasn't enough for him. He slipped his hand inside, stroking and caressing her softness.
Her legs tightened around his waist, and the pleasure of his touch made her murmur softly. Her arms around his neck pulled him even closer.
"Mmm… no… don't…" she murmured, her voice breathy, her consciousness slowly fading under his spell.
His touch sent waves of tingling warmth through her body, like electric currents, pulling her deeper into this trance.
