His eyes move to mine, and he leans back to better stare at me.

"I want this to be more. I want a real, committed relationship."

I want to cry, but I hold back the fierce flood. Why is he doing this to me?

"No," I say casually while rolling out of bed to find my clothes.

"No?" he repeats, a little wounded and stunned.

"That's right."

"Why?"

Tag I'm not giving up this time. I'm sick of the games, the push and shove, and the bulls.h.i.t. I love her, and I want her, d.a.m.n it. I know she wants to be with me, so why is she being like this?

"Because you're not that guy, Tag. You don't even understand what a committed relationship is."

That stings a little.

"I understand perfectly well what it means or I wouldn't be asking you to be with me."

"No," she says again, tears swelling in her eyes as she pulls on her shirt quickly before tugging her shorts into place. "You're doing this because you think you have to. I don't want you to feel obligated to be with me because of your son."

"Ash I don't feel obligated, I-"

"Tag, you do. I knew you would. I'm not going to take Trip away from you-ever. Eventually this stalker thing will be resolved, and we'll move out, but you'll have just as many rights as I do. Even on my weeks with him, you'll be welcome to come over whenever you want. We can be the way you want to be when you want to be. You don't have to do this. I won't let you do this." She says it so calmly, but I can see the pain brewing behind her eyes.

In all my life, I've never known anyone to want to completely sacrifice everything for my happiness. She's willing to bend over backwards.

"Ash," I murmur while tugging at her arm. "I want this-us. I can and want to do this. I can be in a very committed relationship with you."

Her eyes glaze over with tears, and then she shakes her head.

"Tag, you can't. Being committed means being only with me. It means you can't bring two dates to a wedding, pick up some random girl whose name you can't remember five minutes later, or disappear into a dark room with a blond at a party. It means I'm it. I'm all you get. If we go down this road, it'll ruin any friendship between us the second you forget."

Ashiara He can't understand how badly this will crush me if it all goes to h.e.l.l. He doesn't know how to be committed.

"Ash, is it not rather obvious I'm already committed to you? I haven't so much as kissed someone else since the day I met you. I had two dates when I saw you, and I sent them away because I had to have you. I brought some random chick to the benefit try to distract me, and I got slapped when I couldn't stay away from you. The d.a.m.n crazy b.i.t.c.h who drug me into the dark room was completely rebuffed. I fired my secretary for trying to seduce me because I can't be with anyone but you. I hired a guy. A guy, Ash."

Tears fall out as a small giggle escapes through my lips. He takes a step toward me and pulls my hands in his before backing back up to the bed and pulling me onto his lap.

"For the record, even my d.i.c.k is committed. It won't do anything for anyone but you, and I don't mean that figuratively," he jokes, and I laugh a little more while wiping tears from my eyes.

"Tag, this is such a big step. I don't want you doing it for all the wrong reasons."

His hand slides around my waist, and then he kisses me lightly before pulling back and putting his forehead against mine.

"Before I knew you were pregnant, I wanted to be with you, but I was too scared to face it. I've never been in a situation where I wanted more than a casual fling, but with you I did. While you were pregnant, I wanted to be with you, but I was trying to swallow the fact you were having another man's baby. Ironically enough, I was also trying to stay out of his way because I thought you truly cared about him. After you had Trip, I wanted to be with you.

"The night I found out Trip was my son, I had originally planned on asking you to stay with me on a more permanent basis. I wanted you in my life, and I wanted Trip in my life without even knowing he was my own flesh and blood. Ash, I love you."

My heart stops beating, my ears ring and burn in disbelief, and I'm too scared this is a dream to try to speak right away.

Tag I didn't mean to blurt that out. There were supposed to be roses here for this. I wanted a grand, beautifully romantic scene for all of this.

I don't know if she heard me or not. She's not speaking, and I'm worried I've just made a fool out of myself.

Suddenly, her lips are on mine, claiming my heart as she throws her arms around my neck. I fall back on the bed, pulling her with me. Her sweet tears slip down her cheeks as she kisses me harder, and then she pulls back just barely so she can look me in the eyes.

"I love you, and I have for so, so long."

Jerking her tighter is my only response. I need her as close to me as she can be. I've heard girls tell me they loved me before, but it's never meant anything because it wasn't real. She's the first one I've ever said it to, and I've never been happier than I am right now.

Ashiara "So, this dress is a little showier than I thought," I murmur nervously as I stare in the mirror.

"Can I see it yet?" Tag chuckles from the other side of the door.

"Only if you promise not to laugh."

"I swear I won't laugh."

I smile, completely lost in love. I can't believe he loves me. It doesn't seem real.

Taking a deep breath, my eyes return to the mirror to see the black dress that falls to the floor in the back, but rises high in the front to show my thighs. The low dip of the neckline offers a hefty view of my cleavage, and the thin straps glisten under the light.

My hair cascades in elegant curls over my shoulders, and I tremble lightly while turning back to face the door.

"Fine. Come in."

The door opens slowly, and Tag steps through with a devilish grin before it fades into... shock?

"Is that a good or bad look?" I worry.

His mouth gapes, and then he claps it shut.

"Wow."

I smile and blush in unison, and he walks over to pull me into his arms.

"It's a d.a.m.n good look."

I laugh a little, and then he walks over to hold the door open for me. I smile when I see Trip in his new, tiny little suit. He's playing with his pacifier as he tugs on its ring.

"I'm not sure which of my men looks better," I tease, and Tag grins c.o.c.kily as he struts toward me to claim my lips.

"I'll give this round to Trip. His suit is even more custom made than mine."

Ashiara We pull up to the restaurant, and I tilt my head while surveying the landscape. There's a very large lack of vehicles around.

"Are we really early? I a.s.sumed a launch party would have people to launch to."

He smiles, and then he steps out to pick Trip up before proffering me his free hand.

"We're right on time."

How?

"I thought you were more successful than this, Mr. Masters."

He laughs as he pulls me to him, our security surrounding us like we're the d.a.m.n president and first lady.

The door opens to the restaurant, and I step in to see the dim light casting a romantic ambience across the gallant floor with only one table. Rose petals litter the floor, and soft, velvety music plays in the background.

"What's-"

"This is our first date," he says softly. "I wanted it to be a surprise. Bear with me, this is the first time I've ever taken anyone out on a real date."

My mouth opens as I gaze around the room dressed in elegant curtains that line the walls. The windows open to the ocean view, and the security guards disperse to secretly protect us-out of sight.

"Tag, this is... it's amazing."

I turn to see his smile, and then he ushers me to the lone table, salads already waiting.

He puts Trip in the ba.s.sinet beside the table, and then he pulls out my chair to let me sit directly beside our little boy.

"You even thought of Trip," I giggle, noting his ba.s.sinet doesn't clash with the glamorous decor.

"Of course I did," he says with a smile.

"Tag, I think I've just been impressed with a first date for the first time."

He blushes a little, and then he acts as though he's flexing. I giggle at his humorous little gesture, and he leans over to kiss me softly.

"I love this."

"I love you," he murmurs gently, making me dissolve under those delicious words.

"I love you."

Tag I've never been so nervous yet so calm in all my life. I've wanted to do this for her for so long. Now, I'm with the woman I love, and she loves me back. I've never had such an incredible feeling.

As soon as we finish eating, she leans over on me to rest her head on my shoulder.

"Thank you," she murmurs in a breath.

"You're welcome. How does our son's suit look?" I muse as she glances over at him kicking his feet, grunting as he tries to move.

"I think it's ridiculously adorable."

I laugh as my hand slides around her waist, and she leans over to hand him his pacifier when he starts fussing.

"The attention to detail is pretty surreal. They even made him a zipper pocket with a gold lining inside. Look at it," I murmur while nudging her a little.

She smiles as she leans over, and she laughs when she finds the small zipper. Her face concentrates as though something has distracted her.

"What's wrong?"

"There's something in his pocket. They must have-" Her words stop as she stares down, and I smile as I walk over to inspect what has given her such speechless pause.

"It's a ring," she gushes. "They left a ring in his-"

She stops as I kneel down in front of her, doing my best not to show my nerves, and her mouth pops open as she stares at me in shock.

Ashiara Is he really getting down on one knee right now? Is he really kneeling in front of me, pulling this ring from my palm, and holding over my ring finger?

"Ashiara Branderwood, you're the first and only girl there has ever been for me. There's nothing, and I mean nothing, I wouldn't do for you. You're the only person in my life I've ever said I love you to, and you're the person I want to say it to for the rest of my life. Will you marry me?"

I choke on the air entering my lungs when I finally quit holding my breath. Tears break free from my wavering lids as I nod over and over before finally coughing out, "Yes."

He smiles as he pushes the ring over my finger to show me he's done his homework. It's a perfect fit-just like us.

I dive into his arms, knocking both of us to the floor, and he laughs as my lips close over his.

"d.a.m.n, I'm so glad you said yes. After having to talk you into dating me, I worried this was going to be an epic battle."

I laugh and cry at the same time, and he kisses me harder. I stare at the ring, in disbelief, and he scoops me up while standing to his feet.

It's gorgeous. I swear he got inside my brain and found the ring of my dreams. It's so perfect.

"I can't believe you're this romantic," I giggle, and he laughs a little while sitting on the chair and pulling me in his lap.

"I have my moments. Don't think I've gone too mushy though. You haven't read the inscription yet."

His brow arches with playful mischief, and I snicker excitedly while pulling the ring back off and turning it sideways to read it. Only he could find a way to make an elegant ring suddenly so scandalous, but I laugh when I see his promise in writing.