MATED TO SERIES COLLECTION

16. LARA: A BIG STEP

I blinked at him. Had I heard him right? Surely I must've fallen asleep and this was some kind of dream. He would never ask me to marry him. We barely knew each other. My heartbeat increased when I realized that I was wide awake and that this wasn't a dream. I glanced around.

"What are you looking for?" Silas asked.

"I'm waiting for someone with a camera to jump out and tell me I'm being pranked."

"This isn't a prank," he said softly. "There are no cameras. Let's go upstairs and we'll talk."

He slipped the small box back into his jacket pocket before slipping his arms around me and picking me up. I buried my face against his neck as he carried me up to my apartment. After unlocking the door, Silas entered and carried me over to the couch. Lowering me down, he grabbed the pillow and slipped it underneath my swollen ankle.

"Don't move. I'll get you some ice."

I swallowed and followed him as he walked into the kitchen. Silas grabbed an icepack and wrapped the dishtowel around it before making his way towards me. He took a seat opposite me and placed the icepack against my skin. I stared at his face as he inspected my ankle again.

"Why would you ask me to marry you if you barely know me?" I asked him, unable to stand the silence any longer.

"I know enough about you to know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He straightened and moved up the couch to sit next to me. "I don't need to know your life story to know that I love you and that—"

"You love me?"

Silas smiled at me. He slipped an arm around my waist and tugged me closer to him. When our chests were pressed together, Silas lowered his head until our lips brushed. He poured everything he felt into the kiss and I returned it. My arms slipped around his neck.

Silas broke the kiss with a low groan. "Any more of that and we'd end up in bed."

"I wouldn't mind."

"I'm trying to stay patient with you Lara. It can only last so long. I want you. I've wanted you from the first moment we met." He stroked my cheekbone with his thumb. "Marry me Lara."

"I don't know anything about you," I whispered.

He pulled away slightly with a small frown. Running a hand through his hair, he sighed and glanced away from me. After staring at the wall for a few seconds, Silas faced me again. His hand dropped to mine that was resting on my lap. He entwined our fingers and gave my hand a squeeze.

"What is there to know that you don't already know?" He licked his lips. "I left home when I was eighteen and moved to London. After a few years of doing this and that, I finally figured out what I wanted to do. With the help of a friend I started building my own business."

"Why did you leave home?"

He pursed his lips and glanced away from me. "Family trouble," he said softly. "I'm a self-made billionaire. I like running in the morning and relaxing with a glass of whiskey at night. I'm a bit of a workaholic but I will always make time for you. My favourite colour is green and I love horror movies. What more do you want to know?"

I licked my lips as I thought over everything he just said. "How old are you?"

He chuckled. "I'm thirty-two."

He was a whole lot older than I originally thought him to be. I tried to think of something else to ask him but my mind came up blank. The feeling of his thumb brushing across my knuckles was distracting. My eyes dropped to his lips and all thoughts fled from my mind. There would be time for talking later. I still had time to think about things.