All's Fair in Love and Las Vegas

Bonus Chapter: The Engagement (Clay)

        The front door rattled, a key in the lock. I straightened, grabbing the roses off the counter. As always, my nerves were sky-high, but tonight was obviously extra anxiety inducing. 

        Kylie stepped inside, her purse slung over one shoulder and her hair rumpled, like she'd recently taken it out of a ponytail. My heartbeat roared in my ears, still not used to her beauty. Every time I saw her, she just got more gorgeous.

        She finally noticed me, her tired eyes stretched wide. Her body went limp with relief as she raced forward, crashing into me with a hug. Wrapping my free arm around her shoulders, I held her close as I pressed a kiss to the side of her head.

        "It is so good to see you," she whispered, leaning heavily against my chest. "Like, so good. It's been a rough few weeks."

        "I'm sorry, Ky," I said, my heart aching for her.

        "It's okay, you're busy," she said, just as forgiving as ever.

        "I shouldn't be so busy I can't see you," I said, hugging her a little tighter.

        She nodded once, bowing her head against my shoulder. Sensing her exhaustion, I asked, "Do you just want to go to bed?"

        "No, no, you're here, you flew all the way to Arlington, I can't just go to sleep on you," she laughed.

        "Yes, you can, I don't mind." I'd planned on this, that she'd be too tired, especially after a long, late shift.

        But Kylie still shook her head, saying, "No, you're here. I want to hang out, promise. I can stay up for at least an hour."

        "You're sure?" I asked, pulling back and looking down at her in concern. When she nodded, I reached towards the counter behind me and said, "Well, if we're gonna hang out, you're going to need a cute outfit."

        "A cute-oh!" she squealed, delighted by the pale pink sweatpants and hoodie I handed her. They had white roses embroidered on the cuffs, but more importantly, they exactly matched my clothes.

        "Clay, oh my gosh, they're so cute," she said, holding them to her chest. "Thank you."

        "Go, put them on," I urged, grinning. With one more hug, she ran to her room to change. While she was changing, I lit the few candles I'd placed around her living room, all of them vanilla-scented. Not to mention I'd washed the sweats with vanilla-scented detergent before giving them to her.

        I also dragged out the giant air mattress I'd prepared from the other room, the one covered in fuzzy blankets and and pillows. Perfect for cuddling in the winter. I backed it up to the front of Kylie's couch, taking up most of the living room.

        Just as I stood up, Kylie came back, now dressed like me, only a lot cuter. Her eyes went wide as she took in the living room, done complete as what I privately considered the most romantic snuggle fort ever.

        "You did all this?" she asked, looking up at me with shining eyes.

        "Yeah, I figured even if you were too tired for cuddling, you could at least have the bed of a princess," I said, sitting down on the edge of the mattress.

        Kylie plopped down next to me and gave me another hug, this one more grateful than the last. "Clay, you're the most amazing boyfriend in the whole world," she said, her words muffled by my shoulder.

        "Let's maybe not go that far for just setting up a date night," I laughed, holding her tight against my chest. 

        "Thank you," she said, squeezing hard for a moment before pulling away and awkwardly crawling over to the pile of pillows. I laid back, slowly sinking into the cushiness of the atmosphere around me. Kylie instantly scooted closer, curling up against my shoulder. I wrapped an arm around her waist, my fingertips brushing her sweatshirt covered shoulder.