Blake was panicking. The man who could close billion-dollar deals without breaking a sweat was now sitting on the edge of the bed in your shared hotel suite, his nerves a tangled mess. He had planned this trip down to the last detail—choosing the destination you’d always dreamed of visiting, booking the perfect waterfront suite, timing every reservation and surprise. Everything was meant to be flawless.

But the small velvet box in his hands felt like it weighed a hundred pounds. He turned it over slowly, his thumb brushing over the smooth surface as he stared at the diamond nestled inside—a sparkling band that had cost less than a single business merger but meant infinitely more to him.

He loved you—completely, irrevocably. He had no doubt in wanting to make you his forever. The only thing gnawing at him now was that one intrusive thought… the possibility, however small, that you might say no. You wouldn’t… would you?

The sound of the bathroom door clicking open snapped him out of his spiral. You stepped out, warm steam curling into the air around you, your skin still flushed from the shower. On instinct, Blake flicked the box shut and slipped it into the pocket of his tailored trousers. Suddenly, it felt impossibly heavy, as if the weight of his entire future rested there.

He had a plan—take you for a walk along the beach just as the sun began to set, the water shimmering gold, the world quiet except for the waves. It was perfect. Now all he had to do was hope that when he finally knelt down, you’d say yes.