not a loser then, am I?’ she whispered into his ear, her breath caressing the nerves in his neck, making promises that Joe knew could never be.
He shook his head, sucking in deep, slow breaths, bringing his arms up. He hesitated. Hell. He closed his arms around her, holding her close.
He couldn’t have her think he didn’t care about her. She had to believe that the proposal was real for now. That he loved holding her, loved the feel of her, the smell of her, the sweetness of her voice, no matter how slurred.
She had to see how much life she had yet to live.
Riana pulled back, running her soft fingertips down his bristly cheek, biting her bottom lip. ‘Where’s my ring?’
‘Pardon?’
‘You’ve got to give me a ring if we’re engaged.’ She smiled wildly at him.
Joe stared at her. Was she for real? She was amazing…unbelievable…drunk as hell…and such a romantic.
Hell. A ring. Where the hell was he going to get a ring from at this time of night?
He glanced at his fingers, all empty. Now would have been the perfect moment for that silver skull ring his mother had confiscated from him at sixteen.
Joe pulled the nearest camera bag over to him and flipped it open. Something he could use as a ring…? He undid one of the tripod legs and took the brass packer off the end. It looked about the right size.
He offered the small brass ring to her on his palm.
Riana pouted. ‘Do it properly.’ And she held out her hand as though she was in some old movie, awaiting a kiss from a handsome prince on her left hand. ‘And you have to kneel.’
Joe ran a hand through his hair. ‘Okay.’ He tucked the vodka bottle into the camera bag and shoved it to one side. He dropped to the floor in front of her.
He looked up into her face, saw the tears brimming in her eyes. His gut tightened.
He swallowed hard and slipped the ring slowly onto her finger, his mind a mass of crazy thoughts, his body a frenzy of tangled urges. None of which he had any intention of pursuing.
‘With this ring…’ she murmured, listing to one side, a soft smile on her face, her eyes closed.
‘That comes later,’ he said, shaking his head. And in this case, not at all. He was already seriously involved.
She fell sideways.
Joe caught her in his arms, holding her. What a night.
He lifted Riana into his arms, sending a prayer to the ceiling that the morning would bring her some sense as well as sobriety.
The last thing he needed was another fiancée.
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