Damon didn’t move for a few monts, waiting for his heart to hear her answer. But for so reason, Charlotte said nothing.
She just stood there, her hand covering her lips, and suddenly tears began to fall down her cheeks.
The sight made Damon’s chest tighten. Panic rushed through him, and a horrible thought struck him. ’Did I push her too hard? Did I make her feel trapped?’
"Charlotte," his voice ca out rough, almost breaking, "if this feels too heavy for you ... it’s alright. You can say no. I can wait as long as you need."
"No."
Damon’s eyes widened, unable to believe that word had truly co from her lips. "You ... you’re rejecting ?"
Charlotte suddenly let out a soft laugh and cried at the sa ti. "No, Damon. I don’t want to reject you."
This ti, his eyes grew even wider. His knees felt weak, and his breath caught in his throat. "Does that an—"
"Yes!" Charlotte suddenly threw herself into his arms, nearly knocking him over if he hadn’t steadied them both. Her voice trembled but was filled with certainty. "Yes, I want to marry you!"
For so long, she had believed that marriage was sothing terrifying, sothing she never wanted to touch again. But the mont she saw Damon kneeling in front of her, holding out that small velvet box, all those fears lted away.
She realized then, it wasn’t marriage she had been afraid of. It was the man who once filled that role. The thought of Julian as her husband had haunted her, suffocating her with fear.
But Damon ... Damon was different. With him, all she felt was safety, warmth, and the kind of peace that made her heart soar. Being with him was like lying on the softest clouds.
She hugged him tightly, burying her face in the curve of his neck. Her tears wouldn’t stop, no matter how hard she tried, but this ti they weren’t from fear. They were from joy so overwhelming it spilled out of her.
Damon’s arms wrapped firmly around her, his hand stroking the back of her head with such tenderness it made her cry harder. "You’re crying because you’re happy, right?" he asked softly, needing to hear it.
Charlotte gave his chest a playful smack, half annoyed and half overwheld. "Of course I’m happy!" She lifted her tear-stained face to him, her cheeks wet and flushed. "It’s not fair. You’re not even crying."
A smile curved on Damon’s lips, warm and unshakable. "Oh, sweetheart, I am crying, right here in my heart." He brushed her tears away with his sleeve, his touch gentle as he tucked her hair behind her ear. His voice lowered, filled with devotion. "But how could I cry when every ti I look at you, all I want to do ... is smile?"
Charlotte murmured shyly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I ... also want to smile every ti I see you."
Damon tilted his head with a teasing glint in his eyes. "What was that? I didn’t hear you clearly."
Charlotte knew he was only pretending. There was no way an Alpha like him could miss her words, no matter how quietly she spoke. He just wanted to hear her say it again.
Instead of answering, she slid her arms around his neck, pulling him closer until their breaths mingled. Then, without another word, she pressed her lips to his in a kiss.
It was gentle at first, then deepening as if she wanted to pour every unsaid feeling into it.
The world seed to lt away in that mont, leaving only the warmth of his embrace and the sweetness of the kiss they shared.
When the sun had fully risen, they slowly pulled away from the kiss, their foreheads still touching as soft smiles curved on their lips.
"I love you, Charlotte," Damon whispered, his thumb brushing gently against her cheek. "I truly love you more than anything in this world."
Charlotte’s eyes shimred, her lashes wet as if she might cry again. But before the tears could fall, Damon wrapped her tightly in his arms. "Hey, no more crying," he murmured, pressing a kiss into her hair. "If you keep this up, your pretty eyes will get all swollen."
"Then stop being so sweet," Charlotte mumbled, hiding her face in the curve of his neck. "You make feel so loved it’s overwhelming."
"That’s because I really do love you," he said softly. "And that won’t ever change, not in one year, not in ten years, not even when we’re both old and gray ... even when we’re nothing but bones in the ground."
"Now you sound like an old man." Charlotte pulled her face back to look at him, her lips curving into a smile. "I want to live with you for such a long, long ti ... so don’t you dare die too soon."
Damon chuckled. "Good thing we have such a long life ahead of us. I just hope you’ll never get bored of ."
"Never," Charlotte replied without hesitation.
Damon’s chest tightened with affection. Carefully, he lifted the velvet box once more and carefully slid the diamond ring onto her finger. The sunlight caught the gem, making it sparkle brilliantly as if the sunrise itself had blessed their union.
Charlotte stared at the ring, her lips parting in awe. Her heart swelled, and she whispered, almost breathless, "It’s beautiful..."
Damon lifted her hand to his lips, pressing a tender kiss against her knuckles. "It’s only beautiful because it’s on you," he said softly. "This ring ans that you’re mine, and I’ll spend the rest of my life proving that I’m yours."
"I love you, Damon," Charlotte whispered softly before pressing her lips against his once more. This ti, neither of them pulled away.
The kiss deepened, slow at first, then heated, until it was no longer just a kiss but a fire that pulled them closer and closer.
Damon swept her into his arms, holding her as if she were the most precious thing in the world. He carried her back into the cabin, his lips never straying far from hers.
It was their very first day on the cruise ship, yet neither of them cared about the grand halls, the restaurants, or the endless activities waiting outside. All they wanted was to stay together as long as they could.
They let the world slip away as they gazed at one another, their clothes falling away until there was nothing left between them but bare skin and burning love.
They surrendered to the passion that consud them, a desire so fierce it left no space for anything else.
In that mont, ti itself seed to stop, leaving only the two of them, wrapped in heat and devotion, lost in each other for hours.
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