Forever Ours (The Billionaire Next Door Book 8) Read Online Free

I set up for him.
    “Wait — what is this?” Jason looked around. We
were in front of an outdoor skating rink which was surrounded with holiday
lights. A canopy of stars acted as the ceiling for our personal arena. “A
skating rink?”
    I nodded. The worry on Jason’s face melted
away into excitement.
    “I didn’t know they had these out here.”
    “This is the only one. They use special
technology to keep the ice at the perfect temperature for skating.”
    “This.” He looked up at me. “This is amazing.”
Jason took a few steps forward. “And the skates?”
    “Over there.” I pointed towards the skates
laid out on the bench.
    Jason was visibly torn between running towards
the skates and coming back to give me a big kiss. He did the latter, not caring
about the lipstick I was wearing. Jason came out of it with a big red grin.
    “This is awesome .”
    I laughed, wiping the lipstick off his lips
with my thumb.
    “Come on!” Jason grabbed my hand from his
mouth and pulled me towards the bench where he handed me my skates and we both
laced up. As he got up and stepped onto the pristine ice, he looked up at me.
“Do you even know how to skate?”
    I stepped out onto the ice and pushed myself
off, gliding towards him.
    The surprise on Jason’s face said it all. “How
did you learn how to do that?”
    “Practice.” I smirked. Truthfully, I had been taking
secret lessons for the past few weeks in preparation for this night.
    Jason took my hand and whipped me around,
skating me in a circle. I laughed.
    “You look like you’re in shock,” I said.
    Jason laughed and shook away the surprise on
his face.
    “I still can’t believe you did this. When did
you do the arrangements?”
    “While you were at
work. I asked if I could rent out the skating rink.
It took some convincing, but living with you has considerably improved my
negotiation skills.”
    Jason smiled and pulled me in close, as if we
were slow dancing. By this point our lips were no more than an inch away from
each other. The chilliness of the ice kissed my bare legs. Though I thought I
would feel uncomfortable, the sensation was oddly refreshing.
    “I want to do more of what you love,” I said.
    The corners of Jason’s lips turned up
slightly. “You always know what I love.”
    He moved in and kissed me, slowly,
passionately. My heart was beating a hundred times a minute and I wondered if
Jason could hear its song. My palms became sweaty in his. The time to propose
was getting closer and closer. My heart… I wasn’t sure I’d be able to
calm myself.
    BOOM.
    My heart nearly jumped into my throat before
vibrating violently in my chest. Jason and I were startled away from each other.
    BOOM. BOOM.
    Still holding hands we looked up into the sky
where red and pink fireworks dazzled in the sky.
    BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
    Three more exploded in the night sk y — g reen , gold, and white. The
shimmering sparkles rained down the sky, lighting our wide eyes and bright,
smiling faces.
    For some reason, the loud explosions of the
fireworks sent relief through my body. The explosions were calming, drowning
out the drum of my heart and the whirlwind of thoughts storming in my head.
    BOOM. BOOM.
    Jason looked at his watch.
    “It’s midnight,” he said. He looked into my
eyes and we connected. “Happy New Years, Sophia.”
    His hand squeezed mine. I smiled.
    “Happy New Years, Jason.” I leaned in and
kissed him tenderly on the lips. The perfect first kiss to
start the year.
    The perfect last kiss as boyfriend and
girlfriend.
    The nerves came back but they were quickly
zapped away by another Earth-shaking firework.
    BOOM.
    Jason took my hands in his.
    I hope he doesn’t feel me trembling.
    Despite my nervous demeanor, Jason was calm, cool,
and collected. I let out a sharp sigh. If there was ever a time to do this, it
was now.
    I took in a deep breath. “Jason—”
    “Sophia,” he interrupted. “Before you go any
further, I want to tell you that from the