Someone Special

by Teresa Roman

  “I don’t want to.” He fisted my hair in one of his hands and nipped at my neck, leaving me with goose bumps.

  “We have all night, you know,” I said.

  “Yes, but only if everything goes according to plan.”

  I pulled away and looked at him quizzically. “What’s that supposed to mean? What plan?”

  Jude shook his head. “Nothing. I just mean that we have dinner reservations first, and by the time we get home you might be too tired.”

  “This is the first time I get to celebrate my birthday with you,” I said. “Trust me, I won’t be too tired.”

  The drive to the restaurant where Jude had made reservations was a short one. The hostess seated us at a table that had breathtaking views of the ocean.

  “This place is amazing,” I said.

  “Only the best for you.”

  I felt myself blush. Jude was so sweet and romantic. I still hardly believed how lucky I was to have him.

  Because of our gorgeous view and delicious meal, it wasn’t until halfway through dinner that it dawned on me that something was off about Jude. He was quieter than normal and fidgety. “Is everything okay?” I asked him.

  “Yes, of course. Why wouldn’t it be?” His reply was a bit emphatic, which only made me more suspicious.

  “Are you sure there isn’t something you want to tell me?”

  “Um, actually there is,” he said. “I . . . uh, I wanted to tell you that we should order dessert.”

  “I don’t know. I’m pretty full already.”

  “C’mon, Dawn. This is a special occasion. And I heard the cheesecake here is amazing.”

  That was one of my all-time-favorite desserts. “Okay, I guess I can squeeze in a few bites.”

  When our server returned, Jude ordered dessert, which was brought to our table a few minutes later. Jude’s fidgeting only got worse. He took one bite of cake before accidentally knocking his fork to the floor. He bent down to pick it up. I was about to ask him one more time if everything was okay when I realized he’d gone from bending down to kneeling in front of me.

  My heart pounded as I tried to wrap my mind around what was happening. “Jude, what’s . . . going on?”

  As I was asking my question he’d reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. I knew what being down on one knee and boxes like that meant, but I just couldn’t believe it.

  Jude pried the box open and held it in front of him so I could see what was inside. “Dawn, I love you with all my heart. I can’t picture my life without you in it. I know we’ve had some ups and downs, but we’ve come out of them stronger than ever.” My heart felt like it was about to beat out of my chest. “Will you marry me?”

  I stared at him open-mouthed for a moment before finally answering him. “Yes.” I clutched my hands over my heart before kneeling on the floor in front of Jude. “Yes,” I said again.

  Jude’s entire face brightened. I put my hands on the sides of his face and stared into his eyes for a moment before kissing him , not caring that we were in front of a room full of people.

  “Good Lord, girl,” he said when I pulled away. “I was so worried you’d say no.”

  Suddenly realizing we were both still kneeling I said, “Um, I think we better get off the floor before everyone in here thinks we’re crazy.”

  We sat back down in our chairs. Jude reached for my hand and slid the ring on my finger. It was a beautiful square-cut diamond set on a simple platinum band. I stared at it as he called the server over and asked for two glasses of champagne.

  “I was actually hoping to ask you something tonight also,” I finally managed to say despite being half-dazed by the fact that Jude had just proposed.

  “What is it?”

  I glanced across the table at him. “Will you go with me to our department’s annual Christmas party?”

  He raised his brows. “Is that all?”

  I nodded and wiped a stray happy tear from my eyes with a still shaky hand.

  “Of course I will,” he replied. “I am your fiancé, after all.”

  My heart fluttered at the thought. I was engaged. I wondered how long it would take for that notion to sink in. “Mostly everyone from work will be there,” I cautioned, hoping he’d figure out what I was hinting at.

  “Doesn’t matter. I won’t be going for them, I’ll be going for you.”

  I stared down at my hand admiring my ring, I couldn’t remember ever feeling as happy as I did at that moment. I lifted my eyes and looked at Jude, then smiled and said, “Good, it’s a date then.”

  Chapter 28

  I had no idea why I was so nervous about the Christmas party. Pretty much everyone from work knew Jude, and that we were engaged. Still, I’d never really hung out with him and them socially at the same time.

  “You look beautiful,” he said, coming up behind me in the bathroom as I finished brushing my hair.

  I turned around to take a look at him. He wore a pair of dark slacks and a red button-down shirt. With his tan complexion the color suited him, and since it was almost Christmas the shirt was perfect for a holiday party.

  I glanced at my cell phone sitting atop the counter to check the time. “Are you almost ready to go?” I asked. “I promised Tracey we’d meet her out front by eight-thirty.”

  “I’m ready whenever you are,” he said.

  As Jude drove into Los Angeles, I looked out of the passenger’s side window admiring the Christmas lights decorating people’s homes and the streets. I thought about my last two Christmases. Both had been a disaster. Those memories made me sad because I’d always truly loved this time of the year. But then I turned my head and looked at Jude and couldn’t help the smile that made its way across my face.

  “What are you thinking about?” he asked.

  “Just how much I love Christmas.”

  A few minutes later we arrived at Nightingale. After we got out of the car, Jude took my hand and led me to the entrance of the club, where Tracey was already waiting with Frank. They greeted us with hugs and cheek kisses.

  “You ready to do this?” Tracey asked.

  “What? Hang out with a bunch of stuck-up doctors?” Jude said jokingly.

  “Hey, it’s not just doctors in there, and most of the people I work with are really nice. You know that.”

  “I do. I was just kidding.” He took my hand again. “C’mon. It’s not often that I can get you on a dance floor.”

  “Hey. Just because we’re at a club there’s no guarantee that any dancing is going to take place.”

  Jude pulled on my hand, and I followed him inside. It had been a few weeks since Jude and I had gotten engaged, and while everyone at work was done oohing and ahhing over my ring, they hadn’t all had the chance to congratulate both of us together so we attracted a small crowd of well-wishers.

  I spotted Eric out of the corner of my eye as one of my co-workers praised Jude on his ring-selection skills. He was the one person who hadn’t offered a single word of congratulations about my engagement. But at least he’d gotten over his notion that I’d eventually dump Jude and get back with him. He seemed pleased by the blond woman in a skintight dress who was draped over him. I smiled. She was way more his type than I ever was. How had I ever thought we could be a couple?

  “Let’s go find a table,” Tracey said.

  The two of us sat down while Jude and Frank went to get us some drinks.

  “I’m glad you agreed to come,” Tracey said.

  “You know what,” I said, “so am I.”

  “A lot has changed since last year, hasn’t it?”

  “Yeah, this year I know you won’t be ditching me,” I teased.

  Frank and Jude returned. Jude handed me the mojito I’d asked him to get for me and I took a sip, enjoying the delicious mix of citrus and mint. As the four of us sat there talking, I tapped my foot to the beat of the song playing, one I didn’t recognize, but as it ended one of my favorite Christmas songs came on—Last Christmas by Wham. I
remembered that the DJ had played it the year before and that Eric and I had danced to it. I glanced down at my hand and the ring that adorned it and thought back to that night. It was almost like the song had been written about me. Last year I’d given my heart to the wrong person, but this year was different. This year I was with my someone special.

  Jude leaned in close to me and whispered in my ear. “You sure I can’t talk you into a dance?”

  I smiled and gave him my hand. “Actually, you can.”

  He pulled me up and led me to the dance floor where he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close to him. Our hips swayed to the beat of the music, but this time I didn’t care who was looking. The only thing I cared about was that I was madly in love and happier than I’d ever been. Christmas was right around the corner, and this year I planned on celebrating it like I never had before.

  The End

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  Also by Teresa Roman

  Back to Us

  Out of Nowhere

  Daughter of Magic

  Daughter of Darkness

  Legacy

  Acknowledgements

  First off, I’d like to thank my beautiful children. The path to motherhood is different for everyone, but once you get there, life is never the same. I also want to thank my little sister, who has been more than just a sibling for as long as I can remember. She has been my family and my best friend, my shoulder to cry on, and my cheerleader. I can’t imagine life without her. A big thank you also goes out to my amazing editor, Linda Cassidy Lewis. Last, but not definitely not least, I want to thank each and every person who read this book. It means the world to me that out of the millions of books out there, you chose to read mine.

  About the Author

  Teresa Roman writes contemporary and paranormal romance for adults and young adults. If it was possible to be born with a book in her hands, that's how Teresa Roman would've entered this world. Her passion for reading is what inspired her to become a writer. She loves the way stories can take you to another time and place.

  Born in Romania, Teresa has lived in the Midwest and on both coasts, but currently calls Sacramento, CA her home. She lives there with her husband, three adorable children, to cats and a dog. When she's not at her day job or running around with her kids, you can find her in the kitchen baking a sinful treat, in front of the computer writing, or with her head buried in another book.