He fought the crowd and finally made his way to Annika. She was even more beautiful up close. He inhaled her floral scent and lost the ability to speak. She was talking to another auntie, but Daniel did not care. Not trusting his voice in any case, he simply held his hand out to Annika in silent question.

She immediately answered him with a smile and a blaze in her eyes as she took his hand and stood. Her gaze heated him as she unabashedly looked him up and down. “You should wear tuxedos all the time.”

If it meant she’d look at him like that, tuxedos were now his new favorite attire.

She led them to the dance floor, where Daniel was finally able to take her into his arms. His thumb grazed the soft, warm skin of her back that was left exposed. He stifled a groan but definitely heard her breath catch.

“Hi.” He kept his voice low, just loud enough for her to hear.

“Hi.” She tilted her chin up at him, her brown eyes dancing. He’d never seen her this happy.

Silence stretched between them, ripe with all things unsaid.

“You are more beautiful every day.” The words simply tumbled out of him.

She flushed.

He glanced over her head, then met her eyes. “I never once stopped loving you all this time. I have no right to expect anything from you, but I need you to know. My heart is yours. Always. To do with what you will. I—”

She silenced him with a finger to his lips. Just that touch was enough to melt him. “Daniel. I’m a big girl. I know your leaving was about what you had to do.” A tear escaped her eye. She allowed him to wipe it away. “I’m just so happy that you did it.”

“But?”

“But...I tried to move on. I had to because I...I couldn’t wait around to see if you still wanted me.” Her voice shook, but her gaze never left his eyes.

His heart fell. He was too late. What had he expected anyway, that she would just melt right back into his arms because he apologized? “I still want you. I will always—”

“Marry me, Daniel.”

He stopped dancing. They stood still on the dance floor in each other’s arms, as his mind tried to process what his heart had wanted to hear. “What?”