"I WANT TO DO IT."
Grayson went completely still.
"Mailah—"
"I know it's public. I know it's political. I know it'll make me a target." She held his gaze steadily. "But you were right earlier. It's a statement. And I want to make that statement. I want everyone at that wedding to know that I choose you. Fully. Completely. Without reservation."
For a long moment, he just stared at her like she'd offered him something he didn't know how to accept. Then he made a sound—somewhere between a laugh and a sob—and pulled her into his arms.
"You never fail to surprise me," he murmured against her hair.
"I'm serious."
His grip tightened, and she felt the tremor run through him—control barely maintained, emotion barely contained.
