Chapter 187

Chapter 187
Rainey's POV

"Our what?"

The words came out strangled. I spun in Sunny's arms so fast I nearly tripped over my own feet.

He caught me, steady as always, that infuriating smile playing at his lips. "Our wedding house. You and me."

My brain short-circuited. Wedding house. Ours. The massive modern mansion behind him. The kind of property that belonged in magazines, not in my life.

"Sunny, this is—" I gestured wildly at everything. "This must have cost—"

"The land is family assets," he cut me off smoothly, already reaching for my wrist where the silk tie still bound me loosely to his touch. His fingers worked the knot free with practiced ease. "Might as well use them."

He pulled the tie away, stuffed it casually into his jacket pocket, then cupped my face in both hands.

"Besides," his voice dropped lower, intimate, "this is just temporary. Just the beginning."

Before I could process that, he laced his fingers through mine and tugged me toward the front door.

The pathway to the entrance was natural stone, lined on both sides by those impossible peonies—white and pink blooms that seemed to glow in the carefully placed lights. I'd never seen anything so beautiful. The whole setup felt like walking through a dream I didn't know I'd had.

At the door, Sunny pressed his finger to a scanner. Click.

Then he reached inside and hit a switch.

Every light in the house exploded to life at once.

Warm, golden illumination flooded through massive windows, spilling out across the flower-covered yard like the house itself was saying welcome. The effect was so sudden, so overwhelming, that my breath caught in my throat.

"Oh my God," I whispered.

Sunny tugged me inside, and the world tilted sideways.

The living room was... everything.

Exposed wood beams stretched across the ceiling. Rough stone accent walls caught the light, their texture casting subtle shadows. A modern fireplace housed dancing electric flames behind sleek glass. The furniture was all warm tones—nothing too cold or minimalist. And those windows. Floor-to-ceiling glass showcasing the city lights twinkling in the distance.

It looked exactly—exactly—like something I'd described once.

The memory hit me like a punch to the chest.

A rainy afternoon. Some coffee shop near campus, back when Sunny and I were still students in Eastbridge. I'd been stressed about a paper on architectural aesthetics, and he'd looked up from his laptop and asked, so casually, what kind of house I'd want someday.

"Something with lots of wood and stone," I'd said, barely paying attention. "Warm. Safe. You know, like a cabin but modern."

He'd just nodded. Gone back to typing.

I thought he'd forgotten.

But he hadn't. He'd remembered every single word.

"Sunny..." My voice cracked. "You—When did you—"

"I know you've been swamped." He moved behind me, arms sliding around my waist, chin settling on my shoulder. "The France program, Professor Steven's impossible assignments... You didn't have time to think about stuff like this. So I handled it."

I turned in his arms, staring up at him like he'd lost his mind. "You started planning this a year ago?"

"Two years, actually." He brushed a strand of hair from my face, expression serious. "When you first got to Millbrook. I started looking at properties around then."

My chest felt too tight. "Two years?"

"I wanted somewhere quiet," he continued softly. "Good security. Where nobody would bother us. And I knew you loved books, so—" His eyes searched mine. "Come upstairs. Let me show you something."

The second floor was even more impossible to process.

Sunny had basically gutted the entire space, turning it into one massive open area. Bookshelves lined every wall—floor to ceiling, packed with law texts, literature, art history volumes. A huge desk sat by the window, positioned to catch that incredible view.

And on the desk...

I walked over slowly, not trusting what I was seeing.

My international law casebooks. The French novels I'd been working through. My favorite highlighters—the exact brand, the exact colors. Post-it notes in the pack size I always bought. Everything arranged like I'd just been sitting there five minutes ago.

That's when I completely lost it.

The tears came fast and ugly, and I didn't even try to stop them. I just spun around and threw myself at Sunny, burying my face against his chest, feeling his heartbeat steady against my cheek.

"You absolute asshole," I choked out, my voice muffled by his shirt. "You did everything. How the hell am I supposed to show you I love you when you keep—"

"Hey." His hand stroked down my back, gentle. "Rainey, baby. Listen to me."

I pulled back just enough to glare at him through my tears.

His expression had gone soft, vulnerable in a way that made my heart ache. "This is my first time. And it's going to be my only time. Ever. So everything I do for you—that's not charity. That's not me taking over. That's just... my instinct. My honor."

When I finally stopped crying, Sunny led me to the master bedroom.

More of that warm, natural aesthetic. A massive bed facing windows that would probably have an insane view in daylight. Soft lighting that made the whole space feel intimate and safe.

Sunny walked to the nightstand and pulled out a black velvet box. The kind that definitely held jewelry.

Before he could open it, I lunged forward and slammed my hand over his.

"No."

He blinked. "What?"

"I don't want jewelry." I grabbed the box from him and tossed it onto the nearby armchair without even looking. "I don't need diamonds or whatever expensive thing is in there."

"Rainey—"

"I want something else."

I reached into his jacket pocket—the one where he'd stuffed that silk tie—and pulled it out. Then, standing on my toes, I wrapped it around his neck.

My hands were shaking. I'd never tied a tie in my life. What came out was this crooked, messy bow that looked absolutely ridiculous.

But I didn't care.

I looked up at him, meeting those golden-brown eyes that had seen me at my absolute worst and somehow still looked at me like I was everything.

"This." My voice came out steadier now. "This is the gift I want. A Sunny Hayes with a bow tied around him. Just... you. That's all I've ever needed."

For a heartbeat, he just stared at me. Something fierce and vulnerable flickered across his face—surprise, tenderness, hunger all mixed together.

Then I stretched up on my toes, wrapped my arms around his neck, and kissed him.

Not soft. Not careful.

Deep. Desperate. Claiming.