Francesca stared at the diamond ring, completely still, lost in a daze.

Julian's voice was low and quiet. "Five point two carats. A flawless American diamond — I picked it out myself. Something you can wear every day." He paused. "Fran, the marriage certificate never mattered that much to us. But I love you. I want to mark you as mine. Wherever you go, I want the whole world to see that you belong to Julian Hale. That we still love each other."

It was the softest ...