The Billionaire's Unexpected Proposal by Samantha

who's ambitious but also knows how to relax. Balance is important."

"Exactly! It's all about balance. You get it." Ethan agreed.

"Of course | do," Rayna said with a proud smile.

"Now, your turn. What's your favorite movie of all time? This is important," he said, eager to see if she would tick

his box in her movie choice as she had been ticking other boxes.

Rayna's laughter rumbled through the phone, soft and warm. "Oof, that's a tough one. I'd have to go with The

Princess Bride. | mean, con, it's perfect! Romance, adventure, sword fights..."

"Hm. Not a bad choice. Mine is The Matrix. It's a classic," he said, and Rayna smiled, rolling her eyes.

"Predictable. But not bad. I've got another important question for you," she said since they were taking turns

asking questions.

"Lay it on me, baby," he said, and she grinned.

Somehow, in the last couple of days, he had switched to calling her baby, and each the did, she felt warm all

over.

"If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be?" Rayna's voice carried a playful edge, but

Ethan could sense her curiosity.

"My grandfather. He passed away when | was young, but he was the wisest man | knew. I'd love to have just one

more conversation with him," Ethan said, his tone softening slightly.

There was a brief silence as Rayna smiled, touched by his answer. "That's really sweet."

"Thanks. What about you?"

She giggled, tapping the pen against her lips.

"Honestly? Probably Michael Jackson. Sorry, | don't have a response as deep as yours," she said, and Ethan

chuckled.

"It's all about balance, remember? We both can't be too serious all the time," He said, and they shared a laugh

before Ethan's tone turned curious. "So, what are your plans this weekend? Maybe we can meet up?"

Rayna leaned back, closing her eyes with a contented smile. "I'd love to, but | have my high school reunion on

Saturday. Maybe Sunday?"

Ethan thought for a moment. "Sunday works, but..." he trailed off, thinking about something more spontaneous.

"But what?" Rayna asked curiously.

There was a pause, and then Ethan's laugh filled the room. "You know, | could cto the reunion with you on

Saturday instead."

Rayna opened her eyes, blinking in surprise. "Wait, what?" Rayna burst out laughing, shaking her head in

disbelief.

"Yeah, why not?" Ethan said, still chuckling. "Let's see how many people can guess we've never met in person

before. | bet we could totally pull it off. We'd walk in, and everyone would just asswe've known each other

forever." Rayna grinned, picturing the scene. "I know, right?

They'd never guess it's our first tmeeting."

"I know it's a crazy idea," Ethan said, and she nodded.

"It is indeed a crazy idea, and that is why | love it. It'd be fun! Plus, it'd give us the perfect excuse to spend the

whole day together. You know what? You're on. Let's do it," she said with a grin that Ethan could practically hear

through the phone. "You crazy matches my crazy. Why are you so perfect me, baby?" Ethan asked, the smile

clear in his voice.

She bit her lip, considering it. "Maybe because I'm your soul mate, who knows?" She asked, and Ethan laughed.

His laughter was infectious. "Perfect response. Now, can | ask you smore... intimate questions? To see if

we're compatible in other ways?"

Rayna's eyebrows shot up, her interest piqued. "Sure, go ahead."

Ethan took a breath, his voice dropping a little.

"Alright, how do you feel about, let's say... physical touch? Are you affectionate?"

Rayna felt a little heat rise in her cheeks but answered confidently. "I'm very affectionate when | feel a strong

connection. | like to be close to my partner. | could say it's my love language."

"Good," Ethan responded, sounding pleased. too. | think touch is important in a relationship. For me, it sort

of says things words can't."

Rayna raised an eyebrow, "Things words can't? Like your fist saying you're mad?" She joked, and Ethan

chuckled.

"No, please. That's not the kind of touch | mean," he said, and Rayna smiled.

"I know. | was just kidding. What else?" She asked curiously.

Ethan's voice softened. "Okay, how

about... do you have a high libido? | know it's personal, but it's something we should talk about. believesex is

very important ina relationship, especially a committed relationship as a marriage

Rayna chuckled, appreciating his straightforwardness. "I'd say | have a healthy libido. And | agree with you.

think sexual compatibility is important in a relationship, and believe in being open about what

works and what doesn't. I'm open to a lot of things sexually, but I'm NEVER going to be open to anal sex or

BDSM. Unless, of course, I'm the one doing the whipping," she said, and Ethan let out a low laugh.

"You don't have to worry about any of those. I'm not into it either. This might sound wild, but | think we're totally

compatible. | can't believe | found my soulmate through a marriage ad."

Rayna grinned, leaning back in her chair. "I can't believe it either. Who would've thought?"

"Not me, that's for sure. | thought | was going to settle for just anyone that passed my minimum requirement,

but you've exceeded it all," Ethan admitted.

Rayna leaned forward, elbows resting on her desk. "That's good to know. Tell me, what's your idea of a perfect

relationship?" She asked, changing the subject again.

"Mutual respect, trust, love, open communication. And it's probably too soon to say this, but | believe it is tto

tell you that I've fallen in love with you," he said, and Rayna's breath caught.

"Isn't it too soon for you to tell?" She asked, even though she knew she felt the sway.

They had been communicating more often for the sdays now, and the best part of her day had become

when they were talking or chatting.

Whenever they weren't talking or chatting, she found herself thinking about their conversations and rereading

their chats.

"No. | know my emotions. | know

what | feel. I'm in love with you, Golden Sun. And that's why | want us to meet so we can talk about getting

married. I'd love us to get married as soon as possible so | can spend stwith you before going back to

work," he said, and Rayna smiled.

"What should we do for our first official date after the reunion? Do you really want to spend the night there,

pretending we know each other?"

Ethan chuckled. "We could, but how about we sneak out after the reunion and do something fun? Maybe catch a

late-night movie or go clubbing?" Rayna's face lit up. "That sounds perfect! I'm totally down for that."

Ethan's deep laugh resonated through the phone. "I knew you'd like it. I'm really looking forward to this weekend

now."

Just as Rayna was about to respond, there was a soft knock on her office door. One of her servers peeked in,

looking a little hesitant. "Sorry to interrupt, but

there's a client here asking about an event order."

Rayna nodded and gave the waiter a quick smile. "I'll be right there."

Turning back to the phone, Rayna sighed. "Duty calls. | don't know how long this is going to take, but | have to

get ready and go visit my best friend. I'll talk to you after | get hlater at night, okay?" "Definitely. I've got

plans with my best friend too," Ethan replied smoothly. "Don't forget, we've got a weekend to plan."

Rayna smiled as she ended the call, already looking forward to their first meeting and what the weekend had in

store.

She couldn't wait to tell Evelyn about it when she visits her new hlater in the day.

She was going to make sure to go shopping for something sexy. Now that she was going to be having a date to

the reunion, she wanted to wear the sexiest dress in the room.