Are Denise and Richie headed down the aisle?

Though Denise Richards’s rep is denying the rumor that her client is engaged to boyfriend Richie Sambora, gossip mongers couldn’t held but notice the 9.5 carat rock Denise was wearing on her right hand (that looked suspiciously like an engagement ring) last night at Elton John's Fashion Rocks at the Trump International Hotel and Tower in New York. The ring seems to confirm the stories in both Life & Style weekly and Star magazine that Richards and Sambora are planning to wed.

According to a source for the Life & Style, the proposal was a surprise. "[Richie and Denise] were on their way to the Staples Center [in Los Angeles] to see the fights. He got down on one knee in the back of the limo," said the informant, who claims the happy couple then celebrated the news with their pals at the Palm Restaurant. The source added, "They are buddies, these two. They've spent the past few weeks really bonding and talking about their future together. They're going to make a great husband and wife."

The couple, who have decided to tie the knot in Positano, Italy next May, are hesitant to make their engagement public. According to L&S’s insider, "[Richie's] a very traditional guy. He wants to wait until they are both officially divorced. Then they can make the engagement real."

Star magazine, which is reporting the engagement news as well, spoke with a source close to Denise. The source said, "Denise is head over heels in love with Richie. She says he's the perfect guy for her - and that she's never so looked forward to the future."