“ I wonder if any of you are free tomorrow morning. I need someone to look out for Lyric while I meet with the security firm her record label has hired,” Connor said over the dinner table. In the process of raising her fork to her mouth, Lyric dropped it onto her plate with a clatter, and she stared mortified across the table at Connor. “What was all that about where you go, I go, and vice versa?” she demanded. “For God’s sake, I don’t need babysitters.” “The team providing peripheral security and I will be deciding what needs to be done to ensure your safety,” Connor said evenly. “You’ll just interfere and argue. We can get it done a lot quicker if you aren’t there.” She stared at him in disbelief. She’d been accommodating so far. She’d conceded on goddamn everything. What else did he want from her? A note signed in blood avowing her compliance? She itched to bolt from her chair and get the hell out of there, but he’d expect that. He watched her even now as if waiting for her to throw a fit. She decided to ignore him instead. She lowered her gaze and stabbed at the meat with her fork. She tuned out what the others were saying. She didn’t give a shit about these people. Or Connor fucking Malone. Every time she thought it wouldn’t be so bad to be tethered to him for the next two weeks, he had to remind her what a huge asshole he was. To her absolute mortification, tears stung her eyelids. Hell would freeze over before she’d ever let him see her cry. Damn it, she’d tried her best to work with him. She knew she could be difficult and usually she didn’t give a flying fuck, but she’d honestly tried with him and his friends. She’d done everything humanly possible to tone it down because secretly she’d wanted his approval. Fuck that and him. She didn’t need anyone’s goddamn approval. Only her own. “You are such an asshole, Connor.” For a moment Lyric thought she’d totally lost control of her tongue and aired her thoughts. But when she looked up, she saw Faith glaring holes in her brother. Connor raised an eyebrow at his sister. Even “sweetie” looked at Connor like he’d lost his mind. “It’s not like you to be such a jerk,” Faith continued. “Lyric doesn’t deserve that from you.” “Maybe we don’t have the full story,” Gray said in a diplomatic voice. Faith glared at her husband. Then she turned to Lyric, who had her teeth sunk firmly into her bottom lip so she didn’t humiliate herself further by showing how affected she was by Connor’s attitude. “You’ll come with me, Julie and Angelina to Serena’s house tomorrow. The men can all go find something else to do.” Connor held up his hand. “Now wait a damn minute. No one’s going anywhere with Lyric. What part of her being in danger don’t you understand? I’m not risking any of you girls by sending you off together on some girls’ day out.” “Damn right,” Nathan said with a scowl. Lyric rose as gracefully as she could under the circumstances. She smiled in Faith’s direction. “Thank you for dinner and your hospitality. I had a really good time. But I should be going now. I appreciate the offer, but Connor’s right. None of you should be around me. In addition to having some crazy person lurking after me, apparently I’m a toxic influence.” “Sit down, Lyric,” Connor ordered. “Fuck off, Connor.” She turned and stalked away from the table. Connor watched her leave but didn’t go after her. She couldn’t get far without the car keys. She needed some time to cool off and he’d just do something stupid again. Like kiss her senseless. “Nice,” Micah drawled. “And you once accused me of being an SOB.” “She’s driving me crazy,” Connor muttered. “It’s not her you have to worry about right now,” Gray said carefully. Connor looked up to see three very pissed-off women glaring holes through his forehead. “What was all that crap?” Angelina demanded. “This isn’t like you, Connor. You’ve always been so... sweet. And protective.” Connor winced. She made him sound like a pussy. “She didn’t seem that bad to me,” Julie said with a shrug. “And you were a jerk even if you didn’t mean to sound like one.” “There’s no reason she can’t come to Serena’s tomorrow,” Faith said as she frowned at Connor. “Damon has tight security. No one is going to get onto his property without him knowing about it. And he has Sam.” “Who the hell is Sam?” Connor grumbled. “His mountain of a driver slash bodyguard,” Micah said dryly. “He has great affection for our women. He’s like a mother hen with them. The one time they didn’t let him go with him, Damon said he had a kitten.” Connor frowned. “You think Lyric would be safe there? This is serious. I can’t just leave her anywhere, but if I take her with me, she’s going to balk at the constraints we’re going to put on her. I know you all think I’m being a jerk, but the truth is, I’m going to do whatever is necessary to keep her safe, whether she likes the measures or not.” “I can go with them,” Micah said. “I’ll call Damon tonight and let him know the situation.” Connor’s frown deepened. Yeah, he needed a place to stash Lyric so he could get her security straightened out. What he hadn’t mentioned was that if he didn’t get a good feel for this team her record label had hired, he was going to tell them to take a hike. “You need to go find her and apologize,” Faith sniffed. “If I were her, I wouldn’t go anywhere with you.” “She doesn’t have a choice.” “Why are you so mean to her?” Julie asked. Connor sighed. “I’m not mean to her, Julie. I just don’t kiss her ass like everyone else in her universe does.” “I like her,” Angelina said. “She’s refreshingly honest.” “You like everyone, sweetie,” Connor said with a grin. “I don’t like you right now,” she said pointedly. He winced. “Oh ouch. Damn. That hurt. Okay, okay, I’ll ease up. I’ll even apologize. The last thing I want is to fall into you girls’ bad graces.” “Smart man,” Nathan murmured. “You go find her and tell her she’s coming with us tomorrow,” Faith said. “Damon will take care of things. He always does.” That earned her a glare from every man at the table. “Well, he does,” she said defensively. “It’s not a good idea to remind me of all he’s done for you,” Gray said mildly. Faith blushed and Connor promptly tuned them out. He was pretty tired of hearing about Damon Roche himself. Him and his damn sex club or whatever the fuck he called it. “You’re not taking her to his damn club, are you?” Connor demanded. Faith turned bright red. “Good God, no! We’re going to his house. Not The House.” “I don’t know,” Julie said thoughtfully. “Lyric might enjoy a night at The House.” “Julie,” Nathan growled. “You aren’t setting foot in that place ever again.” Julie grinned cheekily. “What are you waiting for?” Faith asked. “Go, go, go. Shoo already.” Connor sighed and got to his feet. Women were a plague. There was no doubt about it. He had his share of crazy ex-girlfriends, but they had nothing on the women currently in his life. He loved them all dearly, but he didn’t envy their men one iota. He should have known that Lyric would fit in beautifully. He stalked through the house, annoyed that everyone had turned on him. He never wanted this pain-in-the-ass job in the first place. She was probably out in the car pouting. He’d have to go out and be nice. She’d probably pop off at him and his dick would stand up and pay attention. Then he’d start having fantasies about kissing her again. He really had to do something about this masochistic streak. It seemed the more she got mad at him, the more he wanted her. She was a beautiful woman, but never more than she was spitting fury at him like a pissed-off kitten. He grinned as he opened the door and stepped out into the night. When he looked in the direction of where he’d parked the BMW, his jaw dropped. It wasn’t there. He glanced down the street to see the taillights of the car fading as it roared through the neighborhood. He dug into his pocket and pulled out the keys. What the fuck? She’d hot-wired the car? He closed his eyes and shook his head. Then he trudged back into the house to face the others. “I need a ride back to the hotel,” he said before they could say anything to him. Everyone looked up from the table, all wearing puzzled looks. “Something wrong with the car?” Micah asked. “Yeah,” Connor muttered. “She hot-wired it and took off.” Julie burst out laughing. One by one the others followed suit until the entire room erupted in hoots. “It was stupid,” Connor growled. “She has some crazy stalker leaving her creepy notes and she takes off alone. This is why I don’t want her at my meeting tomorrow. She’s high-strung and unreasonable. And she doesn’t have one ounce of self-preservation.” Micah stood and reached down to help Angelina to her feet. “We’ll run you by. We were going to call it an early night anyway.” Connor would have liked to have called it a night, but he had a feeling he was going to be up for a long time. When he got to the hotel, he and Lyric were going to have a come-to-Jesus meeting. And he was as hard as a rock just thinking about it. CHAPTER 9
D espite the fact she’d just hot-wired a car and ditched her only “security,” Lyric wasn’t an idiot, no matter what Connor Malone might think. She had no desire to be kidnapped or murdered by some psycho. She liked her life, thank you very much, even if she gave new meaning to the word dysfunctional. Amazing, the words you learned from therapy. She kept her eyes peeled, particularly to her rearview mirror to make sure no one was tailing her. She also kept a sharp eye out for a cop. Because what moron would try anything if she had a cop escort her to her hotel? She uttered a triumphant “Aha!” when she saw a patrol car parked at a gas station. She whipped in and parked directly in front of him, just in case he had any ideas about driving off before she could get her story across. He didn’t look happy with her parking choice and before she could get out of her car, he was already out of his and walking her way, a frown on his face. What was it with men and being so damn grumpy? She got out of her car as he approached. “Is there a problem, ma’am?” “Yes. You see, I have this crazy person stalking me and I had to hot-wire my BMW because the guy who’s supposed to be my security was being a dick and he has the keys, but I don’t want to be driving around by myself or go back to my hotel room in case the crazy stalker is waiting to kidnap me or make me his sex slave or whatever it is that crazy stalkers do. So I’d really appreciate it if you could follow me back to my hotel.” His brows drew together and she could swear he muttered “Why me?” under his breath. Then he sighed and started to reach for his radio. He had that look that suggested he thought she was the crazy one. “How much have you had to drink tonight, ma’am?” he asked politely. This time she frowned. “I don’t drink.” “Have you taken any drugs I should know about?” “I’m not a crackhead.” “Who does the vehicle belong to?” “It belongs to me! Oh wait—Well, it sort of belongs to me. I rented it because I flew here. I mean, I have one just like it but I didn’t want to drive it all the way from California when I’m just doing one show here.” “Uh-huh.” He nodded and raised the mic on his radio and proceeded to tell someone that he had a 10-96 and he was requesting backup. She crossed her arms over her chest. “Look, all I need is someone to follow me to the hotel. And well, I’d really appreciate it if you could walk me in but I could always have hotel security do that if you’re too busy.” “I have a better idea. Why don’t you take a ride with me?” She shrugged. “I’d rather not leave the BMW, but I suppose I could make Connor come get it tomorrow.” “Who’s Connor?” “He’s the guy who’s supposed to be protecting me but was being a dick so I ditched him.” The cop gripped her elbow and herded her toward his squad car. “Turn around,” he directed. “This is for your protection as well as mine. You aren’t being arrested. I’m detaining you for further questioning.” Before she realized what was going on, he had her handcuffed and was stuffing her into the backseat of his car. Damn, but the man was good. But he’d handcuffed her! She stared at him in outrage. “What the hell did you cuff me for?” He shut the door and then proceeded to talk on his radio. A few seconds later, he opened his door and slid into the driver’s seat. Realization hit her. “You’re the crazy stalker, aren’t you? You’re not even a real cop. Have you been following me?” He eyed her in the rearview mirror as he pulled away. “Lady, you came to me.” “Oh. Yeah.” Okay, so he wasn’t the crazy guy. Which meant he thought she was crazy. She flopped her head back against the seat and stared upward. Helpless laughter escaped. Oh well, at least she was safe!
While it irritated Connor to leave immediately because he didn’t want Lyric to think she had him on a leash, he was being paid to protect her, which meant he had to go chasing after her when she pulled a stupid stunt. Hot-wiring a rental and taking off on her own qualified. He leaned against the hood of Micah’s truck and waited impatiently as Angelina was fussed over by Faith and Julie. Micah walked out ahead of Angelina and stood beside Connor. “You realize I’ve waited a long time for this,” Micah said casually. Connor raised an eyebrow. “Do I even want to know what you’re talking about?” Micah chuckled. “Being able to give you shit over a woman.” Connor scowled. “You say that like this situation can be compared to yours or Nathan’s. Lyric is a job.” “Uh-huh. She’s a beautiful woman.” “And? That matters why?” Micah shrugged. “Just an observation. She’s beautiful and brassy. A little unconventional.” “A little?” “I’d say she’s perfect for you,” Micah said with a shit-eating grin. Connor held up his middle finger. “Just remember. I didn’t want this job. I thought it would be perfect for you, but Pop threw a fit because he said Angelina wouldn’t like it. Same for Nathan and Gray because their women wouldn’t be happy.” He snorted. “So I get stuck with a woman who drives me crazy so it doesn’t interfere with your love life.” Micah’s grin broadened. “I appreciate that.” Angelina hurried up. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to take so long. I know you have to go, Connor.” Micah pulled her up against him and kissed the top of her head. “Yes, by all means. He’s chomping at the bit to get back, so let’s get on the road.” “Fuck you,” Connor grumbled as he climbed into the extended cab. It was a good bit out of the way for Micah to drive Connor to the downtown hotel, and Connor fumed the entire way. They were just a few blocks from the hotel when Connor’s cell phone rang. He fished it out of his pocket and frowned when he looked at the number. It wasn’t in his contact list but the number was a local one. “Connor Malone,” he said shortly. “Mr. Malone, this is Sergeant Willis with the Houston Police Department. I believe you know a Lyric Jones?” Connor closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers. “What’s she done?” he asked wearily. Twenty minutes later, Connor climbed out of Micah’s truck in front of the police station where Lyric was being held. “You sure you don’t want us to wait?” Micah asked. Connor shook his head. “I’ll call a cab. You and Angelina go home. This could take a while.” “Okay, man. Let me know if you need anything.” Connor waved and stalked toward the entrance. At the front desk, he asked for Sergeant Willis, and the clerk jerked a thumb over his shoulder. Connor walked through the swinging gate to the array of desks separated by thin partitions. He stopped and stared when he caught sight of Lyric sitting on top of one of the desks holding court among a half dozen policemen. Her legs dangled and she was talking and waving her hands in animated fashion. Her cheek dimpled with a smile and her eyes twinkled. It dawned on him that she hadn’t smiled much and certainly not so unreservedly. Micah was right. She was fucking beautiful. Her eyes dimmed when she caught sight of him and she crossed her arms over her chest as she stared past the cops. They turned and followed her gaze to where Connor stood, and he got the impression he wasn’t a very popular guy right now. He folded his arms in an imitation of hers and cast a baleful look in her direction. One of the cops, a guy who made Connor feel small, and Connor wasn’t a small guy, headed in Connor’s direction, a frown etched into his face. “You the guy who’s supposed to be looking out for Lyric?” Connor sighed and nodded. “You Sergeant Willis?” “Yeah, I am. Lyric said you were being a dickhead so she took off. She stopped me to ask me for an escort. Said some crazy stalker is after her.” “Well, at least she had the sense to ask for help,” Connor muttered. “She shouldn’t be out on her own.” Connor stared the officer down. “Try telling her that.” Sergeant Willis nodded. “We did. We sat her down after we figured out who she was. We gave her a Breathalyzer. I thought she’d been drinking.” Connor chuckled. “She’s a handful.” “She’s nice. Not at all uppity like some of the magazines say. She gave all the boys autographs and let them take pictures with her. She even offered us tickets to the rodeo the night she’s performing.” Leave it to Lyric to make conquests and make Connor look like a first-class asshole for not falling under her spell. She could be positively charming when she wanted to be. “Can I take her home now?” Connor asked cautiously. Sergeant Willis hesitated. “If she wants to go.” Connor scowled. “She’ll go. She’s been enough trouble for one day.” He stepped around the sergeant and strode to where Lyric was still sitting on the edge of the desk. “Are you ready to go?” Lyric frowned. “No. I don’t want to go anywhere with you. You’re fired. These nice officers have offered to take me back to my hotel.” Connor sighed and resisted the urge to wrap his hands in her hair and kiss her right there on the desk. The last thing he needed was to get arrested. “You can’t fire me, Lyric. We’ve been through this before.” Her frown grew fiercer and she glanced toward Sergeant Willis. “He can’t make me do anything, right?” Sergeant Willis shook his head. “No, ma’am, he can’t. If you want him gone, say the word. You can even get a restraining order.” “Oh, for the love of God, Lyric. Be reasonable.” Her eyes narrowed. “Me be reasonable? You’re the asshole here. I’ve been accommodating. I’ve done everything you asked me to. I even wore this ridiculous outfit so I wouldn’t offend any of your friends. I agreed to let you stay in my hotel room. How am I the unreasonable one here?” He arched one eyebrow. “What the hell’s wrong with your clothes?” She gave him a look of disgust. “I’m wearing jeans and a T-shirt and no makeup what so ever.” She glanced up at the officers and let her lips quiver. “He humiliated me in front of his friends.” They all turned and glared at Connor. Hell. Just what he needed. A bunch of pissed-off cops with their protective instincts riled. He glared back at Lyric, not at all fooled by her acting job. Next she’d probably turn on the tears and they’d all kick his ass. “Are they going to be able to stay with you every hour of the next two weeks?” Connor challenged. “The threat against you is for real, Lyric. I need you to take it seriously.” “I take it very seriously,” she gritted out. “If you took it so damn serious, you’d work harder not to piss me off.” Okay, so she had a point. He blew out his breath and shoved his hands into his pockets. “All right, Lyric. Truce.” She stared suspiciously at him. “It’s late. You need rest. You’ve had a headache all day. Let’s go back to the hotel so I can give you some more medicine and get you to bed.” As he’d hoped, the other cops nodded their agreement. Score one for him. “It’s a good idea, Ms. Jones,” Sergeant Willis said. She scowled at the sergeant. “I haven’t forgiven you for cuffing me yet, so you don’t get a vote.” “You cuffed her?” Connor demanded. It was the sergeant’s turn to look uncomfortable. “I thought she might be a little unstable.” He tapped his temple as he spoke to indicate what he meant. Lyric’s mouth popped open in outrage. “Is that what ten ninety-six means?” Sergeant Willis gave her a sheepish look. “Yes, ma’am. We don’t normally use call signs, but I thought if you understood what I was saying over the radio, you might prove more difficult.” “Men,” she muttered. “All assholes. I ask you for help and you think I’m psycho.” Connor held in his laughter at her disgruntled look. “Can we go now?” “Oh, all right. I’ll go with you. But if you piss me off again, I’m going to get that restraining order Sergeant Willis said I could have done.” Every single one of the policemen fished a card from his wallet and thrust it toward Lyric. All with the assurance that if she ever needed anything, she had only to call. Lyric smiled and took each of the cards and thanked the officers for their help. Connor had to hand it to her. She knew how to work a crowd. She had every one of the cops eating out of her hand. Hell, if she kept it up, she’d have him eating out of her hand. “The BMW is still at the gas station,” Lyric mumbled when she got to him. “How are we getting to the hotel?” “I’ll call a cab.” “One of us will be happy to drive you back to the gas station to pick up the car,” Sergeant Willis offered. “I’m assuming you have the keys this time.” Connor pulled the keys from his pocket and then turned to Lyric. “You and I have a lot to talk about, starting with how the hell you learned to hot-wire a car.” CHAPTER 10
A ngelina walked into the bedroom where Micah was already lying on the bed. Propped on his elbow, he watched as she closed the bedroom door and the glitter in his eyes told her what was to come. Her breath hitched in her throat. She never got tired of that look. It was tender and possessive. It was dark and loving. It was all the things that made her feel cherished beyond measure. “Undress for me,” he commanded in a quiet voice. “I want to see you and our baby.” She obeyed without question, her hands sliding to the buttons of her shirt. Slowly she pulled away her clothing, letting the shirt and then her pants drift to the floor until she was clad in only her panties and bra. Then she reached behind her to undo the clasp of her bra. The straps slid over her shoulders and the cups came away, baring her breasts to his avid gaze. They were heavier now. She’d always been a bit small, or at least she considered them small. Micah had never complained. But now she’d gained at least a cup size, and they were tender and swollen from her pregnancy. Micah took extra care when they made love. As demanding and as dominant as he was, he was terrified of hurting her. He was no less commanding than ever, but he was exquisitely gentle now that she carried his child. She hadn’t felt the kiss of a whip in months. Hadn’t felt the thrill of the rougher edge of his dominance. In time it would return. For now they delighted in a new way to make love. It was as much a discovery as the rest of their relationship, and Angelina cherished every moment. When her underwear whispered down her legs to coil at her feet, she heard the swift intake of Micah’s breath. “Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?” he asked in a hoarse, low voice. She raised her gaze to meet his and drowned in the warm chocolate of his eyes. They burned with so much love and desire. Her heart swelled with love. Her love for him. He was hers. She was his. They had created a child together. They had created love. “I feel beautiful when you look at me,” she said honestly. His eyes softened. “I want you to always see how beautiful you are when you see the way I look at you. I want you to know how loved you are.” She smiled and waited quietly for his command. She loved moments like these when she awaited his pleasure, knowing he was content to just look at her. “Come to me,” he said. She crawled onto the bed and sank to her knees as she stared down at his muscled body. So perfect and beautiful. He was dark—nearly as dark as her own skin, though he had no Hispanic heritage. His hair was dark brown, so dark it looked black. The same dark hair coiled at the juncture of his thighs and his cock lay to the side, semierect as if awaiting her attention. She remained still, content to wait for Micah’s command. He ran his hand up her thigh, to the curve of her waist and then higher to cup the swell of her breast. He toyed idly with one nipple, careful as always with the highly sensitive tips. “You look tired tonight, Angel. Is your back still hurting?” “It was earlier. I think I stood too long. It’s better now.” “Come here.” He pulled her down, arranging her so she faced away. His hand glided up and down the curves of her body. He ran it over her hip and up to palm her belly. Then he lowered his head and kissed the curve of her neck. A delicate shiver raced down her spine, spreading goose bumps in its wake. There was a dip in the bed as his hand left her and he repositioned his body. Then he began rubbing and kneading her back, his hands working sweet magic over her tired, aching muscles. She moaned softly as he worked slowly down to her buttocks and then back up again to massage her nape. “Feel good?” he murmured. Tears pricked her eyelids. It was wonderful, but every day with him was wonderful. After surviving her attack months before, she was grateful for every moment she had with Micah. She lived as if each moment could be their last together, and it was ridiculous because she had the power to cement their lives together. “Hey, are you okay, Angel girl?” The worry in his voice made her heart squeeze. How could she find the words to tell him she’d never been better than right here, right now, in his arms? She turned awkwardly, and in the end, he had to help her as she rotated to face him. Their noses were just an inch apart and she twined her legs with his, allowing his heat to seep into her body. “Are you going to ask me to marry you again?” she whispered. There was a brief flash in his eyes she could swear was pain. He stroked her cheek with one finger and then ran it slowly back and forth over her mouth. “No, Angel. I’ve been pushing too much. I swore I wouldn’t pressure you but I’ve been doing just that.” She put her finger to his mouth to cut off the words. “Ask me again. Please.” A wild spark lit his eyes and the pupils dilated, turning the brown to black. There was hope and fear simultaneously, one warring with the other. She hated the insecurity and hesitancy she saw as he came to grips with what she’d asked. To her surprise, he pushed himself up and got off the bed. For a moment she wondered if she’d royally screwed up. But he reached for her, holding out a hand. She slid her palm over his and he helped her to the edge of the bed until she sat with her legs hanging over the side, her feet just brushing the floor. Still holding on to her hand, he knelt on the floor so they looked each other in the eye. Nervousness bunched in her stomach and her breathing shallowed until she realized she was holding it. Micah raised her hand to his mouth and pressed a kiss into the softness of her palm. Then he slowly pulled it away and gazed directly into her eyes. “Will you marry me, Angel? Will you spend the rest of your life with me? Love me the way I love you? Have my children, grow a family with me, grow old with me and spend a lifetime allowing me to love you the way you deserve to be loved?” Completely undone by the heartfelt words, she stared in wonder as tears slid silently down her cheeks. She raised her hands and cupped his face, gazing into the eyes of the man she adored—had always adored. “You once told me that when I knew without a doubt that you loved me more than life and that when I trusted you with my heart, it was then you wanted me to marry you. I should have said yes a long time ago,” she whispered. “Yes. I’ll marry you. I love you. I’ll always love you.” He rose up and crushed her to him. He held her tight, his entire body trembling against her. She felt every breath, every beat of his heart as it pounded wildly against her throat. “Oh God, I love you, Angel girl. So much. So damn much. I thank God I didn’t destroy your faith in me, that I didn’t destroy your love. I couldn’t live with myself if I had. You and Nia are my world. I love you both so much.” She pulled away and then took his hands and guided them down to mold to her belly. “We’re your family, Micah. She and I. She’ll love you as much as I love you.” His smile made her heart ache. There was such joy in his eyes. It wasn’t until now that she noticed the shadows he’d worn for the past months. But now they lifted away and there was such relief in his face. He lowered his head and pressed his lips to the hard bump of her belly. She threaded her fingers through his long hair and held him lovingly against the gentle patter of their daughter. She closed her eyes and let the sweetness of the moment envelope her. They’d been through so much in such a short amount of time. But it was all worth it because here and now, she held everything she’d ever wanted in her arms and cradled in her womb. Micah and their daughter. Her family. She couldn’t help but think her brother, David, and Hannah were smiling down on them from heaven. Micah lifted his head, then curled his hand around her nape and pulled her until their foreheads rested against each other. Their noses brushed and she felt his erratic breaths puff out as if he was valiantly trying to maintain control of his emotions. “Tell me again,” he whispered. “Tell me you’ll marry me.” She smiled. “I’ll marry you, Micah.” “When?” “Whenever you say when.” “Tomorrow,” he breathed. She laughed. “I think we’ll need a little longer than that. While I don’t want a huge wedding, I do want our closest friends—our family,” she amended, “to be there.” “Yeah, I do too.” “Are you sure this is what you want, Micah? You’ll be happy?” He pulled away and cupped her face as she’d cupped his a moment earlier. “I’ve never been happier in my life than I am right at this very moment. But as overjoyed as I am right now, nothing will match the day you become officially mine in the eyes of the law.” “I’ve always been yours, Micah. But now you’re mine. And I’m never going to let you go.” He smiled then and the last remaining shadows faded away, leaving only hope and joy. “I see I’m not the only possessive one in this relationship. I like it.” CHAPTER 11
