“I am. Fuck dating, you’re it for me. Marry me.” I repeated the question, which sounded more like an order.
Of course, she argued. “Nathan, I’m jobless and homeless, and babyless, so it’s not like you need to do the honorable thing.” Her use of air quotes pissed me off.
“What? Were you not listening? I love you, Ashley. I don’t need a first date to know you’re it for me. I’m all in.”
“You love me?”
“Yes.”
“You left that part out.”
This woman.
“Then let me say it again.” I stared into her eyes and said, “I love you, Ashley.”
“Well, I love you too.” She smiled. “You really want to marry me and take on this hot mess?”
“For the love of God, woman, yes, I want to marry you. Now say yes, or say no, but please fucking answer me.”
I hadn’t intended to throw a proposal at her five minutes after regaining consciousness, but nothing with Ashley ever went as expected.
“You haven’t actually asked me anything. All you’ve done is bark orders.” Her laugh made me wish I wasn’t in a hospital bed with stitches holding my artery together. And I definitely wasn’t happy that the tear in my femoral artery meant I had to be extra careful for eight to ten weeks.
“Ashley Nicole York, will you please marry me?”
“Yes. But only because you said please.” Her smile lit up her face as she leaned down and kissed me. My EKG monitor sped up, which meant a nurse would probably interrupt us any second.
“You should know what you’re getting into.”
I did, and I couldn’t wait. Before she could say anything else, I grabbed her behind the neck, pulled her down, and kissed the fight out of her.
Chapter 60
Ashley
If it was wrong to get turned on when Nathan grabbed my neck and pulled me down for a kiss that short-circuited my brain, then I didn’t want to be right.
When I finally broke the kiss, only after hearing him groan in pain, I touched my fingers to my lips.
“Now will you please stop talking trash about my fiancée?” he asked, using the term like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Nathan wasn’t my first gorgeous alpha male, but there was no doubt he’d be my last. I smiled behind my fingers. “We’re engaged.”
“We are.”
“Where will we live?” We couldn’t live in his hotel room, and I didn’t think he’d want to live with Gran.
“I’ll build us a house.”
“Just like that? You’ll build us a house?”
“I’ll have to hire an architect and builders, but yeah, just like that.” His grin was hiding something.
But what?
Trusting he’d tell me eventually, I tackled my next concern. “But I don’t have a job.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll support you.” He squeezed my hand.
