“Um, I love you,” I said. “I love you very much. I love you more each day. I’ll probably love you more every day for, like, eternity. I hope we have a boy and a girl we can name Noble and Fury. So, since I believe that’s the definition of the love of someone’s life, you’re mine.”
He moved then, lifting me off the bed, pulling me into his arms and kissing me hard.
I had arms with bandaged hands wrapped around his neck when he was done.
“You chill?” I asked.
“I’m pissed as fuck,” he answered, then his lips twitched. “But the thought of that bitch being taken to the station in the middle of the night, needing to phone for a solicitor, which means needing to phone her father, and then being questioned because she was caught, helps a bit.”
I smiled. “Helps me too.”
He got serious. “And you’re all right.”
“I am,” I confirmed.
“And you’re probably exhausted.”
I was still coasting on four cups of exceptional earl grey tea.
I didn’t say that.
I said, “I could use some sleep.”
Of course, Battle didn’t mess about in making that happen.
It was dark, the cats had joined us, and I was in Battle’s arms when I said, “Thanks for driving from London in the middle of the night for me.”
His response.
A hefty arm squeeze and “Darling.”
That was it.
Then again, that was all he needed to say.
CHAPTER 27
THE RING
I swam out of sleep to see the day was bright and the cats had had breakfast, because they were all in bed with me, snoozing.
I could also see my hot duke striding toward the bed with hair wet from a shower, in jeans and a button-down.
I pushed up to an elbow. “Hey.”
He said nothing until he sat on the side of the bed and curled a hand around the side of my neck.
Then he said, “Hey.”
I looked to the smart screen and saw it was twelve after ten.
“Holy crap, it’s late,” I said, pushing up further, then wincing as I tweaked my knee.
“Still,” Battle ordered and took my wrist.
He carefully peeled back the bandage a tad and peered at my wounds.
“That doesn’t seem too bad,” he murmured, pressing the bandage back down.
