“I am. And regardless of your answer, I know we will make this work.”
Biting my bottom lip, I shake my head once. “You’re trying to tell me you want to go into your freshman year of college married?”
“You’re damn right I do. I’d love nothing more than to introduce you to everyone as my wife.”
“Your wife?” I repeat in disbelief.
“Yes.”
“Well are you gonna ask me something then?”
Jax lets out a low chuckle while grabbing something out of the chest pocket of his T-shirt. When he opens his hand, a small bunch of grass is wound into a small circle. And the moment his beautiful, sea glass eyes meet mine, I know my answer before he even asks.
“Like you said, we’re young. And to anyone else, we may look like fools. If there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that I love you with my whole heart and I want to start a life with you. So, Taevin Gray, will you make me the happiest man in the world and marry me?”
Those beautiful songbirds only he can awaken take flight in my stomach again.
“Yes,” I whisper, blinking away the happy tears threatening to spill down my cheeks.
“Yes?” he questions in disbelief.
“Yes!” I reply a little louder this time.
He lifts me into his arms and spins me around. “You’ll marry me?” he questions again, and I can’t help but giggle.
“You’re crazy for asking, but I’m crazy enough to agree. Yes, I’ll marry you, Jackson!”
Pulling me in for a kiss, my lips quiver against his. When I break the kiss, I rest my forehead against his and rub my thumb up and down his cheek. He grabs hold of my hand and slips the makeshift ring onto my finger. I press my lips to his and I can’t stop the smile that lights up my face even as I kiss him with everything I have.
Holy hell! This can’t be real life.
Jax finally breaks our kiss, and sets me back on the tailgate, spreading my legs so he can stand between them. With his head nuzzled against my neck, he breathes me in and asks, “So, when are we making this official, wifey?”
I can’t help but chuckle. “Well, I suppose it depends if we’re really eloping or telling our parents. I’m not going to lie . . . I’d prefer we elope and tell them at, like, Christmas break when we come home or something.”
“I agree.”
I quirk a brow. “Really? It’s that easy?”
“I mean, I don’t have the best example of a healthy marriage. But from what I’ve heard, there’s this saying, ‘happy wife, happy life,’ and I plan to live by that.”
I push his shoulders back. “In that case, I think we should celebrate.”
Jax gives me the sexiest smirk. “Oh yeah?”
“Yep.”
Wrapping his arms around my waist, he tugs at my hips so I’m barely resting on the edge of the tailgate. “And how do you wanna do that?”
A shy smile eclipses my face before I bite my bottom lip. “Make love to me under the stars?”
“Couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate. Sit back,” he tells me, nodding to the pile of pillows we were snuggling in earlier.
Once we’re both in the bed of the truck, Jax kneels beside me as he helps me pull my tank top over my head before slowly inching off my shorts. The way he’s looking at me and touching me—with gentleness and reverence—liquifies my stomach. And when his lips connect with mine, his tongue swiping inside for a taste, I become desperate to feel his skin on mine.
Trailing my fingers beneath the hem of his shirt, I lift it up his torso, only breaking the kiss so he can pull it over his head. While he does, I don’t waste a moment as I unbuckle his belt and push his shorts and boxers off his hips.
“Need you,” I whisper, wrapping one arm around his neck and the other around his waist so I can pull him on top of me.
