My heart fluttered with joy. I kept my gaze fixed on Asher’s for a long moment. “Then I’m definitely staying.”
“I have one more thing I need to tell you.”
I reached out and squeezed his hand. “Anything.”
“I think… I’m in love with you.”
I couldn’t contain my smile. My heart pounded as I took in his words, the worried look on his face. Before I could say anything else, he hurried on.
“You don’t have to say it back or anything. I just needed to tell you.”
“I love you too,” I murmured.
“You do?”
When I nodded, he pulled me to him and the next thing I knew, I was straddling him on the couch, kissing him hungrily. It didn’t take long for the kisses to heat up into something more desperate, and soon we were rocking against one another like thereweren’tlayers of fabric between us.
“Maybe we should take this to my bedroom,” Asher murmured.
“I think that sounds like an excellent plan.”
As we stumbled, kissing our way to the bedroom, all I could think about—besides how much I wanted to touch Asher’s dick—was how happy I was. I could hardly believe I deserved it, but I wasn’t going to let it go.
Epilogue - Asher - 6 months later
“Come on, we’re going to be late,” Micah called to me from my—ourliving room. I was still getting used to sharing a space with him permanently, still reeling with the happiness I’d felt when he’d agreed to move in just a month ago. I rummaged through my sock drawer to find the tiny, discreet wooden box I was after and stuffed it in the pocket of my jeans.
“I’m coming. Give me a minute.” I ran my thumb over the smooth corner of the wood to reassure myself that it was there, waiting, before I made my way out of the bedroom and down the hall. Tonight was going to be the night. It had to be. I had to stop carrying this damned box around and actually do what I’d set out to do. I wanted Micah more than anything, and I was desperate to show him just how much I loved him.
“There you are,” Micah said, tugging on his favorite warm boots. “If we don’t go now, we’re going to be late.”
I shrugged and pulled him into my arms, giving him a long, slow kiss. “Who cares?” I murmured when I broke the kiss.
“I’m actually not sure,” he said dreamily.
“You want to stay in and skip the party?” I didn’t want to get my hopes up, but I wasn’t particularly in the mood to go be around a ton of people. I had other things on my mind.
Micah sighed and let me go. “No, I guess not. Get your shoes on. Have you seen my scarf? The good one?”
“The furry one?”
He scoffed. “It’s cashmere.”
“Fine. The hairy one. Happy?”
He snorted a laugh and shook his head. “Sure. Have you seen my hairy scarf?”
“Bedroom closet, I think.”
“I don’t know how I missed that. I’ll be right back.” He kissed me once. “Don’t go anywhere.”
Courage seized me. I didn’t want to wait any longer to do it. Once he’d disappeared down the hallway I sank to one knee, pulled the little wooden box from my pocket, and waited.
I could hear him rummaging through the closet and a moment later, the closet door shut and his footsteps in those heavy winter boots were loud on the hallway wooden floor. My heart leaped into my throat and my stomach churned.
“Babe, I really think we should consider—” He froze when he spotted me.
I raised one eyebrow and smirked. “Consider what?”
