He hasn’t stopped touching me since he found me at the show last night.
“I’msoexcited to see Aiden play,” I tell them, and then go to follow Willow into the kitchen, but Gideon takes my hand, tugging me in the other direction. “Where are we going? We just got here.”
“We’ll come back,” he assures me, sharing a smile with Ryker. “But I need a little bit of your time before I share you with them for the rest of the day.”
I roll my eyes but follow Gideon out of the house and down to his SUV, and he drives me to the house. We haven’t been here yet. We stopped by to see Wills and Ryker as soon as we pulled onto the property.
“You want to unpack first?” I ask him. “I mean, that’s pretty strict, but okay.”
“Keep running your mouth, Rebel.” He kisses the top of my head and opens the door for me, and my heart stutters.
Because there in the living room is the biggest bouquet of red roses I’ve ever seen. It smellsamazing.
“One for every day you were gone,” he says, hugging me from behind.
We walk through the house to the back deck, and he leads me outside. It’s cold as hell out here, but I love the crisp air as it fills my nose, and I take in all the snow blanketing the trees, the mountains. The frozen lake is so beautiful, it brings tears to my eyes.
I missed this so much.
“I knew it would be gorgeous. God, how do you not just stand here and stare all day?”
I turn, and then gasp when I find him down on one knee, holding a diamond ring that has the tears falling down my cheeks.
“You are the reason my heart beats, Lena. You’re literally my favorite person on this earth and the greatest treasure in my life.”
I sniff and brush a tear aside, listening to every beautiful word coming out of his mouth.
“You borrowed my name for your art, but I’d like to give it to you, permanently. I’ll give you anything you want, baby. Marry me.”
Cupping his face, I lean in and rest my lips on his, brushing them back and forth.
“Of course I’ll marry you, Gideon.”
He gently pushes the ring onto my finger, and then I’m in his arms and he’s carrying me inside, his mouth on my neck, nibbling that spot just under my ear that makes me lose control.
“I thought we were going to back to the farmhouse.”
“Later. I have to fuck my fiancée first.”
With a snort, I weave my fingers into his hair.
“It feels so good to be home,” I tell him as he lays me on our bed. “And not just for safe keeping this time.”
“No, baby, you’re here forever.”
Epilogue
Gideon
She wanted to wait until her mother was out of office to get married. And then she wanted it to be in the summertime, so we could do it in the field by the lake, with the mountains in the background, and flowers chosen from the property.
Which means I waited eighteen long fucking months to make her my wife.
But if it meant seeing this smile on her face, I’d do it again in every lifetime.
“You may kiss your bride.”
I wrap my arms around her and dip her back, kissing the fuck out of my new wife, and she smiles against me as everyone around us breaks out in applause.
