Embers of desire sizzled in my veins. I don’t think I'd ever tire of looking at him.
“Hey, cowboy,” I managed to breathe out, cursing myself internally for how easily he affected me even two months later.
A smile softened his harsh face. “Darlin’.”
Some of the tension in his my muscles eased as he held a hand out to me. I was helpless but to go to him. We were like magnets. Drawn to one another by an invisible pull. His touch was both scalding in its power and intensity, and a balm to my soul. I loved the paradox.
“How’re you feeling?” I asked, resting my chin on his chest as I gazed up at him.
His fingers brushed a path up and down the curve of my spine. “Nervous. Excited. A bit terrified.”
I kissed his chest gently, pulling back enough to trace my fingers over the tattoo on his heart. “I can’t even imagine. But you.” I kissed his chest once more. “Are.” I kissed his collarbone. “Going.” Along the curve of his stubbled jaw. “To be.” I rose up on tiptoe, brushing a kiss to the corner of his mouth as I wrapped my arms around his neck. “Amazing,” I finally murmured against his lips.
His arms caged me against him, one of his hands knotting in my hair. I didn’t miss how his body shook beneath my touch. Whether it was from nerves or desire, I wasn’t quite sure.
“Thanks, darlin’,” he whispered back before capturing my mouth in his.
I reveled in the feel of him. In the scent and taste of him. These past two months had been the best of my life, and I had him to thank for that.
He pulled back, breaking the kiss and the quiet moment, and asked, “Will you do me a favor? Can you grab me the box over on the table to the left. It’s got my belt buckle in it.”
I nodded. “Sure.”
I found the box easily beside his sunglasses and hat box, but frowned as I picked it up. “Um…is this supposed to be so light? It doesn’t feel like there’s a belt buckle in here?”
“I’m sure. You can open it up and check.”
I shrugged. Why not? I wondered which one it was. He’d won a lot during his time rodeoing, and with this being such a monumental moment, I figured he’d probably wear one of his gold buckles.
Only when I opened the box, there was no belt buckle inside.
Time froze, leaving me paralyzed in place. The air left my lungs in a loud gasp, and tears blurred my vision so badly that I couldn’t even focus on the soft velvety pillow where a buckleshouldhave been.
Because in its place was an engagement ring.
“Hux…” The word was little more than a choked out squeak. I blinked, letting the twin tears slide down my cheeks and clear my vision, before turning to him.
He knelt before me, the softest, most earnest look on his face. “I figured it’d be easier for you to put it on yourself. I’m just as likely to lose it tryin’ to put it on the right finger.”
Laughter bubbled out of my chest even as more tears fell freely down my cheeks. “Hux.”
Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. He was proposing.
He reached out a hand, and still holding the box with the ring in my one hand, I gripped his with my free one.
“I told you I wouldn’t make you wait long for a ring.” He lifted my hand and brushed a kiss to my knuckles. My heart might as well have had wings, the way it soared from his words and touch didn’t seem possible. “I know this might not be, like, the most romantic setup. I’d been hopin’ to do it back on my parents’ ranch, but we just haven’t had time to get back there. And, well—” He blew out a breath and ran his free hand through his hair. “There’s a decent chance that I don’t…” his words wobbled, “that, uh, I don’t make it out of this arena tonight. And if I don’t, I wanna know that I’ve given myself to you completely. Irrevocably. So, Quinn—darlin’, will you marry me?”
My knees gave out as wave after wave of emotion pummeled into me. Happiness and excitement and terror and worry, but mostly—yeah, mostly pure undiluted joy. I nodded, words too hard to form as I tried to bite back sobs.
“Is that a yes or a no, darlin’? I’m gonna guess that your silence is a yes?”
I laughed through my tears and leaned forward to brush my lips against his in the ghost of a kiss. “Yes, Hux,” I managed to whisper. “Absolutely yes.”
He dragged me against him, claiming my mouth in a soul-scorching kiss. God, he was so perfect. Somehow in what were probably the most terrifying moments of his life, he managed to switch the focus to me. I know he’d argue that he didn’t deserve me, but that wasn’t true. We deserved each other. We were made for each other. And now I got to spend the rest of forever calling himmine.
Officially.
I gasped, remembering the ring in my other hand. “Careful, I haven’t put the ring on yet.”
