Her expression brightens and her friends drop their hands and move back slightly.
I pull the ring out of my cut and hold it up. The diamond catches the overhead light—and her notice. It’s the only thing left of my family and the only thing I have of real value that wasn’t bought with money I earned through the club.
“This was my grandmother’s,” I tell her. “She was the only person in my life who ever made me feel like I was worth a damn growin’ up. I want you to have it.” Clearing my throat, I continue, “Marry me, sweetness. Be my old lady, my wife, and the mother of my child.” When I say the last part, I rest my free hand flat against her stomach.
For a second, my self-doubts get the better of me. I think she’s gonna say she needs time, or worse, she’s gonna shake her head and tell me no.
Of course she doesn’t say no. This woman loves me and I should not have had last-minute doubts about her answer. She says firmly, “Yes, of course I want to be your wife.”
The clubhouse explodes with brothers shouting their congratulations. Brothers are happily thumping their hands on tables and stomping their boots. When I slide the ring onto her finger, her hand is shaking with excitement. She immediately flings her arms around my neck and pulls me down for a kiss.
I’m gonna be real honest here and say that I greedily take everything she offers in that moment, wrapping my arms around her and kissing her back like I was starved for affection. At some point, I pick her up and she wraps her legs around my waist. I kiss her again in front of God and every man I’ve ever ridden with. I don’t care who sees us, because they’re my witnesses thatthis moment actually happened. This smart, beautiful woman agreed to be my wife. I feel like the luckiest man on earth.
Queenie reaches us and Nora shows her the ring. “It’s gorgeous, Nora. Just perfect for you.”
Her two friends and Tessa crowd around, all admiring my grandmother’s ring. That’s when I realize my girl used to be seen by some as our enemy’s daughter. Now, my brothers are congratulating me for proposing to her. And the women are fussing over her like she’s one of their own.
After giving them enough time to gush over her, I take her hand and tug her away. “You’ve been smiled at, complimented, and hugged enough for one night. Come with me, my soon-to-be wife. I want you all to myself.”
She looks up at me and the warmth in her eyes takes my breath away.
At the top of the steps, I scoop her off her feet and carry her downstairs. I’m less worried about her falling on the steps and more worried about having her in my arms, where she should be. She loves it when I carry her. I can tell because she drapes her arms around my neck and kicks her feet playfully.
I open the door with one hand and kick it closed behind us. The noise from upstairs mutes, and I’m just standing in our suite with an armful of my soon-to-be wife. I’m not used to being this happy. I let her slide down to her feet and we stand there grinning at each other like a pair of fools in love.
She looks up at me, and her face is glowing with the same kind of happiness I feel. We fought our way through the danger to get to this moment and what’s flowing back and forth betweenus is so much stronger and deeper than I ever thought loving a woman could be.
Although Nora is looking at me, she has her hands in front of her and keeps twisting that engagement ring back and forth on her finger. My club brothers bearing witness to the moment my old lady agreed to marry me, is my proof that this is real. Nora touching the ring I just gave her is hers.
There’s something about seeing my grandmother’s diamond on her hand that signals home, hearth, and family, in the deepest parts of my mind. That heirloom ring was always meant for her finger.
“You like my grandmother’s ring,” I say, tugging her closer.
“I keep thinking that maybe I should pinch myself because I’m dreaming,” she says with tears shimmering in her eyes. “I spent so long being the girl who cooked, cleaned, and shut the fuck up so my father and brothers could speak that I’m having a hard time believing this is my life. I’ve been chosen by a good man, a club officer of a club I’m actually proud to be associated with.” Her voice drops. “It almost doesn’t feel real, babe.”
I cup her face in both hands and look down at her delicate facial features. “I promise you it’s real, sweetness. This is what you and me together forever looks like.”
When I kiss her, it’s nothing like the kiss we had in front of my club brothers. This is passion built from all the shit we’ve been through, knowing there will be more shit coming at us later and still wanting to make a go of it together. This is as real as it gets.
When she melts into my touch, I smile against her mouth. Every damn time I get close to this woman, she absolutely wrecks me.
“Yes,” I murmur. “Come closer, my eager, soon-to-be wife.”
I walk her back towards the bed, my hands sliding down to her hips. I take my time undressing her. She doesn’t deserve a rough quickie from her man. She deserves someone who will take his time with her and make sure she gets what she needs every time.
I push her property cut off her shoulders and lay it across the desk chair. Then I peel her shirt up and off. She gracefully slides her arms out of it. Her bra follows, and then my mouth is on her throat, her collarbone, and the soft skin below her ear that makes her gasp every single time. I can’t get enough of this woman and the sounds of pleasure she makes.
“Jinx, please.” Her hands fist in my hair and her back arches, as she forces me down. I’d be lying if I said that didn’t feed my male ego.
“Got all night, darlin’,” I say as I move down to suck on her nipples. Both hands go to the front of her jeans, and I get them and her panties off of her in under a minute.
“Been dyin’ to taste you again. Tonight, I’m takin’ my time.”
“Because it’s a special day?” she asks.
Twirling my tongue inside her belly button, I say, “Fuck no. Every day with you is a special day. We don’t have people trying to kill us anymore. That means there’s no need to rush thegood things in our life. And licking your pussy is definitely the best thing in my life.”
She groans, spreading her legs for me. I kneel between her long, lovely legs, kissing every inch of her along the way. I cover the soft swell of her belly tenderly with one hand and let my hand rest there for a minute. Our baby isn’t old enough to kick but I press one last kiss to her belly and move on. I recognize this place as holy ground before I keep moving lower.
