Page 71 of Afterburn

I barely get the ring on her finger before she is kissing me so hard I nearly lose my balance.

The world blurs out—the crowd, the jets, the noise—because all that matters is right here.

Amelia.

My fiancée.

Damn, that feels good to say.

The hangar buzzes with energy—laughterechoing off the metal walls, glasses clinking, music thumping low in the background—but all I can focus on is her.

Amelia stands across the room, deep in conversation with Nesta, her engagement ring catching the overhead lights every time she waves her hands while talking. Her smile? God, it is everything. Big, unrestrained, the kind that makes my chest feel too damn tight.

I still can’t believe she said yes.

Noah claps me on the back, nearly knocking the drink out of my hand. “You look like you just won the lottery, man.”

I grin. “I did.”

He laughs and shakes his head. “Sappy as hell. I love it.”

Knox is next, raising his glass. “Never thought I’d see the day. Ash Carr—off the market.”

“Shut up,” I say, but there is no heat behind it.

Everyone is here—our team, our friends, family—all of them gathered to celebrate with us.

But I need her close.

I cross the room, my boots heavy against the hangar floor, and Amelia’s head snaps up the second I get within range, like she felt me before she saw me.

She smiles, and her entire face lights up. “Hey, fiancé.”

“God, I like the sound of that.”

Before she can say another word, I pull her into me, my hands sliding around her waist as I kiss her—slow and deep—right there in front of everyone. She tastes like champagne and sunshine, and I don’t give a damn that people are definitely watching.

When I pull back, she is breathless, her fingers playing with the collar of my shirt. “We’re really doing this,” she whispers.

“Forever, Amelia.” I reach down and brush my thumb over the diamond now sitting perfectly on her hand. “You’re stuck with me.”

“Wouldn’t want it any other way.”

The night blurs into a mix of laughter, stories, and toasts that make Amelia tear up at least twice. But by the end, when it’s just the two of us leaning against my motorcycle under a sky full of stars, she curls into my side, her head resting on my shoulder.

“I love you, Ash,” she murmurs, soft and certain.

I kiss the top of her head, feeling it in my damn soul. “I love you, too, Amelia. More than anything.”

And right there, under the quiet hum of the night, it hits me—this is it.

My forever.

My peace.

My everything.

Love found me, and hell, if I’m not the luckiest guy alive.

The End