Page 70 of Bastard

“You think this is it finally? Is everyone done throwing stones at us?”

“Probably not.” I couldn’t lie to her about this. “But it will get harder for them to throw them and eventually they’ll give up. Mostly because they’ll be broke and in prison. And,” I leaned forward, gathering her up against me, “I’ll be here to keep blocking the rocks.”

Hopefully nothing would require gas masks and SWAT teams.

“I think I need to go to bed.”

“Do you want me to wash your hair?”

“Yeah,” she nodded really fast, “I do.”

So I washed her hair in the most platonic way. Seeing her like this brought out the protective side of me in a whole new way. I wanted to wrap Sam in bubble wrap and feed her until she snored. I helped her towel off and dried her hair just enough to keep her from catching a chill. She piled into bed wearing a thick robe, closing her eyes almost immediately.

I climbed in on my side and stared at her until she started snoring lightly. Only then did I get up and double check all the doors and windows, grab a snack and come back to bed as quietly as I could.

Just as I settled into my pillow she whispered. “I love you Jace.”

“I love you too Sam. Forever.”

She smiled at that. And it made me want forever right now. “Marry me?”

Her eyes didn’t open. “Aren’t we already?”

“No.”

“Then we should change that.”

I took her hand. “Hey Sam? You going to remember this in the morning?”

“Remember what?”

“Go back to sleep, babe.”

I would just have to try again tomorrow.

29

Sam watched me all morning. She watched me while I made breakfast. She watched me while I cleaned up breakfast. She watched me as I came to sit with her on the terrace and sip a second cup of coffee. “What?”

“What?”

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Maybe it was the lack of sleep. I should have been exhausted but I was still too amped up from the day. It was easier to sit up and read reports from Dombrowski on my phone while every so often reaching over to assure myself Sam was fine.

She glared at me, then a little smile curled her lips. “I was just curious is all.”

“Curious about what?” I poured a little extra cream in my coffee and tasted it again. Much better.

“Was it spur-of-the-moment or do you have a ring somewhere?”

I froze. I was so absolutely sure she was too asleep to know what I asked her last night that it hadn’t occurred to me that she might actually remember. “You waited all breakfast to ask me that?”

“I was observing you.”

“I thought you were asleep.”

“I was, but one does not forget her first proposal of marriage.”

She yelped as I picked her up and started for the bedroom. “That was hardly a proper proposal.”