Page 47

I appreciated Graham’s heartfelt speech, but neither my sex-starved body nor my sluggish brain were helpful in clarifying what sounded to be a declaration on his part.

“Love, what you’re saying is important, and I get that, I do. But my primed, ready to explode… ” I glanced down at my dripping cock on obvious display, “you know, and your hard body… makes my brain a bit, well, fuddled, so—”

He laughed as he leaned back and captured my gaze. Then he held up a finger, before he scrambled off the bed.

“Not… at all what I was hoping for.”

Another rumble escaped his throat, but I was busy sucking too much air down my own when he bent at the waist. His muscled ass was on perfect display as he dug in his jean’s pocket, which drew a whimper from me. When he straightened, I admired the magnificent way he held himself. His shapely calves, up to his strong thighs, defined hips and belly, up to his muscular pectorals and wide shoulders, all of it culminating with a symmetrical face, soft beard, and silky hair tied back away from his piercing gray eyes.

“Sweetheart?”

“Yes, love?”

“The jumble of words earlier was a roundabout way of asking you this…”

With an elegance that contradicted the relaxed and playful atmosphere, Graham lowered himself onto one knee and gave me an incandescent smile. I loved the glint of playfulness in his eyes, the teasing yet serious expression on his face, and the tilt of his mouth that never failed to set my heart beating hard in my chest.

“What?”

His eyes lowered, and mine followed. In his hand, he held a blue-teal box decorated with a thin gold ribbon spanning the lid. Nothing became clearer when he opened it.

I noted a platinum band with a diamond in the center nestled into velvet black liner, making the ring shine because of the contrast of its background. Then I noticed the detail on the ring. The center where the diamond sat was a thinner band, but what caught my gaze was the inlaid triangle design which hinted at both sophistication and strength.

“You’ve never seen an engagement ring?”

My head shot up and I let out an embarrassing squeak. “I’m… I’ve seen them in movies, but I didn’t… don’t know, um. I’ve never seen a man propose to his boyfriend before, so I wasn’t sure. Not that I’m saying that that’s what you’re doing, but can you please kiss me or something to shut me up because—”

Graham put me out of my misery with a gentle brush of his lips against mine and by the time I relaxed enough to discern his words, excitement started rising in my chest and I shook with the adrenaline that flooded my system. I inhaled a deep breath and let it out before I opened my eyes.

The slight tilt of his lips and his glittering eyes as he searched my face for any leftover panic was another reason I knew he would always take care of me. Even if it meant patience while my brain kicked back online.

“I never asked, during all of our late-night talks, and the conversations in front of the TV, or in bed, other than the passing comment during your stream, but have you thought you might want to marry me?”

With shaky hands, I cupped his face and smiled against his mouth.

“If I added logic to the situation, I mean, what is the likelihood of that happening? I’d say marriage is a big step and we’ve known each other for such a short time. But with all the love I feel for you and knowing we’d make each other deliriously happy for the rest of our days, I’d marry you tomorrow if you wanted.”

He shook his head, pulling me up short, and then chuckled.

“Think about the twins and Echo finding out we married at the courthouse with your parents as witnesses?”

I winced. Their imaginations were limitless and their torture would be ingenious, and because I learned from years of experience, I avoided that part of their humanity as much as possible. Emotional pain was one thing, but being flicked in the head or punched in the balls at inopportune times was different.

“Oh, hell, no, we’re including them. But if we do, that means they’ll take over everything.”

“Your sisters have great taste and Echo will rein them in, but it also means it’ll be a few months before we can marry. Can you wait that long?”

“Will we still live together, have sex daily, and call each other fiancé’s?”

The tilt of his lips told me everything I needed to know.

“All that and you get to hear how much I love you as I worship your body,” Graham added.

“Then, yes, I will marry you, Graham Norris, and adore you all the days of our existence.”

Before we became lost in each other, and with reverence, he held up my left hand and slid on the band; the diamond shining from the low light of the lamps on the nightstands. The weight of the ring, albeit minuscule, felt connected to my heart, and I knew I’d never remove it.

I glanced up, eyes threatening to spill over, and whispered, “This ring is the most precious item I’ve ever received. Thank you, love.”