Page 39 of The Mountain Man's Untamed Bride

The ring fit perfectly as he slid it onto my finger. When he kissed me, I tasted forever on his lips.

Later, as we lay tangled together in the bed we now shared without question, I thought about the strange, winding path that had led me here. I'd come to Promise Ridge to lose my virginityand gain independence from my family's expectations. I'd found so much more—strength I never knew I had, work that fulfilled me, and a love I'd never dared imagine existed.

"What are you thinking about?" Bodhi asked, his fingers tracing lazy patterns on my bare shoulder.

"About how badly my plan backfired," I murmured against his chest.

"Which plan was that?"

"The one where I was supposed to seduce you, lose my virginity, and move on with my independent life," I admitted. "Instead, I got stuck with a mountain man, a judgmental rooster, and a forever kind of love."

"Terrible outcome," he agreed solemnly. "My condolences."

I propped myself up to look at him. "Best failure of my life."

Snow began to fall outside our window, but inside, wrapped in Bodhi's arms with his ring on my finger, I'd never felt warmer or more certain. My grand escape plan had succeeded after all—just not in any way I could have predicted. I'd escaped into exactly where I was meant to be all along.