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“Missed your taste,” he continues, his hands skimming lower and his fingers teasing me as they slide over my hips, kneading the skin there.

My breath catches as his fingers trace over my skin and my body screams for more. He groans against my throat, his lips brushing my collarbone in a way that makes me arch into him.

As his hand starts to drift lower, a cool lick of anticipation rattles through me because I know exactly where he’s heading. I shift my legs apart instinctively, inviting him to touch me, but his hand doesn’t dare to go lower than my stomach.

His eyes find mine, dark and filled with heat, hunger, and a silent question.

Do you want this?

Yes.

Do I really need to say it? That I want him. That I’ve never wanted anything more. Hasn’t he realized that by now?

Still, he waits, just like I asked him to the first night we pushed the limits. His fingers rest just at the edge of my shorts, a whisper of pressure that has my hips shifting toward him, desperate for more. That’s my answer.

A slow, satisfied smirk tugs at his lips before his mouth lowers back to my neck, kissing, feasting on me as he finally slides his hand beneath the fabric. His fingers brush against my already soaked skin, and a sharp gasp escapes me.

I clutch his shoulders, my nails digging in, needing him closer, needing more.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

Cade curses under his breath, his forehead dropping to my shoulder as he groans in frustration. “ Again? Are you fucking kidding me?”

A breathy, nervous laugh escapes me as I glare at the ceiling, my body still tingling with heat, still desperate for him.

“I’m sorry,” I mumble, breathless. “I need to check that because it could be Adley.”

Cade sighs, his disappointment palpable as he slowly pulls his hand out of my panties.

Snatching my phone off the counter, I glance down at the screen and my heart leaps into my throat.

Fern: New Message

Already? I click the notification and the moment I register what it says, a squeal bursts from my lips before I can stop it.

Cade startles, his brows shooting up. “Jeez, Pretty Girl, what the hell was that?”

I slap a hand over my mouth, my excitement bubbling over as I quickly read the message again, my entire body is vibrating.

This is it.

This is actually happening.

Cade sits up straighter, his eyes narrowing at my reaction. “Okay, what’s got you all riled up? ’Cause if it’s not me, I think I might have a problem with it.”

I let out a breathy laugh, unable to contain my grin as I turn the screen toward him. “Fern, my foster counselor, texted. I called her yesterday.”

That gets his full attention. He shifts back to me completely, his green eyes locking onto mine. “Oh, yeah? What’d she say?”

“That in order to start the process of potentially adopting Adley, I need to get a few things together, but the most important part is the home visit. They need to see the space for Adley and meet you.”

“Well, I can’t wait to show them what a perfect couple we make.”

His confidence, his unwavering support, it’s enough to make my chest ache.

“Do you know when it will be?”

“She says she’s looking at next week.”

“Oh, wow.” His brows lift in surprise. “That’s fast.”

“Yeah, well, I may have pushed them a little. After talking to her, I sent an email explaining how unstable Adley’s current living situation is and emphasized how much we need to be reunited.”

His lips part slightly before pressing into a firm line. “Good for you, Sav,” he murmurs, his voice rough with sincerity. “I’m proud of you.”

A lump rises in my throat at his words, at how much he believes in this. “Thanks,” I whisper.

Cade’s hand cups the back of my head as he presses his lips to my forehead in a lingering kiss, his warmth seeping into my skin, steadying me.

We’re really doing this. We’re making this happen.

Cade pulls back just enough to look me in the eye, his fingers still warm against my skin. There’s something else in his expression now, something softer but equally intense.

“Are you still planning on coming to my game tonight?”

I step back, so I can look him in the eyes. “I’d love to.”

“Good.” His lips twitch into a smirk, but there’s something else behind it. “But if you’re coming, there are a couple of things you’ll need to look the part.”

“The part of?”

He scoffs, undeterred by my ignorance, and turns back to his bag. “My fiancée, of course. Now, where is it?” he asks himself, searching through the bag. “Aha.”

He doesn’t take whatever he’s found out, but he does turn to me with a grin.

Cade blows out a shaky breath. “Savannah Barnett.” I can feel the nervousness radiating off him, which is strange. I’ve gotten to know him so well in the past month and nothing usually shakes him.

“You are the most incredible, loving, and caring person I’ve ever met.”

“Uh.”

“Let me finish,” he teases. “I know we’ve not known each other for long, but every time I look at you, I can’t help but see my future.

You’re strong, brave, and everything I could ever ask for in a life partner.

Frankly, now that you’re in it, I couldn’t imagine life without you.

” He pauses, just long enough for his declaration to settle deep inside my bones.

“And I don’t want to.”

I gasp when he drops to one knee in the middle of the kitchen and opens the box to reveal a ring. It’s a thin gold band with a square-cut emerald in the center and two delicate diamonds flanking either side.

It’s elegant. Timeless. Perfect.

“Will you make me the luckiest man in the world and marry me?”

Emotion swells inside me so thick and fast I can barely breathe. My throat closes, my eyes burn, my hands shake, because once again, he’s proving to me how much he wants me.

He’s seen every broken piece and still wants more. He’s made a home for me in a place I never thought I belonged. And he’s looking up at me now with an expression so raw, so utterly certain , it knocks the breath straight from my lungs.

He tilts his head slightly, lips twitching at the stunned look on my face. “You gonna say something, Pretty Girl, or do I need to walk off in shame?”

I laugh. It’s choked and wrecked, but at least it’s something. I finally speak when I’ve composed myself. “I already said yes.”

“To the ring pop and a convenient situation. I want to know if you’ll marry me, Savannah? For real.”

I don’t have to think on that. I’ve wanted Cade since the minute I laid eyes on him, and he’s only exceeded my expectations since.

“Yes.”

Cade’s grin is blinding as he slides the ring on my finger, the one I never plan on taking off, and stands to pull me in for a kiss.

I raise my hand, clutching his shirt, but before things can progress, he pulls away.

“Do you like it?” he asks, his voice a little hesitant as he looks at the ring on my finger. The one that fits perfectly.

“Oh, Cade. I love it, but I would’ve been happy with the ring pop.”

“I know, but you’re my girl now. You deserve the best.”

“Thank you. I’ve never seen an emerald engagement ring before. It’s so unique and beautiful.”

“Just like you.” He says the words so casually; it almost makes me believe them.

“When I was at the jeweler's, they paraded every fucking diamond in the place in front of me, but none of them were right. None of them were you .” His thumb traces over the emerald, reverent and gentle.

“But this one… the second I saw it, I knew. It reminded me of your eyes—that stunning green that stops me dead in my tracks every time you look at me.”

His voice drops, rough with emotion that makes my chest tight.

“Then the woman told me emeralds represent new beginnings, peace, and security.” He meets my gaze, and there's something vulnerable and fierce in his expression.

“That's when I knew it belonged to you, Pretty Girl.

Because those are all the things I want to give you.

A fresh start, peace from all the bullshit you've been through, and the security of knowing someone will always choose you. Always fight for you.”

My throat closes up completely, and tears threaten to spill over as the weight of his words settles in my chest like a perfect, precious ache.

“It's not just a ring, Sav. It's a promise. That you'll never have to wonder if you're enough again because you're everything to me.”

I can barely breathe around the emotion lodged in my throat. “Cade…” I swallow, feeling the weight of the confession, and stand on my tiptoes to kiss him again.

“I love it.”

And I love you.

It’s just a thought. A taunting one that’s been swirling in my head for so long, but I’m still too nervous to say it out loud.

“There’s something else,” he says, turning back to his bag.

“A phone, a ring… Cade, what else could you possibly have in there for me?”

“Nothing crazy. Just a little something I’d love to see you in tonight.”

He pulls out a jersey, shaking it out so I can see the name blazoned across the back in crisp white letters.

MRS. brIGHT

My breath catches and tears threaten to spill as the significance hits me like a freight train. He steps closer, offering me the jersey. “Do you like it?”

“I love it.” The words come out thick with emotion.

“Good, because I think the name suits you perfectly.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah, because you brighten every single day of my life.” His voice drops to that gravelly tone that undoes me completely. “And because you're mine.”

Something wild and reckless explodes in my chest, and before rational thought can stop me, I launch myself at him. Cade catches me effortlessly, his arms banding around my waist as my legs lock around his hips. The second he has me secured, his mouth crashes down on mine with devastating intensity.

It's everything. Heat and hunger and pure desperation. A kiss that brands. A kiss that claims. A kiss that says I am yours and you are mine, now and forever.

Stanley's sharp bark cuts through our moment, his paws scrambling up our legs as he demands attention.

“You happy, Stanley?” Cade laughs against my lips. “Because I sure as hell am.”

Me too.

More than I ever thought possible.