She nods, shifting her entire body to face me. Her eyes are serious, like she’s been thinking about it, too. “Okay,” is all she says.
Clearing my throat, I just fucking say it. “I’d like us to be more, but there’s something we have to discuss.” She nods, and I continue. “Pepper is a part of my life–a permanent part–and I need to know how you feel about that, about me being responsible for her. I’m like her dad.”
She blinks fast looking down like I’ve said something she didn’t expect. My stomach sinks, and I feel like maybe we all got it wrong. It wouldn’t be the first time I was out in left field with her. A spear of pain slices through my stomach, and damn, I don’t want to end this with her yet, not yet.
Before I can start to backpedal, her pretty eyes meet mine again. “Hana is a real part of my life, a permanent one. How do you feel about that? I’m not her mom, but we’ve never had good parents.”
My lips part, and shit, I was not expecting her to say that. Of course I knew Hana was a big part of her life, but it never occurred to me she might be as worried about her sister as I am about Pepper.
Sliding my thumb across her fingers, I lift her hands to my lips, kissing her knuckles. For a moment I study her slim fingers, then I just fucking say it.
“I love you, Blake.” Lifting my eyes, I’m surprised to see her blinking fast, like she might cry. What the hell? “Is that okay?”
I start to apologize if I said too much, but she’s nodding before I finish my sentence.
Sliding out of my seat, I go to where she’s perched on the tall chair and put my arms around her waist. She leans closer, resting her chin on my shoulder, and it’s kind of perfect. The music is loud, and the crowd is having a good time dancing and enjoying the night. But in each other’s arms, it’s just the two of us.
“Your uncle said something to me the other day, and I get it now.” She lifts her head to meet my eyes. “He said, we all take care of each other. It’s what families do. There are always hazards in life, shit’s always getting fucked up, but you have me, and I have you… and we have Dirk and Hugh and Lurlene and Carmen and hell, we even have Hana and Scar and Pepper.”
Blake snorts a little laugh through her nose, dropping her chin. “That’s a big group.”
Reaching out I cup her chin with my finger and lift her face to mine. “Last night you thanked me for helping you, but I’ve always wanted to be your hero, Blake. Even when you hated me, I wanted to be there for you.” I hesitate, and my brow furrows.“You’re my lady.”
She blinks quickly, her gorgeous face softening with a smile, and she slides her hand over my cheek, leaning closer to speak in my ear. “I love you, Hutch Winston.”
Damn, if a little earthquake doesn’t move through my chest.
“Come here.” I lift her off the stool so she’s standing in front of me, her cute head only reaching the center of my chest.
Lowering to one knee, I look up at her pretty face, watching her eyes go wide.
“Stop the music!” Carmen’s voice rings through the crowd. “Something about to happen!”
The jukebox dies–I guess somebody unplugged it–and I notice the tone of the crowd has shifted. People are turning to see what’s happening.
It’s not really a celebrity event, but most of these people know me pretty well. They call at all hours of the night snitching on each other. It's one of those situations where they’ll all be talking about us tomorrow.
Reaching into my pocket, I fish out the small pouch, fumbling with the strings holding it closed. The ring is a modest, two-carat, pear-shaped stone with little yellow diamonds around it like a starburst.
Holding Blake’s hand, I decide I want to kiss it as much as anything, so I do. I press my lips to the top of her knuckles, and before I’m even done, she’s fallen to her knees in front of me, sliding her hand through my hair and pressing her lips to my cheek.
“Are we really doing this?” she asks, meeting my eyes like she trusts me to know the right answer all the time. God, I hope I never let her down.
“Yeah, baby.” I show her the ring. “My mom told me to give this ring to the person I’d always be faithful to, to the person I couldn’t live without, to the person I’d love as deeply as my own soul. That person is you, Blake. Will you be my wife?”
She’s nodding before I even finish my sentence, and I slide the slim band on her finger. “I love you so much. I’d love to be your wife.”
I kiss her lips, but more than that, I pull her body to mine, wrapping her in my arms as the room explodes with cheering and clapping and the whole damn town acts like it’s the Fourth of July.
Her arms are around my neck, and I feel her breathing fast. I feel her body shaking like she’s crying, and I just want to hold her. I want to take her home and hold her in my arms all night, kiss her lips, smooth my hands in her hair, and feel her skin against mine.
“Let’s dance!” she cries instead, hopping to her feet and pulling my hands so hard, I have to laugh.
So much for my sentimental shit, but we’ve got plenty of time for that.
“You want to learn to shag?” I’m ready to start our first lesson when Carmen pushes in between us.
“I knew it! I knew it at the donut shop! This is the biggest news to hit this town since…” She looks around, thinking. “Since ever!”
She’s hugging my fiancée, and I’m leaning back with my arms crossed feeling pretty proud of myself. Hugh was right–this is a good plan.
Somebody restarts the jukebox, and up first is an old Christina song, the one about a genie in a bottle, and my beautiful sex kitten shimmies out onto the floor curling her fingers at me like she wants me to join her.
Old timers close in around her in pairs, doing their dance to whatever rhythm they can find, but Blake isn’t paying attention to them. Her eyes are hot, and she does a little hip-shaking dance, when I reach her, she turns, moving that sexy little ass against my dick. Like I need a reason to crave her more.
I’m behind her, moving my hips with hers, and she leans back against my chest, pressing her lips to my neck. I turn her around, and when our eyes meet, it’s pure fire.
She smiles, rising onto her tiptoes. “I can’t wait to be your wife.”
She’s so hot, I’m ready to throw her over my shoulder. “Let’s go home. I’ll teach you that old dance tomorrow.”
Our fingers lace, and I take my credit card out, leaving it on the table. We’ll work out the bill tomorrow as well. So much time has gotten away from us, I don’t want to lose another minute.
Her lips are at my ear, kissing my neck, whispering hot words to me the entire drive back to the house. We slip in the back way, and I’m thankful Pepper’s spending night with a friend, because we’re about to get loud.
I take her to the place where it all started, my bedroom. She’s in my arms, in my bed, and I’m tracing my lips over every inch of skin I can find, rocking our bodies to the heights of ecstasy.
We’re made for each other, and as I hold her in my arms, drifting to sleep, I know I’ll always be her knight. I wasn’t able to be a shiny, white one like in the fairytales. I’m flawed and not perfect, as much as I want to be.