Total pages in book: 143
Estimated words: 141464 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 472(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 141464 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 472(@300wpm)
I gotta get this out before I forget everything I want to say.
“Margot,” I start, my voice lower than I mean it to be.
I clear my throat, glance down at our hands—fingers just barely brushing. Then I pull her into my lap, her legs draping over mine.
She wraps her arms around my neck like it’s instinct.
“You once asked me to teach you…” I pause, letting my hand settle on her thigh. “A few things.”
She ducks her head, silky strands sliding across my cheek.
“And I thought I was so damn clever,” I murmur, “warning you not to catch feelings.” I tip my forehead against hers. “Then I went and caught the biggest case of feelings a man’s ever had.”
A soft laugh escapes her. “How do you know that?”
“Because I’d spill blood for you. Burn down buildings. Burn down the whole fuckin’ world if I had to.”
Her smile falters, eyes locked on mine. “I’d do the same for you.”
“I know it.” I close my eyes, trying to think of the words that have been knocking around in my skull for months. How to piece them together.
“You’re the one who ended up teaching me so many things.” My voice roughens. “And I love you so much. I want to keep learning with you—something new, every day—for the rest of my life.”
Her fingers skim my cheek. “I want that too.”
We just stare at each other, suspended in the moment.
Ring!
Fuck!
I jam my hand in my pocket and pull out the shiny, black box. “Will you marry me?”
“What?” Her gaze slips from my face to the box.
Did she think I was recapping our history for fun?
“I wanted to do something…fancier, nicer, bigger, but—” I say, half apologizing.
“I don’t like big spectacles.”
“Tonight seemed right.” I let out a short laugh. Shit, I’m nervous. “And I’m worried I’m going to lose this if I keep carrying it around, waiting for the right time.”
“Jensen!” She launches herself at me, lips crashing into mine and knocking me backward.
Her fingers thread through my hair, clutching, desperate. She kisses me like she’s starving for it—like she needs to prove I’m real.
In between kisses, I flip us, covering her with my body. “Is that a yes?”
“Yes.” She curls her fingers in my shirt and pulls me forward. “Yes, I want to be your wife. It’s the biggest yes that’s ever been yessed.”
I blow out a long, satisfied breath.
The ring.
It went flying when she knocked me over. In the dark grass, it’s hard to find. We sit up and I pat my hand around the blanket and finally scoop up the box and hand it to her.
She flips the lid open and squints. Even in the semi-darkness, it glitters and sparkles.
“It’s…it’s exactly what I described to you.” She presses her fingers to her lips. “Even the halo of sapphires.”
“I know.” I tug it free from the box and take her hand, slipping it on her ring finger. She holds out her hand, wiggling her fingers, admiring the ring.
“Oh, it’s perfect.” She cuddles close and kisses my cheek.
I feel her eyes on me and turn, staring straight into her eyes.
“You’ve taught me so much more than sex, you know.”
I take her lips in another blistering kiss. “Good.”
She kisses me back, clinging to me like she owns every jagged piece of my soul. The ones she’s helped stitch back together—every one of them belongs to her now.
EPILOGUE
Jigsaw
Margot pops out of her bedroom, hands tucked behind her back, a nervous smile tugging at her lips.
“Jensen, can you come in here, please?”
“Fuck yes. On my way.”
I drop my laptop, push out of her lounge chair, and stride across the room—already half-hard and fully hoping this is about to go exactly where I think it is.
It’s not.
It’s almost…better.
Laid out across her bed is a helmet and riding clothes. Margot-sized.
She twists her engagement ring round and round on her finger. “I’m not saying I want to go all the time. Or long distances.” Margot hesitates and glances at the clothes on the bed. “But I trust you.” A frown flashes over her face. “I mean if you want me on the back of your bike.”
Do I want her on the back of my bike? What a question.
More than anything in the world.
I’m too overwhelmed to speak. Words keep firing through my brain but fizzling out on my tongue. I never expected Margot to go to all this trouble. To want to ride at all. And I never planned to push her into it. That she obviously gave it so much thought—researching what to wear and then buying it all by herself. I can’t wrap my head or heart around what a massive gesture this is for her.
“Yes, I want you on the back of my bike. You don’t have to if you don’t want to, though. No pressure.”
She blows out a long breath and slowly nods. “I know. I talked to some of the girls about riding. Hope told me how nervous she was at first, but that Rock made sure she was comfortable.”