Page 77 of Vengeance

“Grayson, I don’t understand... what are you saying?”

Laughing, he looks down at her chest. “I kept thinking I should wait for the perfect time, but there is no perfect moment. And the longer I wait, the less time we have together.”

Her eyes widen, and she climbs off his lap to stand. “Grayson, wait-”

“Ashley Short, will you marry me?”

Tears fill Ashley’s eyes, and he sees the pain as she scrunches her face up while he pulls out the ring box. “Grayson, I love you. I love you so much it hurts, but...”

Grayson opens the box. “But your family will never approve?”

She blinks as she stares at the ring. “Is that... Is that my mom’s ring?” Her voice comes out as a whisper, and he hopes it means she’s happy.

“Your father gave it to me. In the hospital. After he gave me his blessing to ask you to be my wife.”

Sitting back down, she stares with wide eyes. “He gave his approval?”

“Well, Lex did kind of point out he’d be an asshole to say no after I took a bullet for his daughter.”

“You want to marry me?”

“I love you, Ashley. So damn much I hate the thought of ever being without you. But when I lost my job, I didn’t know what I was going to do. Part of me didn’t know who I was anymore, and in a way, that made me feel like I wasn’t worthy of you. Then it hit me that being with you makes me worthy. Being your man makes me want to be a man you can be proud of, and everything else that seemed like a loss before didn’t mean anything. It made it clear that I was meant to be with you.”

Taking the ring, she slips it onto her finger and her lip trembles. “Yes, Grayson. Yes. Nothing would make me happier!”

He stands and picks her up, kissing her as her arms wrap around his neck. He carries her to the bedroom and sets her onto the bed, and they both make quick work of shedding their clothes. Climbing on the bed, he settles between her legs.

“Make love to me,” she whispers, and he enters her. “Oh, yes!”

His hips thrust long and slow, and she lifts her ass to meet him thrust for thrust, bringing him as deep as possible. Her hand with the ring rests on his chest, and both of them keep glancing at it. It feels surreal. Grayson Tate is making love to the future Mrs. Tate. The ring cements them together forever, and he can’t find the words to describe how he feels about this incredible woman. All he can do is show her how much he loves her as he brings her to the brink.

“Grayson,” she purrs. “I’m so close.”

Sliding out of her, he slips down the bed until his mouth meets the apex of her thighs, and he licks her, loving the taste of her.

“Oh, fuck,” she moans. “Use your hands.”

Chuckling, he slides two fingers into her as he alternates between licking and sucking her clit until she cries out, her hands clutching the bedspread on either side of her.

“I love hearing you come,” he mutters and slides back up her body. “I love damn near everything about you.”

“What don’t you love about me?” she asks as he enters her again.

Winking, he smirks. “Your last name.”

“Good thing that’s about to change soon.”

“Ashley Tate,” he says, and the words make him happy. Really happy.

Her hands reach out and stop him, but his confusion disappears when she lifts her legs up to his shoulders and slips a pillow beneath her. The angle and increased tightness feel amazing, and he holds onto her as he moves hard and fast.

“Grayson!” she cries out.

He finds his own release, and he pulls out to lie beside her. Pulling her into his arms, he kisses her forehead. “Ashley Tate,” he repeats.

“It sounds nice,” she says and toys with the hair on his chest. “It sounds perfect.”

“What kind of wedding do you want?”

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