Page 24 of Dirty Whispers

So does sleeping in his arms all night.

Is this what it would be like to live with him? As I fall asleep unbelievably fast, I'm ninety-seven percent sure I know what my decision will be in the morning.

The rich smell of coffee wakes me up slowly. I dress, tie up my hair, and walk out to the dining room. Then I stop short.

There's a huge, detailed map, printed out in several pieces, taped across the window like a murder board on a detective show. Half of the table is taken up with notes and an open laptop.

Griffin guides me to a chair and sets a coffee in front of me.

"The answer came to me at four in the morning." He grins, sitting close beside me as I try to make out the map with circles marked with driving times to West Stoneburg, Oakton, and Kingsville.

I take a huge swig of coffee, knowing that I'm going to have to wake up fast. "What's all this about?"

"I got thinking about how you read a lot. So I started thinking about what people do in books to make a point." He's smiling widely, making him boyishly handsome as he grips my hands gently. "When people go off on a huge quest in fantasy books, they need a token, right? A talisman of forever?"

"Okayyy…" I look down at the notes covering the table. Julie's Jewelry. Diamond Fantasy. Silversmiths of Kingsville. Elegance Jewelry Shop. Dozens of shops, all with notes including the address, the driving time, and what they specialize in.

The ones with the widest variety have a red star. The ones with bad reviews have a gray X. There are even restaurants marked on the map in between cities. Another few sheets of paper discuss the four C's of diamonds and basic jewel cuts.

Wow. Just…wow. When it comes to a project, he's a nerd too!

I start to squeeze Griffin's hand, then realize he's gone down on one knee, holding up a piece of copper wire twisted into a ring.

"This will turn your finger green if you wear it for more than a few days, so it's purely ceremonial. A pre-engagement ring, if you will." He takes my hand gently, as he stares up into my eyes. "I'm going to do a better proposal, I swear. But if you choose the ring, and I buy it this week, that will be our token. The talisman to say that we're going on this adventure together."

Blinking hard, my eyes blur with tears, and I can't make any noise beyond an awkward sputter. Griffin is…impulsive. Quite possibly nuts. But he's also totally dedicated to this relationship if he's declaring his love and talking about forever already.

"I'm sorry, baby. I didn't mean to overwhelm you first thing in the morning before the coffee had even kicked in. You can think about this as long as you want."

He cares for me so much already that he knows I get a bit overwhelmed, and that I need my coffee.

"Yes." The word bursts out of me before I've even quite finished the thought. "Yes. I'll stay here with you. I won't call about the apartment."

The twist of wire slips onto my finger a split second before his arms wind around me. "I'm going to try so hard to make you happy, darlin'. It's going to be my life's work."

"And I'm…going to figure out how to be a mountain woman, I guess."

"I'll teach you all of the stuff about dressing in layers and preparing for any kind of weather. Get you some super sturdy boots. Teach you how to drive a snowmobile." His grin is pure sunshine. "You'll have to decide what kind of job you want that you can hopefully mostly do from home."

As I stare into the gorgeous eyes of the incredible man who loves me enough to understand me completely, it feels like every door inside me is being opened – to my mind, my heart, and my potential.

Not only is Griffin going to be an amazing life partner, he's completely dedicated to helping me be more…me.

"I love you," I whisper.

His eyes dance. "I love you, baby. We belong together."

Nodding, I look down at the intricately twisted piece of wire. He even spent some time perfecting a phony ring. Then my gaze gravitates back to the color-coded notes, and I have to stifle a laugh.

My incredible Dirty boy has an attention to detail that makes my inner nerdy girl's heart sing.

16

GRIFFIN

Ican't think of the last time I took an entire Friday off, so I swing by the shop to drop off both sets of keys to the tow truck.

"Sorry about this," I say to Harper, who's smiling from the passenger seat as I park my Lexus in front of the shop. I don't drive my nicest car very often, but today is a special occasion.

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