Page 320 of The Protective Gryphen

It caught him off guard.

Jesus.

This was his proposal.

He was shocked as shit, and he really didn’t see this coming.

Ian saw his surprise, and he was glad he grabbed the ring. It felt like the perfect time.

Two mysteries had been solved.

Who would be the man he loved forever, and where was Ceit buried?

But first, his man.

“You told me if I asked, I had to wait to see if you’d say yes. You also told me that you were betting it all on me, and please know, Gryphen, that I’m doing the same. So, I am going to ask you the most important question in both of our lives.”

Gryphen’s heart was pounding in his chest.

“Will you marry me? Will you make me your other half, so when we think we’re alone, we really aren’t? I’ve been searching for you for years. Since I was sixteen, and I realized that I needed a man in my life. You were always him. In my dreams, in my fantasies, through it all, you were the last piece of the puzzle that was me.”

Tears filled Gryphen’s eyes.

He couldn’t believe it was finally here.

The moment he wanted more than anything.

“I could never find anyone to make me feel what I feel now, and I know why. That last part of my heart, the part that I thought would always have a hole, wasn’t a hole. It was locked until I could find the person who I loved more than anything.”

A tear dripped down Gryphen’s cheek.

“You’re my person. My emotional support Marine, and I can’t live without you. I love your smile, your big hands, your lusty nature, and most of all, just being near you. Protect me for the rest of my life, and make me your husband. I want to be Ian Carter more than I want to see the next sunrise. Marry me and love me forever.”

As the sun rose, so did the love between them.

Going to his knees, he touched Ian’s face with his palm.

“I love you. Yes. I thought you’d never ask. I was getting a little impatient waiting for you to catch up.”

Ian smiled.

“You don’t say?” he asked, laughing. “I would have never noticed since you only asked me if I was proposing around fifty times.”

“Two. I asked twice.”

He loved this man so much.

Gryphen got serious.

“I want nothing more than to love and protect you for the rest of my life,” Gryphen said. “I hope it’s long and filled with joy. I want that white picket fence, that home filled with laughter, and to wake up beside you—when you actually STAY IN BED.”

Leaning in, he kissed him.

Gryphen’s heart was so full. His mouth moved over his, and they sealed that promise. They already made their contracts, but this was just as important.

This was the romance part.

When he slowly broke away, he stared into his eyes.

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