Page 76 of Ravaged Hearts

She laid the hot drinks on the side table and perched herself on the bed.

“I’ll let you argue with Vaughn over the timing of his hospital discharge.” Brandon rose from his chair. “I’ve got work to do, but I’ll come visit tomorrow.”

We said our goodbyes, and Brandon left the room, leaving Hope and me on our own again.

She pressed her warm palm to my forehead. “Are you feeling okay? You look tired.”

“I’m wrecked, but I want to stay awake so I can be with you a little longer. I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you, too.” The small smile that’d been on Hope’s lips slowly fell, and she wrung her fingers in her lap. “Are you upset with me for leaving the trackers on the airplane?”

I took hold of her hands to steady them. “Right now, I’m just so damn thankful you’re safe that I don’t have room to be angry.”

When I’d first realized Hope had ditched the trackers intentionally, I’d experienced more intense emotions than I could handle. Fear. Worry. Anger. Disbelief. Betrayal. But when it all boiled down, the only thing I’d wished for was the chance to hold her in my arms again exactly as I did now. So how could I stay mad?

Her eyes met mine. “I’ve already apologized to the guys, but for what it’s worth, I’m sorry for deceiving you and making you worry about me. It felt shitty.”

“Apology accepted. But I need you to know that from now on, your problems are my problems, too, and we’ll work through them together. Got it?”

Hope nodded, the very picture of contrition.

“And if you even think of pulling a stunt like that again, I’ll chain you to me for the rest of your days.”

Her lips quirked. “You know, that almost sounded like a really unromantic proposal.”

My expression turned serious. “Gatita, when I ask you to marry me, I won’t screw it up. It’ll be the one thing I do right in my life.”

Hope stared at me in surprise. I didn’t think she’d blinked once since we’d started on the topic of marriage.

“So I won’t be popping the question from a hospital bed, because as soon as you say yes, I’m gonna need to be inside you, and I can’t do that when I’m plugged into all these damned machines, feeling like half a man.”

“Vaughn.” She laughed nervously. “I was only joking.”

“I’m not. Don’t you want to marry me someday?”

“Yeah, but…oh my God, you’re nuts to be talking about this so soon.”

“You know I’m in love with you. You know I’d give my life for you.” I traced the pad of my thumb along Hope’s bottom lip. “Why wouldn’t I want to lock that down forever?”

She shrugged. “I didn’t think you were the traditional type.”

My brows shot up. “You didn’t think I was the type to put a big fucking diamond ring on your finger so every asshole out there knows you’re mine? Just thinking about it makes me hard.”

Hope dropped her forehead to my shoulder as her body jostled with laughter. Then her amused eyes came back to mine, her face flushed from giggling and a smile brightening her features. “One day, huh?”

“One daysoon. I’ll make the proposal memorable. I promise.” I curled my fingers around the nape of her neck. “Now, I need to hear it.”

She tilted her head. “Hear what?”

“That you love me. Or did you only say that because you thought I was dying?”

“No. I meant it. It’s all happened so fast, but I don’t care.” Hope moistened her lips and her amber eyes searched deeply into mine. “I love you, Vaughn Decker. And God help the person who tries to take you from me, because I will come for them like a shark after blood. You’re mine, and I’m keeping you.”

My Gatita. Just as fearsome as her man.

And I had to admit, it was a lot sweeter hearing those words when there wasn’t a six-inch blade jammed in my chest.

“Even if I’m being a jerk?” I asked, unable to keep the satisfied grin from my face.

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