Page 89 of Guarded Hearts

“What are you hiding from me, doll?”

She chewed on her bottom lip. “Nothing much. Just…socks.”

He cocked a brow. “Sexy knee socks?”

She bobbed her head.

“You never were good at lying.” He picked her up and set her down a foot away so he could get at the drawer.

When he opened it, and her vibrator rolled to the front, heat crept into her cheeks.

A grin broke over his face. “What do we havehere?”

“I’ve been alone for a long time, okay? Hooking up isn’t that easy.”

“You won’t be needing it now, but we should still pack it.”

“For?”

He shrugged and tossed it at the open box on the bed. It sank into the depths, vanished from sight. “We can have some fun with it.”

“Just don’t let your brother see. He’s already annoyed at my shoe collection.”

“Oaks can suck it up.”

She let out a resigned sigh and turned toward the closet to gather more shoes.

Carson snagged her by the wrist.

She stopped, swinging her head to look at him.

He looked…

Perspiration popped out on his forehead. He ran his tongue over his lip.

“Carson? Are you feeling all right? Was it the spicy chicken wings we had for lunch?”

He shook his head. “Not the wings, doll. It’s this.” He slipped something onto her ring finger.

Her eyes popped open wide, and she jerked in shock. “Carson!”

In a smooth glide, he dropped to one knee. Eyes overflowing with love, he searched her face. “Layne. It’s been a long time coming, but my love for you is even more intense now than it was back then.”

Her heart did a tap dance in her chest.

“Will you be my wife?”

She opened her mouth, but a sound came from the open bedroom doorway.

Carson groaned. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Could your timing get any worse?”

Oaks made a gesture for him to continue proposing to her.

Carson turned his focus back to Layne. She stared down into his eyes. After the interruption, she didn’t know who was supposed to speak next.

“I asked you to marry me,” he prompted her.

Oh yes.

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