Page 69 of Harry

“I suppose she is.” He touched her cheek tenderly.

“I am fat.”

“You’re pregnant and exquisite with it. I don’t want anyone else. I was surprised to see her.” He smoothed back loose tendrils of her curls. “She is my past, an important part of it. You’re my now, my present, my future.”

“Am I?”

His eyes flared and for the first time in his life, he was about to do something he never saw himself doing. He was about to propose. He loved her, God knows he could not envision his life without her in it. He wanted permanency and this nonsense about not being sure about what that future holds was over and done with.

He needed her. She was his light at the end of the tunnel. Hope to combat the despair that had plagued him for what seemed like forever. He had found peace with her, the ability to deal with thepast and move on. She had torn something inside him, removed the steel gates he had erected.

“Yes.” He whispered throatily, eyes glittering with the sudden revelation. “Yes. You are my one. My only.” His throat became thick with emotions and for a few seconds, he could not utter a word. Just stared at her.

He took in the delicate features, the dark brown eyes that he always found so beautiful. The flawless complexion, made even more so by her pregnancy.

And wondered if she had any idea how beautiful she was.

“I want a life with you.” A faint smile touched his lips. “A future. My ring on your finger, my name – I want to marry you.”

She went still and found that she was having a difficult time breathing.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why do you want to marry me?”

Instead of getting impatient, he answered her question because he knew where she was coming from. And why she needed to know.

“I love you.” He said simply. “I was talking with Gayla tonight and hearing her tell me how she thought we would have ended up together made me realize that I was afraid for nothing. Don’t get me wrong…,” his expression had turned whimsical.

“I’m still as nervous as hell.” His hands framed her face. “But I want to be scared with you. For the first time in my bloody life, I can open myself up.” His eyes smoldered.

“You did that. Somehow, you found a chink in the armor I put on my emotions.” He used the pad of his thumb to stroke her cheek. “For the first time in my life, I feel like I have a family.” His expression was intense.

“I will hurt you. Things I say, my actions or lack thereof will end up hurting you. I’ll probably forget your bloody birthday and I’m no romantic. I’ll balk at celebrating something stupid and completely unnecessary like Valentine’s Day, but I promise you that I will love you until I draw my last breath.

There’s no doubt about the way I feel. Complete transparency. I will forget to say the words and I’ll end up pissing you off more often than not. But there will be no doubt about my feelings for you. And that’s why I want you to marry me.”

Tears blurred her vision, and she felt the ache inside her chest, the heat spreading. She knew it took a lot for him to say what he just did, and it warmed her heart and had it overflowing with love.

“Yes.” She whispered huskily. “Yes. Yes. Yes!”

His sensuous lips curved as he lowered his head to take her lips in a kiss that had her clinging to him.

“A small ceremony. You can invite that fruit cake…”

“Bobby!”

He grinned at her. “I will get around to saying his name,” he hesitated a minute. “And that David guy.”

Her brows lifted. “I am not certain I want bloodshed at my wedding. No.” She shook her head. “I’m absolutely certain I want the day to be perfect and without any sort of drama. So, no – I will not be inviting David.”

“I’m over it.” He told her mildly.

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