Page 27 of March’s Bad Boy: Ty

"I love you too, Kara. I have for a long time."

Relief, joy, and something indescribable rushes through me after the words leave my mouth and at the smile she gives me. I cup her face, my thumb brushing over her cheek, and when she leans in, I don't hold back.

I kiss her.

And everything in the world finally feels right.

As the kiss deepens, she melts into me, her arms wrapping around my neck. The sounds of the town fade, leaving just the two of us in this perfect moment. When we finally pull apart, her fingers linger against my chest, and I can see the future shining in her eyes.

"Stay with me tonight," she whispers.

I grin, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face. "I have a better idea. Why don’t you move in with me?"

"Well, I practically live there already," she smiles.

"You're right. We should just get married." Then I pick her up and set her down on her feet before reaching into my pocket and pulling out the ring I’ve had there all day. When I slide it on her finger, she stares at me with wide eyes.

Then I drop to one knee and look up at her.

"What do you say, Bookworm? Be my best friend for the rest of my life?" I know I am moving so fast she might put the brakes on, but when I see her brilliant smile, I know she is right there with me.

"Yes!"

We can't lock up the store fast enough to get home and properly celebrate the next chapter of our lives.

EPILOGUE

LEVI

I was stillin bed when my phone rang. Took me a second to figure out it wasn’t my bed. A busty brunette curled up next to me. What was her name again? Jackie? Jen? All I could remember was she smelled like cinnamon and had been pretty damn eager to get her hands on me last night. I never took women back to my place. That might give them the wrong impression… that I was interested in more than a one-night stand.

I reached for my phone, sitting up when I saw Ruby’s name on the screen. She didn’t usually call unless she needed something, especially this early on a Sunday morning. “Hey, Ruby. What’s going on?”

She didn’t waste time with pleasantries. “It’s Brooklyn.”

My chest immediately tightened as my mind spun out of control. Brooklyn was my brother’s girl. If something bad had happened… an accident… a house fire? I didn’t want to think about it. “What about her?”

“She showed up at the women’s shelter early this morning, and?—”

“Is she okay?” Brooklyn showing up at the women’s shelter didn’t make sense. If Kyle had done anything to her, hell, I didn’t care if he was my brother. I’d rearrange his fucking face.

Ruby sighed. “She will be. Right now, she needs somewhere to stay. The shelter’s full, and all of my cabins are rented out. I know you’ve been working on the bunkhouse up at Shane’s place. Do you think it’s far enough along that she could stay there for a while?”

“What do you mean ‘she will be’? Did something happen to her?” It was no secret my brother had a temper. He’d lost his shit in front of me too many times to count. But even at his worst, I’d never suspect him of taking his anger out on a woman.

“She can fill you in on the details. My top priority is finding her somewhere to stay. What about the bunkhouse?”

I got up from the bed and moved out into the kitchen so I didn’t disturb the brunette. “The bunkhouse isn’t an option. After Aiden and Paisley moved out, I gutted the bathroom to get it ready for Shane’s buddy, who’s coming in next month. There’s no running water.”

“Well, shoot. There goes that idea.” Ruby clucked her tongue. “You’ve got an extra room at your place, don’t you?”

“Doesn’t she have somewhere else she can go? A distant aunt? A friend?” My gut churned. I already knew the answer. She’d followed Kyle when he moved back to Mustang Mountain a couple of years ago. He’d told me she didn’t have any family, and he didn’t like her making her own friends outside of his small circle.

“There’s no one else. You know that.”

“I don’t think it’s such a good idea.” Even as I argued against it, deep down, I knew I wouldn’t feel right about her going anywhere else. And that didn’t have anything to do with the fact that I’d had it bad for my brother’s girl from the moment I laid eyes on her. She was too good for Kyle, and I’d never been ableto figure out why she’d stayed with him for so long. Smart and funny with curves that went on for miles, Brooklyn could have done a hell of a lot better than my older brother. I’d always wondered what she’d seen in him.

“Do you have a better idea?” Ruby asked. “It’s your brother’s fault she no longer has a home.”

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