Page 74 of Rogue

But then she wraps both her arms around my waist and leans on me heavily. “Thanks, but I’m gonna stay right here. And I’m perfectly safe, don’t worry about me.”

She finishes it off by kissing my cheek and I finally wrap my arms around her too.

She beat me to claiming her in front of these guys by doing it first.

“Oh, it’s like that,” Chance says while Hunter just grins.

“Well, you’re in good hands,” Hunter says and claps me on the shoulder. “But you better treat her right, man. Or we’ll be back.”

The rest of the guys second that and I have no doubt they all mean it.

“Don’t worry, I plan on treating her like the queen she is,” I say which earns me and even tighter hug from Melody.

Then they say their goodbyes and leave. But the heaviness in the air doesn’t leave with them.

“Is anyone else hurt?” Melody asks the room at large. “I can check you guys over.”

“A few scrapes and bruises,” Alice answers for all of them. “Everyone who was seriously injured is already at County General getting seen to.”

“Which is maybe where you should go too. Your face is a mess,” she adds, smiling at Melody. Alice almost never smiles. It’s been so long since I’ve seen it that I do a double take.

“I’m fine,” Melody says and looks up at me. “But we should go there to check on everyone else.”

“I’d like that,” I say, smiling at her.

“The rest of you stay here and prepare in case the Hydras come at us,” I tell them. “I’ll call with news.”

Then Melody leads me back out to my bike. But instead of climbing on, she faces me and wraps both her arms around my waist, looking deeply into my eyes. Moonlight is highlighting her silky hair in silver and making her eyes glow more invitingly than even the ocean glows on nights like this.

“Thank you, Gabriel,” she says. “For saving me. And for everything else.”

“Anytime,” I say, because words fail even me sometimes.

“I mean it,” she says. “And I’m not talking just about today.”

“I was a little afraid you were gonna ride off with those guys tonight.”

She smiles, kinda sadly, then stands on her toes and kisses me gently. Her lips are soft like the touch of a butterfly wing, but they create a hurricane of emotion inside my chest.

“I never belonged with them, not the way I belong with you,” she says. “For the past ten years I’ve just stood on the outskirts of my life looking on. Never really belonging. Never really a part of my own life. But you showed me what I’ve been missing. You showed me that I deserve to be loved. And words can’t express how much I love you.”

I let her go just long enough to brush a strand of her hair off her perfect face.

“You saved me too, Melody,” I say. “I never thought I’d love again and then there you were, taking my world and my heart by storm. And that storm’s not dying down anytime soon. So I might as well just ask you now, no point waiting…”

I pause for effect, then chuckle at the bright expectation in her eyes, and on her whole face.

“Ask me what?” she breathes.

“Melody, will you be my ol’ lady?” I ask.

She grins and holds me tighter. “My, you do move fast.”

“When you know, you know,” I say. “And I’ve known since the first time I saw you. This isn’t moving fast. It’s been a while coming. So, what will it be?”

As if her wide smile and bright eyes weren’t all the answer I needed.

“Yes, Gabriel,” she says. “I’ll be your old lady.”

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