Page 27 of Found Forever

She swallowed and stared at their intertwined hands. “An employer can sponsor me, too,” she whispered.

“I know that. I read up on it. A family member or employer, or you can file yourself. But the fastest and most effective way is to marry a US citizen.”

She glanced back up at him. “You’re really serious?”

“Yeah, I am. I care about you. I can easily see myself falling in love with you if I’m not already on the way there. You’re funny and smart, ambitiousand blunt. I thought I was content with my life, but meeting you made me realize that I’ve secretly been wanting more.”

“Like … a … family?” Worry filled her eyes. “Because I don’t know if Iwantkids. Ilikekids—some—but I’m not sure I’m cut out to be a mum.”

He shook his head dismissively. “Don’t care one way or another. Kids are cool—some,” she snorted, “but they’re not a make or break deal for me.”

“Okay, so hypothetically, I say yes to marrying you. I get my permanent residency and start working here for Mieka full time. Will we just be long-distance … or will this be a marriage of convenience, on paper only? Your apartment is in Dallas.”

“With boxes that I haven’t opened in the six years I’ve rented the place. I have no art on the walls and I pay month-to-month. I could be out of there in thirty days.”

“And living where?”

He glanced around. “Here? Colorado. With you.”

She untangled their fingers and glanced out toward the lake. “I’m sorry,” she pressed her hand to her forehead, “this is just a lot to absorb. You’re offering to marry me?”

“Yes.”

She spun around, irritation in her eyes. “Decker, we haven’t even shagged yet. I could be the worst shag of your life and here you are, prepared to saddle yourself to this horse, and you’ve never even taken her for a bloody ride.”

He knew he shouldn’t find her comparing herself to a horse—again—funny, but he did. He tried to keep himself from smiling. It wasn’t easy. And he failed.

Her brows pinned. “It’s not funny.”

“It is a little funny. You just compared yourself to a horse—again.”

She rolled her pretty eyes. “You know what I mean.”

“I’m assuming we’d have sex before we got as far as getting married. I mean,” he leaned over and grabbed the strip of condoms from the backpack, “I brought condoms in case we decided today was the day.”

“We? You’ve been driving this bus. I was ready seven days ago. You gave me a pity fingerbang as a consolation prize.”

Well, that hurt.

He was trying to be a gentleman—sort of. He didn’t want to take advantage of a drunk woman and give her mediocre sex she may or may not remember. He also really liked her and wanted the first time they were together to mean something. Even if it didn’t mean forever, he wanted it to mean more than itch scratching and orgasm chasing.

But he also didn’t want her wandering off to find a drunk and horny ranch hand to give her what she needed. So he compromised his own code a little and gave her a couple of orgasms.

His mouth dipped into a deep frown and he glanced down at his lap. This was all going horribly wrong. Not how he thought it would go at all.

Not that he thought he’d be proposing to her here, but their serene day at the lake was becoming tense and awkward.

He glanced out of the corner of his eye at her. She was staring at him. Waiting for him to say something.

Sucking in a deep breath, he lifted his gaze. “I saidwebecause sex takes two people. Two consenting people. I wasn’t consenting the night of the wedding because you were drunk and I didn’t want to take advantage.Now, I’m ready. But if you’re not, that’s fine. I’ve gotten to know you and what I know, I really really like. We have a connection andifwe have sex, it will mean something to me. But if you no longer feel that way, then that’s okay, too. If you’re not ready, then, that’s okay, t—”

She was straddling him and tugging her sports bra over her head before he could finish the last syllable. “Shut up. You talk too much.”

He couldn’t stop the snort from rumbling through him. Nobody hadeversaid that to him before in his life. Ever.

“I’m ready,” she said, pressing her naked chest against his chest and wrapping her arms around his neck to kiss him.

He held her close, kissing her in return and running his hands over the soft skin of her lower back.

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