Page 62 of Frost and Felines

With deliberate movements, he flipped open the box, revealing the platinum ring with its center diamond surrounded by smaller blue stones that matched her eyes.

"A year ago, you tried to run from me," he said, his blue eyes never leaving hers. "And I decided then that I would never let that happen again." He reached for her left hand, holding it firmly within his. "You were meant to be mine from the moment I first saw you in the lobby of my inn."

A smile spread across her face. "Is this your way of making our fake marriage real?"

"This is my way of finally claiming what I knew should be mine all along." He took the ring from its cushion. "I was a man without direction before you. Running an inn, chasing meaningless things." He shook his head. "Then you stormed in—literally bringing your powerful weather with you—and everything changed."

Mallory's eyes glistened. "I thought I was so cursed."

"You were never cursed. You just hadn't found your true home yet," Kieran said softly, sliding the ring onto her finger with possessive satisfaction. "You and me, here together, we balance each other perfectly." His fingers tightened around hers. "Will you marry me, Mallory?"

A single tear escaped down Mallory's cheek, and above them Kieran noted that a small cloud had formed near their ceiling, sprinkling gentle snowflakes that evaporated before reaching them.

"Yes," she said softly, her fingers closing around his. "Of course, yes."

Kieran pulled her into his arms, and held her close, a rumbling sound of satisfaction emanating from deep within him. "All mine," he murmured against her hair.

"All yours," she agreed, then pulled back slightly. "But if you think this means I'll stop correcting your ridiculous choices for the inn, you're mistaken."

Kieran laughed, lifting her completely off the ground and spinning her once. "I wouldn't want it any other way." He set her down and brushed her cheek. "I love you, Mallory. Every lightning strike and every raindrop."

"And I love you, Kieran. Every growl and every stubborn declaration."

Kieran pulled Mallory closer against him, his fingers threading through her hair as he captured her lips with his. The kiss was fierce and claiming, a physical declaration of everything she meant to him. The diamond ring glittered on her finger—his mark, his promise, his future secured at last. The tiger within him purred with delighted satisfaction, the predatory need to claim his mate finally fulfilled.

"Forever mine now," he breathed against her mouth, tasting the saltiness of her happy tears.

Mallory melted against him, her slender frame fitting perfectly against his larger one. The small cloud above them expanded slightly, dusting them with more delicate snowflakes—a sure sign of her heightened positive emotions. Kieran smiled against her lips. He loved how her storm magic responded to her feelings, especially when those feelings were for him.

"I've wanted to do this since last Christmas," he admitted, pulling back just enough to see her face, but keeping her firmly in his arms. "The first time we exchanged gifts, I knew you were the woman I would marry."

"Yet you waited a whole year." Mallory's eyes sparkled with mischief, snowflakes catching on her eyelashes.

Kieran's thumb traced the curve of her cheek possessively. "I needed you to be absolutely certain." His blue eyes darkened with intensity. "You tried to run once. I wasn't taking that chance again."

"As if I could go anywhere." Her fingers played with the hair at the nape of his neck. "You've made yourself quite impossible to leave, Mr. Striker."

"That was my plan all along." He grinned, lowering his head to nip at her lower lip. "Trap the beautiful, stubborn woman with a fake marriage, make her fall madly in love with me, and then keep her forever."

Mallory laughed, the sound like music to his ears. "Such deviousness from the charming inn owner."

"A clear business strategy." He shrugged one powerful shoulder, drawing her closer until their bodies aligned perfectly again. "Identify what you want, pursue it relentlessly, and claim it completely."

"And am I just another acquisition?" she teased, the tiny sparks in her eyes matching the static electricity that crackled around them.

Kieran swept her completely off her feet in one fluid motion, cradling her against his chest with effortless strength. The snowflakes intensified above them, but neither paid them any attention.

"You are the centerpiece of my entire existence." He spun her around once, delighting in her surprised gasp. "The Hearthstone Inn might be my legacy, but you, Mallory Gale, soon to be Striker, are my life."

Her arms tightened around his neck. "I never thought I'd have this again. After everything..."

"You were always meant to be mine," he said, setting her gently on her feet but maintaining his hold. "Everything led you here, to me."

29

KIERAN

Kieran straightened his tie for the third time, surveying himself in the mirror. The custom-tailored grey suit hugged his muscular frame perfectly, complementing his auburn hair and making his blue eyes stand out even more. In less than an hour, Mallory would be his wife. Officially his, in every way that mattered.

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