Page 96 of All The Way Under
He looks away.
“I’m tired, Saylor.” He meets my gaze, and he smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “And Nolan found Catherine. I want that. I want what they have. I’m not a jealous person by nature, but I’m jealous of him because now he’s never lonely. Seeing him reach a milestone has never affected me the way it did when he found his person. It made the jagged hole in my heart and my life glaring.”
He strokes my cheekbone with the back of his knuckles.
“I’ll never assume anything about you again, but I want you to be my reason.”
I cup his hand and hold it against my face. The sun sets completely, and now the only light is from the fairy lights and the lights embedded into the deck.
“I thought you wanted me to be your friend,” I say. “This doesn’t sound like friendship territory.”
“I do want you to be my friend. What’s that saying? Marry your best friend, and there will be laughter every day?”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. That sounded suspiciously like a marriage proposal, Brody McCoy.”
“If it was?” he asks, a line forming between his brows. “If it was, what would you say?”
His blue gaze dances over my face.
“I’d probably ask if you were feeling okay,” I say, honestly. “Because you didn’t ask in a cantankerous way, but then I’d say yes.” I lick my lips. “That is, if you had actually asked,” I amend.
Brody bends down on one knee, taking a box out of his shorts. He opens the ring box, exposing the most stunning sapphire ring I’ve seen in my entire life. It’s a color I’ve never seen before. Then it hits me where it’s from.
“You got that stone in Madagascar. It’s native there.”
He nods. “I found it while we were installing that sprinkler system and knew I had to keep it for right now.”
“Brody,” I say.
He waves me off and looks like he’s going to pass out. He exhales noisily.
“I’ve been shot at, dropped out of planes, nearly drowned, dragged teammates out of hell, and none of that scared me like this does. Like you do. Marry me, Saylor Wyndham. Marry me and do life with me. I’m probably going to mess up, and God knows I’ll be an asshole every once in a while, but I will be loyal to you. I will love you like no one else can. All in. Every damn second. I can’t live without you.”
“Are you done? Are you going to put that ring on my finger or make me wait another year?”
He slides the ring on. A perfect fit. It’s so beautiful and perfect that I cry.
“Next time you propose to me, maybe lead with the part where you can’t live without me instead of war.”
“I did live without you, and it was unbearable. I don’t want to relive that.” He stands, pulling me to him. “Was that a yes?”
I’m still looking at my left hand, holding it out, watching the cobalt stone sparkle in the moonlight.
“A thousand times, yes. A million times, yes. I can’t believe this is real. I was so nervous for tonight that I played out scenarios all day, and this one wasn’t even on the list.”
“Can I kiss my fiancée?” he asks, tone lowering. “Please.”
I reach my hand around his neck, and he leans down to kiss me. His hands rove over my ass, and he pulls me against his hard-on sharply. I can’t help the quiet moan that escapes my mouth.
This is the connection that’s been missing. Most of the pieces of the puzzle of my life were in place, and even though I knew this was what I was missing, Brody needed to be ready.
I taste him this time, and it makes my head swim and my stomach dance. His big hands are warm as he runs his hands up my sides, and then he holds my neck in place.
The hollow ache is finally dulled.
Brody pulls back. “You like the ring?”
“I love the ring.”
