Page 123 of Rewrite the Rules

She clasps her hands over her mouth and the tears begin to flow. Now she knows this is for real.

“I debated hunting down your parents and then I realized I needed permission from your real family. Cody and Quinn helped me call all your friends.” I open the ring box and Adler’s mouth falls open as her eyes land on the pink diamond I picked out for her a month ago. I knew in that moment when I talked to my dad. I was biding my time,but I knew.

“Joel.” She sniffles but doesn’t say anything further so I continue.

“Adler, I love you and that makes this so simple. I’m sorry I didn’t understand that before. But I promise you if you give me a chance to do this right, I will be exactly the man you need. I will wake up and choose you every single day even through the tough parts, because I don’t just want to love you today. I’m choosing you and us, forever. Will you marry me?”

“Joel.” Adler shakes her head, her eyes frozen wide. She pauses for an eternity. My world goes silent.Fuck.Oh, fuck.I really thought I had a chance.I let too much time pass. I cut her too deep. I blow out a shaky breath. “Don’t feel bad. It’s okay—”

“You want to getmarried? Are you really ready for that?”

“Ready?” I ask. She raises her brow doubtfully. I pull the ring free and let the leather box hit the floor. I hold out the pink diamond surrounded by a halo of brilliant whites. A ring as unique as Adler. Subtle, yet demands attention. “It’s not about being ready, baby. It’s about being sure. And I’m sure.”

She takes the ring and slips it on her finger.A perfect fit.She allows herself to admire the gem briefly, then quickly pulls it right back off and places it in my palm. My heart fills, then cracks.

“It’s beautiful. But I can’t push you into changing. You also have a right to have what you want—”

“I want you.” I hold out my hand, asking for hers. She places her hand in mine and allows me to slip the ring right back on her finger. “When we fight, I might not know how to fix it right away. When we’re bored, tired, overwhelmed, sick of each other…I won’t always have the solution. But I can promise you, no matter what,I will choose you.I’ll choose us. Always.”

Adler sniffles. Her blotchy tear-streaked cheeks twitch as she tries to smile through the sobs. “Okay.”

“Yes? That’s a yes?”

“That’s a yes.”

I wrap my arms around her waist. My forearms rest on the top of her ass. I kiss her belly before I stand and draw her into me. She smashes against me. Her lips are on mine hungrily and my arms wrap around her tightly. My hands trace all over her body finding all my favorite places that I’ve missed so much. Her back, her waist, her ass, her heart, that smile.

Mine. Forever. Ours.

I could kiss her here for hours, but the way she’s warming against me, I know neither of us wants to stop at kissing. She toys with my belt. She slides the tail out of the loops one by one.

Adler grabs me with her ornamented hand that makes this real. My heart surges, but not out of anxiety, out of excitement. We’re doing this. We’re really doing this. We have a future. One that I’m looking forward to.

I let her tow me up the rickety floating stairs for what I hope will be one of the last times. The first damn thing I’m doing as Adler’s fiancé is saving her from this construction hazard of an apartment…well, second…

She sits on the edge of the bed and kicks off her short heels and then unzips the top of her romper, exposing her white bra. I stand a few feet away, admiring the view. Pausing in contemplation, she rubs her finger across her lips.

A wicked smile bunches her cheeks. Her halo dangles on her horns—all her contradictions gleam. She’s so cute, but so damn sexy. Innocent, yet sinful.

My best friend…my lover…my everything.

Her low whisper sends a satisfying pulse across my chest. “You know, I’ve had fuck-buddy sex, then boyfriend sex, and now I’m just dying to see if fiancé sex blows them both out of the water.”

“Fiancé sex? I love the sound of that.” I smile as widely as my lips will allow as I pull off my glasses and toss them onto the bed next to her. “Hey. That’ll be a first for me too. Imagine that.”

She enchants me with her laughter like she has a million times before.

“Don’t worry, baby,” Adler says as she pats the bed, beckoning me to her side. “I’ll be gentle.”

epilogue

Adler

one month later

Iopen my eyes as sunlight pours through the cracks between the bedroom curtains. But I’m unable to move. I’m wedged between two furry bumpers on either side of me. Felices and Kitty are my constant companions. It’s actually a little incessant. I can’t even sit down without being barricaded. After nearly a month of officially living with Joel, he’s starting to get jealous. I’m not sure if he wants more attention from me or the cats but all I know is he’s suggested on more than one occasion that the cats should start sleeping in the living room.Ha!It’s adorable he thinks he has any control over these furbabies. They run this house…they run our family.

The bedroom door latch turns ever so cautiously and I roll my eyes. “I’m up,” I call out. Joel barrels into the room with a package tucked under his arm and a steaming cup of coffee for me.

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