Page 71 of Savage Roses

Me neither. You have no idea.

“I’ve been so stressed,” she confesses. “With everything that’s been going on, it feels like we’re playing with fire. But we’re finally reaching the finish line. We just need to cross over. I just want to make it to the other side.”

Fear threads itself into her tone whether she means for it to or not. It even changes the cadence of her breathing.

“Listen to me,” I say, drawing her even closer against me. “I will always protect you. Even when I’m not around. Do you understand? You’re going to live through anything that happens.”

Her bottom lip dips into a frown. “Jon, we’re sticking together. I told you I want to stay by your side.”

The fierceness and determination behind her words, lives on her face. It solidifies in her voice and rolls off the energy she exudes.

The woman I’m in love with is equally as in love with me. She has every intention of seeing this through to the very end no matter what happens to us.

And it’s for this reason I’ve got to do what I’m doing. It’s what makes tonight so special even if she doesn’t understand why.

I let myself indulge in her, cupping her face with one hand as we sway. The soft curve of her cheek fills my palm, and under the moonlight and strung-up bulbs, one of my favorite small details about her is visible—the subtle flecks of gold that sometimes appear in her brown eyes when the right light hits them. Just one of the many small things I’ve memorized about her.

Another being how her tongue pokes out to lick her bottom lip. I prove this habit of hers when my thumb travels to meet it, gliding across the plump curve just as her tongue appears. Her nose wrinkles and she moves as if to draw back, but I pull her closer ’til my mouth is on hers.

“Jon,” she breathes, fisting my dress shirt.

I kiss her thoroughly, overwhelming her senses. The heat between us runs hot despite the cold November air. No late-night wind can put it out. No rain or snow, not when it’s ignited by the natural chemistry of our bodies.

Adrenaline rushes through me. The effect of Delphine’s soft lips and body pressed against me.

We’re both sporting that dazed sort of vibe and look when we do separate long enough to breathe. Any trace of her lipstick is gone, which means it’s likely on my face—not that I give a shit—and she’s gripped my dress shirt so hard it’s wrinkled with prints of her fingers. The wind’s tousled her curls and we’ve been swaying in the same circle for minutes now.

A slow, crooked grin crosses my face. “You need to keep your hands to yourself.”

“Me?! You started it—you always start it!” She laughs, slapping me on the chest.

I hook her by the waist and keep us swaying to nonexistent music. “Have I ever told you I love it when you get mad?”

“I figured that out a long time ago, Jon.”

“Don’t act like you haven’t figured out how to drive me crazy. All those times you rub your ass on me in your sleep.”

She rolls her eyes despite how she tries to bite away her smile. “I’masleep. Which means I don’t know what I’m doing.”

“Uh huh. Convenient.”

“Is this what it’s going to be like?”

“What what’s going to be like?”

She smiles prettily, tipping her chin up to look at me. “After. Us. Married. You’re going to be one ofthosehusbands. The kind whose mission it is to tease their wife nonstop and drive her insane.”

“Hmmm. Itisa fun hobby of mine.”

“So that’s a yes.”

I squeeze her hip and then dig into my pocket with the other. “I’ve got a surprise for you.”

As the night winds down, it’s time to reveal my special gift for her.

I reveal the surprise from within the smooth velvet box, a delicate white-gold ring with tiny diamonds along the narrow band. A larger pear-cut diamond crowns the ring, sparkling under the string lights dangling above us.

A promise ring sealing our fate. That we’re going to have a future together.

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