Page 18 of Mail Order Bride for the Scrooge

Gannon’s henley bunches and pulls across his muscular chest with every step he takes. I lick my lips, thinking about the tattoos on this chest, the same ones I’ve explored and licked. I love his tattoos. And his beard.

I’m going to miss him when this all comes crashing down around me.

I’m going to miss Storm.

I can’t find my pills.

Tears well up in my eyes, too many emotions rioting inside of me. I feel like I’m grasping at something, but the edges are frayed, and I can’t get a good grip.

Maybe I never had one to begin with.

Gannon stops right in front of me and cups my face in his big palms. I want to lean into his touch and get comfort from it, but I can’t. Not right now.

“Lake,” his eyes are filled with concern, “why does it look like you’re about to cry?”

“I don’t know,” my voice is right over the edge of shrill and I wince at the sound of it. But he doesn’t. He simply holds my gaze, searching for something I’m afraid he’ll never find. “I don’t know what we’re doing here, and I know a decision needs to be made, but the thought of leaving is breaking my heart.” Gannon goes rigid in front of me, but now that I’ve started, I don’t think I can stop. “I don’t know when it happened, but I’ve fallen in love with you. With you. With Storm. With this place. This house. Everything.”

“You aren’t going anywhere. You’re mine and you’re staying right here,” his tone is possessive, but it barely registers over my own panic.

“We haven’t talked about the future or how I came here to be your bride, but you didn’t even place the damn ad,” my tone is bordering on hysterical. “I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to leave. I want to stay, but I don’t know what you want. And now I can’t find my fucking birth control,” I huff out the last bit and my bottom lip wobbles as a tear makes it way down my cheek.

I don’t want to cry. I hate crying, but it feels inevitable at this point.

“I told you,” his voice is gruff, like he’s on the edge, it has me looking at him, really looking at him, “you won’t find your birth control.”

My words are slow and measured, “Why won’t I find my birth control?”

“I flushed them.” When I gasp, he smirks and reminds me, “I told you I was going to.”

“I thought that was just sex talk. You know, heat of the moment or whatever.” I throw my hands up in exasperation and try and step back from him, but he won’t let me. He lets go of one of my cheeks and wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me even closer to him. “Gannon, we have to talk about this. I can’t stay in this limbo state while trying to ignore that big fucking elephant,” I wave my hand toward a corner, “over there.”

Gannon’s eyes fucking crinkle in amusement, but I don’t find any of this funny. Before I can lay into him again, he has me up in his arms and cradled against his chest. He strides toward his bedroom, the one I want desperately to be ours, muttering, “I can’t talk to you in there when I hate your stuff is still being in there.”

I look up at him, my eyes wide. I couldn’t have heard him correctly. Right?

When he sits down on his bed, he arranges me so I’m straddling his lap and looking directly into his eyes. I open my mouth even though I have no fucking clue what I’m going to say, but Gannon stops me with a shake of his head.

“You got to stay what’s on your mind and now it’s my turn. No, my threat to throw away your birth control was not a heat of the moment thing. It wasn’t even a threat; it was a promise.” He flashes me a predatory grin. “One I’ve made good on.”

“I,” I start to sputter and then clamp my mouth shut at the look on his face.

His hand comes down and splays across my lower abdomen. “I’m going to put my baby in you, Lake. And do you know why that is?”

I let out a whimper and shake my head. Not because I’m afraid to speak, but because I literally can’t form words. His eyes are so intense and full of conviction that he’s stolen all my thoughts and my ability to speak.

“Because you’re going to be my wife,” his voice is filled with pride.

Like he’s proud of the thought of being married to me. Like this is what he wants. Like he’s going to keep me forever.

My eyes well up with tears again, but this time for an entirely new reason.

He presses his forehead against mine and shifts me a little on his lap so he can reach into his pocket. He pulls out a small pouch and now I’m so overwhelmed I don’t even know where to look. Not that it matters because my vision is blurry with tears.

When I blink them away, Gannon is holding a ring up between us. It’s simple and gorgeous.

His voice is rough, but not in a gruff way, in an emotional way, “You said that you’ve fallen in love with me. With Storm. With this place.” I feel my cheeks heating because I did. And it’s the truth. “Little present, we’ve fallen in love with you. I love you. Storm loves you. Everyone who has met you in Jasper Ridge loves you. Do you know why that is?”

“No,” I croak the word and shake my head, a few more tears rolling down my cheeks.

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