Page 80 of Ruined (The Knights of Ruin)

He looked down at me as if I was the only thing worth looking at in the entire universe.

‘I was protecting myself from you.’

I stared at him in shock. ‘Me?’

‘There’s no one on this entire planet who has more power to hurt me than you do. You could fucking destroy me with a snap of your fingers.’

His thumbs moved over my skin, a gentle back-and-forth movement, raising goosebumps everywhere.

‘I’ve loved you for so long. So fucking long. And then Justin made me lose it, and... Well, I guess I was looking for an excuse to run the hell away. I’m not worthy of you, kitten. You’re the most perfect woman I’ve ever met and I’m just a violent biker with a temper and a really shitty past.’

I swallowed, trying to get past the lump in my throat. ‘So why did you come back?’

‘Because you were always there for me. Because you never let me down. You had my back, Cat. You always had my back. And I thought that if you’d stuck around for twenty-three years, it must be because I wasn’t such a lost cause after all.’

That beautiful mouth turned up into one of his rare, heart-stopping smiles.

‘Plus, Keep said he was going to kick my ass if I didn’t come straight back here and make it right with you.’

I took a shaking breath. ‘Wait... You said you love me.’

‘I did. I do. And no, before you say it, it’s not because you want to hear the words. It’s because that’s what I feel every time I look at you.’ His smile deepened. ‘Turns out love does mean something after all.’

It was only then that I had the courage to lift my hands from his chest and touch his face, run my fingers over the rough stubble along his jaw, check that he was real and this wasn’t a dream.

‘You know you don’t have to deserve me, don’t you? You only need to keep doing what you’ve always been doing. Being my friend.’

Something in his eyes flared hot. ‘Oh, kitten. I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be your friend any more.’

‘Then don’t be,’ I murmured and slid my arms around his neck. ‘Be my husband instead.’

Much, much later, as we lay naked on the floor of the living room together, our skin streaked with sweat and our bodies sated, Smoke opened the ring box and took out the ring. Then he held my hand in his and looked into my eyes.

When he slipped the ring onto my finger, he didn’t ask me to marry him. Instead, he asked, ‘Will you love me, Cat?’

I didn’t need to answer. He knew what I was going to say. But I answered him all the same.

‘Always, Dane. With all my heart.’

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