| |
Damian and I fled from the east coast as soon as he was healthy enough to move. We found solace in one of his hunting cabins in the Colorado Rockies, and carved ourselves a proper living space in the mountain behind the cabin.
It wasn’t long after our home was completed that Damian took me out to one of our favorite spots. He made me sit on one of the downed trees while he paced in front of me under the full moon. His constant nibbling on his bottom lip had me concerned.
“Is everything okay?”
He stopped pacing and offered me a soft smile. “Yes, everything is fine,” he said but the nervous expression belied his calm words.
“Are you sure, because everything about you right now screams nerves.”
“Yes. Everything is okay. Just be quiet for a minute. I have something I need to say,” he said, exasperated and then began that incessant gnawing on his lip.
He moved in front of me and I couldn’t tell if he tripped or was trying to decide whether to stand or drop to his knees. The entire approach was awkward and clunky, two things I thought I’d never put in the same sentence as Damian Andreas. His entire demeanor pulled a laugh from my lips.
His hands found his waist and he cocked his head. “Can you please stop laughing?”
I pressed my lips together, but all that did was produce a snort from my nose, which didn’t help matters in the least. My incessant giggles turned into a full-bodied laugh.
He stared at me as if I had lost my mind, and then turned, muttering under his breath as he started back towards our cottage.
“Damian, wait,” I said, out of breath from laughter. He stopped and the deep breath he took lifted his shoulders before he turned back to me.
“I have a question for you and I’m not going to ask you if you insist on laughing at me.”
The seriousness in his expression squashed my giggles. “I’m sorry. It’s just I have never seen you this fidgety. What’s bothering you?”
This time when he approached, any sign of nerves had vanished and he stopped right in front of me, staring down at me with such intensity that it was my turn to fidget.
“I know we have only known each other a short time, but I can say with certainty that I love you with all my soul.”
He dropped to one knee in front of me and my heart thumped in my chest.
“I never thought I’d find this kind of passion, this kind of love, again.”
His hand slipped under mine and he brought it to his lips. Just his touch turned my insides to a hot mess, but when he produced a velvet box in his right hand, my breath locked in my chest.
“I want to see every moonrise and moonset with you. I want to dance with you and make love to you under the starlit sky. I want a partner that is my equal on every level.” He flipped the box open and I stared down at the stunning diamond ring. “I honestly don’t know why the gods sent you my way, but I cannot imagine a forever without you by my side. So, Naomi Hawk, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
Tears blurred my vision and my hand moved to cover my mouth. The perfection in his proposal along with the adoration in his eyes sealed my answer. He stayed on his knee, but his sincere gaze clouded with worry when a few beats of silence passed. I dropped my hand and nodded, forcing my voice to squeak from my tight chest.
“Yes. Yes, Damian, I will marry you!”
His face transformed into the brightest smile I have ever seen adorned on his lips and he slid the ring on my finger. Damian leaned in and placed a soft kiss on my lips. He pulled away far enough to meet my gaze, and the fire in his irises blazed with the same tornado of need burning through my bloodstream. He swept me off my perch and into his strong arms planting a searing kiss that melded our souls into one. With me nestled against his chest, he headed towards the cottage, pledging a forever filled with passion and promise.
THE END