My nerves were shot from straining to catch every sound over the last two hours, and my exhaustion made me jittery. Ryker slid his arm up my back to my shoulders and I buried my head into his chest, seeking strength in his embrace. I promised myself I would stay strong and not cry until I was safe at home, but I fell apart. Tears burned behind my eyes, and a strangled sob fled my mouth as I exhaled.

“Shh, it’s okay,” he whispered next to my ear.

I tried to stand up, but he pulled me back down next to him.

“How long do you think?” I asked. My words were muffled from pressing my face into his chest, trying to capture every last molecule of his scent and sear it into my memory.

He kissed the top of my head. “Not long. A couple of weeks. Maybe a month if things get really complicated.”

I lifted my head even though I felt empty with defeat. My heart felt like it was made of glass, ready to shatter at the slightest touch. “Not a month. You can’t leave me for that long. I’ll be showing by then, and everybody will know. What will I say? What will I do?”

What everyone thought of me should’ve been the least of my concerns, but it wasn’t. My mom would lose her mind. My dad would say nothing as usual, but he wouldn’t have to. He communicated his disapproval with silence rather than words. My mom and dad made a good team in that respect. She said everything he wouldn’t and he sealed the deal by pretending I didn’t exist. His arm slid from my shoulder and I shivered.

“I didn’t want to do this yet.” He kneeled in front of me and tilted his head to the side. “Well, that’s not true. I planned to do it right when we got to Mexico, but everything was strained and then it fell apart.”

I nodded, unable to mutter a single word. He slipped his hand into his pocket, pulled out a black velvet box, and cracked it open. There was a large diamond solitaire framed by so many tiny diamonds it looked like a starburst. I cupped my hand over my mouth, unsure whether I wanted to laugh or cry. Maybe both.

“This isn’t how I planned to ask you to marry me. I wanted this moment to be perfect and filled with promises of a beautiful future. I wanted you to be happy. I wanted to surprise you—”

“Mission accomplished. You did surprise me,” I whispered, the words barely audible over the swish of the ceiling fan and the leaping of my heart in my chest. “I wasn’t expecting this. I never thought that far ahead. There was always so much going on. There was so much to figure out…” Realizing I was rambling, my voice faded to nothing.

His knuckles brushed along my face, and I felt his touch all the way down to my toes. “I know and just to be clear I don’t want you to say yes right now.” He pinned me with his gray eyes, an endearing, almost boyish, smile on his face. “It’s still not the right time, but I want to give you this ring so you’ll know where my heart is even if things get ugly and complicated.”

My lips trembled, and endless tears poured down my face, but I didn’t care. I wanted him to see how much this moment meant to me even if I couldn’t find the perfect words. “Things have been that way between us since the beginning, but that didn’t stop us before. It won’t stop us now.”

He nodded as he fingered the diamond ring inside the box. It sparkled in the dim room as the light hit the delicate angles of the stone. “Yeah.” He smiled faintly, his eyes glowing with an intensity that made my heart sputter. “You’re right, and I have a feeling things are going to get a lot worse before they get better, but you’re worth it.” He swallowed hard. “I’d do anything for you. You know that, right?”

“I do.”

He nodded. “This is going to be hard. You need to be strong. So many things could go—”

I held up my hand, interrupting him. I didn’t want him to explain. If I understood all the hazards, I wouldn’t be able to get out of bed tomorrow much less put the pieces in motion to destroy Senator Deveron and Evan. I needed to stay firmly focused on the end goal, not all the crap in between.

“I know, but I don’t want to spend our last night together talking about all the bad stuff that could happen. I want to pretend like it doesn’t exist.” I licked my lips. “Just for tonight.”

“Okay. I can do that.” He slipped the ring out of the box and held it up between us like a peace offering. “When you look at this, I want you to remember that we’re both working for the same goal.”

“And what’s that?” I asked, wanting to make absolutely sure we were on the same page. There wasn’t any room for misunderstandings. We had to be in sync to make our plans work.

He laughed softly. “A lifetime together. I want to marry you and wake up every morning next to you. I want to celebrate every holiday, triumph, and birthday with you. I want to hold your hand through every hurt, tragedy, or moment of uncertainty.” He squeezed my hand and pressed it against the center of his chest. “You are my heart. You are my soul. You are the best thing that ever happened to me.”

His deep voice wrapped around my body like the softest blanket, and a cry of happiness escaped my mouth. He lifted my left hand and twirled the ring in front of me. His dark hair shone in the lamplight. His gray eyes glowed, drinking in every detail of my reaction.

“Can I put it on you?” he asked.

My breath snagged in my throat. “Yes. Oh my God. Yes.” He guided the ring up my finger and I held it up, wiggling my fingers. “It fits,” I whispered, feeling like Cinderella with the glass slipper.

“I love you, Hattie,” he answered simply as he pressed a kiss to my parted lips. “Somehow we’re going to make a life together. I don’t know what it’ll look like when everything unravels, but I do know it will be you, me, and our baby.” He rested his hand on my lower belly, and his eyes reminded me of a lake at twilight—deep and endless, just like our love. “Every time you look at this ring remember that no matter how bad things get, we have each other.”

My heart swelled. He promised to make all my dreams come true. I ached to kiss him and touch him. I didn’t have to wait long. Strong arms circled around me, his fiery heat engulfing me. I swayed into him, molding our bodies together. He smelled like soap and him. Perfection.

He brushed his lips across mine with a quiet but steady hunger. When my tongue slipped between his lips, he released a strangled moan and my mind blanked. Lust surged through my veins, hot and languid. Desire crackled in the air. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from his.

“I love you too,” I whispered against his mouth, my voice thick and husky.

He leaned back, his eyes simmering with heat as his gaze trailed down my body and back up again.

“I’m so lucky you’re mine,” he said, his voice low and gruff. He gripped the back of my neck, crushing his lips against mine. Within seconds, the kiss exploded. His mouth was urgent, hot and persistent against mine. He tasted like earthy tequila, salt, and raw need. We only kissed for a brief moment, but it felt like forever as my worries slipped away and impatience to have him again squeezed around my chest. Breaking off the kiss, Ryker yanked my t-shirt over my head. His heavy-lidded eyes and slightly crooked smile set me on fire.

“Ryker,” I whispered, my voice feather soft.

His fingers traced a line from my collarbone down the middle of my chest, painting my skin with tiny goosebumps. He paused when he reached the top edge of my panties, and I blew out a shuddering breath. His thumb slid beneath my panties, teasing me with every swipe. One perfectly timed movement would set me off. He brushed a kiss below my belly button. Aching with need, a moan spilled from my mouth.

“I need you,” I said, latching onto his belt. I unbuckled it and shoved his pants down his hips as he pulled his shirt over his head. I wanted to touch every inch of him, mark him so he wouldn’t forget what we meant to each other. “You really think it’ll take a month?” I asked, thinking out loud as I nipped, bit, and licked his salty skin.