“I knew I fell in love with you weeks ago, but I waited. I wanted you to fall for me the same way I love you.” He opened the lid of the box and smiled at her. “I can’t offer you an easy life. I’m not a good man. I’ve done the most awful of things, but Laura, when it comes to you, all I know is that I love you. I love you with my whole heart, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
“Am I dreaming right now?” she asked.
He chuckled. “Not even close.”
“There’s no way this can be real.”
“This is very real. I’m in love with you, and I want to grow old with you.”
Laura held her hand out.
“Is that a yes?” he asked.
“Don’t we have to wait and see?”
“What?”
“The ring? If it fits, it means we were destined to be, right?”
He chuckled. “You want to leave it to fate?”
“Hell, no. I want to know if it fits. I love you, Gabe, and yes, I want to marry you.” She giggled. “I just, no, it’s silly.” She shook her head.
“What’s silly?”
“I guess, it’s … if the ring fits, it means we’re going to have a wonderful marriage. If it doesn’t, then we’re going to have an awful one.” She smiled at him. “I don’t want to have an awful marriage. It’s stupid.”
Gabe took the ring out of the box and held up her hand. “We’re not going to have an awful marriage.” He slid the ring on her finger. “Because it is a perfect fit.” He lifted her knuckles and pressed a kiss to them. “Like I knew it would be.”
“You really want to marry me?” she asked.
He cupped her face. “Yes. I want to marry you. The sooner the better.”
“I want kids,” she said.
He raised his brow and she giggled.
“I know. It’s crazy, but I do. I didn’t think I’d get married or fall for a man, but I have. I love you, and I want it all, if you do?”
He stroked her cheek and she looked at him, waiting. “I want kids too. In fact, I think the sooner we work on them, the better.” He lifted her up and she groaned as her shoulder hurt, but she didn’t stop him.
Not as he took her to the bedroom, removed the robe, and laid her across the bed. She spread her thighs as he undressed and crawled between them. She ran her hand up his arm, holding him close to her as he moved slowly.
“I’m going to take it slow. Today, I’m going to make love to you, Laura.” He pressed a kiss to her lips and she moaned as he slid into her. There was no rush to his actions.
She gasped as every inch of his cock moved deep within her.
“Slowly,” he said. “I don’t want to hurt your arm.”
In and out, he rocked within her.
“I can hire a wedding planner. Would that work?”
“Possibly. If she knows what she’s doing.”
He smiled and glanced down at the file in his hands, snapping it closed. “There is something I need to tell you.”
“This sounds serious.”
He put the files to one side and turned toward her, his hands clasped together. “It is important.” He ran a hand down his face. “I did some digging, and I found out who your parents were.”