Chapter Nine
Austin
"Thank you," Ivy whispers, snuggling up on my chest with her head against my ear late on Sunday.
I tip her head back until her eyes lock with mine. "You don't ever have to thank me for anything, princess," I murmur. "Spending the weekend with you, getting to know your family, none of that was a hardship on my part."
Truthfully, I fucking loved getting to know her family. Meeting them was a little window into the most closest guarded parts of her world. She loves her family fiercely, and the feeling is clearly fucking mutual. I lost count of how many cousins and uncles quietly and discreetly threatened to put a boot up my ass if I broke her heart.
Unsurprisingly, the women are more goddamn terrifying than the men in her family. I'd expect nothing less from women raised by Carmichaels. They're beautiful little savages who made it clear they would cut me if Ivy ever shed so much as a tear over me.
I can't fucking wait to raise a few little Carmichael babies of my own. And regardless of what last name they carry, I already know that blood will run strong in their veins.
"They like you," she whispers, smiling at me.
"You seem surprised."
"Not surprised, no." She hesitates. "Just relieved? I would have been really freaking sad if they ran you off."
"Baby." I roll her over beneath me, grinning down at her. "It's going to take a whole helluva lot more than your family to run me off. I've got exactly what I want right here." I brush my lips against hers. "I'm not ever going anywhere."
"Austin," she breathes against my lips.
"You're stuck with me permanently, princess." I nip her bottom lip, and then growl, my cock throbbing. "My ring will be on that finger the minute you finish college."
"Or..." she breaks off with a moan.
"Or what?"
"You could put in on me now." She writhes beneath me as I slide a hand down her belly, seeking heaven. "No one has to know until I graduate, Austin. It'll be our little secret."
Fuck.
"You want to wear my ring now, princess?"
"Yes." She arches beneath me, groaning.
Her dad and grandfather are going to kick my ass when they find out. But fuck it. What my girl wants, she gets. And if she wants my ring on her finger, I'm not damn sure not telling her no.
Not now, not ever.
I reach into the nightstand, grabbing the ringbox I've had hidden there for months already.
Her eyes pop open wide when she sees it. "You already have a ring?"
"Baby, I've had a ring since our first date." I grin, slipping it from the box. "I left your place and went straight to the jeweler."
"You did not."
"Oh, I did." I grab her hand, sliding the princess-cut diamond into place on her finger. My goddamn balls ache, my chest pulsing with emotion. It's exactly where it belongs. Christ, it looks perfect on her hand. "I knew the minute you refused to let me in that night that you were meant to be mine."
"Oh, really?" She smirks up at me. "What if I had let you in?"
"You wouldn't." I dip my head, kissing the smirk from her lips. "There was zero chance you were letting me get my hands on this perfect body on our first date. You needed to make sure I knew that you're driving this bus." I slide her leg up over my hip, opening her up to me. "And that money and power don't mean a damn thing to you."
"They don't," she gasps, arching beneath me. "I don't care about either, Austin. I never will."
"I know." Shit, she's been surrounded with both her entire life. Mine don't impress her. The only thing she cares about is the way I make her feel. And that's precisely how I knew she was the one. She had my damn heart beating out of my chest but she wasn't even going to let me kiss her until she knew I was worthy. That shit turned me the fuck on. It still does.
She will always get what she wants. That's my mission in life now to keep her happy. And fucking Christ, I can't wait to spend the rest of my life doing it.
It's going to be beautiful.
"I love you, Ivy Carmichael," I breathe against her lips, slowly sinking inside her. "Forever, princess."
"Forever and ever, Austin Eller," she moans, my ring glittering on her finger. Exactly where it belongs.
Thanks so much for reading the Carmichael Security Series!