EPILOGUE
HAWK
S poilers: My patience was shite.
I pulled the car over before we made it anywhere remotely close to brunch. Performing a handbrake turn when I wasn't in the driver’s seat was a new experience for me, and from the blank look on Sunny’s face, it might have been for her, too.
I put the car into gear and slid my leg over hers to park us in the narrow alleyway beside the exclusive shops that would have shooed anyone else off, but left my car alone.
Sometimes, position and fame had their pros.
“What the hell are we doing?” Sunny whisper hissed at me, turning her face my way through her gaze as it was still fiercely latched to the console like it would give her a hint of my intentions.
“Oh you know. I saw a nice alley in an exclusive shopping area and thought I might take you down to ravish you.”
Sunny blinked and turned slowly to face me. “Oh?” Curiosity lilted her voice. “I mean, I wore a skirt on purpose, you know...”
I swallowed hard, extracting my leg from her that I had pushed it over hers to manhandle the car, apologizing mentally for the rough handling, and slid my fingers along the inside of her thigh. “I noticed, I murmured, using the moment of distraction for a little misdirection. I managed to extract the small box from my glove compartment before she clued in, but when I placed the black velvet covered cube on her lap, Sunny’s eyes met mine in challenge.
“What did you do, Hawk?” she asked softly.
I smiled, leaning in to brush my mouth over the corner of her lips. Teasing. There would be time for testing later, if she gave me the answer I needed to hear. If not, I’d be doing a shit ton of groveling.
“Nothing yet, Princess. Wanna open that for me?” I murmured, nudging the box with my fingertip.
Her hands stayed wrapped around the steering wheel in a death grip despite the fact I had turned the engine off a moment before. “I think that’s your job, isn’t it?” she whispered in a rush, her words merging together.
Any other time I might call her out on it, but right now she seemed as nervous as me.
“Whatever you need.” I leaned down to kiss her shoulder and flipped the lid on the box.
Sunlight streamed from within, or at least, it seemed to as Sunny took in the yellow diamond engagement ring surrounded by a halo of smaller white stones, every one of them as brilliant as her namesake.
“You did do something stupid,” she accused me in the sweetest, breathiness voice I’d ever heard.
I shrugged. “You put up with me, share my taste in b grade movies and music, even the really crappy country albums, and we cook well together. I figure that’s the makings of something pretty good and I don’t want to lose you to…” my voice cracked and I cleared it while she found my hand and held on tight. “I don’t want to lose you. So marry me before Ryan gives into his crush and sweeps you away from me, Coops. Please?” I begged softly, laying my aching heart out on my steering wheel for her.
Sunny stared at the box, then at me, then at the ring again.
My heart thumped painfully in my chest and after three really fucking excruciating breaths that came out way too shallow, I poked her. “You’re supposed to say something now.”
“I–what?” She blinked at me, her face clearing. “Y-yes! I mean, of course!”
The ring toppled in its box as she lunged at me., and I caught it, careful of both Sunny and the diamond.
“Thank fuck, Princess. You can’t leave a man hanging like that,” I muttered into her hair, inhaling the spicy floral scents of her.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I just couldn't believe you actually did it. I didn’t think you would ever, you know and with someone like me?—”
I caught her mouth in a hard, possessive kiss as I slid the ring on her finger and broke off to the music of her gasp. “Just to clarify, that was yes to marry me, right?” I held her gaze, staring soul deep and needing her answer fast.
“Yes,” she replied, not an ounce of hesitation this time. “I want to marry you, Hawk. Oh, wow..” She swayed where she sat, her eyes glossing over. “This is a lot.”
I grinned as I started the car, unbuckling her and sliding my ass beneath hers in a feat of grace I hadn’t attempted before and bet would never work out a second time.
“You think this is good, Coops. Wait until you see what I have planned for later.”
Thank you for reading the first book in FAST TRACK TO LOVE.
Ryan’s story is coming, along with York’s!