Epilogue #2
“Neither.” She darts over to her pile of clothes, sitting neatly folded on the couch facing the hot tub. “I just want to grab something.”
Seizing the opportunity, I jump out of the hot tub and hurry over to my jeans, which are draped over the armchair adjacent to the couch. Plunging my hand into the pocket, I find the little velvet pouch inside and pull it out. “I just want to grab something, too.”
Yara turns to me. She’s the picture of a goddess, all gleaming skin and sleek muscles and a long rope of dark hair draped over her shoulder. Her lips curve up. “Well. I can’t say I mind seeing you like this.”
My gaze moves up and down her body. “I don’t mind, either.”
But away from the heat of the hot tub, there’s a slight nip to the air. Yara shivers, so I grab one of the robes I brought out here and wrap it around her. She makes a little huff of annoyance. “It’s April. I was hoping it would be warmer by now.”
“Soon,” I tell her. Then I grab the second, larger robe and slide into it. “And next month, we’ll be in Baltimore for a visit, so it should be warmer there.”
Yara settles on the couch and pats the cushion beside her. As I sit, she replies, “I can’t wait to see Malik again. From his calls and texts, he seems to be doing a lot better.”
“He does,” I agree. Since the rescue, I’ve been in touch with Malik, too.
Not as often as Yara, but we touch base every few weeks or so.
Partly to see how he’s doing, but I think he’s checking up on me, too.
Which is fine with me. I’m glad Malik and the rest of Yara’s teammates are protective of her.
And I don’t mind having to prove myself to them.
“He mentioned something about Annaliese the last time we spoke,” Yara adds. “Apparently, she was in Baltimore for a training, so she looked him up. They went out for drinks, and Malik wouldn’t stop going on about how great she was.”
“Oh, really? Did Annaliese say anything about it?”
“Just that they hung out. But she was extra quiet about it. Usually, she tells me everything about the guys she dates. Which makes me wonder…”
“Baltimore and Boston aren’t too far apart.”
Yara smiles. “No, they aren’t.” Turning, she drapes her legs over mine. “But. I didn’t mean to bring up Malik and Annaliese. I actually wanted to give you a present.”
I look at her in confusion. “A present? Tonight’s supposed to be—”
“Yes, I know. About me. But I want to celebrate you too, Ace. Because you’ve been with me through all of this. And I wouldn’t be where I am now—happier than I’ve been in my whole life—without you.”
“Tink.”
“It’s true.” Her eyes search mine. “Even when we were just friends, I looked forward to every single one of your texts. And then, once we started dating, I felt so much happier. Lighter. You found the empty parts of me and you filled them.”
“Yara,” I breathe. My throat goes thick.
“I know it’s not traditional,” she continues. “But I guess… I’ve never done the traditional thing. So—” Yara pulls a box out from behind her and hands it to me. “Well. Just open it. Then, I’ll explain.”
Taking the box from her, I flip the lid open. Inside sits a tactical watch, all in brushed silver. As I look at it, she explains, “It’s titanium. So it’s really strong. And I added a bunch of features to it.”
She taps a small button on the side. “This one triggers a thermal scan. The range isn’t as good as an actual thermal scanner, but it’ll tell you how many heat signatures there are within a thirty-foot radius.
And it’ll display the locations on the face of the watch.
” Tapping another button, she adds, “This one will scan for explosives within a twenty-foot range. And the watch also makes satellite calls, translates ten languages in real time, and—” Her lips twitch.
“You can program it to sync with any playlist you choose.”
I stare at the watch that’s so much more than that. “You made this?”
“Of course.” She nudges me. “I wanted to give you something special. Something no one else could give you.”
“It’s amazing, Yara. I love it.”
Yara takes my hand. Uncertainty flickers in her gaze. Then she takes a deep breath and lets it out in a rush. “It’s not just a watch. It’s a proposal.”
“What?”
“A proposal.” Her gaze holds mine. “I thought… Well. I know I held back for a long time. Because I was scared of letting you in. But I’m not scared anymore. And I thought, what better way to show you than to propose. So…” She bites her lip. “Will you marry me?”
I’m so shocked, I just gape at her for a second. When I finally find my voice, I ask, “You’re asking me to marry you?”
“I know it’s not traditional. But if I love you, and I know I want to spend my life with you, why shouldn’t I ask? Unless… Did I make a mistake? Should I have waited?”
“No.” I cup her cheek. “No. This is… I’m surprised, is all. But you didn’t make a mistake.”
“But?”
“But.” Pushing off the couch, I drop to one knee. Then I reach into the velvet pouch I tucked into the robe pocket and retrieve the diamond ring hidden there. “I was going to propose to you.”
Yara’s mouth drops open. “You… you were?”
“I was. I’ve had the ring for a while, just waiting for the right moment. And then you won the grant, and we decided to celebrate, and I thought… what better time than now?”
“So… you’re proposing to me, too?”
“Well.” I take her hand. “I haven’t yet.
Not officially.” Taking a breath to calm my jumping nerves, I ask, “Will you marry me, Yara Alves? I love you so damn much, I can’t imagine my life without you.
And it would be the greatest honor to take you as my wife.
Not just my wife, but my partner. My teammate for life.
The person I always trust to have my six. ”
“Ace.” Her eyes shine with tears. “I love you. And I absolutely want to marry you.” A light laugh escapes. “Obviously. Since I just asked you to marry me.”
“Then I say yes. A thousand times, yes. Yes, I’ll marry you, Tink. And I’ll try to be the best husband in the world to you.”
First, I slip the ring onto Yara’s finger. It looks perfect there. Like it’s always been meant to be.
Then, she takes the watch from the box and fastens it around my wrist. Her gaze moves from the watch to the ring, and then to me. “I’ll be the best wife in the world to you, Ace Jensen. And I promise, I will always have your six.”
An explosion of joy bursts inside me.
All the years of thinking I’d never find the one. Of never even considering it. Not even thinking I wanted it.
But here she is. The love of my life. And soon to be my wife.
Rising to my knees, I pull Yara into my arms. Between kisses, I say, “I love you, Tink. And I can’t wait to marry you.”
Her arms twine around my neck. When her eyes meet mine, they’re filled with love. “I can’t wait to marry you, either.” She glances at my watch again before adding, “Did you mind? That I proposed, too?”
Mind? Mind having the most incredible woman in the world show me just how much she loves me?
“I don’t mind at all,” I tell her. “It was perfect.”