Chapter 8
J.T
She says yes.
And it is all I can do not to haul her over my shoulder and carry her out of this place like I’m some kind of savage conqueror.
King Kong in a tux.
I don’t know if marriage was what I had in mind when I made that first offer to Kelly weeks ago at Greyson Cole’s wedding. Back then it was strategy. Protection. Leverage.
But the second the word leaves my mouth tonight—
Marry me.
—I know I mean it.
I want this woman so badly it’s a physical ache. A hunger that’s been building for years and just got handed permission to breathe.
So when she nods—
Small. Certain.
—I don’t hesitate.
I dip my head and kiss her.
It’s short.
Too short.
But it’s all I dare take in this crowded room filled with old lumber barons and gossiping wives who already have enough to chew on.
Her lips are soft. Warm. Willing.
Christ.
“Let’s get out of here,” I murmur against her mouth.
She nods.
And we move.
I’m so wound tight I nearly trip over my own damn feet trying to maneuver her toward the exit. I want her in front of me where I can see her. Guard her. Guide her out of this building like it’s under siege.
My hand never leaves her back.
Not once.
The valet scrambles when he sees us coming. I bark for my Range Rover SV and tell him to have someone drop Kelly’s car at my place later.
He nods fast.
Smart kid.
I open her door myself.
She slides into the passenger seat, smoothing her dress down over her thighs, and for a second I just stand there looking at her.
Mine.
She fidgets with her purse once we’re both inside, nerves flickering across her face now that the adrenaline of the dance floor has faded.
“Where are we going?” she asks softly.
“My place,” I answer, meeting her eyes. “That okay?”
She doesn’t hesitate.
“Yes, J.T.”
The way she says my name nearly undoes me.
Low. Certain. Just a hint of breath in it.
Christ, I want to hear her say it again.
I want to hear her whisper it.
Cry it.
Moan it.
I grip the steering wheel tighter than necessary and start the engine.
The headlights cut through the dark mountain road as we pull away from the Elks Club.
My pulse is hammering.
She said yes.
Not to dinner.
Not to a date.
To me.
And as the road curves toward my house, I make one thing perfectly clear in my own mind—
This isn’t a game.
This isn’t leverage.
This is a vow.
And damn right I mean it.
Because if there’s one thing I know how to do in this world, it’s stand up and be the kind of man Kelly deserves.
And no one—no one on this planet—is going to get in my way.
Not this time.
This time, I am all in.