Page 69 of Off-Limits Bad Boy
I nod. “Well, that and my jokes.”
“Your jokes are terrible,” she says, rising up on tiptoe to kiss me. “I love them. And I love you.”
“And I love you.” I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with this woman. Her dream of visiting the lighthouse has come true, but my dream? My dream is her happiness, always and forever.
“Race you to the car!” she suddenly exclaims, breaking our stillness as she bolts.
“Hey, no fair!” I call after her, unable to hold back a smile as I chase after her. She darts ahead, her curls bouncing with each step. Her joy is infectious, and I realize I'd chase her to the ends of the earth if she asked. And when she glances over her shoulder at me... I’m struck with how lucky I am and how much I love her.
We reach my car, breathless, her laughter mingling with the crash of the waves. “I win,” she says, but there's no triumph in her tone, only pure happiness.
“Every time,” I agree, because she has; she’s won me over completely.
“Kade?” She turns serious for a moment, searching my face.
“Yeah?”
“Thank you. For today. For... everything.” Her sincerity hits me hard, more intimate than any touch. She’s so grateful, but I feel like things like this are the bare minimum.
“Emma Riley, you’ve got nothing to thank me for.” I pull her against me, feeling the rightness of her in my arms. “I should be thanking you.”
“Fine,” she whispers, her gaze ticking to mine. “I’ll allow it.” Her fingers lightly trace the line of my jaw.
“Wait, you’ll allow what?” I ask.
“You to thank me.” She grins and I pick her up, spinning her around.
“Oh, you. Come on.” With that, I walk her to her side of the car and set her down, opening the door for her. “Let's go celebrate the start of forever.”
“Lead the way, fiancé,” she says, the word sounding new, thrilling, and exciting as I get in the driver’s seat and guide us forward, into our future.
The sun sinks into the horizon, bleeding orange and pink into the sea. I pull Emma closer, our bodies melting together as we watch from our seaside sanctuary. The room is filled with the soft sound of waves, and I can’t think of a more perfect end to a perfect day.
“Look at that,” she whispers, her hand skimming down my forearm. “It's like the sky's on fire.”
“It’s nothing compared to you,” I say, my gaze drifting from the sunset to her face, lit by the dying light. Our eyes lock, and there it is—that electric current that's always charged between us, even when we were at odds.
She chuckles softly, a sound that tugs at my heartstrings. “Flatterer.”
I shake my head. “Truth-teller.” I correct her, brushing a loose curl behind her ear.
She leans back slightly, studying me with those sky-blue eyes that seem to see straight to my soul. “Kade, do you ever think about how crazy this all is? How we got here?”
I nod. “Absolutely,” I say as my thumb traces small circles over her hand. “But then I remember that every argument, every clash, was leading up to this. To us.”
“Us...” She smiles, rolling the word around like it's new, and maybe it is, in this context. “I like the sound of that.”
“Me, too.” My voice is low, heavy with emotion. “I've wanted 'us' for so long, Emma.”
“Forever,” she whispers into the sunset.
“Forever,” I echo, knowing that no matter what might happen in our lives, we'll navigate the problems and victories, the joys and the sorrows, side by side.
Just like the lighthouse that has weathered the ocean's fury for decades—we’ll stand steady, strong, and sure. I hold her tighter, feeling the beat of her heart against mine, and I'm flooded with gratitude for every twist and turn in our path that led us to this perfect moment.
Epilogue
Emma