Page 54 of Protected

Parker removed his arm from around her shoulders and dug into the front pocket of his jeans.

“While you’re thinking about that, think about this, too.” He got down on one knee next to the sofa. “Think about marrying me.”

Chelsey looked at him, her head slightly tilted as she frowned. When he pulled the black velvet box from behind his back and opened the lid, her eyes went wide.

He had purchased the ring earlier in the year, because he knew he’d one day ask her to be his wife. He just hadn’t planned on proposing like this.

Actually he had no idea when or how he’d propose. He just knew that she was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

“Oh. My. God,” she said, her eyes as round as dinner plates. “Is that…are you… Oh. My. God.”

Parker couldn’t help but laugh at her reaction. Rarely was she at a loss for words, and he was glad he could catch her off guard.

“I have never loved a woman the way I love you, Chelsey. And when I think about my future, I see you all up in it. Your sass, your wit, your take-no-bullshit attitude, your big heart, and your ability to make me want to be a better man, is what I want in my life. You’re my best friend. My heart. My love. Sweetheart, I don’t want to walk through life without you by my side.

“I guess what I’m trying to say is, will you spend the rest of your life with me? Will you marry me and be my wife?”

Tears trekked slowly down her cheeks and her hand covered her mouth as she nodded.

Parker grinned. “I need a yes or a no, sweetheart.”

“Yes,” she whispered and started crying outright. “Yes, baby, I’ll marry you. Oh my goodness. I can’t believe this.”

She lurched forward and threw herself into his arms, but it caught Parker off guard. He held on tight to her as he fell backward with her on top of him.

They both laughed and again, where she was concerned, Parker felt like the luckiest man in the world. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the side of her head then rocked back and forth with her. His heart was so full, it felt as if it would burst right out of his chest.

Still laying on his back with Chelsey on top of him, he patted his hand around on the floor for the ring box that he had dropped. When he found it, he pulled out the ring.

“So that we can make this official, give me your left hand.” When she did, he slid it onto her finger.

Chelsey sat up and straddled him. With her arm stretched out in front of her, she gazed at the ring and smiled. “It’s absolutely stunning.” She bent down and pressed her lips to his in a slow, drugging kiss. “I can’t wait to be your wife,” she whispered.

“Same, sweetheart. Just so you know, the ring has been outfitted with a tracking device.”

Chelsey nodded as she stared down at the jewelry. He assured her that he wouldn’t be tracking her. She knew all the wives of Atlanta’s Finest had jewelry with tracking devices. Most of them had received theirs because of trouble that they’d had, like kidnappings or attempted kidnappings. Parker only got Chelsey’s ring outfitted with the chip as a precaution.

“Thank you,” she said. “Even though you know I can take care of myself, it does feel good to know that if ever anything happened to me, you’d find me.”

“Always,” he said and kissed her again.

When they made it back up to the sofa, Parker picked up where they left off in their earlier conversation. “I don’t think I can take Wolf down without Rock’s help. As long as you’re onboard, I’m thinking about accepting his proposal, but with a few tweaks.

“Even though Mason told me that I don’t owe him anything, I’m not ready to completely walk away from Supreme. He might not be old enough to be my father, but Mason has been a father figure for almost half my life. I can’t just walk away. I’m going to suggest to Rock that we set up some type of partnership with Supreme. Or work with them in some way.”

“I love that idea. Even though Mason and the guys will always only be a phone call away, a partnership of sorts will keep you close to them.”

Parker nodded. That was exactly what he was thinking. He was also thinking that he’d want to build his team from people from Supreme. He wasn’t sure what that would look like yet, but it would be the start of negotiations.

The more he and Chelsey talked, the better he felt about moving forward with Rock. He just hoped his decision didn’t come back to bite him in the ass.

Chapter Twenty-Three

With a hand at the small of her back, Parker guided Chelsey into the ten-story office building that Rock owned. Once they were inside the lobby, they spotted Angelo near a long receptionist desk, talking to the security guard.

“Oh, good. I’m glad he’s here early,” Parker said. “This will give me a chance to talk to him before we all meet with Rock.”

Chelsey nodded. “Great idea.”