Page 19 of Cherished
She looks up into my eyes, and she nods. “Me neither,” she whispers. “And you’re good people.”
“Look, Mia, you don’t need to worry about me. It is what it is. At least right now, for now, I’ve got you. And believe me,” I groan. I kiss her gently. “That’s the only freedom I need.”
“But what if you beat this thing?”
“Sweetheart, don’t worry about me.”
“Too late,” she says gently. She takes a breath, and her cheeks flush. “What if I saved you the way you saved me?”
I frown. But then, I get it. I shake my head. “No,” I growl. “I’m not asking you to—”
“No, Hunter,” she whispers. “I’m asking you.”
I blink in disbelief. Mia slides off my lap and onto the ground at my feet. She blushes deeply and glances around before she reaches for a planter. She plucks a flower and I watch in a daze while she twists it into a loop. And then, she stops my whole world still.
“Hunter Leery,” Mia says gently. She looks up at me and holds up the loop—a ring, I see now.
“Mia…”
“Would you marry me?”
My heart surges, and the grin curls the corners of my lips. “Mia, I appreciate what you’re doing, but—”
“Answer the question,” she says breathlessly. Her eyes hold mine. Her face is stone serious. I’ve loved this girl since the first time I laid eyes on her. But at that moment, I truly know that I’ve fallen for her. It’s a forever fallen, too.
“You want to be my wife, beautiful?” I growl.
“Very much so,” she breathes.
“You barely know me.”
She shakes her head. “I know I never want to be apart from you. I know that even if you say no, I’d want to stay up here with you forever.”
“Fuck, Mia,” I groan. I pull her into my lap, and our eyes hold each others. My pulse quickens, and my lips pause and inch from hers.
“You should think about this.”
“I don’t need to think about this another second,” she retorts with a smile. She laughs nervously. “You know, Hunter, a girl could get into all sorts of self-doubt with this much pause after a question like that.”
I grin, and she gasps when my lips slam against hers.
“Yes,” I snarl savagely. “Fuck yes.”
“Yes?!” she squeals. “You mean it?”
“Do I mean that I’ll marry you?” I laugh. “Mia, I’m a shut-in, not a lunatic.”
She squeals in delight, and her arms fling around my neck. I groan into her mouth, kissing her deeply. I feel like I’m floating. It feels like the sun is shining right down on me, even if it’s dark outside. I swear, I can feel the shackles melting away, and the walls coming down. I kiss her like she’s the cure I’ve been waiting for, because she is.
“I love you, Mia,” I groan. “I’ve loved you from the moment I laid eyes on you.”
“I’ve loved you since the moment you became my real-life Tarzan,” she giggles.
“I could probably rustle up a loincloth if you’re feeling adventurous.”
Mia squeals in delight. “Oh yes please!”
I laugh and pull her close. She takes my hand, and I chuckle when she slips the flower ring over my finger. “Let’s get married,” I growl.