by Lacey Black
“Yes. I knew when we were looking at it last week that this was the place we’d raise our family. This is where I want to teach Natalia to ride her bike, teach her to swim, and give her brothers and sisters. But most importantly, this is the place I want to come home to every night and kiss the lips of the woman I love more than anything in this world. I want to fall asleep with her in my arms every night after I’ve made love to her repeatedly. I want to wake up the next morning and do it all over again. I want all of that…with you. I want the life I never even knew I wanted before you were in the picture. I want everything…with you.”
I swipe stray tears from her eyes, but as soon as I do, more leak out, so instead, I use my lips and kiss them away. I can taste her salty tears, as I hold her close and let her absorb my words and my strength.
“So, this is our house?” Her voice shakes from the weight of her emotions.
“Yes, baby. This is our house. Our home. If you want it, that is. I made an offer and they accepted it yesterday. We close in a month if you want. If this isn’t the one, then we’ll keep looking.”
“But, how did you buy it?”
“I’ve made two salaries for two years. When I was undercover, I still collected my salary with the bureau. They were depositing it directly in a savings account for me. While I worked at First Class Auto, I also collected an income. That’s what I lived off of and rented my shitty apartment with.” She remains quiet and seems to calm down a little when I tell her how that whole thing came to be.
“The income I made while boosting cars was set aside. As soon as I became a civilian again, I donated it to a handful of local charities. It felt wrong to keep that money for myself, but there are plenty of worthwhile organizations that could benefit from a little blood money.”
“And just when I think you can’t get any more perfect,” she mumbles while sniffling.
“I couldn’t keep that money. When I worked at First Class, I really worked hard to keep everything I touched clean. The first thing I bought was the Camaro, followed by a few other bachelor necessities.”
“Like the big screen TV?” she asks with a laugh.
“You know it,” I mumble while drying her eyes with my thumbs. My arm is starting to throb from the constant movement, but there’s no way in hell that I’m letting it spoil this moment.
“And do you know what would make this day even more perfect?” I ask her.
“What?”
That’s my cue. I drop down to one knee in front of her. Taking a deep, shaky breath, I continue, “Let me tell you a story. This is one you may have heard, but it’s my favorite story of all time. You ready?”
With a handful of nods in quick succession, Carly stares at me wide-eyed for me to continue. “One night, this boy went to a bar. He went there with his pain in the ass little brother, but he didn’t leave with his brother. No, he met the girl of his dreams at that bar. They danced and drank and flirted shamelessly until the boy asked the girl to go home with him. That night, the boy fell in love for the first time, for the first real time. Anything and everything that came before that night was nothing in comparison.
“The boy had to leave the girl before she woke the next morning though. It killed him to walk away, but he had already committed to something major with his job. The boy thought about that girl every day. He dreamed about her every night. He even went as far as to get a tattoo that only he knew of the true meaning.
“One day, the boy went to work at his crazy job and the girl walked into the room. Time stood still. The earth suddenly stopped rotating. Everything ceased to exist. The girl of his dreams had walked back into his life.” I stroke the soft skin of her hands as I gaze into her eyes. Reliving the highlights of our story has caused more tears to fall.
“The girl invited the boy to her place. There, the boy learned he was a father to the most beautiful baby girl in the whole world. He fell instantly and hopelessly in love with his daughter before he even held her. Suddenly, the boy felt like his life was almost complete. Of course, things were very complicated for the boy with his job. He had a big secret that he was keeping from the girl, and even though he’d do it all the same all over again, it pained him greatly to keep such a huge part of himself a secret.
“The boy and the girl had a lot of crap to wade through. The girl’s father was into some heavy things, and the boy was right smack dab in the middle.
“One day, the girl was taken from the boy. He did everything he could–fought like hell to get her back. He even took a bullet, which he would gladly do all over again to ensure that the girl and their baby were safe. The boy knew right then and there that there was no delaying this any longer. The boy wanted to marry the girl more than anything in this world. So he planned an elaborate proposal complete with a brand new home and a built-in babysitter. When the moment was right, the boy got down on one knee and asked the girl to marry him.”
“What did the girl say?” she says with a smile.
“She said yes, of course. This is my story,” I tell her causing a hearty laugh.
“It’s a beautiful story,” Carly adds with another smile.
“But that’s the best part of this story, Carly. This is only the beginning. This story is going to go on and on for the rest of our lives. I want to build a home, build a family, build a life with you. One perfect night, I fell in love with you. It may have taken us a little bit to find each other again, but I honestly believe that destiny pulled us back together for a reason. You are my life. You are my love. You and Natalia are everything I am because without you, I’d be nothing. Carly, will you please put me out of my misery so I can get up off my knees? Will you marry me?”
I finally have the words out. I finally have said everything that’s written in my heart. I’ve asked her to spend the rest of her life with me.
“Yes,” she says with definitive purpose. “Yes, I’ll marry you. Today if we could,” she says moments before I jump up and pull her into my arms.
Kissing away her tears, I reach into my pocket and remove the platinum two-carat square diamond that I picked up this past week. Luke was with me and teased me mercifully about spending so much on a piece of jewelry. But to me, it’s not just a piece of jewelry. This ring represents our love and commitment to each other. This ring symbolizes the start of our future together. So I would have gladly paid twice as much for it because of its meaning.
I slide the ring onto her finger. The fit is perfect. Just like her.
We hug, kiss, and cry as we celebrate the start of our lives together. Two years ago, I never would have dreamed that I would be right here in this moment. Never did I think that our paths would cross in the most unusual way. Never did I foresee a wife and daughter before I turn thirty. But that’s the crazy thing about love. You never really see it until it’s too late.
Love is just a word until the right person comes along and shows you the true meaning. Carly showed me what it means. And now together, I’ll get to spend the rest of my life showing her how much I appreciate her taking a chance on me. Because without her love, I’d be a vessel lost at sea.
“I love you, future Mrs. Thomas,” I whisper.
“I love you, Mr. Thomas,” she whispers in return.
And now it’s time to see where our story goes. It’s time to eat and celebrate and maybe break in the new house. It’s time to write the next chapter in our fairytale.
I, for one, can’t fucking wait.
~ THE END ~
Stay tuned for the second book in the Bound Together series, Profited, coming spring 2016 and featuring Carly’s boss, Reid Hunter.
Acknowledgements
So many people to thank on this journey, and no doubt, I’m going to forget someone!
Nazarea and the InkSlinger PR team, thank you for taking me on as a new client. I look forward to working with you! Sara Eirew, your covers blow me away! Michel Giroux, thank you for gracing this gorgeous cover. Brenda Wright, for another wonderful format. Kara Hildebrand,
thank you for adding me to your list of editing clients. Sandra, Taryn, and Joanne, for beta reading and providing feedback so that I can present the best product! My amazing author friend, Amanda Lanclos, for brainstorming and always helping me out when I write myself into a corner. Holly Ward-Collins, for just being YOU and supporting me. My family and friends, for cheering me on and encouraging me. Lacey’s Ladies, for EVERYTHING you do! My husband, Jason, and our two beautiful kids, thank you for sharing me with my computer. And to all of the readers, THANK YOU for reading!
About the Author
Lacey Black is a Midwestern girl with a passion for reading, writing, and shopping. She carries her e-reader with her everywhere she goes so she never misses an opportunity to read a few pages. Always looking for a happily ever after, Lacey is passionate about contemporary romance novels and enjoys it further when you mix in a little suspense. She resides in a small town in Illinois with her husband, two children, and a chocolate lab. Lacey loves watching NASCAR races, shooting guns, and should only consume one mixed drink because she’s a lightweight.
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorlaceyblack
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthLaceyBlack
Blog: https://laceyblack.wordpress.com
Table of Contents
Also by Lacey Black
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
About the Author