He turned back to face her. “I know.” He pulled her into his arms, wrapping his arms around her waist. “I really think you should get that tattoo with my name on it.”
And there he went again. “No.”
“You know you want to.”
She fought the grin threatening to split her lips, but couldn’t stop the chuckle at his little kid expression. “Nope. No tattoo. I’ll leave that to sexy, hard bodies like yours.”
She loved the fact Nate’s inks were beautiful art pieces she got to see up close and touch whenever she wanted. Her previous favorite had been a tribal piece of a wolf. She found the intricate design of black lines and loops that turned into a howling beast fascinating. But now her favorite hands down was the one on his back of their family.
“Fine. Then I have something you can do.”
She leaned back and met his gaze. “Wasn’t this about you being romantic?”
“Yeah. We’re going to go to the bedroom, and you’re going to rub—”
“If you say your feet, you’re going to find out why that sofa is comfortable to sleep on,” she grumbled.
“I was going to say you’re going to rub that sexy body of yours all over me, and then I’m going to eat your pussy to the point you’re going to think you died and went to heaven.”
She sighed and got on her tip toes to kiss him. “If I must.”
“You must. Your mate says so.” He cupped her face and kissed her. “And then—”
She groaned. “Jesus, there’s more? I just got home from work. I’ve been listening to eight year olds ask me everything under the sun all day and have managed not to lose my mind. What else do you want from me?”
“You’re going to say you’re going to marry me.”
She jerked her face up to meet his gaze so fast she almost got whiplash. With a hard swallow, she finally spoke. “What?”
“Say you’ll marry me. I love you and I want you as my mate, my wife, and the mother of my children. I’m going for three out of three.”
She stood there in shock. He got down on one knee. Her breath froze in her lungs as she watched him pull a box from the pocket—a pocket she had no idea his pajama pants had—and opened it to reveal the most beautiful ring she’d ever seen. An antique band with scrolls of leaves and a large diamond solitaire in the center.
“Will you marry me, love?”
Hurtling herself at him was probably not the brightest move, but she couldn’t have predicted that would be her response. “Yes! I’ll marry you.”
He laughed as they both landed with him under her and the ring somehow finding a way on to her finger. “Now how about we go to the bed and do that other part we discussed.”
Continuous happiness filled her heart ever since she’d decided to open it to his love. And even though she was only a few months pregnant, her body’s changes seemed to bring out the tender side of her man. Not that he hadn’t been a sweetheart before, but lately his constant pampering brought endless smiles to her face. Sometimes his attempts were downright comical. Like the time he tried to bake.
He might be a great cook, but cookies hated him. Hockey pucks had nothing on him. And yet knowing he’d tried to do something because she’d been craving homemade chocolate-chip cookies meant more than him going to the store to buy them. Their children, all three of them as confirmed by her doctor, were lucky to have him as their father. She was lucky to have the very caring shifter for a mate.
In seconds, they were on their way to the bedroom, feet stomping on the wooden floor. “I think I like this you being romantic side. How often can I expect it?”
“Every chance I need an excuse to drag you back to bed,” he said with a cocky smile.
“Yeah,” she giggled, “I really like this idea.”
Read on for a sneak peek of the book that started it all in the Sassy Mates Series . . .
“Please?” Jordan leaned forward on the sofa and gave her best imitation of what Ellie called “puppy eyes.” A soft squeaking protested Jordan’s wiggling on the leather. She knew her enthusiasm probably rivaled that of a four year old at Christmas, but she was so close to cracking Ellie, she didn’t care.
“No.” Ellie’s voice didn’t sound as sure as it had the first five times Jordan had asked the same question.
“I thought you wanted me to write this book on shifter mating rituals? Don’t you think I need to watch it? I mean, I can’t just write a book on your history, for your family’s records, based solely on what you tell me. I have to see it.” Not really, but she was not telling Ellie that and messing up her chance of watching something so cool.