"Zane, I still need a job. I have to support myself while I'm trying to build a business."
"No, you don't." He got up and went to retrieve his jeans, fumbling through his pocket until he pulled out what he wanted.
Ellie watched him curiously, wondering what he was doing.
He turned, and came back to the couch and kneeled beside her. "This isn't the way I planned this. I thought of all kinds of romantic ways to do it, but now feels like the right time even though we are both naked and sweaty."
He grinned at her and her heart melted as he popped open a jewelry box holding an enormous diamond. When it finally dawned on Ellie exactly what he was doing, her heart skittered.
"Marry me, Ellie. Please. I'll never be worth a damn without you, and I promise to always love you, and be the best man I can be for you."
Zane couldn't ever be a better man than he already was, and her tears started to flow as she looked at the glittery diamond ring nestled in velvet, another gorgeous Mia Hamilton creation. She tried to speak, but the words wouldn't come.
"Don't say no," Zane said hastily when she didn't answer. "If you need some time to decide, that's okay. But don't say no."
She reached out and touched the beautiful ring carefully, tracing the center stone and the accent diamonds surrounding it. "It's beautiful. I want to say yes."
"Then fucking say it," Zane grumbled, not guarding his words because he was obviously anxious.
Ellie squashed her old hang-ups about not being good enough for a man like Zane, or that he couldn't possibly really love her.
He did love her.
And nobody would ever love him and cherish his love like Ellie would.
She realized the only one holding her back from making her dreams come true was herself.
"Yes," she answered with a happy sob. "Yes. Yes. Yes."
He pulled the ring from the box and slipped it onto her finger. "You hesitated," he pointed out carefully.
"Old ghosts," she confessed. "But I think I exorcised them."
He nodded like he understood, which he probably did. She and Zane sensed each other's emotions at times, in an almost unbelievable kind of way.
"There's nothing I want more than to be your wife." Ellie hauled him onto the couch and kissed him with all of the love and joy that she was feeling at the moment.
He cuddled her against him when they finally had to come up for air. "Let me help you build your business, Ellie. My lab is my dream. I want you to reach for your own, too."
In many ways, Zane was her real dream. But she did desperately want her business, too. "Some businesses fail," she reminded him.
"Ellie, you'll have some of the greatest business minds in existence to mentor you along. Including me. I might be a science geek, but my lab makes a more than healthy profit. Then there's Marcus, Gabe, and Chloe, and a whole lot of other friends who are amazingly successful in business to give you any advice you need."
"I'm still going to try to organize you," she warned him.
"That's okay. It's your strength, and I need that. Hopefully you'll need some of my strengths, too."
Ellie smiled at him through her tears. There was never any mention of the fact that it didn't matter whether or not her business failed because he was filthy rich. He had faith in her, and didn't make light of what she wanted for herself. "I need all of you," Ellie whispered, her voice trembling with emotion.
"You have me," he answered gruffly. "Now that you said yes and my ring is on your finger, you're officially stuck with me."
She nodded with a smile on her face. "I think I can handle that."
He kissed her with so much tenderness and adoration that she sighed happily when he finally ended the magical meeting of lips that was an act of love.
Ellie cuddled into Zane, feeling a sense of security that was completely new to her, especially after what she'd endured. She was used to being alone, taking care of herself. Until Zane had rescued her, showed her how it felt to give and receive real love.
Her insecurities and her struggles were in the past. Zane was now her future.
For once in her life, Ellie fell asleep unconcerned about what tomorrow would bring. Now that she had Zane beside her, Ellie would have the one thing she'd always wanted. She'd know that no matter what the future held for her, she'd always be loved.
Six Months Later …
As Blake Colter watched Ellie pledge her life to Zane's, he was feeling restless. Not that he wasn't happy for Zane-because he was glad his younger brother had found the woman he wanted for the rest of his life. Ellie and Zane deserved every bit of happiness that they were experiencing right now.
Ellie looked beautiful, her blonde hair upswept and her face glowing with love for her groom. Chloe was standing beside her, looking elegant in her matron of honor gown. Marcus was beside Zane, standing as his best man.
Blake couldn't imagine what it would be like to willingly commit himself to another person completely, like Tate and Chloe had done, and Zane was doing right now. With his political ambitions a priority, it left very little room in his life for a relationship, even if he could find a woman who wasn't impressed by him being a senator and a billionaire.
When he was home, he had to attend to ranch business. When he was in DC, he had a job to do. Although those two things were good excuses, Blake knew the biggest reason he wasn't seriously involved with a woman was because he hadn't found one that he couldn't live without.
Women used him because he had money and some political power. He used them for sex.
Truth was, he hadn't even found a woman who looked at him like Chloe looked at Gabe, or like Zane looked at Ellie.
Blake looked at Ellie and then at Chloe, both of them looking radiant and happy. Just like when they were kids, the two best friends were often together, and now they'd brought Lara into their circle. The three of them had gotten very involved with Asha's Fund. He found it pretty amazing that two women who'd been so damaged were now helping other women to escape from the hell they'd both been through, and Lara, with her psychology background, rounded out the threesome of friends perfectly.
The ceremony was over quickly, and everyone followed the wedding party to the reception, which just so happened to be in the same place: their mother's resort.
Aileen Colter had been delighted when she'd heard Ellie and Zane were getting married, and she'd fussed over every detail since Ellie's mom hadn't been around for the planning stages.
Everybody flowed from the large hall and into the ballroom easily. Blake followed the crowd, hoping he could get something to eat. He'd gotten in late last night, and he was starving.
Before he could go fill a plate with food, Marcus approached him and nodded for Blake to meet him outside. He exited onto the balcony, Marcus right behind him.
Blake's twin didn't mess around with the niceties. He got right to the point. "You know how I asked you if I needed a favor if you would do it?"
"Yeah," Blake answered cautiously.
"I need that favor."
"Now?" Blake asked grumpily. Hell, he'd just gotten back home, just gotten a break from Congress.
"I'm sorry. I know it's shitty timing, but lives are at stake right now," Marcus answered grimly.
"Are you planning on telling me what this is all about?" If he was going to help, Marcus couldn't keep him totally in the dark.
"Some," Marcus agreed. "But only what you need to know."
Blake shook his head. "Everything. Marcus, I know something is up. I've sensed it for a while now. Come clean with me. This isn't just about the CIA stuff."
"No. It has nothing to do with that. Look, I want to tell you, but it's an election year for you, and I know you'd never lie. It might be better if you didn't know too much. Then you could honestly claim you didn't know."
"Didn't know what? If I'm going to help you, I need details."
Marcus paced the small patio, his expression grave. "I'll tell you, if that's what it's going to take to get your help."
Blake listened while Marcus started explaining. To say he was surprised at what he didn't know about his twin was an understatement. Marcus led an entire portion of his life that not a single one of the Colter family even knew about.
When had he lost track of his twin brother and exactly what was going on in his life? They used to share everything.
"Why didn't you tell me before?"
"Because I gave my word that I wouldn't."
"Your plan will never work."
"It has to," Marcus countered. "The consequences of failing are not an option."
His brother was right. If the plan failed, lives could be lost.
"You two need to come in and eat," Aileen Colter directed them from the doorway of the patio. "Now," she insisted. "You both just got in last night. You have to be hungry."
Blake and Marcus exchanged a silent communication as they started to leave the patio. "We're on our way," Blake said loudly enough for his mother to hear. In a softer tone, he said to Marcus, "We need to talk about this later."