Nervously.
Uncertain.
“But we don’t do rings,” I protested.
“If your wolf loses it, I’ll buy you another, but that ring is going to sparkle on your pretty hand. So don’t be a stubborn wolf; give me your answer.”
I leaned down and cupped his cheeks, placing a soft kiss on his mouth. “Yes, sweetheart. I’ll be your mate, your friend, and maybe a pain in the ass, but I’m here for good. No more running unless it’s into your arms.”
Then his tongue entered my mouth. Heat slid down to my core, and our bodies married as he rose up and we fell into a lover’s kiss. A few claps erupted around us, and Austin patted his shoulder, walking off with Lexi. I loved that despite it all, his brother supported his decisions.
“I’m sorry I missed your show,” I whispered.
“That’s okay, baby. You get the encore.” Jericho smiled wide and snared my arm. “Let’s go. Time to do some consummating.”
I hopped on one foot with eagerness.
“What’s wrong with your leg?” He glanced down at my swollen, shoeless foot. I had left it somewhere in the parking lot between the street and fire hydrant.
Ignoring him, I touched the bear claw hanging from his neck. “What’s this?” Then my eyes roamed to the puncture marks on his left arm, and I pulled his shirt back, noticing more on his chest. “And what are these?” I exclaimed, horror sweeping over me.
“A souvenir. No one messes with my girl,” he said, stroking my soft hair with his dexterous fingers.
Then I knew. The man who tried to drown me must have been a Shifter. A bear. The one that was left on my car as an offering. Jericho had challenged him for my honor and had chosen not to heal all the way, as is custom. A Shifter who fought for his mate’s life wore his battle scars proudly.
I stroked my finger over the puncture wound closest to his tattoo and kissed it. “Jericho, you didn’t need to get me a ring. You’re my diamond. Strong, resilient, and one of a kind.” I traced my finger around the scar.
In a swift movement, he bent down and swept me off my feet. “Are you trying to win my heart?”
“So what if I am?”
“Baby, you already had me with the shirt. Hell, you had me the day we met in the rain when you told me to get lost.”
I laughed against his neck. “Well, you were a persistent pain in the ass. Not to mention you used a porn magazine to cover my head.”
He chuckled. “The centerfold made for extra coverage.”
“Are you really going to carry me out of here An Officer and a Gentleman style?”
He kissed my cheek and belted out a few words to the song at the top of his lungs. I slapped my hand over his mouth and laughed. “Don’t you dare embarrass me while sweeping me off my feet. You have an image to protect. You know—the badass image. Singing a sappy song from last century? No, sir.”
“I’m not going to lie to you, baby. I’m staying with the band. Austin’s offer to work in the shop isn’t what I’m about. This is who I am. Late nights, rehearsals, zoning out at dinner and scribbling lyrics on a napkin—that comes with the package. I’m sorry if I can’t wrap it up in a neat bow.”
I placed the palm of my hand on his chest and nestled my head against his shoulder. “I’m all right with it. The stage is where your heart is, and you should always follow your heart.”
I squeaked when Jericho set me on top of the bar and eased between my legs. Someone’s drink tipped over and rolled on the floor, but he ignored the complaints and kissed my forehead.
“Baby, you’re my heart. You’re the only girl I’ve written music for. The only girl I want to wake up next to and make blueberry pancakes and bacon for. The only girl I want to kiss on the neck, love with my mouth, eat donuts with at two in the morning, and go on road trips with. Music is how I express myself, but I could never love anything more than what I’ve got right here,” he said, softly kissing my mouth.
I leaned back a little. “There are a million other girls out there. You sure about this?”
His hands splayed across my thighs. “You’re stuck with me. I’ll love you no matter what we go through together, because that’s what a good mate does. And we’re gonna have unbelievable sex together,” he said, waggling his brows. “I think we both know that’s a fact and not an assumption. Speaking of, I’m going to make good on that promise starting in the next twenty minutes.”
I gripped the bear claw in a tight fist and looked at him tenderly, still in disbelief. “What makes you so sure you want to be my life mate?”