Joy flooded her heart, bursting like fireworks as the implications of their oh-so-casual conversation really hit her.
“You love me,” she said in wonder. “And you want to marry me.”
She stared at him in utter bewilderment. And then she promptly burst into tears.
Beau was horrified, frantically scrambling for tissue and then tilting her chin up so he could wipe the tears from her face.
“Ari, what’s wrong?” he demanded.
“I’m happy,” she said with a sob.
He scowled. “You have a damn funny way of showing it. You just scared about a decade off my life. Okay, we have to establish some ground rules for this relationship right now. Starting with you never being able to cry, because the sight of you crying, even happy tears, scares the ever-loving hell out of me. And manipulating me with them now that you know what they do to me.”
She laughed and wiped at her tears, trying to keep more from falling. Then she gave up, facing him, her hands extended outward for his. He clasped them firmly in his warm, strong grasp and gently squeezed.
“I love you,” she said, tears still glistening on her eyelashes.
He gazed at her, returning love glowing like a beacon in his eyes. “Promise me you’ll never leave me,” he said hoarsely. “Promise me you’ll love me forever. Stay with me forever.”
“ ’Til death do us part,” she murmured. “I’ve at least got that much down.”
He smiled. “Yeah, believe it or not, I paid attention at Caleb and Ramie’s wedding. Or at least to the good parts. ’Til death do us part’ is right up there with ‘to love and cherish.’ Because, Ari, I will cherish you. All the days of my life. You’ll be the most pampered, spoiled and adored woman in existence.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Ari said thoughtfully. “My dad may have the market cornered on pampering, cherishing, et cetera. It’s kind of embarrassing to see my badass father make a complete wuss of himself over my mother.”
He scowled again. “Is that a challenge I hear? When it comes to taking care of my woman, there is nothing remotely embarrassing about doing whatever it takes to make her happy—to make her smile.”
“Glad you think so. I admit, watching my parents makes me jealous sometimes. I never dreamed I’d have what they have,” she said softly.
“Just wait until our wedding,” he vowed. “Then we’ll see who does the most spoiling.”
“I want my parents there,” Ari said wistfully. “I want my father to give me away. I want my mother to see me in my dress. To help me with my hair and give me marriage and wedding night advice.”
He looked horrified. “Of course they’ll be there. What would make you think any differently? And really, Ari. Wedding night advice? Have I not shown you I’m more than capable in the wedding night department?”
She looked laughingly up at him. “Maybe I was thinking more about advice for me. And well, as far as the wedding goes, I wasn’t at all certain you weren’t going to haul me out of the hospital and to Vegas or something so we got married more quickly.”
“It’s tempting,” he mused. “But your mother would kill me.”
“And not my father?”
Beau laughed. “He’s a man, honey. He’d probably buy our airline tickets if I even mentioned eloping. Hell, he might even buy us our own plane. We hate wearing suits and monkey tails, remember?”
She rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”
Then her expression went soft and serious and she shifted as much as she was able to free up a small area beside her on the small bed. He knew without her saying what she wanted.
Gingerly, he maneuvered his big body against hers, carefully lifting her head so he could position one arm underneath her head, the other free to roam and caress the rest of her body.
“You think you can live with my powers?” she asked quietly.
He went still and then leaned back just enough that he could see her face. With his fingertips, he nudged her chin up so her gaze connected with his.
“I love you, Ari. Everything that makes you who you are. Everything about you. And if you come equipped to ward off an entire third-world nation’s army then I guess I won’t ever have to worry about getting my ass handed to me.”
Her eyes sparkled in the low light of the hospital room as she reached up to trace her fingers down his jawline.
“Having this cast on sucks,” she said huskily. “But I guess it’ll make our eventual wedding night all the more sweeter.”
“Honey, I hate to be the one to break it to you, but after six weeks with you and no sex my balls will be so blue that I give myself thirty seconds tops inside you before I have the mother of all premature ejaculations.”