I nod, looking up into his eyes. “I love you, Jackson.”
Jackson lifts my chin with his fingers and we kiss, his lips a cool balm on the searing pain that's been eating away at my heart since Miami. He cups my cheek, and I wrap my arms around his waist, tears still flowing, but these tears are of happiness and relief, not of sadness.
“I love you, Katrina,” Jackson whispers in my ear. “I want to be with you forever.”
I nod and hug him. “I want that, too.”
He hums and pulls me close. “Then let's get out of here. I have only two things on my mind right now.”
“What's that?” I ask, laying my head on his chest, listening to the heartbeat that I've missed and the heartbeat that I want to build my future around.
“One... I want to get some food. I haven't eaten today, and I'm going to need energy for later.”
“Why?” I ask, giving him a smile, knowing exactly what he wants. It's what I want, and it's the right thing to do.
Jackson notices me smile and returns his own. “I think you know exactly why. Let's just keep it cheap, okay? Like I said, I've only got sixty bucks.”
“No you don't,” I inform him, getting to my feet and helping him up. “Andrea gave you a going away present. Besides the stones.”
“Oh?” he asks, raising an eyebrow. “What?”
“A numbered account in the Bahamas. I checked it this afternoon... you've got three hundred and fifteen thousand dollars.”
Jackson considers it, then nods. “Okay then. I guess we can get extra cheese on the pizza.”
Chapter 31
Kat
The bed is actually more comfortable than my old loft bed. It’s a simple queen-size mattress thrown on the floor, and as Jackson lies down next to me, he hums. “So is this what life in the underground is going to be like?”
“Maybe,” I tell him, smiling. “But before we do this... I have to tell you something.”
“What?” he asks, and I take his hand, placing it on my stomach.
“Jackson, I'm pregnant. I took the test yesterday.” I'm a bit nervous saying this, but Jackson takes the news wonderfully, smiling. “You're happy?”
“To create a life with you?” he asks, his smile growing even wider. “Yes, of course! So... I guess I have a question for you, too. I was going to wait, but why wait any longer?”
“Yes and no,” I tell him before he can ask. When he raises an eyebrow, I smirk. “Yes, I'll be your wife. No, I won't marry you. I want to keep living off the grid. We can set up fake IDs with a shared last name if you want, but for me... this right here is our wedding.”
Jackson gets off the bed and goes over to the table, where the sapphire and diamond have been sitting since he took them out of his pocket and showed them to me. “Then can we get these set in gold at least?”
“Platinum,” I counter, watching the lamplight sparkle in each of them. They're beautiful, and I have to remember to send a thank you to Andrea for them. “Goes better with my skin tone. And no ring, pendants only. That way I never have to take them off when I want to do some martial arts practice.”
Jackson laughs and sets the gems aside, letting them clatter lightly onto the small table next to the bed. “I can agree with that. So do you want to make any promises or vows?”
I sit up, and take his hand, placing it on my heart. Jackson takes my hand and places it on his heart, and we look into each other's eyes, his face so serious it's moving. “I promise, Katrina. Forever and always, I will love you and try to be the man you deserve to have.”
I blink and take a deep breath, letting his words soak in a moment before replying, wanting every syllable to be the right ones. “I promise to love you, Jackson, forever and always. And I will always strive to be the best wife and woman I can be for you.”
Jackson smirks, and leans in. “May I kiss the bride?”
“You better do more than that,” I tease, my laugh becoming a moan when Jackson's hand brushes over my nipple. He kisses me tenderly, then with more strength, his arms coming around to pull me tight against him. His kisses move to my neck, nipping and thrilling my skin. “Mmm, that's amazing.”
“Good,” Jackson says with a light growl, “because now that you're mine, I'm going to punish you for making me go through hell for three weeks.”
“Oh?” I ask, thrilled when Jackson pushes me to the side, not too hard, and I look up to see a naughty twinkle in his eye. “Like that, huh?”
Jackson nods and pulls his t-shirt off. He's lost a little bit of mass, but he's more ripped than ever, and I remember that he's spent weeks working himself as hard as I do with his workouts. The bodybuilder puff muscle is gone, and now he's more lean, real muscle. “Turn over, or I turn you over.”