Tough Enough(101)

In the quiet, I hear Katie’s gasp. She’s standing in front of the small dining table with her hands over her mouth. A white cloth covers the surface. On it, two white candles are lit in silver holders and red rose petals are scattered all around it. A silver wine bucket rests on a stand to the right, holding a chilled bottle of Chiara sparkling wine. From there, a trail of red rose petals disappears into the next room.

Katie glances back at me, her eyes shimmering with the suspicion of what’s to come. I say nothing. I do nothing. I simply follow her as she follows the trail of petals.

They lead to a small bedroom. The king bed is draped in white and covered in rose petals. In the center is a pile of long-stemmed roses with a card propped in front of them. In calligraphy, it reads Will you marry me?

I hear the soft huff of her breath. She’s crying, her hands still covering her mouth.

I step in front of her, meeting her glistening eyes, my heart pounding harder than any of my opponents ever have, and I spill my guts. “I never thought I’d meet someone who would become the focus of my world. I didn’t think love like that existed. Until a beautiful makeup artist painted her image on my heart. Every day, I wanted her more. To see her smile, to hear her laugh, to feel her touch. One day I woke up beside her and realized that I couldn’t live without her. I could only survive. Miserably. So I tried everything I could think of to make her mine, to make her love me like I loved her. And when she did, I brought her to a vineyard, one I hope to buy for us, to tell her that I’m giving her my life. And I’m praying that she takes it. It wouldn’t be worth anything without her in it. That’s why we’re here. This is me, offering everything I’ll ever be to the person who already owns me.” I reach for her hands, taking them in mine as I sink to one knee. I’ve never cared so much about the outcome of a fight before. Because it’s been a fight. Me fighting for her, her fighting to get her life back. Each of us fighting for the other. “Will you marry me? Will you stay with me today, tomorrow and every day after that? Will you let me make you happy, keep you safe and spend my life working to give you everything you’ve ever wanted?”

She’s absolutely still. The only thing moving are the tears pouring down her cheeks. And then she nods. And then she nods again.

And then she’s in my arms. Kissing me like she can’t breathe unless her lips are touching mine. Touching me like she’s never letting go. Hanging on like she’s resisting gravity.

“I said yes before you ever told me you loved me,” she confesses tearfully, tearing her mouth away from mine. “I’ve been yours all along. And I always will be.”

It’s more than two hours—two very heated, loud hours—later when Katie, curled up against my side, asks me about the vineyard.

“Tag was raised here. His father passed away a couple of years ago and his mother is sick now, too. He wants to buy this place, not just because he’s spent most of his life here, but also because this is home for his mom, too. He wants her to be able to stay here the rest of her days, not having to worry about work. He could use an investor, and I thought it would be a good place to park some of my fighting money. This way, we can stay in Enchantment as long as you want, whether you continue working or not.”

She turns her smile up at me. “So truly no more fighting?”

“No more fighting for me. I already have the only thing worth fighting for. I consider that a happy ending all the way around.”

“I got my fairy tale after all.”

“And I got you.”

“You certainly do,” she says, sliding up my body to plaster her lips against mine.

“I hope Tag has some ear plugs,” I say, swallowing her throaty moan. Those are the last words either of us speak for a long, long time.





Turn the page for a special excerpt from the next Tall, Dark, and Dangerous novel by M. Leighton

BRAVE ENOUGH

Coming soon from Berkley Books!





ONE


Weatherly

I’m surprised that I know the way back to Chiara. It’s been years since I’ve visited our family vineyard on the outskirts of a small Georgian town called Enchantment, but I find that I know the turns even before the navigation tells me which way to go. When I was growing up, it was one of my favorite places in the world. Winding roads, lush green hills, and purple-gray mountains rising up in the background—it’s like the best of every world, all in one spot.

Already I feel a little less claustrophobic just leaving Atlanta behind. Don’t get me wrong; I love that city, but with my father and his old cronies bearing down on me, I had to get away. I can’t very well come up with a plan to save myself if they’re occupying all my time and hovering around every corner.