#FinishLine (GearShark #5)

by Cambria Hebert

  “I don’t think anything will beat this view,” I said.

  Champagne was delivered to the table, along with a French appetizer, some kind of crepe. “Dinner will be out shortly,” the server said.

  “You already ordered?” Josie asked, looking at the food.

  I nodded. “Sometimes a man just has to take control, baby.”

  Her eyes went back to the view. “Well, you definitely do it very well.”

  Using my fork, I cut into the crepe, which looked savory, not sweet, and held a bite up to her lips. She groaned when the flavors hit her tongue, and her eyes rolled back in her head.

  She was practically indecent tonight. “Oh, that’s so good.”

  “What is it?” I asked, trying to tell my dick to settle down.

  Instead of picking up her own fork, Josie took the one out of my hand and fed me a bite. I was much less dramatic, but it was pretty good. It had artichokes in it.

  We didn’t have much conversation, really. It was hard to talk when the view was so spectacular and always changing. The food came out steadily (main course was steak), and the drinks were flowing.

  The service was bomb, and the atmosphere was even better.

  We did talk a little, some about Arrow and Hopper’s wedding and the rest about everything I just mentioned.

  “I’ve always wanted to see the Eiffel Tower. I know this isn’t the real thing, but it sure feels like it right now,” Josie said.

  “You’ve not been to Paris?” That surprised me.

  She shook her head, the long silky strands brushing over her bare shoulders. “Actually, no.”

  “We’ll go.” I decided.

  She laughed. “When?”

  “I might have something in mind.” I hedged.

  “Are you going to tell me?” she mused, propping her chin on her hand to stare at me, amused.

  “I have something for you,” I replied, hoping to redirect her attention.

  Her eyes widened. “This isn’t enough?” Gesturing to the table, the flowers, and the view, she raised an eyebrow.

  “Not nearly,” I whispered, feeling my heart start to pound. Reaching into the pocket of my leather jacket, I felt around, making sure to grab what I wanted. Josie’s teeth sank into her lower lip, the white of them practically gleaming against the red.

  Pulling out a black velvet box, I set it on the table between us.

  Her eyes bounced between me and the box, and I smiled. “Well, go on,” I told her.

  Josie moved her body, spinning in the chair so her knees pointed in my direction instead of beneath the table. Without thinking, I put a hand over her knee, rubbing the velvety skin there. Picking up the box and holding it in her hand, she glanced at me again.

  I smiled wide.

  Watching her hold her breath, she popped open the box.

  Her eyes rounded in surprise again as she nearly did a double take. Clearly, it wasn’t what she was expecting, and she had no idea how to react.

  Ah, my girl. I loved getting under her skin.

  Lowering the box, the gift still inside, her eyes found mine. “A lock?”

  I chuckled. I couldn’t help it. “You like it?”

  “Well,” she said, glancing back down. “It’s very pretty. I love that its red and shaped like a heart.”

  “But you still don’t understand why I’m giving you a lock.”

  “Uh, no.”

  Pushing back the chair, I stood, offering her my hand. “C’mon. I’ll show you.” Once her hand was securely in mine, I reminded her, “Bring the lock.”

  On our way to the door, I nodded to the server, letting her know we’d be back. She gave me a knowing smile, and not for the first time tonight, my stomach knotted with nerves.

  This entire night was totally unexpected. Right down to the velvet box I was holding… which had a lock inside.

  Not a ring. A lock.

  I couldn’t even be disappointed because this was far too curious to be a letdown.

  Jace led me through the Eiffel Tower Restaurant and pushed through a side door that seemed to come out of nowhere. When I stepped through, the summer air caught a few long strands of my hair and blew them out behind me like a flag.

  “What is this?” I asked, looking around.

  “It’s a bridge,” Jace explained, drawing me farther out onto the long bridge lined with streetlamps.

  “Gee, thanks, Captain Obvious,” I quipped. It was beautiful out here. Even down below, I could hear the water in the fountains from the light show.

  He made a sound. “The Locks of Love Bridge to be exact.”

  I straightened, eyes flying up to meet his. “They have a Locks of Love Bridge here? I thought that was only in Paris.”

  Gesturing to the sides of the bridge filled with locks, Jace replied, “Not only in Paris.”

  Oh my goodness, this was incredibly romantic. “You got us a lock for the Locks of Love Bridge, Jace?” My voice was breathless and slightly awed.

  He stopped walking, pulling me around so his arms could wrap around my waist. “Couldn’t think of a better way to lock my lady down.”

  I rolled my eyes and groaned.

  Laughing, his lips caught mine. I forgot all about his terrible joke and kissed him back, sliding my tongue over his. He tasted like champagne, but it was him who made me drunk.

  “Thought it would be a good symbol of the way I feel about you,” he whispered, his lips still upon mine.

  I sighed. “I love it.”

  He pulled back abruptly and smacked my ass. “Good. Now come on. Pick a spot.”

  Taking his hand, we strolled down the bridge, looking at the thousands of locks already clipped here. Every single one of them symbolized love. All of them held a promise of forever, maybe even making something as great and intangible as love tangible.

  Some of the locks were colored (like the red one we had) and some were just plain silver squares, but it didn’t matter. All of them were beautiful because they represented something bigger.

  “Here,” I said, finally picking a spot and tugging Jace over to the railing.

  “Looks good to me.” He agreed. “You want to do the honor?”

  Nodding, I took the red, heart-shaped lock out of the box along with the small key. Jace was quiet (and kind of fidgety) as he watched me open the latch. “Here?” I asked, slipping it onto a bare spot near the top of the railing.

  “Anywhere you want, baby,” he murmured.

  I latched it closed, bending to make sure it was fully secure. “Hey,” I said, noticing something I hadn’t before. “There’s something written on the back.”

  “Oh yeah?” he asked. “What?”

  Holding it against my palm and turning the best I could to read it, I squinted at it.

  Gasping, I straightened, totally letting go of the metal, spinning to look at Jace.

  I gasped again.

  He was standing there facing me, another black velvet box in his hands. This one was open, and it wasn’t another lock.

  It was a glittering ring.

  My hand pressed against my chest, as if it were asking my heart to either restart or slow the hell down. I couldn’t figure out which because I was so entranced by the sight of him standing there and the echo in my mind of the words I’d just read.

  “What did it say, Josie?” Jace cajoled.

  Tearing my eyes away from the ring and up to his dark, chocolate orbs, I sucked in another breath. “Jace…”

  “Took you long enough to realize there was something written on that old, boring lock.” He winked.

  I recovered enough to smack him in the chest. “That was just mean, Jace!”

  “Ah, but, baby, the look on your face right now is so worth it.”

  My lower lip quivered. Oh, he was getting to me. This was so incredibly sweet.

  “What did the lock say?” he asked again.

  The night air swirled around us, the lights glowed in the dark, and every so often, the locks would clink togethe
r to make a musical sound. “Will you marry me?” I whispered.

  He nodded and actually dropped down on one knee. I started shaking, tears pooling in the corners of my eyes. I’d been hoping… but this was far more than anything I could have ever imagined. And Jace… down on one knee?

  I’d never have believed it.

  “I can’t wait another day, another minute to ask you, baby.” He began, holding the ring out. “I told you once I didn’t own you, and I didn’t want to. I wanted to be a choice, a choice you made every single day. I meant it then, and I mean it now. This ring isn’t a sign of ownership; it’s a promise, Josie. A promise that I choose you. Not just here and now, but always. For the rest of my life. Say yes, baby, but only say it if you know you will chose me for the rest of your life.”

  “Yes, Jace.”

  “You didn’t even hesitate.”

  I scoffed. As if he expected me to hesitate. Yeah, right. “I’m a woman who knows who she wants.”

  Relief filled his face and body. Leaping up from the ground, he scooped me up, hugging me so tight my feet dangled above the concrete. “I love you so fucking much.” I loved the growly quality to his voice.

  Once he set me back on my feet, I smiled, feeling a little sassy. “And you might not want to own me, but you want this big-ass flashy ring to show I’m taken.”

  “How ‘bout we slide it home so it can get to work?”

  Holding out my hand, Jace picked up the ring and slid it onto my finger. Before allowing me to pull it back, he lifted my hand and pressed his warm, supple lips to the cool metal.

  A small shiver shook my body, which made him smile smugly. I couldn’t let his smugness go unpunished, so I responded by reaching out and cupping his cock right through the black jeans he was wearing.

  Right out there in the open.

  A couple walking by giggled because I wasn’t exactly shy about the action.

  Jace’s eyes widened, and I gave him a little squeeze. A low groan slipped from between his parted lips.

  Who was the smug one now?

  Jace laughed low. “Life with you ain’t ever gonna be boring, is it?”

  I winked, then turned my attention to the ring on my finger. I had yet to fully appreciate its massive beauty.

  It was too big. Too blingy. Totally gorgeous.

  Maybe I was a little more girly than I thought. Jace always did seem to know that better than anyone, even me.

  The ring was platinum and boasted a wide band. It took up quite a lot of space on my finger. It sort of reminded me of the cuff bracelet Hopper and Arrow gifted me, except this was a cuff for my finger. The width of the band had a scroll-like pattern. The design actually had a lot of movement, which I found beautiful. Inside some of the scrolls were inlaid diamonds, which caught the light expertly. The perimeter of the band on both sides was circled in small, round diamonds all lined up beside each other perfectly.

  The design itself was cut out so the skin on my finger peeked through.

  It was a gorgeous band. Made more so by the giant diamond in the center. The center stone was a perfectly cut round diamond set with four platinum prongs. It wasn’t raised off the band too much, which I really appreciated. A ring like this had the ability to get in the way, especially when I was working under the hood of a car.

  The center stone had to be at least one and a half carats, and the rest of the diamonds circling the band and filling out the scroll design had to equal another carat.

  This ring was definitely more than I ever would have asked for, more than even I would have picked out on my own.

  I loved it more than anything.

  “Do you, ah, like it?” Jace asked, watching me study the design.

  “Actually,” I said, lowering my hand, “I’m in love with it.”

  He blew out a breath.

  I lifted an eyebrow. “Could it be? Are you, Jace Lorhaven, actually nervous about something?”

  His eyes narrowed. Then he muttered his reply. “Enjoying yourself?”

  Stepping close, my arms wound around his neck, palms cupping the back of his head. “Am I enjoying the fact you love me enough to worry if I would like the ring you chose? Very much.”

  The sound of breath hissing out when our lips locked was all I heard. The sounds from the strip, passing footsteps, people nearby talking… all of it fell away.

  In the moment, it was just Jace and me. Heat rushed up my neck, heating my cheeks, and the grip on the back of his neck intensified. A light breeze came out of nowhere, ruffling my hair, pushing it into his face as we kissed.

  He moaned as if the feel of the silky strands was intoxicating. Meanwhile, his large, calloused palm reached around and cupped my ass. I stretched against him, leaning closer, and his hand slipped down and brushed against the bare skin of my upper thigh.

  Breaking the kiss, Jace murmured, “This dress is too short, woman. Your fine ass is on display.”

  “You like it,” I purred.

  “Damn right.” The husky quality in his voice made me smile, but my lips didn’t hold it long, because he attacked my mouth once again.

  Our tongues stroked together for a few more blissful moments before I pulled away to lay my cheek on his shoulder.

  “Ah, Josie,” he murmured, tucking me close.

  We stood like that for a long time on the bridge, looking across the thousands of locks already placed there and out over the night lights and stunning view.

  “I hope this proposal wasn’t too… ordinary,” he finally said.

  Surprised, I yanked back. “What!”

  He looked sheepish. “Vegas, the Paris Hotel, the Eiffel Tower… It’s not cheesy, is it?”

  I laughed. “Are you kidding? It’s so romantic.”

  “You deserve romance, baby. I didn’t want to do this at the track or at home… I’ve been waiting a long time, trying to figure out a way you deserved.”

  Surging forward, I took his face in my hands. “I love you, Jace. This is perfect, something I will never, ever forget.” My eyes, which had been drilling into his, strayed to the ring on my finger.

  Tucking me into his side, Jace led me toward the entrance into the Paris Hotel. “I’m thinking the real Eiffel Tower in Paris for a honeymoon,” he said.

  Paris in Vegas for a proposal, Paris in France for a honeymoon… It was perfect. “I would love that.”

  “Consider it done.”

  I gasped. “Wait!” I insisted and rushed back to where we hung our lock. “I need a picture of it!”

  He laughed and patiently waited while I took too many photos. Then I made him smile for a selfie.

  He secretly liked it.

  “So you’ve been planning this for a while?” I asked after tucking the phone back into my red clutch.

  Dragging his fingers through the long, straight strands of my dark hair, he sighed. “I’ve had that ring for months. It just never seemed like the right time. Guess you could say Arrow’s wedding inspired me.”

  “You’ve been getting a lot of pressure to put a ring on my finger,” I said knowingly.

  “Not from you.” He moved closer.

  “That’s because I know you love me,” I whispered, rubbing my palm down the front of his chest.

  Jace caught my hand, lacing it with his. “I do, baby. Always.”

  “Me, too.”

  “C’mon. We have dessert at the table.” After a few steps toward the entrance to the restaurant, he said, “I’m assuming my punishment for bossing you around earlier is over and you’re going to let me peel that sexy lacy thing off your curves later?”

  My eyes rounded. He knew! What a dirty rat!

  He laughed. “Ah, darling. Sometimes I just love to piss you off. So feisty.”

  I couldn’t help it. I laughed. “You’re definitely forgiven.”

  Before leaving the bridge, Jace lifted my hand and kissed the back of it. “Thank you for saying yes, Josie.”

  My skin tingled beneath his touch. “Thank you, Jace. Not just
for tonight, but for all the nights I know are yet to come.”

  “Jace,” her exhausted, sleep-rumpled voice moaned. I grabbed her hand, stopping her from hitting me in the chest for the fiftieth time. “Jace, the phone.”

  Snatching the phone off the nearby table while muttering an expletive, I practically snapped into it, “What!”

  Someone cleared their throat. “This is the front desk, sir. This is your wake-up call.”

  “Already?” I moaned, wiping a hand over my eyes.

  The voice on the other end of the line muffled a giggle. “Yes.”

  My eyes shot open, and I sat up. “Thank you.” Before I could slam the receiver down, I thought better of it. “Any chance you can have coffee sent up to the room?”

  “Of course, Mr. Lorhaven. Anything else with your coffee?”

  I pulled the phone away from my mouth. “Baby, you want food?” I asked Josie, who basically looked like a pile of hair in the blankets.

  She grunted.

  “Eggs and bacon, please. And toast,” I said into the phone.

  “Of course. I’ll have that sent right up.”

  After thanking her again, I hung up and dove on top of Josie, wrapping my arms around her and the blankets. She smelled good, like vanilla and something else. Oh, I knew the scent. It was me.

  I loved it when my woman smelled like me.

  “Wake that sexy ass up,” I told her.

  “Tired,” she argued.

  Messing around in her wild mane, I finally managed to find her ear, latching my lips around it to suck gently. “Did I keep you up too late last night?” I asked, rocking my hips into her.

  “Yes,” she moaned.

  I chuckled. “You liked it.”

  With a heavy sigh, Josie rolled, pushing me off her to lie on her back. Her left hand flung upward into the air, turning so she could stare at the wide band there. “It wasn’t a dream.”

  “Oh, fuck no. You’re mine.”

  The hand and the ring curled around my neck, bringing me down for a good morning kiss. It ended too soon for my liking, and her attention went back to the ring.

  “I didn’t put that there so I could compete for attention against it.”

  “Should have bought me something smaller.” She teased. Her voice was still throaty and deep from sleep.