Keep My Heart (Top Shelf Romance Book 7)
Page 139
“I made a decent dent,” I sigh.
He comes over to the bed, eyeing me. He swoops down and kisses me. The faint smell of beer follows him.
“You look like you could fall right asleep.” he comments and then does just want I knew he would. Plants a kiss right on my lips.
“I don’t know,” I only answer once he breaks the kiss. “Maybe?” Right after the word is spoken, I involuntarily yawn.
“I guess that answers my question,” he says with a rough chuckle, winking at me and heading to the master bath.
“No, wait,” I say, tugging his arm. “Tell me something. I don’t want to fall asleep without talking a little bit.”
He looks at me for a long moment, then shakes his head.
“What?” I ask.
“I was going to wait until you’re more awake, but…”
He reaches in his back pocket and pulls out a Ring Pop. Scrunching my face curiously, I watch as he gets off the bed, kneeling on the floor.
“What are you doing?” I ask with a stupid grin on my face. A Ring Pop?
“Asking you to marry me, if you don’t mind.”
My mouth falls open and my heart thumps loud and fast. I stare at him, and he looks back at me, the hint of a smile on his face. But also nervousness. Holy shit. No he’s not really. Goosebumps break out over my body.
“You’re kidding,” I accuse.
“I’m not. I’m just waiting for a sign that you want to hear the words.”
“I… I…” I try to answer with my lungs refusing to work.
My throat closes up, and tears threaten. I am officially speechless. I manage a nod.
“Yes? You want to hear them?”
I nod again.
“I love you, Grace Campbell. I don’t want to lose you ever again. I want to build a life with you. I want us to have a family, together.”
Yes. Those are exactly the words I want to hear. That thudding in my chest gets harder and I watch him pull a small black velvet box from his back pocket, the opposite one that the Ring Pop was in.
My eyes prick with tears and I sit up straighter.
He pauses. I press my fingers to my lips. I can’t believe this is really happening.
“It’s been in my back pocket for almost a week now, Grace. I wanted it to be perfect. I want everything to be perfect for you. For us.”
“Charlie,” all I can say is his name.
“Grace, will you marry me?” Charlie asks, looking at me with those soulful green eyes.
I launch myself off the bed, tackling him. My kisses land more on his face than his mouth, but Charlie doesn’t seem to mind.
When the kisses taper off, he slides the diamond onto my finger, the ring sparkling and shining bright. It’s a large diamond, I don’t know how many carats, but it sits perfect on my finger.
Charlie chuckles. “You approve?”
“I love it,” I answer, brushing the tears from my face.
“So tell me what I want to hear.”
“The kissing and tackling weren’t evidence enough?” I tease.
“Not for me,” he says, his eyes sparkle and the smile on his face widens. “Not when it’s something this important.”
I lean in and kiss him tenderly. “Yes, Charlie. I want to marry you.”
“Good. Because I want to do this with you forever. I’m all in.”
“Forever?” I question.
“Forever,” he repeats.
“I love you, Grace.”
“I love you too, Charlie.”
Epilogue
Charlie
The sound of keys tapping rattles through the house. Grace is busy at work again. I roll in the bed onto my side and stare at the digital red numbers, 4:33 a.m.
The bed groans as I shift my weight and crawl out of bed. My sweetheart’s been getting into this habit lately. It started before the wedding when she knew she’d be taking time off.
And now she’s at it again.
Ever since she was promoted and in charge of her own team, she works nonstop. Well, mostly. But just like me, we make time for each other.
My wedding band clinks on the doorknob as I open the bedroom door wider and follow the soft clicks of her laptop in the office.
I lean against the doorframe, resting my head there and watching her for a moment.
She’s made my house a home. Leaving work is now enjoyable, knowing that I’m coming home to her beautiful smile.
The faint light from her computer bathes her in a glow. My lips creep up into a smile. No, that glow is from something else.
As my eyes travel to her swollen belly, the tapping of her laptop stops.
Her gorgeous blue eyes stare back at me as she asks, “Did I wake you?” A wrinkle sets in the middle of her forehead as she frowns and gets up to come over to me. Her belly almost pushes against the desk, but she turns in time. She’s only now getting used to the weight of our little boy.
Six months pregnant, a little over a month after marriage, almost a year since I first laid eyes on her, and I couldn’t love her more.
Our baby boy is healthy, and the doctors don’t expect any complications. It’s funny how she was so nervous and anxious, but the moment she got pregnant, she relaxed and I became the one who was worrying about everything.
I open my arms as she slowly walks to me, the lack of sleep seeming to hit her as she reaches me.
Her soft body molds to mine as I hold her and kiss her hair. The smell of her shampoo tickles my nose as I smile. “I missed you I think,” my words reflect my sleepy state. “I can’t sleep when you’re not in bed.”
She lifts her head to look at me, “I just wanted to get this one done before the baby comes.”
My smile only widens at her response. “We have three more months, sweetheart.”
She pouts in response, and it only makes me want to kiss her that much more.
Her lips part to give some excuse, but I don’t let her say a word. I crush my lips to hers, spearing my fingers through her hair and deepening it when she melts into me.
A year since I set eyes on her, and I don’t know how I ever lived without her.
When I pull away from her, Grace’s hands travel toward her belly and I know why; I can feel our little boy kicking her. She looks up at me in wonder, as if it’s the first time she’s felt him.
A chuckle escapes me as I push her hair out of her face and plant a chaste kiss on her lips.
She grabs my hand and places it on her belly and our baby kicks my hand just then. It’s hard enough that I would have pulled back had Grace’s hand not still been on top of mine.
“Is he why you can’t sleep?” I ask her playfully, my hands traveling over her swollen bump.
“No, the lavender pillow spray works really well to put me out.” My eyes reach hers again, and in them I see nothing but happiness. Cheryl has been over nonstop, giving her all sorts of things.
Grace happened to say once at Sunday dinner that she wasn’t sleeping well. The very next day my sisters and mom were over here with all sorts of pillows and aromatherapy sprays. My Ma knew. She knows everything.
I’ve never loved my family more than now. And I know Grace loves them, too.
Together, we’re complete; there’s no doubt in my mind that this is how it was supposed to happen all along.
I tip her chin up, holding her gaze for a moment before kissing her one last time and whispering, “I love you.” I can feel her smile on my lips before she whispers back, “And I love you.”
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Reid
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Featuring: Devney Perry, Amo Jones, Chelle Bliss & K. Bromberg
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Also by Willow Winters
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Endless
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A Single Kiss
A Single Touch
Hard to Love
Desperate to Touch
Tempted to Kiss
Easy to Fall
Do You Want Me?
This Love Hurts
Merciless World Spin Off
It’s Our Secret
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Broken
Forget Me Not
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Damaged (Damaged Duet book 1)
Scarred (Damaged Duet book 2)
Willow Winters
Standalone Novels:
All I Want is a Kiss
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Second Chance
Knocking Boots
Promise Me
Burned Promises
Forsaken, cowritten with B. B. Hamel
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Valetti Crime Family Series:
Dirty Dom
His Hostage
Rough Touch
Cuffed Kiss
Bad Boy
Highest Bidder Series,
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Bought
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Given
Bad Boy Standalones,
cowritten with Lauren Landish:
Inked
Tempted
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W Winters xx
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Thank you so much for reading my romances. I’m just a stay at home mom and avid reader turned author and I couldn’t be happier.
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Kiss Me Slow
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Need You Now
Featuring: Skye Warren, Annika Martin, Claire Contreras, Sierra Simone & Laurelin Paige
Promise Me Forever (Free with Kindle Unlimited)
Featuring: Kate Stewart, A. Zavarelli, Kennedy Ryan & BB Reid
Make Me Yours
Featuring: Devney Perry, Amo Jones, Chelle Bliss & K. Bromberg
Don’t Break This Kiss
Featuring: Jessica Hawkins, Kylie Scott, Marni Mann & Carrie Ann Ryan
Never Let Go (Free with Kindle Unlimited)
Featuring: Tijan, Kandi Steiner, Alessandra Torre & Ella James
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