And all the pent-up emotion in my chest comes spilling forth in a laughing sob as Lance brushes past Killian to sweep me off my feet. Stooping, he wraps his arms around my hips, lifting me from the ground as he holds me up and spins me in a circle.
It feels so good to be in his arms again, his beautiful blue eyes looking up at me like I’m the only thing in this world that matters. And his devastating smile is brimming with emotion. “We’re having a baby,” he says, this time more in wonder rather than as a question.
“We’re having a baby,” I agree, smiling so hard my cheeks start to hurt.
And Lance lets me slide down his body just enough to bring his lips to mine. He kisses me fiercely, passionately, his arms enveloping me as he holds me close against his heart. I can feel it hammering confidently in his chest.
“When did you find out?” he murmurs, pressing his forehead against mine as he closes his eyes.
“Yesterday,” I say. “And you’re happy?”
“Are you kidding? I meant it when I said I love you, Quinn. You’re my forever.” Lance pauses, his blue eyes deep and searching as he looks into my soul, warming my body.
And I gasp as Lance drops to one knee in front of me. My heart swells as he looks up at me adoringly. And pulls a ring box from his pocket.
“Oh my God, what are you doing? Where did you get that?” I gasp covering my lips with my fingers. Waving my hands in front of his face, I say, “Never mind, forget I asked that. You just keep going.”
Lance chuckles. “I know it might be fast, but I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. I was sure of it walking up those front steps to come find you this morning—before I even knew about the baby. And knowing we’re going to have a child together only makes me more certain that now is the right time to ask. So, will you make me the happiest man in the world? I want to prove to you every day that I can be the man worthy of your heart. I want to care for you and our little boy or girl. I want to come home to you every night and wake up to you every morning. Quinn King, will you marry me?”
Lance opens the tiny ring box, and inside is the most beautiful solitaire emerald cut diamond I’ve ever seen. It twinkles in the light, casting beautiful rainbows across the box and memorizing me. But even more significantly is the fact that Lance came here today wanting to propose to me. He wants to show me how much he cares for me. And God, I love him.
Giddy laughter bubbles from me along with my tears, and I can hardly wrap my mind around the roller-coaster ride of emotions I’ve been through lately. But I know without a shadow of doubt that Lance is the only man I want to marry.
“Yes,” I murmur.
39
LANCE
That one word has never sounded so sweet, and I rise to my feet so I can cradle Quinn’s face between my palms. And when I kiss her it feels like the heavens themselves have opened up to sing because the woman I’m deeply, madly in love with wants to spend her life with me.
A low, deep throat clearing brings me back down to reality, and I flinch as I realize kissing Quinn as many times as I have in front of Killian might have been counterproductive to avoiding another butt whooping.
I turn, wrapping an arm around Quinn’s waist as I look to see what kind of fury Killian is about to unleash. And I find Natasha tucked beneath his arm, one hand on her chest as she smiles at us warmly.
And to my intense relief, while Killian looks less than comfortable about watching me kiss his sister, who he’s always been massively protective over—understandable—he seems to have calmed down about us being together.
“You’re okay with this?” Quinn asks tentatively, eyeing her brother nervously.
“I think…I was too hasty in judging your intentions,” Killian says, his eyes meeting mine apologetically. “I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions about you taking advantage of Quinn. I just…I don’t know. She’s my kid sister, and I’ve known how crazy about you she’s always been, but you never seemed to have any interest—which I was glad about. Until I realized you were having sex.”
Killian shudders, as if the thought of his sister having sex is the worst thing imaginable, and I do my best not to laugh. I’ll let him remain in that blissful state of ignorance.
“Anyway, after seeing her so freaked out and vulnerable from what those Agosti men did…And knowing that I asked you to watch out for her…It felt like you were swooping in, looking for something physical when I knew she would think it’s more.” Killian gives a one-shoulder shrug, looking uncomfortable as he scratches the back of his neck.
“I get it,” I say. And I do. “You were looking out for her heart. I just thought you knew me better than that.”
Killian shakes his head, regret twisting his lips into a crooked smile. “I do. I’m sorry, Lance. And now that I can see how genuinely you love Quinny, I want to give you my blessing.”
Relief floods me to hear that because, as determined as I was to win Quinn back when I came today, I had feared I might have permanently lost my brother and best friend. “Thanks, Killian. That means a lot.”
My arm tightens around Quinn’s waist, and when I look down at her, the smile she beams up at me melts my heart.
Killian chuckles, and I look back at him, raising my eyebrows.
“You know, I tried damn hard to get Quinn on a different path in life. I’dhopedshe might marry someone less involved in our world.”
“You and Daddy both,” Quinn says. “But I had other plans.”