Page 65 of Rebel

“I’m so excited to eat at Riptide. I don’t even know what I should get. Do you have any favorites?” She ducked back into the bathroom, leaving the door open as she checked her perfect makeup.

“The lobster is great. So is the fettuccine. There’s not a bad thing on the menu. I’ll be having you for dessert though.” Entering the bathroom, I stood behind her, looking at our reflection in the mirror. God, we were perfect together.

Dinner went well. I told Storm to order anything she wanted. We decided on a few separate dishes that we would share so she could try different things. The candlelight setting and the prim and proper patrons seated all around us were definitely not my vibe. Storm ate it up though. Seeing her excited to be there, savoring every bite she took, made it all worth it.

The small box burning a hole in my pocket started to drive me crazy. I’d never been afraid to do anything before. Hell, I just sold a fucking kidney to some guy in the parking lot of an abandoned church. I’d murdered the man who went after my girl and killed her brother. Fearless was my middle name.

So why did my heart pound so fucking hard as we finished up dinner and returned to the hotel?

I called down to the front desk and asked them to send up a bottle of their best champagne on ice. What I really wanted was to chug some Jack Daniels. Since that would be neither classy nor mood setting, I stuck with the champagne.

“I’ve never had real champagne before.” Storm perched on the edge of the bed, watching as I popped the cork and poured a glass for each of us.

“To the most beautiful woman in the world. The only woman able to bring a wild fucker like me to his knees.” I clinked my glass against hers, waiting for her to take a sip. I drank from mine too and set it down on the bedside table.

Then I dropped down to one knee, pulling the ring box from my pocket. Sucking in a deep breath, I opened the box.

Storm lowered her glass, blinking a few times as she realized what was going on. Her mouth dropped open. “Oh my God, Rebel, what are you doing?”

“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m asking you to marry me.” Holding her panicked gaze, I peered into her beautiful blue eyes, doing my best to be earnest. “I don’t really know how to do this. I really hope I don’t fuck it up. All I know is that I’m hopelessly in love with you, Storm. You’re mine, and I want you to always be mine. I want to always be yours too. Will you be my wife?”

The moments that followed my request were the most stressful moments of my entire life.

Storm seemed taken aback. She pressed a hand to her heaving chest, shaking her head in disbelief. “Is this really happening? Are you sure this is what you want?”

A smile stretched across my face. She was so damn adorable.

“I’ve never wanted anything more. Now please answer the question before the uncertainty drives me all the way to crazy.” I reached to take her hand, kissing the tips of her fingers.

Storm practically fell off the bed onto my lap. Slinging her arms around my neck, she kissed me several times, still clutching her champagne glass. “Yes. A world of yes. I am yours, Rebel. Forever.”

Trying to keep my traitorous hands from shaking, I slipped the ring onto her finger. Together, we stared at the sparkling diamond. The symbol of our everything.

“It’s so beautiful, Rebel. I think I can see my reflection in it.” Holding her hand up, she turned it toward the light, checking out the diamond from every angle. “I’m in awe.”

I hugged her tight, making her squeak. “Good. My mom helped me pick it out.”

“Really? She doesn’t think we’re moving too fast? Oh my gosh, I can only imagine what my mom will say. I hope she’s happy. She does really like you.” Remembering the champagne glass she still held, Storm drained the rest of it dry.

“My mom adores you,” I said. “She wouldn’t say it to my face but I know she wonders how I landed a girl like you.”

Storm snickered, playfully slapping my chest. “Sometimes I ask myself the same thing.”

“Funny.” I captured her lips in a kiss that spun my head. “I think it’s time we moved onto dessert.”

Gathering her in my arms, I threw her onto the bed. I plucked the empty glass from her hand and set it aside before pushing her skirt up to expose her tiny pink panties. I glanced up to find Storm still staring at the ring on her hand.

“It’s just so… wow. You know? Is this crazy? Are we ready for this? I mean I want to more than anything. It’s just that—”

Crawling up over her, I silenced her nervous rambling by crushing my lips to hers. Our kiss deepened until we were pawing at each other, tearing at one other’s clothes.

When she lie naked beneath me, I grinned down at her and said, “Maybe it’s crazy. Maybe I don’t care. We’re free to do whatever the hell we want, whenever the hell we want. Is that okay with you, Mrs. Kane?”

Storm answered me by reaching down to grasp my cock while biting down on my bottom lip. Seeing my ring on her finger made me need to be inside her. To claim her with every part of me.

I’d killed for this woman, and I would do it again. Anything it took to protect her. To make sure the world knew she was mine. I would go to hell and back for her.

If that meant putting my own life on the line for her, so be it. This was forever.

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