Page 34 of Phoenix

When he finally pulled back, I was breathless, aching, and absolutely ready for more. Unfortunately, someone had the worst timing and knocked on the door.

“Fucking hell,” Beck groaned, dropping his forehead against mine.

“Hate to interrupt, but I figured you’d want that thing I sent out for as soon as it came back,” Fox explained through the door. “Leavin’ it in the hallway for you.”

I had no clue what he was talking about, but it spurred Beck to crawl off me and stride across the room.

He yanked the door open, bent down, and picked up a small bundle left just outside in the hallway. Then he kicked the door shut behind him, his movements still sharp—like he hadn’t fully come down from the adrenaline high yet. But something in his eyes had shifted when he turned back to me.

Satisfaction gleamed from the hazel depths.

I sat up on the mattress, tugging the hem of my shirt down, but I didn’t bother trying to look innocent. It was a little late for that.

He crossed the room and dropped onto the edge of the bed in front of me. “I should probably wait to do this somewhere nice, not right after spanking your perfect ass pink.”

I quirked a brow. “That doesn’t sound like us.”

His mouth twitched. “So fucking perfect for me.”

He dropped the bundle into my lap. My breath caught when I saw what it was—a leather cut, smaller than his, and with a patch across the back that said Property of Phoenix.

“You really…” I whispered, fingers shaking as I touched the patch.

“Yeah.” His voice was low. “You’re mine, baby. Now nobody can miss it.”

My throat tightened, tears prickling at the corners of my eyes before I could stop them. I looked up at him, trying to blink them back.

“I love you,” I breathed. “So much.”

He leaned in, slid his hand into my hair, and kissed me like the words undid something in him. When he pulled back, his hazel eyes burned into mine.

“Fuck, I love you. And I want you by my side every damn day. So I’m not just giving you a patch.” He reached into the top drawer of his bedside table and pulled out a small black box. “I’m also giving you this.”

My heart skipped as he opened it. There was a ring inside. He went classic—a solitaire diamond, gold band, all simple elegance. Like he somehow knew that underneath the sass, I wanted something that would still make me cry.

“Be my old lady. My wife. The mother of my kids. The reason I don’t burn the damn world down when it pisses me off.”

I let out a teary laugh and nodded so fast I probably looked ridiculous. “Yes. Yes to all of it.”

He slipped the ring on my finger, then leaned in for another kiss—this one softer, slower, but no less claiming.

When he lifted his head again, I looked down at my hand. I couldn’t stop staring at the ring. It felt a little surreal to have something so perfect on my finger.

Beck sat behind me, his arms wrapped around my waist as I leaned back against his chest on the bed. His chin rested on my shoulder, and we were both quiet, soaking the moment in. He kissed the side of my neck, his scruff dragging just enough to make me shiver. “I have one more thing for you.”

I tilted my head. “You do?”

“It’s not shiny.” His voice dropped, thoughtful. “But I figured you might want it anyway.”

I turned to look at him, one brow lifting. “Okay…”

“The community center’s not closing,” he said. “Fox and I talked, and we’ve got the additional funding covered to keep the place going. We’re gonna overhaul it—fix the shit that’s broken, bring in real support. But we need someone we can trust to run it.”

My heart skipped. “You want me to run the center?”

“I can’t imagine anyone else taking Paul’s place.” He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “You love those kids. That place made you. It deserves someone who gets that.”

I blinked quickly, trying not to cry again. “I already checked to see if I could switch to all online classes this fall. I was having a hard time picturing myself being away from Old Bridge for almost two whole years while I finished my degree. I might have to drive up there for exams every once in a while, but my adviser assured me it was possible to finish the rest of my classes from here.”

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