Page 189 of Gloves Off

“Mhm. Come here.”

My heart begins to hammer for the second time tonight as I take a seat beside him on the hospital bed.

“You had this with you?”

“I’ve been carrying it with me everywhere since early December, waiting for the right moment.” He gives me a rueful smile. “And I didn’t want you to find it before the time was right, or you’d freak out. Open it, Georgia.”

With butterflies in my stomach, I open the box.

A pear-shaped diamond the color of caramel and whiskey sits on a thin gold band. White diamonds stud the band, subtle but sparkling.

It’s breathtaking. I’ve never seen something so beautiful.

“It’s a cognac diamond,” he explains in a low voice, gaze never leaving my face. “I found it in a vintage ring and had it reset in a more modern setting.”

It’s so pretty, so perfect and unique and special.

A long beat of silence. He stares at me and I stare at the ring. “Do you like it?”

I laugh in disbelief. “Alexei, I love it. It’s easily the most beautiful thing I’ll ever wear.Thank youdoesn’t seem like enough.”

His mouth quirks, eyes warm and affectionate. “Say yes, then. Marry me for real. Be my wife forever. I love you. I love you so fucking much. I don’t want this to end. There’s no way I’m letting you go. Being married to you is everything I never realized I wanted.”

He takes a deep breath, broad chest and tattoo rising and falling, and his throat works.

“I love being your husband. I said I’d never fall in love with you and that this marriage wasn’t real and that I wouldn’t miss you when it’s over but...” He shakes his head. “I was so wrong, sweetheart. So fucking wrong about all of it.”

He takes a deep breath, his gaze full of resolve and determination.There’s my competitive hockey player, so determined and hardheaded.

“I’ll never ask you to give anything up for me. I’ll never get in the way of your career. If we want to have kids, I’ll do whatever it takes so your career isn’t affected. I’m in, Georgia. I’m all in. And I’ll never stop taking care of you.”

For a long moment, I’m speechless, staring at him, unsure if I heard right or if this is all the best dream I’m about to wake up from.

“Ask me what the flowers mean, Hellfire,” he says softly, running his thumb over the back of my hand.

My heart’s pounding now. “What do they mean?”

His eyes glint. “Come here.”

I bring my mouth to his, and his hand lifts to thread into my hair with gentle pressure.

“Does that hurt?” I whisper.

“Yes.” An inch from my mouth, his pulls into a smile. “But I want to kiss you. TheTeasing Georgia,also known as the golden rose, means friendship.” He presses a soft kiss to my lips, and my eyes flutter closed. “Joy.” Another kiss. “Loyalty.” His lips linger there for a moment, his breath tickling my skin. “Eternity.”

“Eternity,” I whisper back, eyes still closed but stinging with more tears as I’m seized with euphoria.

“Mhm.” A beat of silence. “Georgia,” he murmurs.

A tear rolls down my face, and he swipes it away, watching me with so much concern and affection, my heart breaks.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

My throat works. “Nothing’s wrong. Everything’s amazing,” I laugh, another tear rolling down my face. “Eternity, though?”

“Eternity.”

“That’s a long time.”

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