Page 54 of Ace

The knife wound on Ace’s leg might not look to be bleeding badly but I wasn’t going to be happy until I saw for myself.“Get your damn pants off!”

Amazing how my vocabulary could deteriorate when I was scared.

“I’m okay.”Ace hopped off the bed, pulling his gun out of its holster and placing it on the side table.“It’s just a flesh wound.”He kicked off his boots and undid his pants, sliding them carefully down to his ankles.

I dropped to my knees, putting me at eye level with the knife wound.It really didn’t look that bad.The leather chaps, and the heavy denim of his pants must have taken the worst of the blade’s bite.Although more than a scratch, I doubted it would need stitches.Some antibacterial cream and a bandage to keep it clean would probably take care of it.Joker could take a look to make sure.

Reassured he wasn’t in imminent danger, I inhaled a deep breath, sinking back on my haunches.

Ace reached down and captured my hands, drawing me to my feet.He kissed me then, long and thoroughly.When he lifted his head, a gentle smile played across his face.“Believe me now?”

“Yeah.I just had to see for myself.”I fell silent.

“I get it.”He sank down onto the bed, pulling me into his lap.

“Does stuff like this happen a lot?”I hadn’t considered this part of dating a biker as thoroughly as I should have.

“Stuff like this?”

“You and the other guys going out and maybe getting hurt or killed?”

“I got to be honest.”He caught my gaze and held it.“We do what we need to.You know we provide protection services, and we take contracts that aren’t always legal.We run ops for the government that they aren’t okay sending their own guys out on.Sometimes justice means playing hard and fast with the legal side.If things go bad, they can deny they knew anything about it.Sometimes it just means looking scary, so people think twice about what they plan to do.But when we need to fight, we fight.When we say death before dishonor, we mean it.That’s just the way we live our lives.If we’re going to give this thing between us a chance, you need to be okay with that.”

I saw the truth in his eyes.He meant every word.And deep down I realized it didn’t matter.I loved him, and part of that was loving a man who was willing to put himself on the line for his country, and for what he felt was right.And I knew beyond a shadow of doubt that he would fight to the death if anyone dared to threaten the Riptide family he and his brothers had formed.I loved him even more because of that.

“Yeah.”I reached up to trace the line of his chin.“None of us know how much time we have.I can’t say I’m okay with you getting hurt, but I adore your willingness to put yourself on the line for what you believe in.”

He pulled me in close, kissing me so thoroughly I could barely breathe.Damn, the man knew how to kiss.His hands slid down my spine to cup my ass.“So now that we got that out of the way, we going to discuss the other things?”

I tilted my head.“What other things?”

“You.Me.Marriage.A home.A little mini-Emma running around.”

My brows shot skyward.“You’re asking me to marry you?”

“Hell, yeah.I know I’m supposed to go down on one knee and all that shit, but I figured since I’m wounded and all I could get away with just sitting here.”

“Marriage is a big deal.It’s like, forever.”Did he mean it?We’d only been together a short time.

“I know.And I’m sure.I was sure from the moment I opened my door, and you fell into my arms.”He reached over me and plucked something out of the drawer in the bedside table.“When I got back here today and heard those gunshots, it was the worst moment of my life.I’m not sure how I would have survived if I lost you.”

He opened his hand to expose a burgundy velvet jewelers’ box.

“You’re kidding.You have a ring already?”

“Bought it the day after you came back into my life.Knew I was going to keep you.”

He flipped the lid open to reveal a diamond surrounded by emeralds.“To match your eyes,” he explained.

My heart felt near full to bursting.The ring couldn’t be more perfect if I’d picked it out myself.

“Well?”I saw the doubt in his eyes.As if he thought I could ever turn down a chance to be at his side, share his life.

“Yes, of course I’ll marry you!”

He crushed me against his chest, claiming my lips with a searing kiss that deepened into a soul-sucking caress.The feel of his hands and lips on me sent heat curling down to my toes.

I could get used to this.

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