Page 96 of A Rancher's Bride
Kelli’s eyes had grown wider and her jaw hung open, but no sound came out.
Which was fine, because he was nowhere near done.
“Maybe it’s wrong, but I don’t give a rat’s ass about Silver Stone if you’re not by my side every morning when I wake up.” His volume increased, and he crowded toward her. “Hell, I’ll move to Kentucky if that’s what it takes so I can hold you in my arms every night. If that’s where you feel like you have to be.”
“Whoa, boy.” Kelli’s arm shot out against his chest, and she leaned into him, catching him off guard enough that his feet tangled and he tipped backward into the wall of the pen. That was the only reason she could have used her slight weight to pin him in place.
Now she glared at him, staring up with so much determination he totally understood how she controlled the horses.
“You had a few too many cups of coffee this morning, Luke Stone. You need to slow the hell down.”
“How can I calm down when you plan to leave me?” God, he sounded as if he was begging her to stay, which wasn’t far from the truth.
A furl formed between her eyes. Fire and heat glared back at him. “You promised not to make assumptions, so back up andshutup for a minute.”
“But I—”
Her glare intensified, and he slammed his lips together, suddenly aware he really had been spewing at the mouth without his brain engaged.
Then she let him have it with both barrels, at just as high a volume as he’d used a moment earlier. “Why would you have to give something up to prove yourself? Isn’t the point of caring for someone that you do things for them instead ofnotdoing things for them?”
He waited until he was certain he was allowed to speak. “I guess.”
“I know you’ve cared for me as a friend for years. I’m pretty sure you’ve cared about me these past weeks since we became lovers. Ithinkthat’s what all this talk about holding me in your arms at night and waking up with me in the morning is about.”
“What if I want more?”
She folded her arms over her chest. “Maybe you should ask me if that’s what I want, if it’s what you want. Do you really think I won’t believe you if you say you want more?”
“Why are you arguing with me, woman?” Luke snapped.
“Because you started it,” Kelli shouted.
“You asked what your grandpa would say if he found out we weren’t really engaged.”
“It was a rhetorical question, jackass.”
“Not to me.” The only thing that registered in his brain from the last few minutes was her sayingyou should ask me.
Which is why he dropped to his knees in front of her and caught her hands, staring up at her right there in the horse stall as he held on tight to keep her from escaping.
As he held her because he couldn’t let go. “Kelli James, marry me.”
She was back to being speechless, mouth open, staring at him as if he’d lost his mind. She was quiet for so long, fear curled in his belly.
Had he’d totally misreadeverything?
“Why?” There was so much hope on her face. “And it better not be because it’s logical for you and I to be together.”
And it finally—finally—sank in what he’d been missing.
“Dammit, Kelli. This isn’t about logic, it’s about how much I fucking love you and need you—”
Kelli threw herself at him. She wrapped her arms and legs around him as she peppered his face with kisses, laughter pooling around them. His knees ground into the dirt as he clutched her close.
She pulled away far enough to catch his cheeks in her palms, amusement decorating her expression. “This is a little disturbing. That we’re here, in a stall, and you’re proposing.”
“There is no manure present, and right now the only word I want to hear from you isyes,” Luke muttered.
