Page 36 of Bewitched By the Mountain Man
"You lied to me."
"I know."
"Don't do it again."
"I won't." I kiss the top of her head. "I promise."
She pulls back to look at me. "I can't believe you did that. For me. For us."
"I'd do anything for you, Tessa. Anything. But there's something else. Something more important."
She frowns. "What is it?"
"Can you—can you sit down for a second?"
"Lachlan, you're freaking me out."
"Just sit. Please."
She sits on the couch, and I kneel down on one knee in front of her. I reach into my pocket and pull out the small velvet box. Her eyes widen as she realizes what's happening.
"Oh my God," she whispers.
"I know this is crazy. I know it's insane and irrational and probably way too fast. But I don't care."
I take her hands in mine, and they're trembling. "I don't care about any of it because I love you. I love you in a way I didn't think I was capable of. You came into my life when I was convinced I'd never feel anything real again, and you made me want to be better, to do better, to actually live instead of just existing. You saved me, Tessa. You brought me back to life. And I can't imagine spending a single day without you."
I open the box, revealing the ring.
"Marry me. Build this life with me. Let me spend every day proving that you made the right choice."
She's full-on crying now, her hands shaking in mine. For a terrifying second, I think she's going to say no, that I've pushed too hard, moved too fast, and scared her away.
But then she's nodding, tears and laughter mixing together. "Yes. God, yes, of course yes."
I slide the ring onto her finger, and it fits perfectly. Then I'm standing, pulling her up with me, kissing her.
"I love you," she gasps against my mouth. "I love you so much."
"Say it again," I demand, because I'll never get tired of hearing those words.
"I love you, Lachlan Cain. I love you and I want to marry you and build a life with you and…"
I kiss her again, deeper this time, pouring everything I feel into it.
When we finally break apart, she's staring at her hand, at the ring catching the afternoon light.
"We're engaged," she says, like she can't quite believe it.
"We're engaged," I confirm.
"This is insane."
"Completely insane."
"Everyone’s going to think we've lost our minds."
"Probably." I pull her back against me. "But I don't care what anyone thinks. In a little over a month, the semester will be over. I won’t be your professor anymore, and we won’t have to hide. I care about you. About us. About building something real that isn't based on hiding or fear or anyone else's opinion."
