Page 85 of Forever Fickle

As they taxied forward, she felt Jace reach over to take her hand in his. She smiled at him, turning back to look out the window as they raced down the runway.

“This is so much different than our own flight,” she breathed openly. “I’m glad you are here with me, but I prefer our little trip in the Cessna… when it was just us, you know?”

“You do?”

“Yeah,” Karen whispered, looking out the window as the world suddenly angled wildly as they lifted off. “I feel alive when you are beside me, like I could do anything, that it’s just us - alone in the world…”

“Karen?”

“Hmm?” she said distractedly, turning to look at him and froze at the warmth in his gaze. His eyes held hers, as he leaned forward and tenderly kissed her. His lips felt like home, making her melt almost immediately as she recognized him.

She reached out blindly, to touch his face, cradling his jaw, and drawing him closer, needing this bond between them.

“I’ve missed you…” he said suddenly, breaking the kiss between them for only a moment before he leaned forward to kiss her again. She felt him deepen the kiss as his hand held hers, laying it against his chest.

As he broke the kiss again, she drew in a ragged breath, her fingers curling over his chest, feeling him there as she realized it wasn’t her imagination.

They were together… finally.

“I feel whole when you are here,” she breathed softly, remaining there as he pressed his nose and forehead against hers.

“I am yours always…” he whispered, touching her hand. “And I really want you to be mine.”

She felt something slide over her finger – and opened her eyes, meeting Jace’s. Those caramel-colored eyes were shiny with emotion as he smiled at her tearfully.

“My timing is really bad, and my parents wanted to be there when I asked you, but I can’t seem to help myself when it comes to you, Karen. I want you to be mine… always,” he whispered lovingly. “Would you do me the greatest honor and marry me?”

“What?” she hissed in disbelief, feeling tears sting her eyes as she stared at him in shock. “Jace… are you sure?”

“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”

“This is crazy.”

“I love our crazy, Tinkerbell…” he countered, smiling. “We can take as long as you want, have whatever wedding you want, but I want you for my wife. I don’t want to hide our relationship from our friends – I want to share it with the entire world.”

She looked down at her hand, where he was holding it directly over his heart, to see a gold band with a solitaire was there on her ring finger.

“Will you marry me?”

Her eyes shot up to his, seeing the love shining in his eyes.

“Yes…” she breathed.

“Yeah?” he repeated tearfully, grinning. “I just want to make sure you said ‘yes’ because I’m panicking a little bit. I’ve practiced that for a few times over the last two days, but Reaper and Caboose said to just spit it out and you’d be fine.”

“You asked Reaper for advice?” she laughed, feeling a tear run down her cheek as she smiled at him.

“I know… I know,” he beamed. “I was desperate.”

“You must have been,” she chuckled.

“Sir?”

The both looked up at that moment to see three flight attendants standing there in the aisle, waiting.

One woman held two champagne flutes, another had a fruit tray, and the other looked awfully uncomfortable for a moment, before she tossed a handful of rose petals on Karen, causing several passengers near them to titter in their seats as they were now suddenly the focus of everyone on board.

Karen could feel every set of eyes staring at her… but none so important as the man beside her. His warm, proud gaze was watching her.

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