She gulped. Her heart did a flip-flop. “But that’s not what you said. I didn’t think you wanted me. Not after—”
“Didn’t want you? I tried. I tried, Amber. But you’ve infected me. You’re like a virus inside me that my body can’t shake.”
A virus? Hardly the stuff of love letters. But Amber’s heart was pounding. Emotion flooded her.
Run to him. Run to him.
Her feet stayed locked in place.
“I ought to take you right here.” He stalked toward her, his eyes smoking. “Right here among all these boxes, on the floor, like animals.”
“I—”
“I ought to make love to you so violently that you’d never even consider the idea of leaving me again.”
“Harper—”
He silenced her with his kiss. A primal, ferocious kiss. A kiss that marked her. Labeled her as his.
They kissed with abandon, their lips grinding and mashing together, their tongues tangling, until finally Amber broke the suction to take a breath.
“Harper.”
“Amber, God damn it, don’t leave me.”
“Harp—”
“I love you, baby. I love you so damn much.”
Warmth flowed through her like sunshine. The blood in her veins turned to boiling honey. “You love me?”
“God, Amber, yes. I love you. You’re my greatest treasure. Please don’t leave me. Stay here. Stay here with me. Be my wife.”
“You want to marry me?”
“Please. Please marry me.” His dark eyes pleaded with hers. “I don’t know what I’ll do if you don’t.”
Amber smiled. As much as she wanted to live on her father’s ranch, Harper was her true dream. She and Thunder would still get to know each other. “I guess I could marry you. I mean, it’ll save a lot of walls.”
Harper looked over at the drywall he’d damaged. “I’m sorry about that, baby. I’ll fix it tomorrow.”
“Okay. Just let me know what time you’ll be by. I guess I have some unpacking to do.”
“No, you don’t.”
“What do you mean?”
“We’ll just move all this stuff over to my house.”
“But Harp, I can’t marry you just yet.”
“Why the hell not?”
“I’m rodeo queen, remember?”
“Oh right.” He smiled. “Well, the good folks of Bakersville will just have to deal with their rodeo queen living in sin.” He lifted her in his strong arms. “I’m taking you home.”
Epilogue