I roll my eyes, but I secretly love how overprotective Jethro is because it makes him so growly and sexy.
“You know the doctor said I can keep working as long as I feel comfortable, and I promise, I’m totally fine. If anything changes, I’ll stop taking shifts that very day.”
“Good,” Jethro rumbles, giving me another kiss. “By the way, I couldn’t help but overhear part of your conversation before I came in, and that rumor of a Thunder Strike calendar is true.”
I squeal.
“OMG, I can’t wait! You’ll be Mr. February of course,” I say, fluttering my lashes.
Jethro grins.
“Well, I’m not sure because I’m already a calendar model, so I have no one to impress. Maybe I won’t try out for a slot.”
I stare.
“The performers have to try out?”
My boyfriend shrugs.
“That’s what I heard. All the guys want to be selected, so it’s going to be a tough competition. But it doesn’t matter to me,” he says magnanimously before pressing another kiss to my forehead, “because I already got the girl.”
Then, Jethro drops to one knee right there in the break room and pulls out a small velvet box seemingly out of nowhere. My eyes go wide as I gasp. Is this really happening? But it seems so because my boyfriend pops open the box to reveal a diamond ring inside.
“Jessie Norton, from the moment I met you, I knew you were special,” he begins, sincerity in those blue eyes. “You were sweet, giving, and incredibly beautiful, not to mention available and willing,” he says with a sly grin. But then my man becomes serious. “Not only that, but we’re expecting a baby together, and nothing makes me happier than knowing that you’re the mama of my child. As a result, there’s only one thing to do: let’s make this official because I don’t want to spend my life with anyone else. Will you marry me, sweetheart? Please put a wretch out of his misery and say yes.”
By now, tears are streaming down my cheeks.
“Yes!” I cry out, dropping to the floor so that I’m level with the handsome man. “Yes, yes!” I wrap my arms around Jethro’s bronzed neck and pull him to me for a kiss. “You know I can’t imagine being with anyone else. I love you so much, Jethro.”
Looking a bit teary himself, my fiancé slips the simple silver ring with a princess cut diamond onto my ring finger, and we both pause to admire it.
“It looks beautiful honey,” he whispers. “Like it’s always been there.”
“I know,” I whisper in return. “As if we were meant to be together.”
Then, our lips join in the most passionate of kisses right there on the break room floor. After all, this is where it all started. I was a starving student moonlighting with Thunder Strike when some jerk stole my lunch from the communal fridge. But over time, I fell in love with the jerk because he more than made it up to me. Instead, Jethro made it worth my while, and now we’ll be a family forever.
THE END