She nodded. “I am.”
“I should go and let you get some rest.”
She shook her head, causing him to release her face. “Don’t go. I have some things I want to talk to you about.” She clasped his hand. “Come on. Let’s relax.”
She led him into her bedroom and the heaviness in his chest eased. Though he didn’t know what was going through her mind, the fact that she wanted him here was enough. She stretched out on the bed, patting the mattress beside her. He walked around to the other side and settled in.
She turned to face him and he did the same.
“Did I tell you I made Theo stop so I could throw up on the side of the road?” she asked.
He laughed. “You sound awfully pleased with yourself.”
“I am. At least I made him suffer some.”
“You gave him a good kick, too.”
Her eyes sparkled with mirth. “He deserved it.” She sat up and curled her legs beneath him, facing him.
He pushed himself up against the headboard, ready to hear whatever she had to say. He studied her face. Though pale, even without makeup, she was beautiful.
“So I had a lot of time to think as we drove up to the cabin.” She rubbed her arms with her hands. “I knew I couldn’t run because Theo had a gun and he’d made it clear he’d shoot. He had a knife, too. But as long as I was calm, I wasn’t too worried that he would hurt me. So I stopped panicking and started thinking about you.”
“I’m sorry you got caught in whatever the hell this thing is between me and Theo.” He tucked her hair behind her ear. “I was worried when I didn’t hear from you and then terrified when Celia told me what he planned.”
“It’s not your fault.” Jade gave him a small smile, one he appreciated. “Now to the important things.”
“I’m listening.”
She nodded and drew a deep breath, her fingers plucking at the comforter on the bed. “When you and I met up again, I had more walls built around my heart than a castle. But each time we were together, those walls came down, one by one, starting with that first kiss.”
He grinned. “It wasn’t just a simple kiss, was it?” He skimmed his knuckles over her cheek.
She shook her head. “No. It bound us. More and more, you let me see who you are inside.” She touched his shirt over his heart. “You’re such a good man. And I kept asking myself whether or not I could believe in what I saw.”
She looked him in the eye, her face full of an emotion he didn’t dare name. “You made it impossible for me not to fall in love with you. I knew it on the island but was too afraid to say it out loud. Then Theo pulled a gun, and the whole ride to the cabin, I thought, what if I waited too long? What if I’d never be able to tell Knox how I felt about him?”
His heart slowed as he waited. Reaching out, he stroked her cheek. “Say it now.”
Her smile grew wide. “I love you, Knox Sinclair.”
His heart began to beat faster as she said the words that made everything right in his world. “And I love you, Jade Dare.”
Her sparkling eyes and wide grin lit him up inside, and he decided it was time, feeling more certain of her answer now than when he’d initially purchased the ring.
She leaned forward and her lips met his. Their connection went soul deep, because they were finally on the same page. In no rush, he kissed her for a long time, their tongues twining, their lips locked.
Finally, he was ready. He broke the kiss, then grinned before rolling off his side of the bed to stand. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the box that had been poking at him all day—a reminder that they had a future once she was back home with him. He walked around to her side of the mattress.
“What are you doing?” She wrinkled her nose in confusion.
He dropped to one knee. “Jade, there is nothing I want more than to spend the rest of my life with you. And before you say anything, I want you to know that I would have asked you to marry me even if you weren’t pregnant with my baby. That’s a bonus for us both. But I love you more than life itself. Will you marry me?” He lifted the top of the box.
Her eyes opened wide, her gaze on his and not the ring. As much as he appreciated her lack of materialism, he really wanted to see her reaction.
“How? When did you go shopping?” she asked.
“I took Asher with me earlier in the week. Now will you please answer me? And look at the ring?”