Gypsy king

“We’re really doing this. Living together. Having a baby. Getting married.”

“Married? Who are you and what have you done with Kingston Slater?” I’d gone to bed with Dash, a badass playboy, and woken up with a romantic. “Did you hit your head with a wrench yesterday? You’re aware that you’re asking me to marry you, right?”

“Well, yeah. You said you wanted to have a baby when you were married and settled. Way I see it, we’ve got about seven months to make that happen. Might as well get to it.”

Oh. My heart sank. Dash wasn’t doing this because he wanted to. He was doing it for me. “Dash, I appreciate it. But I don’t want to get married because you feel like it’s what I want.”

“Then how about because it’s what I want.” His voice was low, smooth and silky. “Trust me, babe. I want to do this with you. Every day. Here until the end.”

“Are you sure?”

“It’s the best idea I’ve had in my life.”

“Do you think we’ll kill each other?”

“Probably.” He dropped a kiss to my lips. “Is that a yes?”

I hesitated, making him sweat for it before I rescued him. “Yes.”

“Hell yes.” Dash tipped his head back and laughed. Then his hands fell from my face to wrap me in a hug. I giggled, clinging to him as he picked me up off my feet and spun me around the room.

For so long I’d wanted this. Never would I have imagined I’d find it, a home—love—with the man I’d set out to expose. The enemy. A criminal who’d stolen my heart.

All the foolish days and nights I’d spent wondering if I’d end up an old maid had been for nothing. The timing simply hadn’t come together.

I’d been waiting for my Gypsy King.

“What about the baby?” I asked. “You didn’t want kids.”

Dash’s smile softened but didn’t disappear. “I’m scared. Never saw myself with a kid, but if there is anyone in the world I’d want to raise a baby with, it’s you. Just keep me from fucking it up, okay?”

Oh, Dash. Why hadn’t I realized this before? He wasn’t scared of kids. He was scared of ruining his own. Again, timing was not on our side. Draven’s drama had probably reinforced Dash’s fears.

“I have faith in you. Blinding, unwavering faith. You’ll be an amazing dad, Dash.”

He dropped his forehead to mine. “Come on. I want to show you something else.”

Dash took my hand and led me out of the office. We walked past his bedroom and through the living room, then around the kitchen and down another spacious hallway.

“This is a family house,” I said. “If you didn’t want a family, why build such a big house?”

He shrugged. “For the space. Not to feel crowded. I spent a lot of nights at the clubhouse and I lived above the garage for a while. When I was finally ready to buy, I wanted space. A home gym so I didn’t have to go to town in the morning. An office. A theater room in the basement. Couldn’t find anything to buy so I had it built instead.”

“A sanctuary.”

“Yeah, but there’s one thing I hate about it out here.” He shot me a heart-stopping smile over his shoulder. “It’s too quiet. Figure you and our baby can fix that for me.”

I laughed. Given his or her parents, there was no doubt our child would be loud and bold. “We’ll do our best.”

“Appreciated.” Dash led me to the garage. He let go of my hand as he walked to the large, green gun safe on the far wall, spi

“Holy shit.” My eyes widened at the small arsenal. “I guess we’ll be safe after the apocalypse.”

He took out a white envelope and shut the safe. The flap on the envelope wasn’t sealed and he flipped it open, pulling out something from the corner.

No, not something.

A ring.

“This was Mom’s.” He held the ring in one hand as he reached for my left.

“It’s beautiful.” The gold band was thin and delicate because the solitaire in the center was the showpiece. It was a square-cut diamond—simple and flawless. The entire piece was classic, something I would have picked for myself.

“Dad gave this to me a few years ago. He’d bought it for her on their tenth wedding a

I was dumbfounded. I’d asked for a morning to rest and he’d changed the rules. But even in my shock, I hadn’t missed those last two words.

“How about you never call me an old lady again?”

Dash laughed, the rich sound filling the garage. “Want me to get down on a knee? Do this right?”

“No.” I smiled up at him, wiggling my finger so he’d slide the ring into place. I didn’t need the bended knee, the fancy words. “You already nailed it.”

The moment the ring was settled onto my finger, Dash swooped down and captured me in a kiss. His tongue dove inside, demanding and delicious. Standing in a garage, the cement floor cool on my bare feet, we kissed until the heat was too much to stand. Then Dash scooped me up and carried me inside to his bed.

Our bed.

I’d admit, it was better than mine. The sweatshirt was stripped off. My panties dragged down my bare legs. Dash’s jeans quickly disappeared along with the white T-shirt that stretched across his broad chest.

We moved together, my hips cradling his, like lovers who’d been together for years, not weeks. We came together, him bare and pulsing inside me, our hands linked and our mouths fused.

Together.

“I love you,” I whispered into his ear as we clung to one another.

“Love you, baby.” He leaned away, sweeping the hair from my forehead, and gri

He’d be the best husband and father I could have ever dreamed possible.

“You will.” I smiled. “And you’re right. This is going to be fun.”