Hot & Heavy (Lightning 2)

“Will you marry me, Sage?”

“Oh my God.”

“That’s not a yes.” His voice cracks just a little on the last word.

“Yes!” I tell him, throwing myself against him and wrapping every part of me that I can around every part of him. “Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!” I repeat over and over again as I pepper his face with kisses.

Marrying him isn’t safe, and most people would say it isn’t even sane since we’ve only known each other a short time. But he’s right. I’ve waited my whole life for the adventure that is Shawn Wilson, and there’s no way I’m going to let him go a second time, or ever again.

Somehow, he pulls me even closer before pressing his lips to mine in a kiss that is tender and sexy and reverent all rolled into one.

&nbs

p; When he finally pulls away seconds—maybe minutes?—later, he grins down at me. “You didn’t even look at the ring.”

“The ring doesn’t matter. All I want is you.”

“I know.” He holds up the box. “But it’s a really good ring. The second I saw it, I knew I had to buy it for you.”

His words send shivers through me all over again. And this time when he hands me the box, I open it. And gasp because somehow this beautiful, beautiful man has managed to find a ring that speaks to my very soul. It’s plain, so plain, and yet the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever seen.

It’s a bezel design, with a large—very large—flat diamond set flush within a platinum setting that wraps all the way around the diamond. The ring itself is also plain, just a simple round edged band of platinum. It’s delicate, yet strong, contemporary, yet timeless, and I love it almost as much as I love the man giving it to me.

Shawn shifts nervously beneath me. “If you don’t like it, we can take it back and get something—”

“Don’t even say it!” I tell him as I all but rip the ring from its box. “It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen and once you put it on my finger, it is never coming off. I hope you’re prepared for that.”

“Prepared for it?” He grins down at me. “I’m pretty much demanding it.”

“Good. It’s nice to know we’re on the same page for once.”

“That we are. But you probably shouldn’t get used to it. I’m sure I’ll be back to driving you crazy by tomorrow.”

“No doubt.” I hold my hand out so he can slip the ring onto my finger, and for once, I’m rock steady. Because nothing in my life has felt this right. And as Shawn slides the ring home, I know nothing else ever will.

For Jennifer Elkins, because so many of my stories have pieces of our friendship in them! I love you lots!!!!

Acknowledgments

First of all, I have to thank Sue Grimshaw and Gina Wachtel, who have been so, so, so good to me. Thank you so much for everything you do for me—you are the most awesome house a girl would ever wish for and I am so lucky to be writing for you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Thank you to everyone at Random House, including Penelope Haynes, Matt Schwartz, Madeleine Kenney, and Lynn Andreozzi who put together the most beautiful books for me and then help those books soar. Thank you all. I am truly blessed to work with such a fantastic team.

Thank you to Emily Sylvan Kim, my agent and dear, dear friend. You keep me sane and I don’t know what I would do without your help and support!

Thank you to Emily McKay, Shellee Roberts, Chris Cox, Paula d’Etcheverry, and Sherry Thomas for the brainstorming and the pep talks (and for kicking my butt when I need it). I might be able to write without you guys, but I certainly wouldn’t want to.

Thank you, Mom, for all your help wrangling my house and my children—and for always being there to listen. I love you!

And finally, thank you to my boys for understanding my crazy schedule and loving me anyway. I love you so much and couldn’t do this without you.

BY TRACY WOLFF

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