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My gaze sweeps over her features, taking in every curve of her face, imperfections and all. The beauty in the stubborn tilt of her chin, a mouth that can slay as much as it can seduce. The body of a woman whose inner strength shines through so damn brightly.
“I see the woman who had the strength to set things right. Who risked everythin’ to do just that. I see a woman who could understand my life and the code I live by but also make me wanna be a better man.”
I take a step closer. “Even when I was tryin’ to unfuck shit in my head, I still felt you everywhere. Like you’d dug in somehow and made yourself a home in my heart.”
When her lips part, I rush on, because I know she wants the answer to what she’s really asking. “When I look at you, I see Mackenzie Ford, the woman I love.
“The woman I fell in love with under the craziest fuckin’ circumstances.” Her blue eyes widen and her throat works. “When I look at you, I see the woman I believe I was meant to cross paths with.
“You reminded me that people fuck up in life. Sometimes, they fuck up real bad, but that doesn’t always mean you give up on ’em. ’Cause it might be that they lost themselves at one point and finally found their way back.”
Emotion burns my eyes, and I blink fast, trying to maintain composure. “My sister saw somethin’ in you that made her realize she needed to change. To be better. To do better.
“And you…as soon as you figured shit out, you did what you had to do to prevent others from becomin’ victims.” I shake my head in awe. “Not just anybody would do that—would make that sacrifice—but you did.”
I advance another step, hope flickering inside me when she doesn’t interrupt me. “So, what do I see when I look at you? I see the woman I’d give anythin’ to spend the rest of my days with. The only woman I’ll ever want. Only one I’ll ever love—and nothin’s changin’ that.
“I’ll love you till the end of time and then some, ’cause you’re who I wanna grow old with and show our kids how to disassemble cars for their parts and—”
“Stop.” Voice ragged with emotion, she pinches her eyes closed. “Just stop.”
Jesus Christ, I swear someone’s ripped my goddamn heart out and tossed it at her feet. She might as well stomp on it at this rate. That’s all it’s good for now.
Mashing my lips together, I duck my chin, blinking against the stinging in my eyes. My muttered, “Fuck,” pollutes the tense air between us. I draw in a ragged breath before letting my eyes trace over her features, committing her to memory. My Mac.
Not anymore.
“Yeah. Well…” I rake a hand through my hair. “I said I’d respect what you want.”
She advances on me until we’re toe to toe. “I said stop”—she swallows audibly before continuing—“because you mentioned growing old and having kids.”
I scan her face, trying like hell to figure out where she’s going with this. “Yeah?”
“You don’t know what you’d be getting yourself into, because you know what they say…” When what looks like mischief flashes in her eyes, it gives me hope. So much damn hope. “Pregnancy cravings can be a bitch. I might need some beef sticks, so you’d need to be okay with that.”
The words fall out on a gust of relief. “Goddammit, Mac.”
She grabs the collar of my shirt, forcing me to lower my head, my nose grazing the tip of hers. “Kiss me, Danny.”
“It’s Daniel.”
“Don’t care.” Her blue eyes sparkle.
My mouth curves. “You wanna kiss, you gotta say the words first.”
Her expression sobers, but her eyes… Damn if they aren’t filled with love. “I love you.”
“Yeah?” I murmur softly. “Enough to marry me?”
Her expression morphs to one of raw amazement. “You really want that?”
“Hell yeah, I do.” I dust a kiss to her lips. Possessive satisfaction courses through me at the way her eyes go hazy.
“Mmm,” she murmurs against my mouth. “You want me to marry you, then say it again.”
I cradle her face in my hands. “I love you so fuckin’ much.”
“For how long?” she whispers.
