“And then I comeback to find my little bat hanging from my lamps and get to tickleyour furry little head.”
She snuffled a laughinto my chest. “You’re weird.”
“Seriously? You justtold me that? You with all your snake tats and kinkiness andcute-as-fuck wings?”
“You like to fuck agirl who turns into a bat. Pretty sure that tops out.”
“Probably. So, we’reweird together. But it’s our weird, and that’s all thatmatters.”
“If you say so.” Shewound her way closer, her breath heating my chest through my cottonshirt.
I managed to pry herbag over her shoulders with one hand while holding her tight withthe other. Dropping it softly to the floor, I held her close andtook a deep, long breath.
“You know, yourheart is beating awfully fast,” she muttered into my shirt, notlooking up.
I grinned, knowingshe couldn’t see it. “Is that so, little bat?”
“Yeah. It happenswhen you’re nervous.”
“S’pose it does.” Islipped one hand into my back pocket and extracted the little boxthat seemed suddenly very heavy. “Enota…” I paused, trying tocollect my thoughts.
She tilted her headback to look up at me, concern dipping her brow. “Are youokay?”
I tried not tolaugh, grin, or freak the fuck out. My body tried to do the lot allat once though the end result must have been maniacal, going by theslightly horrified look on her face.
“You know I loveyou, right?” I managed to push the words past numbed lips.
Wide eyes gotimpossibly rounder. “I know. I’ve just never heard you say itbefore.”
“Same, little bat.”I dipped my head to kiss the tip of her nose. “But I’ve said it tomyself every damn day. Just too much of a coward to actually comeout and tell you.”
“Until now.” Shesettled in my arms, every inch of tension leaving her.
Good to know I gotthat part right.
“Until now,” Iechoed. I caught her hand and pressed the box into her palm. “Ilove you, little bat. And I’m not going anywhere. You’ll have to bethe one to kick me out.” I closed her fingers over the box and fellsilent.
I’d never been goodat speeches, not even talking shit in the ring or after a win inthe cage. Now was no exception, so I shut my mouth and let herfigure it out.
Enota’s gaze flickedfrom the box and back to me. Her mouth opened, but I pressed myfingers over it and followed it with a soft, sweet kiss that leftmy body and heart aching to the point of annihilation.
“Open it,” Iwhispered.
The box shook as shecurled her hands around it and pulled the lid up.
Inside sat a blackgold forever band with diamonds and emeralds studded the entire wayaround in a never-ending circle.
Enota plucked itfrom the little velvet pillow and held it between shaking fingers.“Mace, I—”
“Marry me,” Iwhispered, and my voice came out rough and harsh, instead of thesweet cooing sound I’d planned on. “I know it’s not the usual forour sort of people, but I want you to know I need you and I dreamevery night of you being in my bed, waking with you, talking withyou, and doing all the mundane, day-to-day things with you for therest of our lives. Together.” My voice broke utterly on the lastword, and I was as close to begging as I’d ever come.
I sank to both kneeson the floor at her feet, winding my arms around her waist, and ranout of words.
“Marry you,” shewhispered. Her fingertips turned white on the ring as she studiedthe stones, then peered inside. “Oh, Mace.”
My throatconstricted as she found the inscription I’d had the jewelerengrave on the inside. Our names were connected by an eternitysymbol and a tiny, stylized bat. I tried to speak, but my tongueglued itself to the roof of my mouth and clung there. So I waitedin silence and prayed to whichever god might be listening thatshe’d heard everything I hadn’t said to her over the past monthwhile our lives entwined day by day.
Enota gripped myshirt with one hand and yanked. “What are you doing down there?That’s not how we work. I’m the one who crawls. Get up.”
