Page 85 of Broken Butterfly
Ryder and I are back at home, sitting on the bed with a first aid kit open next to us. He gently blows on my hand and throws the antiseptic wipe on the bedside table. Everyone, including Julien and Elijah who weren’t even there, have blown up my phone with text messages checking up on me. Jayson feels awful that the one night I came to watch him fight, all hell broke loose.
“I would say that should be expected for punching that guy in the nuts, but I’ll take a page from Fallon’s book and instead say,” Ryder leans in and kisses the side of my mouth, “that it was pretty fucking awesome.”
My cheeks warm at his praise. I didn’t know what to expect from him when we got home. Anger? Worry? A stern lecture, perhaps. But never would have I guessed admiration and respect. It just solidifies for me how much Ryder loves and supports me and will always have my back.
I smile and begin to inspect his face and hands for any cuts or bruises. Satisfied that he’s alright, I admit, “I almost feel sorry for the guy after what Meredith did to him.”
Ryder groans and adjusts himself slightly at the thought of getting kicked in the balls. “Yeah, let’s not talk about that anymore.”
“What if I promise not to mess with another guy’s balls again.”
Ryder barks out a laugh, and I swear I think he snorts as well. So cute. I shove the first aid kit away so I can straddle him where he’s sitting on the bed. His large hands cup my ass and bring me closer as I scrape my fingers up his temples, around his ears, and into his hair, before settling my hands at the back of his head. I massage his scalp, making his eyes flutter close in pleasure.
“Babe, that feels so good.”
He drops his forehead to my chest, and I continue to rub his neck and upper shoulders. I can literally feel his muscles relax as my hands release the tension that had taken up residence in his body from the events of tonight.
“Jayson’s not too happy about what went down.”
Ryder makes a dismissive grunting sound and tilts us sideways, so we are lying on the bed facing each other. I love these quiet times with him. I wish we had more of them. The past several months—hell the past few years—have been filled with the turbulence of one monumental revelation after another. I crave the day when I can live a normal life with the man I love. No more awaiting disasters or tumultuous discoveries. Just the two of us together, building our life and sharing our dreams. The dreams that include me going to medical school and Ryder getting his MBA and taking over his dad’s garage. Getting married and building our dream home, the one we will fill with our love and our children. Hopefully, we’ll travel and see more of the world. We’ll race cars, play music, and dance under the moonlight.
While I’m lost in my thoughts, Ryder shifts me closer to him on the bed and we stare into each other’s eyes, using our fingers to trace the outline of one another’s facial features. Ryder is so handsome, so uniquely masculine, and just plain perfect. His dark, almost black hair that is cut shorter on the sides than on top. His long eyelashes that I’ve been envious of my whole life. His dark brown eyebrows that cock up in such a sexy way when he looks at me. His high cheekbones and rounded square jaw that are both manly yet beautiful. And of course, his light brown, amber-colored eyes. I have always loved his eyes.
“What’s going on in that head of yours?” he asks, rubbing his thumb across my brow.
I scooch closer to him and wrap my leg over the top of his thigh, sliding my foot up and down the hairs on his leg, enjoying the dichotomy between my softness and his unyielding muscles. “I was just thinking how nice this was, being with you like this. No drama, no chaos. I want more times like this with you. I just want to be with you, Ryder.”
Ryder rolls over on top of me and I stare up at his golden eyes, transfixed at the emotion I see in them. “We can have whatever we want, Elizabeth. I want to give you the life and the future of your dreams. All you have to do is tell me. I don’t care where we go or what we do. We could travel the world and sleep in a tent. You are my home, and wherever you are is where I am happiest. All I’ve ever wanted is you.”
I lift my head and taste his sweet lips, his beautiful words causing a delicate tear to escape. I pull back and hold his face with my hands, wanting so badly for the dreams of our future to come true. The words I have kept to myself escape my mouth before I can stop them. I realize that I don’t want to stop them.
“Marry me.”
The raw emotions that had filled his eyes just seconds ago morph into something so powerful and visceral that it leaves me breathless. I drink in the unrestrained love I feel emanating from him, knowing it’s all for me. I want to return that love a thousand-fold and let him know, without a doubt, that I want a forever with only him, and that I hope that he is ready to take that unknown leap with me into a future together. One I know will be more wonderful than anything I could ever have imagined or wished for.
“I know this is unconventional and maybe a little unexpected, but I have known in my heart since I was nine years old that I love you with everything I have in me. You have been my friend, my protector, the man who has always stood by me no matter what. You were patient and waited for me. And not even near-death and the loss of my memory could keep me from finding my way back to you. Ryder Randall Cutton, will you give me the honor of spending the rest of your life with me as my husband?”
Ryder crushes his mouth to mine as warm tears flow from his eyes. “Yes,” he says with conviction as our kisses become deeper. “God, yes, I want to marry you. More than anything. Yes, Elizabeth. Yes to everything,” he promises, and sears his promise with a kiss so earth-shattering and possessive, my body implodes on itself as I climax out of nowhere.Holy fucking shit!
Ryder kisses me ravenously as he captures my orgasmic cry. As I shudder uncontrollably, he gives me a few minutes to come back down from my endorphin high, grinning widely above me.
“Did that really just happen?” He looks very smug and pleased with himself. He should.
“Uh, yeah.” I smile stupidly, so freaking happy and still so very turned on, wanting more. I never knew my body could do that. I should have known anything is possible when it comes to Ryder. My body is still buzzing and tingling, so it takes me a second to realize he said yes. “Did you really say yes?”
Ryder kisses a path down my neck and reaches over into the bedside table on his side of the bed. I’m about to ask him what he’s doing when I see the small black box he lifts out of the drawer.
“Ryder?”
He adjusts our positions so I’m sitting up on the bed, my legs dangling while he kneels down on the floor in front of me. My hand involuntarily goes to my mouth, my own tears falling, as he lifts the lid of the box. Nestled inside is the most gorgeous princess-cut yellow diamond ring.
“Ryder?” I ask again, unbelieving.
“I was going to plan this big elaborate proposal, but I don’t think anything I could have come up with would have been better than hearing you ask me to marry you. But I am man enough not to deprive you of an old-school bended-on-one-knee proposal. So” —he grins up at me— “Elizabeth Penelope Fairchild, soon to be Mrs. Elizabeth Fairchild Cutton, willyoudomethe honor of marrying me and being my wife? Because I want nothing more than to be your husband, to be a father to our children, and to be able to hold your hand as we grow old together.”
“Yes!” I exclaim and he takes my shaking hand, pushing the stunning ring onto my finger. Once it’s in place, he kisses me passionately.
“Do you like it? I’ve been saving away as much as I can from working at the garage and from the winnings I get from racing. I wanted to be able to afford something you would be proud to wear. I chose a yellow diamond because it reminded me of the way your beauty is like the brightness of the sun.”
