Page 16 of Felled By the Lumberjack
“Are there napkins in here?” Rachel asked, digging through the bag I’d brought.
“At the bottom,” I said, letting my eyes fall shut to enjoy the moment.
Oh shit.
My orgasm-hazed brain took too long to realize what she’d find as she dug through the bag. Rachel’s shoulders stilled. “Brody, what’s this?”
I looked over to see her with a stack of napkins in one hand, and the ring box in the other. Her brows knit together before lifting slowly. I pushed myself up to sit, bracing one hand behind me on the blanket. “I think you know what it is.”
Her eyes were already shining. She swallowed, then let out a breathy laugh, glancing down at herself and then back at the ring. “Brody, you can’t propose to me when I don’t have pants on.”
I laughed too, glancing down at myself, pants undone, cock still hanging out. “I hadn’t planned on us getting naked first, but—”
“You can’t resist me.“
“You can’t resist me either.”
She shook her head. “Never have, never will.”
“So is that a yes?”
“You haven’t asked me anything yet,” she said, a smile tugging at her mouth that told me I already knew the answer.
I laughed again. I took the napkin from her hand and wiped her shirt clean, then took the ring.
Settling onto one knee, I opened the box. “Rachel, I wrote a whole speech but now I can’t remember a damn word I planned to say. All I know is that we complement each other in the best way. I’d never had a relationship last because I liked being alone. I know now that there is one exception to that rule, and it’s you. You make everything better, and I’ve never felt more at home than when I’m with you. Will you marry me?”
She tackled me onto my back, peppering my face and neck with kisses. “Yes, of course the answer is yes.”
I kissed her again, slower this time, smiling into her mouth as the reality finally sank in. I held her there, heart pounding, already knowing I’d never take another job, another risk, or another step forward alone. The forest stood quiet around us, work waiting, life changing. And for the first time, I was ready for all of it.
THE END
