Page 128 of My Secret Bandit

After mastering his first ever cheesecake lesson, Mateo and I stood in the kitchen cleaning up when my phone chimed. Drying my hands, I plucked it off the counter and read the new message.

Sierra: What’s for dinner?

Me: Ask your boyfriend.

Sierra: Not my boyfriend. Tell Mattie we’re coming over.

“Sierra says they’re coming over for dinner and she wants to know what the plan is,” I said, relaying the message because if I didn’t Sierra would know, and she’d be a pain in my ass until I did.

“Tell her she can’t have what I’m having.”

He settled his hands on my hips and pressed his hard body into my back, leaning us both over the kitchen island connected at the hips.

“What are you having?” I asked, breathless, as his lips left a warm trial against my neck.

“You, if you let me,” he whispered, his mouth brushing my ear.

“Yeah. She definitely won’t want that.” I meant it as a joke, but the words came out in a soft, pathetic whimper when he straightened and put a few inches between us.

I turned to see his face. Desire lit his eyes, but something else lay hidden there.

Something I wasn’t sure how to read.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’ll be right back,” he said before running his barefoot, bare-chested self up the stairs with no explanation. I took the time to text Sierra back.

Me: He says you can’t have what he’s having.

Sierra: That’s gross.

Me: You asked. I’m merely the messenger.

Sierra: We’re still coming over, so make it quick. I’ll give you 2 hours. That’s more than reasonable.

Me: Mm… You don’t know Mateo then.

Sierra: Please stop. I have to look him in the eye later. I don’t need to know his stamina.

Me: How is it possible the person with the world’s loosest filter has turned you into a prude?

The padding of Mateo’s feet on the hardwood drew my attention away from my phone and back to him.

Where it belonged.

It didn’t take long for his breathtaking body to reward my vision again. His abs flexed the slightest bit when he noticed my eyes glued to them. “You’re drooling,” he teased with the sexiest smirk to have ever graced anyone…ever.

“Can you blame me?” I asked, wiping the corners of my mouth for show.

His smile didn’t fade as he rounded the island and stood in front of me. He tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear and took my hands in his.

“Do you remember when you teased me about being presumptuous for putting you in my phone asfuture wife?“ I nodded and anticipation grew in my stomach. “What do you think now? Do you still think I was jumping the gun?”

I shook my head, unable to form words. He repaid my silence with an adorable shake of his curls.

“I said it was inevitable, Jameson and I meant it. I fell in love with you the moment I saw you. I fell a little deeper when you melted at the sight of me after that first game. Again, when you trusted me with the part of you, you’d never given anyone before. A little deeper when you pulled me into that conference room in Atlanta and that night when you set yourself free from the burdens you’ve been carrying your entire life, then a little more when you became best friends with my brother and my sister. I thought I’d lost it all, and I knew my heart would never be the same. But then, like the angel you are, you showed up when I needed you. My heart was already all in and that just became more obvious when I kneeled next to Amelia and listened to her tell her mom’s grave that she’d be okay. She knew Tía Jamie would keep our family strong, keep us together. She knew you’d look out for her the way Mariana would’ve if she were here. And she was absolutely right because you’ve been my strength these last few months.” He pulled a box from the pocket of his sweats and lowered to one knee. He lifted the lid and the most gorgeous ring sat tucked inside.

The perfectly round, brilliantly twinkling, huge ass diamond winked at me from its spot and all its baby diamonds along the platinum band followed suit. “All of this is to say I love you, Jameson. You own my entire heart. I would be the luckiest damn person to have ever walked the Earth if you’d agree to love me forever, even though forever with you won’t be nearly long enough. Will you marry me?”

I didn’t know how it was possible, but his eyes sparkled more than the diamonds and happy tears clouded my vision. Still unable to speak, I nodded my head.

“Yes? Is that a yes?” He jumped up and looked at me, waiting for a verbal answer.

“Of course, it’s a yes. It’s a hell yes! I love you, Mateo. So much.” I laughed through my tears and wrapped my arms around his neck.

His mouth found mine before peppering my face with warm kisses. He pulled the ring from its cushion and threw the box aside. Vibrating with excitement, his shaky hand found mine and the stunning ring found its new home.

“I love it,” I said, looking down at the ring, loving the weight of it on my finger. Loving the weight of all my insecurities vanishing. Loving the weight of my growth and most of all loving the weight of having a family that strengthened me every day.