He nodded. “My biggest fear?”
Eva started to answer with a silly and arbitrary fear—his dislike of clowns jumped to mind—but then closed her mouth without uttering a sound. Yeah, clowns spooked him and so did Shark Week on Discovery Channel, which she’d always found hilarious, but that was not the kind of fear he meant. He was talking about something deeper, the kind of fear that dictated a person’s every thought and action. And the fact she understood his question without clarification—and knew its answer—told her oodles about how solid the foundation of their relationship was. She’d never be able to answer such a question about Preston because she didn’t know him at his core. Thank God. Getting a glimpse into the man’s twisted soul would have left her scarred for life. As it was, she’d be doubting her instincts for a long time to come.
But Cam? He was a good man, through and through. She’d always been able to trust him with her life when they worked together. Before last night, she’d already decided to trust him with her heart. And, dammit, she refused to let Preston take that goodness away from her.
Eva closed the distance between them and brushed a light kiss over his mouth. “You’re most afraid of losing your brothers, which is one of your best qualities even though it makes you do stupid things like lie to them.”
“Not only my brothers,” he said softly, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “You, too. I’ve lived every day of the past five years terrified that I’ll wake up and you’ll be gone from my life, and that has stopped me from having the kind of relationship I’ve always wanted with you. But no more. Eva, I love you. My life isn’t worth the air I breathe without you in it, and if that means I risk losing you someday…well, that’s a risk I’m more than willing to take.”
An incandescent joy settled low in her belly and lit her up from the inside out.
“I love you, too, Cam, and I’m not going anywhere.” Swallowing back a lump of emotion, she poked his bare chest. “And I’d like my ring back since I have every intention of marrying you.”
His dimple flashed as he pushed off the bed, found his pants on the floor, and dug the ring out of the pocket. Returning to her side, he held it up and its rubies glittered in the pale morning light from the window. “Our life won’t be sitcom perfect, but I promise whatever life we make together will be perfect for us.”
Tears gathered in her eyes as he slid the ring on her finger, and for once, she didn’t try to stop them. He leaned in and caught the droplets with his lips. Her pulse kicked, spilling a heady mix of love and desire through her blood. She tilted her head back, inviting his lips to explore. Against her leg, his erection swelled and lengthened, and she wrapped her hand around him, stroked him until a growl thrummed from his chest.
She sighed. “Make love to me, Cam.”
“Absolutely.” He nudged her down on the bed, drawing off her shirt, then her pants and panties in one pull as he sat back on his knees. His gaze swept down her, all heat and worship, and a wave of goose bumps rose in its wake.
“Are you wet for me?” He shoved his own pants off and his erection sprang free, long and hard, straining toward her. He took himself in one hand while the fingers of his other teased her entrance until she was ready to detonate.
“Yes. Oh, yes.” She pressed against his hand and his thumb on her clit sent shockwaves rippling outward. Oh, she was close. So, so close. “Please, Cam. I want you inside me.”
“Fuck, yeah.” He lifted her hips and joined them together in a hard thrust, tearing a moan from her throat.
But once fully seated inside her, he stopped moving. He leaned forward, braced his weight on his forearms, and swept his lips reverently over her eyelids, cheeks, then finally her mouth.
When she opened her eyes, he grinned down at her. “Want a big, traditional wedding with all the frills?”
Her laugh caught in her throat. “Is that your idea of a marriage proposal?”
“It’s my idea of wedding plans.” He circled his hips, his pelvis hit just the right spot, and her muscles seized in pleasure. He held her through the orgasm, murmuring in her ear, telling her exactly how good it felt for him when she came, and the dirty talk only intensified her climax.
As the tremors subsided, she wrapped her arms around him. “I don’t think so. How about Vegas?”
He froze and stared at her as if seeing her for the first time. “Really?”
“Yes. It’s not perfect, but it’s perfect for us.” She stroked her hands down his back, tightened her legs around him. “When can we leave?”
His hips jerked. “How about as soon as we finish here? In, let’s say…a week. If we can both still walk.”
“You can’t keep me in bed for a week.”