Chapter 12

Istared into his icy-blue eyes, stunned by this sudden turn of events. "It's done? You don't have to worry about him anymore?"

"He's not gonna be a problem for either of us," he reassured me. "You can count on that, angel."

"I'm so glad you don't have to worry about someone sabotaging your bike like that again," I whispered, clutching his shoulders as I thought about how different my life would have been if that jerk had gotten what he'd wanted out of the accident—Hayes dead. "He deserves all of the bad karma he has coming his way."

"He can burn in hell for all I care, but he's not gonna get another minute of our attention." His hand stroked down my spine to cup my butt. "We've got better things to focus on."

Now that the dust had settled with the man who had it out for Hayes, I had to face the fear plaguing me since we first got together. Did he really see a future with me? Or had things moved so quickly between us because of the adrenaline of how we met?

"What happens next?"

His brows drew together at my question. "What do you mean?"

"Um, well…I have a lot of stuff at your house." I cleared the sudden lump in my throat. "But there's no longer danger of that guy coming after me for witnessing your accident. So…"

I was unable to get the words past my stiff lips. But Hayes got the point I was trying to make. And it pissed him off, judging by the angry gleam in his eyes.

"What the hell, angel?" he growled, his fingers digging into my hips as he yanked me closer. "Are you sitting on my lap, tryin' to tell me that you wanna move out of our home now that we don't have to worry about that asshole hurting you?"

I shook my head. "No, absolutely not."

"Then what the fuck were you trying to say?"

"You kinda already answered my question, which makes it easier to ask. If that makes any sense." I cupped his bearded cheeks. "Do you want me to stay even though I don't need to be here for my protection?"

"Fuck yeah, I do." His eyes narrowed. "Did you really doubt that'd be my answer?"

I shrugged. "You have to admit that things moved fast with us."

"Is that your only reason for thinking I didn't mean it each and every time I called you mine?" he demanded, grinding his hard-on against my core. "And not just when I was buried balls deep inside you. 'Cause I know damn well I've said it plenty of other times, too."

"You have," I confirmed, twining my arms around his neck as I relaxed in his hold. "But I've never been in a relationship before. So I didn't know how seriously I should take stuff like that when we've never labeled what's happened beyond me being yours and you being mine."

"You want me to be crystal clear about what we are to each other?" he asked.

"Uh-huh," I breathed with a nod.

He lifted me off his lap and set me in his chair. "Stay put. I'll be right back."

I practically held my breath as he stormed out of his office. My curiosity over what he was doing was quickly answered when he returned a moment later, carrying a smaller version of his vest in his fist. After rounding his desk, he crouched next to me, turning the leather so I could see the patch on the back that said "Property of Ice."

I beamed a big smile at him, sniffling as my eyes filled with tears. "You want me to be your old lady?"

"That and more," he confirmed, tugging me forward to slide my arms through the holes and settling the leather on my back. Then he captured my mouth in a deep kiss, clenching the front of my new vest to hold me in place.

When he finally lifted his head again, I blinked up at him. "What's more than your old lady? I thought that was the highest honor you could give a woman in the biker world."

"You're everything to me, Marnie." He yanked open the top drawer of his desk and pulled out a black jewelry box. Flipping open the lid with his thumb, he showed me the diamond solitaire nestled inside. Plucking it out of the black velvet between his thumb and index finger, he slid it onto my finger. "You're gonna spend the rest of your life being my old lady, my wife, and the mother of my children. I wanna build a family with you, me, and three babies that'll hopefully have your black hair and green eyes. That work for you?"

It wasn't the proposal that most women dreamed of, but Hayes basically telling me that we were getting married was perfect for me. "It does, but I have two tiny issues with the future you laid out for us."

"Only two?" he asked with a grin. "That's not too bad, considering. What are they?"

"I want at least one of our babies to have dark hair and pale blue eyes, just like their daddy."

His smile widened, and he nodded. "That'd work for me, but I guess we're gonna have to wait and see what we end up with. If the first three all look alike, we can keep on trying for another until we both have a mini-me."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Is this your way of tricking me into having more than three kids?"

"You got a problem with the plan if that's what I'm doing?" he countered.

"Nah." I shook my head. "As long as you give me the right answer to my second question, I'm good with having as many babies as you want. Within reason."

"We'll negotiate what reason means after I've given you whatever you need so we can celebrate you being my old lady and fiancée." His palm settled over my flat belly. "And maybe even get to work on that first baby if you're not already pregnant."

I hadn't had a period since I met Hayes, but it wasn't due for a couple more days. The timing wasn't likely for him to knock me up today, but that wouldn't stop me from letting him try as often as he'd like. After he'd alleviated my other concern.

"Do you love me?"

"Fuck, angel," he rasped, standing before pulling me to my feet. "I can't believe I haven't said it yet. I love you so damn much. More than I ever thought possible."

"Really?" I cried, pressing trembling fingers to my lips.

"I fell for you hard and fast." He shook his head with a rueful laugh. "Probably started from the moment I opened my eyes after my accident and saw you standing over me. My beautiful angel."

"I love you, too," I confessed, pressing my face against his chest.

"Good, because you're stuck with me, Marnie Miller, soon-to-be Gallagher."

It turned out that he hadn't been kidding when he said soon…we got married only four days later. Hours after we found out that I was already pregnant.