“It’s you and me, honey. From here on out.” He leaned down, his mouth right against hers, their breath warm on each other’s lips.

“From here on out,” she agreed.

*  *  *

The second the front door of the cabin closed Harper found herself pushed up against the wall by the solid weight of her perfectly muscled, attractive as sin man.

Yeah, that was right. Her man.

“Haven’t we done this before?” she asked as she looked up into his green-gold eyes. Eyes that had seen her from the very start. Eyes that didn’t hide how much he loved her.

“I believe we have. But things have definitely changed since the last time we were here together.”

“In so many ways.”

“Buying you that beer is still the best decision I ever made.” He grabbed her hands, pulling her arms up and pinning them to the wall above her head.

“Stole. You stole that beer.”

“It was only fair. You stole my heart first.” He grinned as he twined their fingers together.

“You’re still using your lines on me. Apparently not everything has changed.”

“Not a line.” Liam shook his head, his lips brushing hers with the movement. “That’s a fact.”

“That so?”

“Yup. Want to know what else is a fact?” He skimmed his nose across her neck as he inhaled.

“What’s that?”

“You smell incredible. You always smell incredible. Honey.” He whispered the word, his warm breath hitting her skin before he pressed his lips to the spot just under her left ear. “My honey.”

“Always yours.” How had she ever doubted what they had? For even a second? Never again. Never, ever, again.

Liam’s mouth left her skin as he pulled back, his eyes finding hers. “I’m going to kiss you now. So if you have any problems with that, you should speak now or forever hold your peace.”

She couldn’t stop herself from grinning at his words, the same words from their first night together. “No objections.” She shook her head.

His mouth came down hard on hers, their tongues tangling together. It was a good long couple of moments before he pulled back. “Still no objections?”

“I’m objection-less.”

“Thank God.” He gave her a wicked grin before he let go of her hands and bent, sweeping her up in his arms.

“Liam!” she gasped, her arms going around his neck and holding on tight as he carried her through the house.

“I’ve got you, Harper.”

“I know.” Of that she had no doubt. She kissed his jaw, his beard rasping across her lips.

When they got to the bedroom he set her down gently. The second her feet were firmly stationed on the floor and she was standing up straight, his hands were on her hips and he was pulling her in close to his body.

“So I decided something,” she said as she dropped her arms from where they were looped around his neck, running her palms down his chest.

“And what’s that?” He took a step forward, moving her back through the room.

“I’m not going to let the lies in those stupid tabloids get to me. We’ll make our own headlines.”

“Yeah? Like what?”

“Well, the first one will say, ‘Liam James and Harper Laurence Don’t Care What Anyone Else Has to Say About Their Relationship, and Kiki Jean Carlow Is a Lying Piece of Work That Absolutely No One Should Listen To. Ever.’ Though that might be a little wordy?” The back of her legs hit the bed and they stopped moving.

“A little.” He nodded. His hands had descended down and were now under the skirt of her dress.

“What about, ‘Liam James and Harper Laurence Tell Everyone Else to Shove It’? How does that sound?”

“Probably not the best for publicity.” He grinned, palming her ass.

“Okay, ‘Liam James and Harper Laurence Are Madly in Love’?”

“No.” He shook his head. “‘Liam and Harper James Are Madly in Love.’”

She froze, as she looked up at him. “What?”

“Yeah, and the next will say, ‘Liam and Harper James Settle into Their New Home in Mirabelle, Florida’ and after that ‘Liam and Harper James Welcome Their Baby Girl into the World.’ I think I’m forgetting one though…” he trailed off, his eyes narrowing in thought as his mouth turned up at the sides. “Oh, the first one. ‘Liam James and Harper Laurence, His Beautiful.’” He kissed the side of her mouth. “‘Stunning.’” He kissed the other side of her mouth. “‘Sexy as Hell Wife.’” He pressed his lips to the center of hers. “‘Wed in a Small Beachside Wedding Surrounded by Friends and Family.’”

“You want to marry me?”

His hands dropped from under the skirt of her dress, and her hands fell away from his chest as he reached over to the nightstand next to him and opened the top drawer. A second later he was holding up a little black velvet box, showing it to her before he flipped it open.

There, nestled in the white satin, was a cushion cut diamond, surrounded by a square of tiny diamonds that continued on to the band in two separate rows.

“Oh my God,” she whispered as she looked down at the most stunning ring she’d ever seen in her life.

And okay, maybe she shouldn’t be this shocked. Them heading toward marriage wasn’t too much of a stretch. But he already had a ring. He’d already been planning to propose.

“I told you from the start, told you that the second I tasted you.” He leaned forward and nipped at her bottom lip, pulling it into his mouth before he let go. “I’d want everything. But it happened before that first kiss, Harper. I wanted everything the second I found you. I’ve just been waiting for you to say yes.”

She reached up again, her hands on his chest and moving over his shoulders. And then they were at the back of his head, her fingers in his hair as she brushed her lips across his. “You still haven’t asked me the question.”

“You’re right. I haven’t.” He dropped to his knee in front of her. Both of her hands were still in his hair, and he grabbed the left and pulled it away to hold it in front of him. “It’s always been you, Harper. You’re it for me, have been from the very start. I didn’t know something was missing from my life until I met you, and I never want to go back to how it was before you.” He pulled the ring out, setting the empty box on the nightstand. “Will you marry me?”

“Yes.”

He grinned up at her as he slid the ring onto her finger. Once it was firmly in place he was getting up off the floor, his arms wrapping around her waist as he kissed her.

“I love you, Liam James,” she said against his mouth, her lips brushing his with every word that she spoke. “This is the life I want. The one with you in it. And it’s the only one I will ever want.”

“Promise?”

“I swear.” And she sealed it with a kiss.

Epilogue I Need Forever, Honey, Forever with You

November 2nd…one year and two months later

Liam adjusted the tie at his neck for what was probably the fortieth time that night. He still wasn’t exactly what anyone would call a suit kind of guy even though he was wearing them a lot more lately.

He’d been sporting one this time last year when he and Harper had gotten married. They’d taken two months to plan it, the wedding happening that first weekend in November.

Harper had been six months pregnant and hadn’t wanted to hide Sofia under layers of material. Adele designed the dress—obviously—and Harper’s baby belly had been clearly outlined under the lace.

She was the most beautiful bride he’d ever seen in his life.

In fact, the gray tie he was currently wearing was the same he’d gotten married in. It was also the one he’d had on when he and Harper had found each other again in Jacksonville at the Stampede party.

He considered it his lucky tie. How could he not?

“Stop that,” Harper whispered low in his ear as she reached up and grabbed his arm. “I haven’t seen you this nervous since the day our daughter was born.” She linked their fingers together as she pulled both of their hands into her lap.