Damsel in Danger (Danger Incorporated Book 1) (28 page)
Read Damsel in Danger (Danger Incorporated Book 1) Online
Authors: Olivia Jaymes
Tags: #Military, #Mystery, #Suspense, #Private Investigators, #Romance, #Fiction, #Former DEA Agent, #Murder, #Neighbors, #House Renovation, #First Date, #Police, #Contemporary
“Just relax. I know the perfect person to run your campaign.” Travis lifted the glass from West’s hand. “Pace yourself. The day is young.”
Brinley and his mother came into the living room chatting about the upcoming snow festival and he was sure Marie Anderson had roped the younger woman into volunteering. Luckily Brinley was social in nature and didn’t seem to mind.
He quickly crossed to her and put his arm around her shoulders. “Mom, do you mind if I borrow Brinley for a few minutes?”
His mother laughed as she hugged West. “Have her back for dinner. Fifteen minutes tops.”
Jason led Brinley through the kitchen and into the large walk in pantry. It wasn’t exactly candlelight and roses but that wasn’t really the type of people they were. Brinley was more about the little things than grand romantic gestures, which was a lucky thing for him. She appreciated it when he brought her coffee in bed in the mornings or when he rubbed her feet while they watched television. He was always looking for new ways to show her how much he loved her.
“Is something wrong?” Brinley was frowning at him and he reached up to smooth her forehead.
“Nothing at all. I just wanted to talk to you.”
Now that the moment was here all the words he’d practiced flew right out of his head, leaving him a tongue-tied, nervous idiot. He rubbed the back of his neck with a suddenly sweaty palm. He’d rehearsed this a hundred times but maybe he should have done it a thousand.
“You wanted to talk to me,” Brinley prompted, her hazel eyes wide with concern. “Go ahead. I’m listening.”
“It’s just…Well, I was thinking…Hell…I love you so much, honey…You have no idea how you’ve changed things…”
She’d made everything better. He didn’t have as much trouble sleeping at night and when that nightmare showed up she held him all night long.
“I love you too,” she whispered, a smile spreading across her beautiful face. “Do you want me to help you, babe?”
He didn’t have a clue how but he’d take whatever he could. No one had told him that proposing was this fraught with tension. He tugged at his too tight collar and tried to speak over the lump in his throat.
“I love you, Jason Anderson.” She slid her arms around his waist and pressed her curves against his more than willing body. “And yes, I want to spend my life with you. Yes, to kids and everything. Just yes. Does that help?”
A huge surge of relief made him sag against the shelves. “I feel so stupid. How did you know? Was I that obvious?”
Laughter bubbled from her full pink lips and he couldn’t stop himself from kissing her a few times before she answered.
“You were not obvious at all,” she finally said when he let her up for air. “In fact, I never would have guessed if it hadn’t been for the time you tried to measure my finger when you thought I was asleep. That wasn’t a tip off at all. Neither was the time when you asked me if I thought women looked better in white gold, yellow gold, or platinum. That was completely in character for you.”
He should have known his woman was too smart to be fooled. After all, she’d helped him catch a killer.
“So you’ve known for weeks? Why didn’t you say something?”
“And ruin your plans for a proposal?” Her hazel eyes were twinkling with love. “No way. I wanted to see how you’d do it.”
He looked around the utilitarian, unromantic kitchen pantry and pulled a face. He’d never be the hearts and flowers type no matter how hard he tried. “I guess I screwed it up. This sounded like a much better idea in my head than it was in reality.”
Brinley shook her head. “A house brought us together although that home is currently for sale. I think this is just fine. We can share this with your family. I think they’ll be happy for us.” She stood back and clasped her hands together. “Do I get my ring now?”
Chuckling, Jason drew it from his pocket and held it up for her inspection. He’d spent hours at that damn jewelry store looking for just the right ring. If she didn’t like it he’d take it right back and get something else.
“It’s a heart-shaped stone set in platinum with baguettes on each side.” He shuffled his feet and looked down at his boots. “I picked it out because, you know, you have my heart.”
When he looked up her eyes were bright with tears and he felt that lump in his throat grow to monster size while a vise squeezed his chest until he almost couldn’t breathe.
“It’s beautiful. Will you put it on me?” She held out her left hand. It trembled slightly, but then so did his own as he slid the ring on her dainty finger. He didn’t let go, instead bending down to press a kiss in her palm.
“I’m not going to want to wait long,” he warned. “I want to marry you as soon as possible.”
“I think between your mother and I we can make it happen on the first day of summer vacation. How does that sound?”
Perfect. Heavenly. The snow might blanket the ground but Brinley would always be his summer girl, kissed golden by the sun.
She’d brought light to the darkest part of his soul. She’d brought love to his world.
The End
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Olivia Jaymes is a wife, mother, lover of sexy romance, and caffeine addict. She lives with her husband and son in central Florida and spends her days with handsome alpha males and spunky heroines.
She is currently working on a series of full-length novels called The Cowboy Justice Association. It’s a contemporary romance series about lawmen in southern Montana who work to keep the peace but can’t seem to find it in their own lives in addition to the erotic romance novella series – Military Moguls.
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