He smiled, his nose pressing into hers. “I love you.”

Something glimmered in his eyes, and she wasn’t sure what it was or what it meant, but before he could say anything, his phone sounded. Annoyance took over his face as he rolled her to the other side of him, looking for his phone frantically.

“It can’t wait?”

“Nope, it’s my agent’s ring tone. Sorry.”

“Oh,” she said as he found his phone, answering.

“Hey, Ralph. Yeah, thanks, it was a great win. Thanks. Yeah, I got the puck on the counter right now, but it’s going on the mantel at home.”

Mekena scoffed. They didn’t have a mantel, but damn it, she might make him one. Or have him make it. Or better yet, hire someone to make it. She wasn’t sure she trusted Markus with tools. As she smiled, laughter bubbling inside of her, she drank in his profile as he listened. Boy, did she enjoy staring at him. Reaching out, she cupped his chin, moving her thumb along his jaw. Winking at her, he held up a finger, and she nodded as a huge grin came over his lips.

“No shit, really? Holy crap. Yeah, that sounds great. Wow, thanks, Ralph. No, I’m excited, I am. I’m just speechless.” She wasn’t sure what Ralph was saying, but Markus was beaming, his eyes bright as he nodded. “Yeah, I’ll see you in a couple days. Thanks. Thanks so damn much.”

Hanging up the phone, he looked over at Mekena and grinned. “Well, my beautiful girlfriend, you are about to be one lucky lady.”

She beamed. “Ryan Reynolds wants to make a baby with me?”

He paused and then shook his head. “What the fuck? You dig Deadpool?”

She nodded. “Hell yeah, I do, he’s sexy.”

“I’m naked here, you just took advantage of me, and you’re calling some other dude sexy?”

She smiled. “Yes, because I love you and find you sexy. But that doesn’t matter, carry on,” she said simply and he glared.

“We will revisit this later,” he decided, and she laughed as he rolled his eyes. “You are a lucky lady because your boyfriend will sign a multimillion-dollar contract on Monday with the Assassins.”

Mekena’s eyes widened. “Really?”

“Really!” he gushed, and she wrapped her arms around him, kissing him hard on the lips.

Pulling back, she smacked his chest as she screeched, “Markus! I’m so proud!”

He looked like he might cry as he looked up at her. “I can’t believe it. I’m signing with my dream team and I get to live with you permanently and we get to be happy, together,” he gushed, and Mekena was on the verge of tears as they fell onto the couch, their mouths meeting in a hot, intense kiss. As his fingers tangled in her hair, she was sure she would burst with excitement and love for this man. She was so unbelievably proud of him. He was doing everything he had set out to do, and she couldn’t be more delighted for him.

For them.

Pulling back, he grinned as he asked, “Did you hear the multi part?”

She grinned. “I did, but how multi? Ryan Reynolds’s Deadpool multi?”

He gave her a dry look. “Really?”

She giggled uncontrollably. “No! Gosh, you should have seen your face.”

“You’re a punk,” he announced, and she laughed as he kissed her neck.

“But you love me, you love me so much,” she sang as she wrapped her whole body around him, so fucking happy she couldn’t contain herself if she tried.

“I do, so fucking much,” he muttered against her neck. “Enough to ignore this new love for Deadpool.”

“Oh, baby, my love for Deadpool is old and strong,” she teased, and he groaned loudly.

“I hate you,” he said and she laughed.

“You do not, and I know that for a fact,” she said, laughing, and he nibbled on her breast before leaning his chin to her chest, looking up at her.

“I don’t,” he said, his eyes dark and full of love. “I couldn’t if I tried.”

“I know,” she said, a grin pulling at her lips as she cupped his face. “Same here.”

He smiled, his hand coming over hers as they stared into each other’s eyes. Everything was working out. Everything was coming together, and holy crap, they were going to be together. It could change, he could get sent down, but right now, things were perfect and they were happy.

So damn happy.

“Hey, when we get back to Nashville, do you wanna go shopping?”

Her face broke into a grin as she laughed. “The multimillion is already burning a hole in your pocket? You haven’t even put ink to paper yet!” When he didn’t laugh, just smiled, she stopped laughing. “What? That was funny.”

“It was,” he said, his eyes burning into hers. “But I want to take you ring shopping.”

Her brows pulled together, unsure what he was saying. “Ring shop—” She paused, her eyes going wide. “Are you asking me to marry you?”

“No, I said shopping.”

Her heart kicked into overdrive as she looked deep into his eyes. “Is this ring for you to ask me to marry you?”

He nodded. “Yes.”

“But you aren’t asking?”

“No,” he said simply, his eyes playful as he held her gaze. “I don’t know what ring to get you, and I don’t want to get you something and you hate it. So I’d rather go shopping, check shit out, get a sense of what you like, and then wait.”

“Wait?” she asked, drawing out the word. “Wait, how long?”

“I don’t know. I gotta talk to your dad, buy the ring, and stuff.”

“But this could be next week?” she asked, her heart trying to escape her chest.

“I mean…” He paused, shrugging. “Maybe. Would that be a problem?”

She shook her head before she even really thought about it. “No, no problem here.”

“So you will probably say yes?” he asked, and she couldn’t help but smile at the uncertainty in his eyes.

“Maybe, I don’t know. You haven’t asked.”

He held her gaze as his lips twitched. “Okay.”

“Okay,” she answered back.

“So we’ll go when we get back?”

“Yeah,” she said, her heart in her throat.