Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 41918 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 210(@200wpm)___ 168(@250wpm)___ 140(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 41918 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 210(@200wpm)___ 168(@250wpm)___ 140(@300wpm)
I smile, happy, content, and safe. "I love you too, Luke."
Sunshine peeks through the windows and warms my skin as Luke gently wakes me up, kissing the back of my neck and shoulders as I emerge from sleep.
"You've got to get up, baby girl," he says against my skin. "I've got a breakfast reservation for us."
A breakfast reservation? That doesn't sound like Luke at all.
He chuckles as I roll over in bed, coming face-to-face with him. He looks so handsome like this, eyes crinkling and dimples on display. He's practically beaming with excitement, and it sets me abuzz. I don't want to let him down.
"Okay," I say, kissing him lightly on the lips before sitting up and stretching my arms above my head. "Let me get ready. Where are we going?"
Luke just smirks and shakes his head. "It's a surprise, baby girl."
I stick my tongue out at him in a moment of playfulness that surprises me. Luke brings it out of me. It's been so long since I've felt safe enough to really be myself. It's like he's awakening something deep inside me, and I love it.
He slaps my ass gently as I slip out of bed.
"Now, now, none of that or we'll never get there on time," I tell him, giggling.
We both get ready, managing to resist each other long enough to get out the door and onto his motorcycle. I'm still sore from last night but only a little, and the rumble of the bike against my backside reminds me of what exactly we did. The feeling makes my core tingle, but I put that out of my mind.
Right now I have other things to think about, like where we're headed. Luke won't tell me where we're going, and that's got me wondering what the heck he has planned. When I ask him what I should wear, he says to dress comfortably and warm, so that’s what I do, slipping on my favorite sweater and jeans and a light jacket. It's been getting chilly outside.
Luke is in a T-shirt under his jacket, and he's warm in my arms where I grip him. He takes us into town and the wind whips through my hair, the exhilaration making my stomach swoop with giddiness. I laugh, the sound flying away into the breeze, and I feel free and alive and like nothing in the world can ever bother me.
The scenery starts to look familiar, and it hits me where we're headed. "We're going to the clubhouse?" I yell over the wind, confused.
"Just have to make a quick stop," he replies.
I settle back down against him, my cheek on his back, but as we approach the Iron Guardians clubhouse, I see something odd. The entire parking lot is full of Guardian riders, all dressed in their vests with their patches on and standing in front of their bikes, all of them arranged in a semicircle.
Luke pulls into the center of the circle and turns the bike off, helping me to stand and taking both our helmets off. I blink in the bright morning light, looking around at the gathering. "Luke, what...?"
My words turn into a gasp of shock as Luke, leader of the Iron Guardians, unbreakable protector, lowers himself to one knee in front of me. The crowd is silent, and all I can hear is my pulse in my ears and my heart pounding.
"I wanted to do this in front of the Iron Guardians, the place where I found the first bit of meaning in my life. Now, Emma, with you here, I am complete. You make my days bright, and I love you with every bit of my soul. I can't see spending a single day without you."
He reaches into his pocket and takes out a box, opening it to reveal an engagement ring, simple but stunning, a solitaire diamond in a silver band. My hands fly up to my face. This is unreal, impossible, but I've never seen anything I've wanted more than this.
"Emma Lawson, will you marry me?"
The answer bursts from me, an explosion of joy, and I throw my arms around him as I cry "Yes" again and again. He spins me in a circle as the crowd erupts around us in applause. Luke sets me down, still dizzy with joy and happiness, and takes the ring from its box to place it on my finger. The diamond shines in the sun, and it feels so perfect on my finger, I can't even describe the emotions welling up inside me.
Around us, the cheers combine with the revving of the dozens of motorcycles as the Iron Guardians celebrate their leader. This is the biggest moment of my life. Luke cups my cheek with his hand and wipes away a tear I don't even remember shedding, eyes full of love and wonder.