PAIGE
I pulled back, my eyes wide, my breath catching in my throat. The two words—marry me—hung in the air, not as a romantic dream, but as a seismic shock that reverberated through my entire body.
My mind went blank, wiped clean of every clever retort, every defensive wall I had ever built.
Before I could form a single coherent thought, his hands on my waist shifted. One large, warm palm slid down, cupping my ass through the fabric of my dress and giving a firm, possessive squeeze. It wasn't crude; it was a grounding, physical claim that sent a jolt of pure, undiluted lightning straight to my core.
At the same time, he buried his face in the curve of my neck, his nose nuzzling the sensitive skin there as he breathed me in, a deep, shuddering inhalation, as if my scent was the only oxygen he needed.
