Crave Me (The Good Ol' Boys #4)(91)

“I know,” I breathed out.

He shut his eyes, the pain of my words too much for him to hear.

“It’s why I didn’t want you to take over in the first place. I’ve seen what happens, I’ve seen it my entire life. Men come and go in this business, some are lucky enough to walk out the door.”

He opened his eyes when he realized what I implied.

“I thought I lost you, Austin. I thought you weren’t going to come back to me. That the drugs, money, and power replaced what we had. I thought everything we shared was—”

“Shhh…” he whispered against my lips, gripping the sides of my face tight.

I leaned into the warmth that I’d missed so damn much.

“That won’t ever happen. I promise you that I won’t ever, ever make you feel that way again. I will never let you feel alone again. Nothing can take me away from you. I swear to you. You’re my home, Daisy. You’ve always been my home, my heart, and my soul. I didn’t start living until I met you. I’m so f*cking sorry, baby.”

I took in every last emotion he was giving me. Letting his words that I so desperately wanted to be true, take over.

He kissed me, lightly beckoning my lips to open for him. They did.

Feeling him.

Loving him.

Needing him.

“Everything is going to be different from now on. I promise, baby. We can go. We have more than enough money. Let’s escape this life, escape the sadness that this life has brought on. Make new memories. We can start our life together. The one you’ve always wanted and the one I’ve never stopped wanting to give you.”

Tears streamed down my face. I wanted to believe everything he was saying.

No more lies.

“What? You mean it? We can go? We can start over? Somewhere else… somewhere far away from here?” I asked, question after question not knowing which one I wanted answered the most.

“I’ll go wherever you want. As long as we’re together, that’s all that’s ever mattered to me,” he rasped in between kissing me.

He rested his forehead on top of mine. Never breaking our connection.

Our love.

He looked deep into my eyes with more sincerity than I had ever seen before, like his soul was staring back at me.

“Marry me.”

I tried to jerk back, but he held me in place by his grasp.

“What? What did you just say?”

He rubbed his nose back and forth over mine and spoke with conviction, “Marry me, Daisy.”

I released the breath I didn’t realize I held, my hesitation bringing me back.

“Are you serious? Are you being serious right now?” I wept, my tears covering his hands.

“I’ve never been more serious about anything in all of my life. I love you more then anything on this earth. Marry me.”

I wanted to say yes so f*cking badly… but so much had happened between us.

He smiled, kissing me all over my face, wiping my tears with his lips. Taking away all the pain that had lived inside them for so many years. He stopped and my body slowly slid down his until my feet touched the floor.

“You’re my girl. You’ll always be my f*cking girl,” he stated with his own voice breaking.

He kissed me passionately, our tongues taking what the other needed. His grasp still tightly placed on the sides of my face. We kissed one last time, long and true before he pulled back to look deep into my eyes again and said,

“You’re going to be the best mommy to our baby, Briggs.”

My. Heart. Broke.

Again.





Chapter 28





<>Austin<>



I felt her immediately tense in my arms, going rigid like someone just knocked the wind out of her.

“Why would you say that?” she asked, searching my face for an answer. Worry evident in her tone.

I kissed the tip of her nose and let go of her face. I grabbed the flutes, pouring some champagne in each one. I handed her a glass and picked up mine clinking it against hers.

I smiled. “I found the ultrasound picture in the frame on our nightstand,” I said, taking in her distress. “I know you can’t drink, but I got us sparkling cider to celebrate the news,” I added, placing my hand over her stomach, over our future.

She instantly stepped back away from my touch as if it burned her. I shook my head in confusion, not understanding what I had done.

“What’s wro—”

“That’s why you did all of this.” She frantically looked around the apartment, her gaze not settling on one place for very long. “The clean apartment, the dinner?” She stared down at the table and then back up at me. “The realization, the future, the proposal, that’s the only reason you did all—”

I stepped toward her, and she stepped back again. I cocked my head to the side, taken aback.

“Baby, I’ve always wanted to marry you. What are you talking about? You’re not making any sense right now. I know the timing may seem wrong, but you know that’s not true. I love you, Briggs. Finding the ultrasound picture of our baby made me realize what the f*ck I was doing. Knowing that a part of me is growing inside of you. Brought me clarity. Made me see what I needed to do. To stop f*cking up. I would never put your life or our child’s in danger. You know that? You. Know. Me.”