All Chained Up (Devil's Rock #1)(82)

He sighed and leaned over to kiss her again. “I love the sound of your laugh.”

“It’s because of you. You make me happy.”

He stared at her solemnly for a moment. “I love you, Briar.”

“I love you, too.”

“We’re going to have a good life together,” he said with resolve, his eyes glittering with emotion. Almost as though a lingering part of him would always doubt that possibility.

She brushed a hand over his bristly jaw reassuringly and stared into his eyes. “I know, Knox. That’s why we’re going to move in together.”

He stilled. “We are?”

She shrugged, trying not to feel suddenly insecure. “You’re here almost every night . . .”

“Briar, my uncle needs someone with him out at the farm. I can’t just—”

“I’m moving in with you both at the farmhouse,” she clarified.

He stilled. “You want to live with me and Uncle Mac? I can’t ask you to—”

“I know you’ll never leave him. That’s who you are. The kind of man you are. Loyal and kind and devoted. It’s why I love you. So yeah, if we’re going to live together, it’s going to be with Uncle Mac. At the farmhouse.”

He expelled a breath and pulled her tightly into his arms. “Finding you, being with you . . . you make everything that’s ever happened to me worth getting to this moment.”

She hugged him back, her arms looped around his big shoulders, shivering a little as he spoke into her ear. “Except . . . we can’t move in together, Briar.”

She pulled back, looking at him in alarm. “What do you mean?”

“Not without an understanding between us first,” he added. She blinked, shaking her head, utterly bewildered. His cobalt gaze flicked over her face. “Marry me.”

Those two words speared her in the chest, robbing her of breath. There was a shadow of uncertainty as he stared at her, waiting for her to say something. Something good. Something like yes.

She swallowed, fighting for her voice. “Yes,” she said hoarsely. “Yes, yes, yes, I’ll marry you.”

His face broke into a smile. Then she couldn’t breathe again because they were kissing. And loving. There were no more words. Their sighs and moans and reverent touches said everything.

It wasn’t until later that either one of them could speak.

An hour at least.





Acknowledgments


THANK YOU TO my fabulous editor, May Chen, and the team at Avon for taking a chance on this book. I’ve been itching to write the Devil’s Rock series for a long time—even before I knew what it was called. As someone who has been writing for over ten years, it’s sometimes hard to stay excited about every project. It means the world to have a team that gives me the support and encouragement to write books that continuously excite me.

Additionally, this book wouldn’t be what it is without the keen insight of Stacey Kade, Sarah MacLean and my lovely Kiawah Island retreaters: Ally, Carrie, Monica and Rachel—thanks for listening to me wax on about this book and inspiring me through a wonderful week crammed full of blackberry pie and writerly magic. And lastly, a great thank you to Lisa Dess. Who knew when you worked as a corrections officer you would one day have an author pelt you with question after question regarding prison life? Thank you for your input. I hope you approve of any liberties I may have taken.