Beyond Christmas (Corrupt Chaos MC #1.5) by Bink Cummings Read Free Book Online Page B

muses with a chuckle, placing the unwrapped box in my hand. The pretty paper and bow are now in shambles, decorating our floor.
    “I will never stop being that,” I threaten.
    “Didnae think so. Now open the box. I know ye like presents.”
    He’s right. I do.
    “Fine, Mr. Bossy Pants.” Lifting the lid, I let it fall to the floor with the rest, and extract a littler black box that’s nestled inside. This box is um … I swallow thickly … It’s a…
    Lachlan kneels at my feet and my eyes go wide with shock. This can’t be happening! Tears of joy spring to my eyes, and my heart starts to beat out of my chest, slamming against my ribs, hoping to break free. Lost in emotion, I drop my towel by accident and it pools at my feet. Lachlan grins, making me feel funny inside as his own gaze mists over.
    “Wh—what are you—” I fumble, losing my words.
    Oh. My. God.
    Unable to control it, tears begin to trail down my cheeks. This can’t be real! Please tell me it’s a necklace and he’s merely kneeling to pick up the paper mess.
    “Open the box, my bonnie leannan.”
    Through blurry vision, my shaky fingers snap the lid back.
    Oh. My. It’s a ring. It’s a gorgeous ring!
    A torrent of tears start to stream down my cheeks. Lachlan plucks the ring from the box before I drop it to the floor. Covering my face with trembling hands, I begin to sob.
    “My leannan,” Lachlan prompts with the gentlest tone.
    “Yes?” I sniffle, rubbing the wetness away with the heel of my palms.
    “Ye’re the love of my life. I knew from the day I saved ye, that I couldn’t live without ye. Will ye make me the happiest bloody man on the planet and be my wife?”
    I can’t believe he’s asking me this…
    Without warning, a surplus of emotions crash through me—Fear; because I don’t know if I’ll ever be enough. Excitement; because I feel like the luckiest woman in the world. Guilt; for finding the love of my life after losing Brian. Happiness; because he’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Happiness and joy are what I cling to. I wrap it up, curl it around me and focus on how blessed I am to have this moment again in my life, on this day, with this man.
    Shuddering a breath, I nod and whisper a faint, “Yes.”
    “Aye?!” he beams, meeting my eyes.
    “Yes.” I giggle merrily.
    With unbelievable speed, Lachlan shoots up from the floor and envelopes me in his embrace. I melt into him, my cheek to his chest, listening to the cadence of his sturdy heart. Locking my arms around his torso, droplets of my liquid happiness dampen his chest hair. God, I adore this man.
    He presses tiny kisses to my clammy forehead. “I love ye,” he mutters.
    “I love you, too,” I blubber, nuzzling into his heat, trying to soak it in. My entire body is alight with emotions, every nerve ending oversensitive. I need to chill the heck out.
    Lachlan pries my left arm from around his waist. “Let me put yer ring on,” he remarks, using one hand to pull the ring from the box, then letting the velvet clatter to the floor. I offer my finger and he glides it on. The new weight on my hand feels perfect—just right. And, it fits. How did he know my size?
    Taking a deep breath to calm my nerves, I rest my chin on his chest to peer up at him as he stares down at me. “Do ye like it?” he asks.
    Biting my lip, I lift my hand to inspect the ring. I barely got a chance to look at it before.
    It’s perfect, isn’t it? White gold with a round diamond in the center, that’s surrounded by tons of littler diamonds on all sides. Even the band is encrusted in them.
    The Christmas tree lights catch the gems in just the right way to make them sparkle. It’s truly amazing.
    I rest my palm on Lachlan’s pec so I can continue to admire this ring and wrap my head around what happened. I think I’m still in shock. “Why’d you ask me today?” I regard him with a soft smile, wanting to ask why he even asked me to marry him in the first place. But