“Where to next, Mr. Tour Guide?” Lane asked.
I felt my lips pull into a grin as the dock on my private lake came into view. “My second favorite place in the world.”
Lane gasped as she took in the landscape. The hill gradually sloped just like it did at our parent’s houses back on Cedar Creek Lake. A slightly overgrown path led down to the entrance of the dock at the bottom. I felt her squeeze my hand a little as the most beautiful smile lit up her face. I knew she would be pleased by this.
“Come on.” I gently tugged her forward.
Hand in hand, we made our way down the dirt path in the intense heat of the early summer day. Other than the white railing needing a new coat of paint, everything still seemed in good shape.
Lane slid her hand along the rail once we were on the dock. So many times I dreamt of bringing her out here. There were times I sat out here with my eyes closed and imagined what it used to feel like when I held her in my arms on a dock just like this. For four years, I couldn’t shake those thoughts, and now she was here. It was almost surreal, very dream-like.
When we came to the end, I released her hand and wrapped my arm around her shoulders as she leaned on the rail to overlook the water. “Noel, this is perfect. It’s almost like being home.”
I brushed a loose strand of her hair off her cheek, and she turned her gaze toward me. “This could be home if you wanted it to be.”
She twisted her pink lips. “We talked about this, remember? Taking things slow.”
“I know, but sometimes it drives me crazy because I already know what I want, and I’m ready to make that happen.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“I’m sure because I never want to mess things up with you again. I can’t be without you. The only thing that concerns me now is your happiness. I’m just asking for the chance to be your everything. I need to be your forever.”
The light stubble on my chin scratched the tips of her fingers when she traced my jaw. “You are my forever, Noel. I promise, no more running.”
My heart thundered like a bass drum in my chest. Her green eyes gazed up at me, holding nothing but sincerity to back up her words. For some reason this felt like the perfect moment. What better time to do it but now? We were on a dock. We were fully committed to one another and had voiced we belong to each other forever at different times in the past couple days.
I opened my mouth to pop the question, but the words wouldn’t come out. It wasn’t that I was afraid or anything. It was the thought of being unprepared. Lane deserved that perfect moment. One like they showed in the movies where the guy surprised her by being totally romantic and thoughtful and presented a ring that meant serious business. I felt unprepared to deliver such a huge moment. I didn’t want her to think I was doing this on a whim and wasn’t positive this, us, was what I wanted.
My eyes roamed over her face, and I turned her body to face mine. Both of my hands cupped her face. Even though I really wanted to tell her what was on my mind, I panicked and said the first thing that popped in my mind in regards to her last comment. “Good, because chasing you rips my heart out. I want you to stay with me. Always. No more running.”
Lane nods. “And no more secrets.”
That stung a little. “You’re right. No more secrets. From now on, we share everything. No matter if it’s something the other probably doesn’t want to hear. Deal?”
A slow smile filled her face. “What’s with you and all these bets all of the sudden?”
I shrugged. “I like keeping you committed to me, even if it’s just a stupid bet.”
That was the most ridiculous explanation ever. God! I was becoming a sappy dumb-ass. What the hell was wrong with me?
She lifted one eyebrow and shook her head. “Are you sure you’re not crazy?”
I knew it, even Lane thought I was losing it. Who knew trying to figure out how to get the woman I loved to marry me would make me go bat-shit crazy. This situation was getting too heavy.
I took a step back from her and glanced around the quiet lake. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lane wipe a little sweat from her brow and it gave me a brilliant idea to lighten up the mood.
“Oh no!” Lane said before she stepped away from me. “Don’t even think about it. I know that look.”
I kicked off my shoes and laughed. “You might as well lose yours, too, because it’s happening.”
She made a move to run, but I grabbed her around the waist and then hoisted her over my shoulder. Both of her feet kicked wildly as I attempted to remove her shoes. When she didn’t hold still, I gave her ass a smack just hard enough to sting through her cut-off shorts.
Her shriek echoed around the open water as I yanked her shoes off one by one. “Noel, I swear, don’t throw me in that water!”
I carried her to the edge of the dock. “One.”
“Noel…” she warned.
“Two.”
“No. Wait!”
“Three!” I laughed and tossed Lane into the clear water of the lake.
The water rippled around the spot she went under, and when her head popped above water a couple seconds later, I dove in beside her still fully clothed. The crisp water shocked my summer-heated body to the core, and for an instant I felt a little evil for throwing her in here, but forgave myself a second later after I adjusted and it felt like heaven.
She splashed water in my face. “You asshole! I still have all my clothes on.”