“This is me being about as real as I’ve ever been.” His blue eyes remained full of expectation and love and honesty. He wasn’t promising things would always be easy. It hadn’t been yet. But he was promising to love her forever. And really, that’s all she needed.

“Prove it.” She tugged on the rope.

“Prove what?”

“That I ain’t dreaming.”

He stood, still holding out the ring. She couldn’t believe he’d not only told her he wouldn’t ever leave her again but was asking her to marry him.

Slowly she finished coiling the rope, drawing him nearer inch by inch. She didn’t stop until his chest brushed up against hers. Then she lifted her face. Her arms were still tied down, preventing her from pulling him into a kiss. Which was a good thing. Because she’d told him she wouldn’t kiss him again until he asked for it. And she aimed to keep her word.

He leaned closer so his breath brushed against her cheek. In the next instant, his lips grazed her ear. “This isn’t a dream, Ivy. I want to marry you more than anything.”

She brushed her cheek against his scruffy one, relishing the coarseness against her skin. Then she rose on her toes and let her lips caress his ear in return. “I said you have to prove it.”

As she returned to her heels and leaned back, she waited breathlessly.

His gaze dropped to her mouth, just as she hoped it would. Then his lips curved up into a lazy smile. “You sure know how to drive a hard bargain.”

“Yep. Reckon I do.”

He snaked an arm around her. “Kiss me.”

Every nerve tingled with sweet delight. “You ordering or asking?”

“Both.”

“I’ll do it, but only if you promise to let me kiss you whenever I want from now on.”

“Only if you promise the same to me—”

She pressed into him, silencing him with a kiss that contained all the love she’d ever felt for him—which was nearly a lifetime of it.

His palm flattened against her lower back as if he’d never be sated until he had all of her. She sure as heaven knew she’d never be satisfied until she had all of him.

He started to deepen the kiss, but before he could, she broke away. He chased after her lips, but she turned her head and leaned into the crook of his neck. “Yes.”

“Yes?” His question was laden with longing.

“Yes, I’ll marry you.”

He was silent for a heartbeat. Then his arms tightened around her. “Does that mean what I think it does?” He bent in and nuzzled her neck.