“Why? We’re engaged now. I should be able to speak freely about these things.”

“What does being engaged have to do with it? You’ve always spoken freely about ‘these things.’”

“Don’t pretend you don’t love it when I talk dirty to you.”

“I don’t love it when we’re in public.”

“So you do love it in private. Good to know.”

Abby elbowed him in the ribs, making him grunt and then laugh. His girl was such a lady most of the time, but he particularly loved when she let loose with a four-letter word or got bossy with him in bed. He knew he was provoking her, but that usually led to good things with Abby.

His phone buzzed with a text from his mother. Please come by tomorrow around ten. Your father and I would like to speak to you all about something—nothing bad, so don’t worry. Please come by yourselves, if you don’t mind. See you then!

Adam shared the text with Abby. “What do you suppose that’s about?”

“I have no idea, but I’m glad she said it was nothing bad.”

“Me, too.”

“I guess you’ll find out in the morning.”

They arrived home a short time later at the house they rented from his sister. Predictably, Abby tugged a house key from her bra, also known as her storage bin. How she managed to fit anything else in there around her perfectly awesome breasts was beyond him, but he’d learned not to ask questions where the bra was concerned.

She turned to say something to him, and he pounced. He’d been dying to touch her and kiss her since the second she said yes to his proposal. He’d sat through the torture of the tattoo, all the while biding his time until he could get her alone. With his hands on her hips and his mouth devouring hers, he walked her backward to their bedroom. When the backs of her legs connected with the mattress, he gave her a nudge, propelling her onto the bed. He came down on top of her without missing a beat in the kiss.

Her arms wrapped around his neck, and her legs parted to make room for him. Both these things happened so organically, so naturally that he knew a moment of pure contentment at having found the woman he was meant to be with. He only broke the kiss when he needed to breathe. “Are you really going to marry me?”

“I really am. Are you really going to marry me?”

“You bet your life I am. Who else would have me?”

“That is true…” Her smile lit up her eyes, and a surge of love left him breathless. She reached up with both hands to touch his face, and he turned his lips to kiss her left palm, just above her new tattoo. “What’re you thinking?”