Carefully, I pulled her hand away from my mouth. “Do you remember when you had that ear infection the first summer you came for vacation at my house?”

She scrunched up her brow. “Vaguely, maybe? I mean, I was three.”

“After the doctor came in to examine you and the adults were talking, you were all cuddled in my arms. You said you wanted to marry me. Because I took care of you like your dad took care of your mom.” That moment was burned into my brain, the defining moment when I’d realized exactly what my future held. And I’d been on a mission to make it happen ever since. “We are so close, my heart. Less than a year from now, I will make it happen.”

“Ryan…” She gave a soft laugh, shaking her blond head, no longer trying to divest me of my shirt. “That’s insane. That was just an innocent fantasy I had when I was still practically a toddler.”

My heart stopped, my blood turning cold and sluggish in my veins. Hands shaking, I tipped her chin up, locking our gazes. “Are you saying you don’t want to be with me forever, Nova?”

“No, no, no, no!” She shook her head frantically. “I’m not saying that. I want nothing more than to be with you forever. To be yours forever, Ryan.”

Relief was so intense that it made me dizzy. “So, we’ll get married next November.”

“That’s the insane part,” she cried, throwing her hands up in exasperation.

“What’s insane about it?” I demanded.

“You’ve been making all these plans—for us to get married, and who the hell knows what else—yet, you haven’t consulted me once on any of it. This is my life, too, damn it.” She pushed at my chest, and I reluctantly sat up. I didn’t know if I was disappointed or thankful that she covered her chest with her hands. We needed to talk about this, and her beautiful body on display was the ultimate distraction. But I was starved for the sight of every inch of her. “Give me your jacket.”

Shrugging out of my suit jacket, I offered it to her, and she quickly shoved her arms into the sleeves. It was so big on her, it practically swallowed her, but she pushed up the sleeves to her elbows and poked her finger into my chest. “I am not going to be one of those teen brides. I don’t care if my cousins all thought it was fine for them. If you want to marry me, you have to wait until I’m at least twenty.”

A displeased growl left me, causing Nova to shiver. “I’ve waited long enough to make you mine, Nova. I would have married you already if it could have been done legally.” If her parents would have agreed to the marriage, I could have already had my ring on her finger. But as understanding as Jet Hannigan might be about my friendship with his daughter, I didn’t want to chance him cutting me off from her completely if I angered him by asking to marry her while she was still under the age of eighteen.