Roman's Vow (Riley's Pride #4) - Sandra R Neeley Page 0,88

the console and take out the small jewelry box they’d packaged his and Talie’s rings in. He handed her the box and replaced his hand at her hip.

“What’s this?” she asked, her voice breathless.

“It’s for you. But, if you’re not ready…”

Talie looked from the box up to Roman’s gaze. “Roman, I’ve had a lot of time to think while I sat alone in that cell. If I’d just trusted my instincts with you to begin with, I’d have never ended up where I was. There was this little voice deep in my soul telling me to trust you, to run to you, and I ignored it. Well, no more. With you… I’m all in. Maybe we haven’t had years to get to know one another, but you’ve done more to prove your character in the short time I’ve known you than anyone else in my entire life has done. You’ve taken in my daughter as your own, your friends rally round us. You’re kind, beautiful, gentle and so much more than I ever thought I deserved. I’m ready. For whatever adventure life takes us on, as long as you’re at my side, I’m ready.”

“Even if you don’t know everything about me yet?” he asked.

“Are you a serial killer?” she joked, with a smirk.

“No, I’m like every other man out there, just better,” he said, taking Riley’s explanation of what they were, and giving her that.

“I have no doubt, and I’m ready for wherever life takes us. You’re my husband, and I couldn’t be more excited for the rest of our lives and to see where the three of us will end up,” Talie said.

Roman nodded. “Open the box.”

Talie lifted the lid of the small velvet box and her eyes widened. Her mouth dropped open and she looked from the box in her hand to Roman again.

“As your husband, I want you, my wife, to have a ring that screams that you’re married and well loved. I think this one does that. And I want to wear one that lets everyone know that I’m taken, too.”

Talie still looked from the rings in the box to Roman.

“If you don’t like them, we can exchange them for a different set,” he offered. “Or if you don’t want to wear them…”

“I can’t believe these are for me. I’ve never had anything so beautiful,” she said, lifting a finger to touch the rings in the box.

“Me, either,” Roman said, stroking his forefinger down her cheek. “Until now.”

Talie smiled at him and took his ring out of the box. She set the box down on the center console, then reaching for his left hand she slipped the ring halfway down his finger. “Roman Lyakhov, I take you to be my husband, my lover, my best friend. Thank you for saving me,” she said as she slid the ring the rest of the way onto his finger. Then she kissed the ring and sat back smiling at him.

Roman picked up the box and removed both her engagement ring and the wedding band. He left the ring box where it was and held the rings out toward her outstretched hand. “I hope they fit, I didn’t know what size.” He mimicked her behavior, sliding them halfway onto her finger. “Talie Lyakhov, I take you to be my wife, my life and my soul, for now, for the future and for eternity. Never to be separated, never to be taken for granted. I will love you forever.” He slid the rings into place on her hand and smiled exuberantly when they fit.

“Perfect fit,” she said, looking at her rings.

Roman kissed them to seal the deal, then placed his hand under her chin to gently bring her mouth to his again. He kissed her gently at first, then worked up to a passion that only proved to make them cling to one another more tightly. After several more minutes of hot and heavy petting, Roman pulled away. “I don’t want the first time to be in the back of the car,” he said. “Is that okay?” he asked, looking at her with a question in his eyes.

“It’s more than okay.”

“Get back on the road and see if we can make it home tonight?” Roman asked.

“Or at least how close we can get until we need to pull over and rest,” Talie agreed.

Roman nodded, kissed her once more, then helped her get situated back in her seat. While she strapped herself in, he put the now empty ring box back in