she remembered. All in all, he reminded her of that man from Cast Away. Her hands curled around the thick duvet unconsciously, and her heart thundered.
“Was that --”
Talon slammed the door shut, right in the guy’s face. She looked over his shoulder, snapping to reality. The voice had sounded somewhat similar to her, but the look on her man’s face stopped her trail of thought. Her cheeks heated, and she cleared her throat.
“What’s with the bowl of water?” she asked. His eyes closed, as if he were savoring something.
He was so quiet, she thought he hadn’t heard her. “Talon? What’s wrong?”
And then he was striding to the bed, not even bothering to take off his shoes. Thick arms wrapped around her waist and before she knew it, she was being crushed to his chest and his face was in her neck, breathing her in. “God, never leave me again. I thought I was never going to hear your voice again...”
She pressed her cheek to his head, running her hands over his shoulders and neck, feeling him. Tears burned her eyes. “I would have done anything to be with you again.”
“I was so close to just...letting myself die. I didn’t care anymore. Jamie,” he said, pulling back to stare into her eyes. “I love you. Alright? I’ve never said those words to anyone but my mother, but I love you. So much that it fucking hurts, and losing you is something that I can never go through again. Don’t put me through that again, or I swear the next time I’ll just... cease to exist.”
Jamie’s throat clogged. As she stared into his eyes, she saw the world. Their world. Their life. As one. She held his face, loving the feel of him under her hands. They were as close as they had ever been before, and they didn’t need the lack of clothes to make it as intimate as it should be. A tear rolled down her cheek. “I love you, Talon.”
He went stock still, as tense as a rock, unmoving. And then he blew out a huge breath of air and crushed her to his chest. She felt something hot and moist touch her temples, and realized it was his own tears. “You’ve turned me into such a sap,” he murmured, caressing her back, sending heat through her body.
“As long as you’re my sap, I’m okay with it,” she said shakily, laughing through her own tears of joy.
He was silent for the longest time, and then he set her down. Got off the bed. Braced himself on one knee.
“Jamie, I don’t have the ring yet, or I would do this the proper way. I was too busy grieving over you and trying to take care of you to get it, but I swear that when I do? It will be the most amazing thing, it’ll almost match to your beauty --”
Heart in her throat, she shook her head. Tried to smile. “You’re rambling, love.”
He inhaled, and then grabbed her hand. Talon stared into her eyes as he visibly built up his courage. “Marry me. Be mine. Mate me. Anything...just be mine...”
She threw herself into his chest, taking them both to the ground. “Yes!” she screeched, clutching herself to him. “Yes yes yes!”
He chuckled, but even she could hear how nervous he was. “Maybe we could try out that date again...”
If Jamie had it her way, there would be more than just “dates”. Smiling with her heart in her eyes, she pressed her lips to his, sealing the deal.
She wasn’t going anywhere without him anytime soon.
Epilogue
A few months later...
Jamie looked up at the knock on the door. She was sitting with the kitten Talon had gotten her as an engagement present in the large greeting room, waiting for him to return with their lunch. After two months of being with him, he still didn’t let her leave much, and when he did, Talon was always with her.
“Yes?” she asked, picking up the black ball of fur. The small bundle stared up at her with bright blue eyes and mewed softly, pawing her in the face. She laughed and answered the door, shocked to see Zyn.
“Hey,” he greeted, standing there awkwardly. His shoulders were down, nervous.
“Hi. Come in.” Jamie stepped back from the door to their house, swallowing as his hulking frame fit through the door.
“I just wanted to come say hi, and talk to you about wedding plans. Your mother has been on my ass -- er, butt, about it and