I took a step back and watched as Axel and a few of the other guys from the gym helped carry in numerous boxes. Over the weekend I’d packed up my shit, moved out of my roommate’s place, and was now here with Axel.

To say this wasn’t a whirlwind of activity, emotion, and a bit of confusion on my part was an understatement.

“Where do you want this?” one of the guys asked.

“In the bedroom.” I felt my face flush at the idea of sharing a room with Axel and everyone knowing about it.

It had been nearly a month since he’d asked me to move in. I’d made sure to give my roommate notice, but she’d seemed more than happy about the change of places. In fact, I was pretty sure she’d wanted this just so her boyfriend could move in.

So I guess it worked for both of us on all fronts.

“Hey, you,” Axel said from behind me, and I felt him wrap his arms around my waist and pull me into the hardness of his chest.

I didn’t hesitate to lean back against him. I was sweaty and dirty from moving all day, but I loved having him touch me, even if I did need a shower.

“This is still kind of weird, isn’t it?” I asked Axel, smiling at one of the guys who was carrying in a large box.

“No,” he said very seriously, turning me around and cupping my face. “This is perfection falling into place.”

I stared into his face, then looked down to his body, stared at the tattoos that peeked out from under his white T-shirt, feeling the strength coming from him. He was so strong, so powerful, but with me he showed a gentler side, one that made me feel like I was the only woman for him.

“That’s because you are. You always have been.”

I hadn’t realized I’d spoken those thoughts aloud until I heard his words. I smiled, unable to say anything because my emotions were just too pronounced.

This was the first day of our lives, the stepping-stone that would define our future. There was nothing I wanted more than to spend my life with Axel.

Another hour and the guys left, allowing Axel and me to be alone, to actually let this sink in.

We went over to the couch, sat down, and although a shower would have been glorious right then, I just wanted to bask in the moment, just wanted Axel to keep his arm around me, and to let it sink in that this was really happening.

“I hope you’re sure about this, baby.” His voice was low, deep, but there was that gentleness I’d come to expect from him.

“I’ve never been more sure of anything else.”

“Good, because you’re mine and I’m not letting you go.”

* * *

I searched the crowd for my girl, but the crush of bodies surrounding the ring was enormous. I’d seen her just ten minutes ago, but that wasn’t good enough. I needed to see her constantly, to feel her beside me, in my heart, in my life.

And then the crowd shifted and I saw her by the ring, Hunter, one of the boxers from the gym, was standing behind her. He was a big fucker but loyal, and when I asked him to watch out for her while she watched me, he had been onboard. It was a little piece of relief for me.

I started bouncing on the balls of my feet, working my muscles, warming them. I had a hoodie on, the material blocking out my face partially.

“You ready?” Johansson, one of the trainers, asked me. He clapped me on the back, and I nodded.

With Roxie here I could defeat anyone and anything. She was my strength.

I turned and headed to the back rooms, went to my locker, and pulled out the small box tucked inside my bag. An engagement ring. It was a materialistic promise to her that I’d always be loyal, always love her, and never let her down. I placed it back in the locker, feeling my heart racing.

She was it for me, and I was going to show her for the rest of my life how true that was.

I knew she loved me, but the real question was… would she say yes?

* * *

I stared at Roxie as she ordered her food. Hell, I could have watched her all day, starved to death, had the entire world pass me by, because I was more focused on her than anything else.

“And a bottle of your most expensive wine.” It wasn’t like I knew shit about wine anyway, and we weren’t at some posh restaurant, but for where we were, I wanted to make this special.

I took her out as often as I could, because showing her off, actually being able to have my hands on her, keeping her close and letting everyone know she was mine, was a fucking gift I wasn’t going to miss out on.

Roxie smiled at me, and I could see the teasing note in her expression.

“You don’t even like wine,” she said and reached for her water.

“Yeah, I don’t, not really, but wine makes things more romantic, right?”

She smiled again, and it was so damn sweet.

I reached out and took her hand in mine. I didn’t know how in the fuck I was going to do this right now, but I knew what I wanted to do.

I wanted to spend the rest of my life with this woman, wanted to have a family with her, give her everything she deserved.

So, without wasting any more time, I rose up, moved around the table, and got down on one knee in front of her. She covered her mouth with a hand and glanced around, probably seeing all the people now staring at us. I felt their gazes on us, but that was okay. I wanted them to know, for everyone to know that I wanted to make this commitment with this woman.

I reached into my pocket, grabbed the little black box, and held it up.

In my head I’d seen this exact moment a million times, the outcome perfect, the setup like it had been written just for us. But the truth was I was scared as fuck, not even sure she was ready for this.

I’d been ready since I knew I loved her more than anything else, and I wanted to tell her that, show her that for the rest of my life.

* * *

I don’t know why I was so surprised at this situation. I knew Axel loved me, and I knew he wanted to marry me. He’d told me plenty of times since we made it official between us.

But seeing him on his knee, the black box in front of him, this look of pure devotion in his eyes as he stared at me, I was thrown for a loop.

“Roxie Isabella Crater, you are the only good and right thing in this world, the only person who means anything to me.”

I held my breath as I listened to Axel, very aware that everyone in the restaurant was watching us. Even the waiter who was bringing us the wine was standing a few feet back, giving Axel space to do this.

“I’ve known you for longer than I can remember, and you’ve been the most important person in my life. Without you I cease to be anything, to breathe, be alive. Without you I’m not a man. I’m not anything.”

I was crying now, big fat tears rolling down my cheeks, splashing onto my hands, which I had in tight fists on my lap. He opened the box, and the most beautiful ring was inside, the light catching the diamonds, sending a thousand little flickers into the open air.

The breath I’d been holding left me, rushing out of my lungs on this wave, like it was crashing against the shore.

“I want you to be my wife, the mother of my children.” He took the ring out and held it up. “I need the other half of my soul by me always. Will you marry me, Roxie?”

I wiped the tears away, but they kept falling. I was so damn happy, so ecstatic that this piece in the puzzle had finally fallen into place. I’d been dreaming of this moment since I was a girl, and I looked into Axel’s eyes, knowing he was the only boy I ever wanted to marry.

“Yes,” I said before I knew what I was doing. The smile he gave me was brighter than the diamond he was now putting on my finger.

He pulled me up, holding me to his hard body, and everyone in the restaurant cheered for us.

“I’m going to make you the happiest woman in the world,” he whispered against my ear.

I pulled back, cupping his face in my hands, and said, “You already have.”