Nickie had no idea where Bud was taking her, only that she was to pack an overnight bag, and they’d be on his bike.

He still liked to kid her about the seven damned suitcases, didn’t matter he’d seen her pack light several times since.

Still, it was hard to know what to take when she had no idea where they might go. She tossed in a little black dress and some cute black sandals, some shorts and tees, hiking boots, sport sandals, and some sexy lingerie. She’d wear jeans and her riding boots on the bike, so she’d have pants in case she needed them.

She considered how fast everything was moving on the ride. They had an appointment to close on their house in five days. Bud had put the word out to his brothers that his house was for sale, and three of them had basically kept outbidding the others until one came up with a number the others weren’t willing to top. The final number was a good bit more than the market price, but Bud had explained he’d thrown the bike lift in and would leave all the security measures in place, so even at that price, it was a good deal. He’d also told her there was an underground armory for all his guns and ammo, and let her know he’d need to build something similar in any new home.

Bud had easily qualified for a loan for nearly six hundred thousand dollars to make up the difference. She still had mixed feelings about him having to take out a loan for part of the house when she could easily buy the whole thing, but she understood why it was important to the caveman and the wolf. Nickie hadn’t lived in a home she hadn’t totally owned since she was in her twenties, but she was willing to make the change for Bud so they could each pay for half.

Based on the sun’s position in the sky, they appeared to be heading east away from the city. She had no idea where that might mean he was taking her. South Carolina? She didn’t know what was in Georgia or South Carolina heading this direction, and she couldn’t get her phone out and look while on the back of the bike.

An hour or so later and he pointed off to their left, and she inhaled sharply at a huge boulder showing above the trees. No, that wasn’t a boulder, it was a mountain-sized rock. She lost view of it for a while, and then it was on her right and they were driving around it. She saw cable cars passing each other as one went down and another went up, and her eyes were drawn to a huge carving on the side of the mountain. Horses, and men in uniform. What on earth?

Bud drove as far as the road allowed, went around a circle, and headed back the direction they came. She had another view of the mountain on the left as they covered the same bit of road. Five minutes later he pulled into a campground and told her he’d be back in a minute.

They were on his largest bike, with plenty of room to stow things, but her bag had gone into one of the side compartments and he hadn’t let her see into the big one behind her. Surely there wasn’t room for a tent in there? She hadn’t brought clothes for camping! Uggg.

He came out of the office with a smile, swung his bent leg to mount the bike again without kicking her, and they were off. Nickie grinned when he pulled in front of a yurt — he was taking her glamping! The best of both worlds.

She grabbed the key and ran to open the door while he got their things.

Inside was a bed and chairs you’d expect to see in an Amish store, a little futon for a sofa, and a cute kitchenette. It was quite large, at least twenty feet across and perhaps sixteen feet tall in the center, with the fabric draped above and going to straight sides with open latticework to support the eight-feet-tall walls in places. Windows could be unzipped, but there was obviously air conditioning because inside was twenty degrees cooler than outside.

Bud came in behind her and she threw her arms around his neck. “I love it!”

“Good. Let’s get settled and we’ll eat, there’s a wonderful restaurant with great views of the mountain just down the road, and then I want us to hike to the top in time to catch the sunset. There’s a kick-ass laser show after dark, but we can come back and catch it another time.”

“What is this place?”

“Stone Mountain.”

“And the carving?”

“Civil War stuff. The laser show kinda ties it all together — swords into plowshares so we can be one united country again, lots of patriotic images. We’ll be able to catch part of it if you want, but let’s figure that out after the hike.”

“Will shorts and hiking boots be okay for the restaurant?”

He rolled his eyes at her. “If you were going to need to dress up, I’d have warned you.”

She breathed out and shook her head, realizing he was right. Also, she caught the edge of some grumpiness and recognized the signs of hunger. Bud got grumpy when hungry, so she rushed to change clothes and shoes. Bud would wear his riding boots to hike, most likely, so she didn’t wonder at why he just sat and waited for her.

Any other time, he’d have christened the tent or yurt or whatever it was, but he was hungry, and food came first — but Nickie looked longingly at the sturdy table in the kitchenette and hoped she’d be bent over it later.

* * *

Some things you’re only supposed to have to do once in your life. Graduating high school, losing your virginity, proposing marriage.

Bud hadn’t thought he’d ever be doing this again when he asked Wendy to marry him at the base of a waterfall in the middle of nowhere, but here he was, fingering a ring in a little bag in his pocket and going over the wording in his head while trying to act as if his world hadn’t been turned upside down by a cute little spitfire of a woman who could take everything he gave her, and then some.

The hike up Stone Mountain isn’t difficult or especially steep, and the two cut up and joked as they walked the trail hand-in-hand. The sky was blue with a few clouds in the distance, the solid hunk of granite under their feet vibrated with positive, clean energy, and Bud felt as if he were on top of the world.

Nickie turned in a circle when they reached the top, and pointed at the Atlanta skyline in the distance. “What a lovely place. It’s magic here, isn’t it?”

Bud pulled her into his arms and his heart reached out for Nickie’s. She was human, but she felt it too. Magic, energy, power. This was a true place of power, and it was where they were going to begin the rest of their life.

The sun backlit the distant clouds as it sank lower, and Bud took the brilliant, glowing spectacle as his cue. It was time.

He turned his brat towards him and looked into her brilliant, purple-blue eyes. “I know you think we haven’t known each other long, but I’ve been waiting to meet you for years. You’ve stolen my heart and my wolf’s, and I can’t imagine my world without you in it. Buying a house together is a start, but it isn’t enough. Nicolette Caroline Bell, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

* * *

Tears threatened to spill over Nickie’s lower lashes, but she could only stare at Bud. The sky was lit up beautifully in the distance and they had the best view of a sunset she’d seen since her time in the Alps.

She couldn’t truly appreciate it though, because her brain was a whirlwind of chaos. Bud was standing before her with a ring in his hand and she needed to give him an answer.

A little voice in her head said if they’d been together a year she’d say yes in a heartbeat, so what difference did it matter they hadn’t known each other long? She was buying a house with him. Hadn’t she known this was the next step?

She’d never considered marrying anyone before. The idea of forever with anyone had made her sick to her stomach in the past, but the idea of losing Bud from her life had the same effect, now. Could she ever submit to anyone else? And would a mere whipping from some detached sadist who could barely Top her ever be enough again? It had been, but that’d been before Bud had shown her how magical it could be when someone could dominate her. Not just a Dom, but a loving, caring, wonderfully sadistic asshole Dom.

“Aren’t you supposed to be down on one knee when you ask?”

His face had been tense, afraid she’d say no, but he seemed to think her bratting to him meant she was going to say yes. She hadn’t realized that was what it meant until he relaxed and flashed her a beautiful, laidback, cocky smile. Damn, once again, he knew her thoughts before she did. Okay, fine, another sign it was going to be okay. Her gut relaxed and her brain settled. She was being proposed to on a magical stone mountain, and she was going to say yes.

“Not for you, Brat. Give you an inch and you’ll take a mile.” He looked around, took in the sunset, and looked back to her. “You called it magic and you were right. It’s a place of power, and I want our union to have the blessings of mother earth. Please, Nickie. Please tell me you’ll marry me with the sun giving us its glory and the earth providing the power of this place.”

Nickie looked into his eyes and lost her will to brat and give him grief. She nudged the tip of her left ring finger into the gorgeous ring he’d chosen with the brilliant blue gem of at least two carats, and he slid it onto her finger. She knew in her heart it was a blue diamond, but didn’t want to make the assumption and be wrong. She’d be thrilled whether it was sapphire, diamond, or something else. He’d chosen it to match her eyes. How many stones had he looked at to find the perfect one?

“Yes. Yes, I will marry you and become your wife.” She took a breath and rushed to get the next part out. “Under the condition you fly to Alaska with me to meet my father before we tell him I’m engaged. I want to tell him face-to-face, and I want him to meet the man who’s finally stolen my heart.”

Bud’s smile lit his face from ear to ear. “Best deal I’ve ever made. I can’t wait to meet the man who taught my brat how to shoot guns, fight, and race motorcycles. I need to shake his hand and tell him how much I love his daughter. How special you are. Need him to know I’m taking care of you, whether you need it or not. You’ll always be his little girl, and I want him to be okay with you being my wife, too.”

Nickie had told him once that the relationship between a girl and her daddy was special. He hadn’t just listened, he’d understood she wasn’t just talking about Bud and Angelica, but about Nickie and her dad, too.

His arms went around her and Nickie leaned in, let him hold her. She could lean on him and let him take care of her without losing who she was. What she was. She’d never expected to have this — a man who loved her unconditionally. He loved her strength, her independence, and would never try to change her or conquer her. She gave him her submission, he didn’t take it.

His mouth met hers, sparking heat and fire all through her body, his tongue pressed in and she met it with hers. He leaned down and she wrapped her legs around him, boots and all, and settled on his hips when he stood straight again. Strong hands and arms supported her back and head, and the kiss intensified until the world ceased to exist around them.

Joined. One. A union.

Nickie felt the ring on her finger and again felt the weight of her decision, but she had no doubts, no regrets.

The sun had long since sunk below the horizon when Bud finally settled her back on her feet, and she looked at the uneven, hard stone ground. In the shadows, it looked more like the moon landscape than it had in the sunlight.

“Did you bring a flashlight? How are we going to get down in the dark?”

Bud gave her his cocky grin and said, “I have the wolf’s night vision. Thought I taught you to trust me to walk blind at my side the first time I had you naked?”

Nickie’s blood spiked hot again at the memory, but her heart melted. He had, indeed, taught her she could trust him. He held out his hand, she took it, and they started walking.

Bud would never let her fall.