Page 24 of Dirty Fantasy

Tana strode out onstage, microphone in hand, not even sure what was coming next, but she trusted Mick.

“There she is. Hey, beautiful.”

“Hey, handsome.”

“I know what you’re thinking, boys—that girl is fine. But I’m here to break some hearts ’cause she’s off the market. She’s mine.” He shifted his guitar to the side and reached into his pocket. “As a matter of fact, I got a question to ask her.”

Tana’s mouth dropped open as she saw the flash of what looked like a giant rock on a ring in his hand.

The band started to play a slow song, and Mick dropped onto one knee. The crowd went nuts.

“Tana Zephyr, I need to ask you a question,” he finally said when they quieted down some.

“Oh my God,” she whispered, and it was amplified through the whole stadium.

“How about we make this official, sugar pie? Will you marry me? Settle me down? Be my one and only? Sing with me? Play with me? For the rest of our lives?”

The roar of the crowd nearly blew the roof off.

Tana dropped to her knees before Mick. “Yes. Yes. Yes!”

He slid the ring on her finger and slung his guitar around his back. He left the mic on the ground and picked her up as he stood.

The screams of the crowd faded away as he kissed her. They were in front of approximately 40,000 people, but only Mick existed in Tana’s world in that moment.

“Thank you. Thank you. Now, baby, let’s sing that hit single of yours again for this crowd. I got my own verse I’ve been working on for it.”

She stared at him, and a roadie came jogging out with her guitar and another mic on a stand.

“Really?”

“Yeah, baby. Call it the Tana and Mick Remix.”

She nodded as he lowered her to the stage. She settled the guitar strap over her neck as his band launched into her song.

The words were burned into her soul. And when they finished the second chorus, Mick sang her a new verse.

Sugar pie, no man has ever been as lucky as me.

Because no woman’s ever been so sweet.

You were born onto God’s green earth.

But I swear, you were made just for me.

Mick carried her over the threshold. It didn’t matter that they weren’t married yet. The congratulations they’d gotten after the show was plenty enough to make things feel as real as they could get.

Her label, which was his label, had called immediately to say they wanted to record the new version of “Sugar Pie” and book them onto every show possible. Good Morning America wanted them first.

But Mick had told them they all had to wait. He and Tana were taking their few days off to celebrate.

“Come back as soon as you’re ready. This is gold, Mick.”

“Oh my goodness, this place is gorgeous. And huge.”

Mick had taken four years to build the sprawling ranch just the way he wanted it. And ever since it had been finished, he’d wondered if he’d ever find the woman he was meant to share it with.

And here she was.