Page 119 of Ice Queen

My head shakes. “No. They wanted to help, I just had to keep you busy long enough for them to set it up.”

She blinks at me a few times before dashing across the street, wrapping her arms around the necks of Hannah and Lettie. I don’t move at first, just shove my hands in my pockets and watch as she makes her way down the line of my teammates and closest friends.

They’ve wanted to be part of her life from the start. I didn’t play any part in that. But it brings me so much peace to know that even when we’re traveling, my girl has such a stellar support system to lean on.

“You going to go in or just stand here like a creep?”

Savannah’s blonde hair reflects the light of the sun as she steps up beside me.

“You aren’t back in Colorado yet?” I ask, since it’s prime recruiting season.

She gives me a soft, humorless laugh. “Think I’m gonna stick around for a bit. I’ve got quite the mess to clean up. It wouldn’t be very nice to leave that all to my dad.”

A mess indeed. “Don’t beat yourself up, Savvy,” I say, knocking her in the shoulder with my own. “He played his part a little too well. And you, being an owner’s daughter, ran in all the same circles he did. You had no reason to think he was lying.”

She scoffs. “Yeah, but to blindly believe him?” She rolls her eyes. “He was never nice to her when he brought her to events. Always dismissing her, correcting her in front of everyone when she’d give an opinion that challenged his. I should have seen that, Markus. I should have done something.”

Hijo de puta.⁠* I can’t stand that he ever got the opportunity to call my woman his. He never deserved a second of her attention. I sigh, running a hand down my face. “Water under the bridge, we move forward from here. Yeah?”

“Yeah,” she says with a smile. “Think I may even entertain the old man’s thoughts on retirement.” Her eyes sparkle with mischief as she takes off across the street.

Mr. Collins has been trying to retire for years and hand the reins over to Sav, but she always insisted that wasn’t her thing. My eyes bulge. “Hey!” I call after her, running to catch up. “I have to sign my extension first.”

“Like I’d ever get rid of you, any of you, Samuels,” She chides.

The panic subsides a bit when she laughs and pulls the door open. I wrap my hand around the top of it, holding it for her to walk in.

“Thanks, Sammy.” She doesn’t look back at me, just walks straight to where Wilson and Andrews are having what seems like a heated conversation, but hushed so no one else can hear.

I sit in my favorite bean bag chair and watch Kait flutter around like a butterfly, making sure everyone has what they need, talking about her favorite books, and filling up their drinks before they can run out.

I watch her sneak off behind her desk to take another bite of the pastellito when she thinks no one’s looking, and I decide that’s enough.

Pushing out of the chair, I cut through the room, sliding my hand into hers mid-conversation. “Excuse us for a minute,” I say to no one in particular.

I gently pull her toward the back of the store that’s blocked by a few bookshelves. “Markus,” she laughs. “I have guests–”

“Just a second.” I turn her to face me, her back resting against the shelves, books on either side of her head. The noise fades as my pulse picks up speed, sending blood rushing through my ears.

She looks up at me, something shifting in her expression when she registers mine. “What?”

I reach into my jacket pocket.

Her hand flies to cover her mouth when a black velvet box makes it into her line of sight.

“I had this entire thing planned,” I admit. “Monroe wrote me a speech, it was bloody awful.”

A sound escapes from behind her hand, half laugh, half sob.

“Kait.” I hold it out in front of me. “You built all of this.” I nod toward the front of the store. “And somehow, you made room for me in it, too.” My throat tightens. “I don’t want this to be a temporary thing. I want to come home to you every day. I want you to read me your favorite books. I want to spend all my free time helping and watching you make your dreams come true.”

A tear slides down my cheek as I reach for her hand. “I don’t want you to be Ms. Tyler anymore. I think Mrs. Samuels sounds a hell of a lot better.”

Her eyes are wet, but her smile is ruining me in the best way.

“You’re right,” she says. “It does.”

“Yeah?”