AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He hesitated, searching my face for any hint of doubt. When he found none, he cocked his head slowly. “All right,” he said gruffly. “But let’s enjoy ourselves first. We deserve it.”
“Agreed.” I grinned, stepping back from him and shifting into my wolf form. My senses immediately sharpened, and I took off running, Ridge’s powerful presence behind me.
As we reached the clearing, I nipped at Ridge’s flank, urging him to play along with me. But instead of biting back, he suddenly stopped in his tracks and spat something out onto the ground. His body shuddered as he shifted back into his human form, leaving me standing there, still in my wolf shape, utterly confused.
I shifted back as well. “What the hell—”
“Wait, Tori,” he interrupted, bending down to pick up whatever it was he’d spat out. A small box caught the moonlight, and my breath stuttered even as my veins pulsed with the lingering adrenaline from our run.
“Is that?” I couldn’t finish the sentence, but Ridge seemed to know exactly what I was asking. I stared down at the ring Ridge held between his fingers, my ears roaring. What was he doing? A thousand questions raced through my mind, but I couldn’t find the words to voice any of them.
His eyes danced with mischief. “Well, you’ve been making this damn near impossible, but I can’t wait any longer.”
“Making what impossible?” I whispered.
“Getting on one knee and doing this properly.” He opened the box to reveal the stunning ring nestled inside. I could barely breathe as the realization hit me like a ton of bricks.
“Ridge, are you—?” Full sentences were impossible at the moment.
“Proposing? Yeah, I am. For real this time.” He looked at me, his eyes burning with intensity. “I’ve been trying to find the right moment all night, but you’re so damn irresistible, I just couldn’t hold back any longer.”
“Damn right I am,” I joked, fighting to keep my voice steady despite the whirlwind of emotions threatening to overwhelm me. “But seriously, Ridge...”
“Tori, we’ve had our ups and downs.” His voice was taking on a serious, almost vulnerable tone. “But my life would be horrible without you. You’ve made me a better man, and I want to spend the rest of my days showing you just how much you mean to me.” He paused, swallowing hard as he gazed into my eyes. The intensity of his stare burned like wildfire, igniting an inferno of passion within me. “Together, we’ve faced hardships and trials that would have broken others. But our love has only grown stronger, more resilient. We’ve become a force to be reckoned with, and nothing can stand in our way.”
“Ridge.” My voice cracked, emotion choking the words in my throat. I had never heard him speak so openly about his feelings before, and it took my breath away.
“Every day I spend with you is a gift,” he continued, tears shining in his eyes. “You’ve helped me understand my own wolf, and in turn, I’ve watched you grow into a fierce and powerful woman. Your strength, your resilience, it inspires me.” He dropped down on one knee in front of me, naked as the day he was born, and somehow, it was the sexiest thing I’d ever seen. “Victoria Summers, will you marry me? For real, marry me? I want to spend the rest of my life with you, supporting you andcaring for you in every possible way. I want to make you happy, to give you everything your heart desires. And most of all, I want to be by your side as we face whatever challenges life throws our way.”
A whirlwind of emotions thrummed through me like a war drum. I stared into Ridge’s hopeful eyes. My past with William had left terrible scars on my ability to trust, making it difficult to let anyone in. But Ridge was different; he’d been there for me from the very beginning, helping me embrace my inner wolf and understand the world I had become a part of.
“God, yes!” I shouted, launching myself at him.
Our lips met in a searing kiss that promised a lifetime of passion and devotion. The ring slid onto my finger as if it was always meant to be there, a symbol of our unbreakable bond.
The kiss lit a fire within me, the raw passion between us consuming every fiber of my being. My hands tangled in his hair, desperate to keep him as close as possible, while his strong arms wrapped around me, holding me tightly against him. Our bodies pressed together, the heat between us creating a magnetic force that refused to be denied.
“Ridge,” I panted between kisses. “I want this. I want you. Forever.”
He growled possessively, nipping at my lower lip. “You’re mine, Tori. Now and always.”
Ridge’s lips were insistent against mine, his hands cupping my face and pulling me closer. The force of our passion sent a shockwave through me, igniting a fire deep within my core. Ridge’s own desire mirrored mine in the way he held me, as though he were trying to absorb me into him.
“Ridge,” I said breathlessly between kisses, my hands sliding around his waist and up, the muscles of his back flexing beneath my touch. “I need you.”
“God, Tori,” Ridge moaned, every word coated with need. He grabbed my hands and moved them above my head, pinning me against the nearest tree. The rough bark bit into my skin, but I didn’t care. All I cared about was him taking me, satisfying this raw lust that tingled within me.
“Like what you see?” I teased, completely bare before him as he stared down at me. Ridge’s nostrils flared, and I could see the strain it took for him not to pounce on me right then.
“You’re driving me insane,” he rasped, pressing his naked body against mine. The heat of his skin seared into me, leaving me breathless and aching for more.
“Good.” My voice was husky with desire as I captured his lips in another searing kiss. Our mouths moved together with an urgency that spoke of our desperation. We needed each other in a way that went beyond mere physical attraction.
“Ridge, please.” I broke away from the kiss and tilted my head back to expose my throat to him. “I need you inside me.”
“Tori,” Ridge groaned, his eyes locked on mine as he pushed forward, lifting my legs and filling me completely with one slow, deliberate thrust. The sensation was overwhelming, the intensity of our connection threatening to consume me entirely.
“Move, Ridge.” I wrapped my legs around his waist and dug my heels into the small of his back. He didn’t need any further encouragement, setting a fierce pace that had us both moaning in pleasure.
