MoonlightDrifter by Jessica Coulter Smith

life with you. I know you
need some time to adjust, but I think the best way to do that would be to start
off the way we intend to go on.”
    She frowned. “I don’t
understand.”
    “We need to move in together. The
sooner the better. Matt emailed me some flyers for a few houses he has listed
right now; some that he thought might be good for a family just starting out.
They aren’t big, but they look comfortable. If, over the years, we have a large
enough family to warrant a bigger house, then we can go house shopping again.
But I have to warn you, most tiger families don’t have more than one or two
children. It seems most tiger males have a low sperm count.”
    She laughed. “I don’t think you
have to worry about that, Cain. You knocked me up the first time we were
together, and you weren’t even trying. I have a feeling we can have as many
kids as we want.”
    He smiled. “We can discuss family
size later.”
    He released her hands and reached
into his pocket. After taking a breath, he held the ring up for her inspection.
It was a marquis cut chocolate diamond on a platinum band. It had set him back
a little bit, but he thought it was worth it. Allie deserved more than your
typical diamond engagement ring. He wanted her to have something as unique as
she was.
    “Allie, I know we’re already
mated, but I want to ask you something. I want to make our relationship as
permanent as possible. Would you do me the honor of marrying me?”
    Her eyes were wide with surprise,
and he thought he saw a glimmer of tears for a moment, but she got herself
under control quickly. With a shaky hand, she reached across the table and took
the ring from him, studying it as if she’d never seen an engagement ring
before.
    “It’s beautiful, Cain. I never
thought I’d get married. Go through a mating ceremony maybe, but never
married.”
    He shifted in his seat. “Is that
a no?”
    She shook her head. “It’s not a no , you’ve just surprised me. You really want to marry me?”
    “Of course I do, Allie. I know
you don’t feel anything for me, but…” He blew out a breath. “I promised myself
I wouldn’t tell you yet. I don’t want to scare you off.”
    “Tell me what?”
    His gaze held hers. “That I love
you. I think I have from the first moment I saw you step out of your SUV, at
the job site, the day you arrived in town.”
    This time there was no mistaking
the tears gathering in her eyes. He reached for her hand, took the ring from
her, and slid it onto her ring finger. It looked right, like it belonged there.
A tear slipped down her cheek just as the waitress was returning. She seemed to
understand what was happening and handed Allie a napkin before setting their
drinks down. Allie hastily wiped the tear away and blotted her eyes to dry up
the ones that were gathering on her lashes.
    “Congratulations,” the waitress
said. “Now, I’m guessing the two of you haven’t had a chance to look at the
menu yet.”
    Allie smiled. “I’ll just take the
special. Oh! And some coffee, please. If you could bring a carafe I’d
appreciate it.”
    The waitress’s eyebrows rose. “Do
you even know what it is?”
    She shook her head. “No, but I’m
sure it will be fine.”
    “How do you want your eggs?”
    “Over easy.”
    Cain smiled up at the waitress.
“I’ll take the same.”
    The waitress scratched their
order down on her pad and walked off, leaving them in their own little world
again.
    “You know caffeine is bad for
you, right?” Cain asked. “When my sister was pregnant, the doctor told her she
needed to limit her caffeine intake. He recommended cutting it out all
together.”
    Allie rolled her eyes. “I’ll be fine,
Cain.”
    When their food arrived, they ate
quickly. Just knowing that Allie was really and truly his had Cain hungering
for her more than usual. He hoped she felt the same way. She’d admitted she
desired him.
    After cleaning their plates, Cain
paid the check and left a generous tip before