Page 145 of The Replay

I chuckle and pull her close. "Put your lips on mine already, Mari."

We kiss and, in a fit of despair— too much adoration filling my veins— I bend her backwards. I pour everything onto the pressing of our mouths and she gives me as much back. Three, five seconds later, I bring her back up and she laughs. I grin. She looks gorgeous with sparkling brown eyes and her hair a little wild and yes, she's wearing my jersey.

I take her hand and make her do a turn.

"Damn," I say. "My last name looks good on you."

She laughs again and surrounds my waist with her arms. "Are you going to offer it to me? Your last name?"

My eyebrows shoot up high and, though I don't quite smile, an extra wave of pleasure floods my chest.

"Are you telling me I should propose, Mariana Sinclair?"

A grin continues to light her up, but she manages to chew on her bottom lip as well. Sexy and so, so beautiful my heart aches.

She lifts a shoulder like she's pretending nonchalance. "I mean, not now this very minute. And my family doesn't really change last names. I may not be your Mrs. Wright—" she says pointing at her back, where my last name is stamped in blocky letters— "But I want to be your Mrs. Right."

I'm the one laughing now. "I don't know. I didn't think you had an issue with a quick turnaround wedding."

"Dom! That was different!"

"Oh, please." I pull her close. "You wouldn't say no if I proposed right now, would you?"

"Dominic Wright. This sounds like you're tangentially proposing. Or proposing to propose soon. It's been less than two months since we made this official."

"It's been years in the making, Princesa."

Bear shows up on our side and pats my shoulder, calling me on to some of the post-game rituals. He walks away with Pen at his hand, and I take Mariana's hand too.

"I wouldn't say no," she says. "But let's find a more private time for it, please. I want that to be a just-us moment. And maybe we find a way to still make it a surprise? I think I'd love feeling surprised."

I lean closer to her and look deep into her eyes. "What I'm hearing is that you've thought about it."

Logan comes and calls me to join everyone, but I hold back one more minute.

This time she lifts both shoulders. "Maybe I fantasized about proposing to you one day."

"Well, that's one fun thing to take turns doing, is it not?"

"How would that even work?"

"We'll come up with something." I wink at her and pull at her hand. "For now come, mi reina. We have a party to attend."

It's the middle of summer. We're on Vancouver Island, helping Mariana's older brother Cam scope some properties. The situation with her family is good enough, and Mariana and I decided it's time to make myself present with them all. After a few months, it seems everyone is getting used to the idea of our relationship. It wasn't critical to us that they did, but it's easier this way and Cam is a decent guy.

After he goes back to Vancouver to do whatever he does during the hockey offseason, Mariana and I decide to stay in a beautiful cabin overlooking the water. Just a quiet moment for the two of us, before we return to the city for Evie and Logan's wedding and the second ring ceremony of my career.

A year ago, I learned that Mariana was getting a divorce. Now my plan is to show up with Mariana wearing a ring of my own.

On a beautifully sunny day, we go for a walk with my secret cargo hidden into a secure pocket I had sown into my joggers. The greenery in this part of the world is as glorious as in the areas surrounding Seattle, but with the kind of breathing room you can only find far away from metropolitan areas. We stroll on a path surrounded by moss, ferns, and trees so tall they must have been on this land for centuries.

An hour into our walk, we find a staircase built out of a mix of logs, concrete pillars, and driftwood. It leads down to the water, and we instinctively go down it, but stop halfway. A makeshift bench is built into the stone, providing a perfect viewing spot. We sit close together, facing the water, and under the shade of the giant trees above us. The sea twinkles back at us.

Mariana sighs. "I'll never get tired of a view like this."

"Truly gorgeous," I say, my eyes on her.

She catches me and lets out a coy smile. "You flirt."