Page 68 of Rauf: Minotaur Mates

She laughed, and I wanted to pull her close and hear more of it. But she stayed where she was, her hands tucked under her arms, and I couldn’t tell whether she believed me yet.

“I filled out the application to marry you,” I said. “Nezara has it.”

Teresa looked down the street toward the office, then back at me.

“I don’t want to force you to do anything. You were pretty clear that you don’t want a wife.”

“I was wrong about that. I want you.”

I reached for her hand, and she let me take it.

“This morning, I wanted to stay in bed with you,” I said. “But I wanted to be able to tell you I’d signed the papers.”

She looked down at our hands. “I woke up alone. I thought you were avoiding me.”

“I should have told you where I was going,” I said.

“That would have helped.” She looked up at me again. “I don’t want to get used to being there and then find out you regret it.”

Korfas came out of city hall. He stopped a few paces away, looking at our joined hands, and two males walking past slowed to watch us. Across the street, Drev had come out of the tavern. He stayed on the threshold, smiling at something that was evidently entertaining him.

I took her other hand and lowered myself onto one knee. My back hurt, and there were surprised murmurs behind me, but neither mattered enough to make me look away from Teresa. Her eyes widened, and her fingers tightened around mine.

“Teresa, you are my mate. You are the only person I could ever imagine sharing my life with. Will you be my wife?”

She didn’t answer.

I loosened my hold on her hands, but she kept hold of mine and tugged. “Stand up. Please.”

I got to my feet without letting go of her hands. For once I was afraid of what she might say.

“You’re sure? Like actually, for real, sure?”

“I have never been more certain of anything.”

She smiled, and I was so relieved that I nearly laughed. I hadn’t been half as worried about the fucking drones as I’d been waiting for her answer.

She let go of my hands and caught the front of my shirt, pulling me down as she rose onto her toes. I bent to kiss her, putting my arms around her as she pressed closer. It was a gentle kiss at first, and I wanted to take my time with it. Then she opened her mouth under mine, and taking my time became considerably harder.

I drew her against me, one hand on her back and the other at her waist, and kissed her until she was holding on to my neck. She wanted me close, and I wanted my hands beneath her clothes. My cock was hard, and she made an eager sound against my mouth when I slid my hand down over her ass. I could have put her in my lap in the truck and spent the next hour proving how much I wanted her.

Someone behind us whooped, reminding me that we were in the fucking street. I pulled back far enough to glare over my shoulder. Drev was grinning at me, and the two males beside city hall looked just as pleased with themselves. Korfas stood with his arms folded, watching.

Teresa was laughing when I looked back at her, still holding on to my shirt. She touched my cheek, and I bent toward her again so I could hear what she wanted to say.

“Yes, I’ll marry you.”

I bent and picked her up with one arm beneath her knees and the other around her back. She laughed as she wrapped her arms around my neck, and I wanted to kiss her again, but I’d waited long enough to get her home.

“What about my stuff in the dorm?”

“It’ll be there tomorrow.”

She kissed the side of my neck and settled against me as I carried her to the truck.

I set her on her feet long enough to open the passenger door, then helped her climb in. She kept hold of my hand and drew me close for another kiss before she let me shut the door. By the time I got into the driver’s seat, she was waiting for me with a smile that made it difficult to concentrate on going anywhere.

I leaned across to kiss her once more, and she put a hand against my chest when I tried to keep going. “Get us home,” she said.