Page 31 of Midnight Masquerade

She shrugs, staring up at me. "You don't like people, Drake. You don't have to do this for me."

I tip her head back, forcing her to meet my gaze. "I don't give a fuck about anyone inside that cafe, unicorn. You're hungry. We're getting food."

I'm not thrilled about sharing her, but I don't really give a shit. I meant what I told her today. I'll come into town every fucking day if that's what I have to do. Everything anyone could have said about me, they said years ago. So long as they aren't saying it about her, I don't care.

That's not why I stopped walking.

"You seem nervous," she murmurs.

"Nope. I seem annoyed. Sheriff Midnight is heading our way." I nod in his direction. God only knows what he wants.

Madeline glances to the left, her eyes growing comically wide when she spots him striding down the sidewalk at the far end of the block, his eyes locked on the two of us. Before I can even process what's happening, she's behind me, using my body like a shield.

"We have to run, Drake," she hisses. "Right now."

Jesus fuck. Did she actually murder her cousin today?

"We're not running from the cops, Madeline."

"I swear to God if you don't move your ass, Whitlock…"

I spin around, scooping her up into my arms, mildly alarmed that she did actually murder Tyler today and intends to flee for her life. I mean, I'll run with her. I'm a fucking billionaire. I'm fairly confident in my ability to survive a life on the lam. But Midnight will be pissed about it. And fucking her on the run will be a helluva lot harder than fucking her in my bed…but a motherfucker will do what a motherfucker's gotta do.

But apparently, I'm not the kind of ride-or-die motherfucker who just rides. I've got questions first.

"Why are we running?"

"He knows we had sex," she whisper-hisses, her cheeks blazing red. "I can't meet him when he knows we had sex, Drake."

Jesus Christ. She has me plotting a life on the run because the sheriff knows we're fucking.

"Marry me."

She gapes at me.

Fuck. It's too soon. I shouldn't have said that. I absolutely meant it, but I shouldn't have said it yet. I should have waited, given her more time to realize that this is exactly what she wants, and then asked.

"You want to marry me?"

"I wanted to marry you five minutes after I met you, Madeline." Goddamn my mouth.

"Whitlock!" Midnight lifts his hand, motioning for me.

Madeline's eyes flicker in his direction. "If I say yes, will you run?"

"Are you only saying yes because you want me to run?"

"No."

"Then yes, I'll run."

"Then yes, I'll marry you."

Fucking hell. She actually said yes.

I tighten my grip on her and turn, taking off in the opposite direction as the sheriff.

"Whitlock!" he shouts after me.