Seeing the confirmed plane ticket took all the fight out of me and I sagged some before shifting my shoulder and standing straight.
“Marry me.” It wasn’t a question in my mind.
“You don’t have to do that. I would never come between you and your child.”
“I’m not giving up on you,” I declared. “You’re the one I want, and I will pursue you to the ends of the earth if that’s what you want. But make no mistake, I will walk through fire to get you to marry me one day. Or we can cut to the chase and you can be my wife now.”
“What a great proposal,” she said, smiling.
I loved the fight in her.
“You want a proposal?” I asked.
She nodded and I got on one knee, pulling a box from my pocket.
“I came prepared.”
That got the reaction all guys hoped for. The hands covering the gasp and tears, happy ones, brimming in her eyes.
“Just like I keep chains for my tires, even though we don’t always get heavy snow that warrants it, I like to be prepared. I came here to get you back by any means possible. And no, marrying you isn’t the desperate attempt the teenage boy in me did years ago. The ring was a promise to you from me that I was in this for the long haul. If you don’t believe me, keep it until you’re ready. I know now I’ve never loved anyone before because I’ve never been willing to fight. You are worth fighting for.”
I waited a second longer. “Will you make me the happiest man alive and marry me?”
Payback was a bitch because she said nothing for a moment, stretching it into an agonizing minute, and maybe I deserved it.
“Yes. Yes, I’ll be your wife.”
Then she was in my arms and I was standing, scooping her up and twirling her around.
“I love you,” I said before kissing her hard on the mouth.
“I love you more,” she said back. Then the heat was back and not from the sun. “Now take me to bed.”
I smirked. “I thought you’d never ask.”Thirty-OneJoleneThere was no way to understand how much I’d missed Grant until I woke up in his arms.
“I can’t believe you’re here,” I said, turning in his arms.
“There’s no place I’d rather be.”
I pulled away and almost got off the bed before he caught me. “Where are you going?” he asked.
“I have a flight to catch.”
“Screw that, you’re flying back with me. I’ll cover the cost of your ticket.”
“Oh, so now you’re rich?” I teased.
“No, but you’re worth the investment.” He pulled me back into his arms and put his hand on my belly. “I’m going to be a father,” he muttered.
“And you’re really okay with that?”
“Yes.” He paused and I held my breath, wondering what he’d say next. “I came here prepared to marry you and one day build a family. My timeline has moved up, but the goals remain the same.”
Tearfully, I moved to join our lips together. “Sorry, I need to brush my teeth,” I said, covering my mouth.
“You’re fine,” he said, drawing me back, using his tongue to separate my lips and take things deeper.
Then, he was stroking me between my legs, bringing me more pleasure that I’d missed while we’d been apart.
When he slipped inside me, slowly, expertly, I gave myself over to him, allowing that orgasm to build to the size of Mount Everest until finally, we came together as one.
As we lay in the afterglow, I admitted something I never thought I would.
“You know I thought you were an asshole when we first met,” I said.
He grinned. “And I thought you were a spoiled princess.”
“Is that why you called me Highness?”
“It fit,” he teased.
I playfully slapped his arm. “Jackass fit you, but I didn’t call you that.”
“Jackass isn’t a bad thing when you’re hung like one,” I joked.
She shook her head. “Your ego knows no bounds.”
“And you liked it when I called you Highness. Admit it?”
I laughed because I did miss it. “What are you going to call me now?”
There was no hesitation when he said, “Wife.”
“We’re not married yet.” I giggled. “Stop,” I said, scooting away from him because he was using his hands to distract me.
“I can’t help it. Your tits are amazing.”
I laughed and put more distance between us.
“I’m serious,” I complained with a wide grin.
“What do you want me to call you? Jolene? Jo?... Highness?”
I didn’t want him to call me Jolene. It felt too formal and he’d never called that before. Then I came to a decision.
“Mine,” I said, holding a straight face before dashing off the bed.
My belly, however, made it easy for him to catch me. We ended up in the shower with him on his knees before me making me come again.
By the time we got out of the shower, I was sure I wouldn’t have hot water for a month. I followed him back to the bed and was standing between his legs, prepared to get to my knees when his phone rang.