“Let’s make love here every night,” he murmured.
“Life is not that good,” I said. “It can’t be.”
“It can. It is.”
My heart swelled, and I held on more tightly as he picked up his pace. One of his hands roamed down my side and over my hip, pulling my thigh up until my knee was bent. He reached underneath me, teasing forbidden spots that he knew put me on the brink of climax. I let myself get lost in him, in the desperate and loving way he took me, and when he was ready to come, he made sure I did first.
As my orgasm worked through me, he moved my hands above my head. I barely felt the grip of his fingers laced with mine, the grunts that rumbled his chest, and then the hot, slick way he filled me.
Manning rolled onto his back, sweating with labored breaths. I stayed where I was, boneless and sinking into the pillows. After a few moments, he squeezed an arm underneath me to pull me into his side. “I thought I was eating frozen leftovers by myself and jerking off tonight,” he said, eyes already closed. “I can hardly believe my luck.”
He murmured his last words, fading fast. I was still wide awake. “You jerk off when I’m not here?” I teased.
“Hmm.”
“To what?” I shifted up to rest my arm on his chest and my chin on the back of my hand so I could see him. “Internet porn?”
A grunt was his only response. I’d lost him. I took a few moments to study his serene face. I’d accomplished what I’d wanted—I’d spoiled him into a coma. But alone with my thoughts, Val’s questions floated to the front of my mind. How long until I got to call myself his wife? I’d waited years to be his at all. Even though I was the one who’d wanted to put off marriage, it didn’t really make sense to me anymore. Once I graduated and moved back in fulltime, there was no reason not to have a wedding.
Manning’s breathing had evened out. Now probably wasn’t the right time to bring up marriage.
Then again, when had either of us ever gotten our timing right?
3
The crackling fire warmed Manning’s dark features as he dozed. Flames made shadows on his strong, angular face, his expression still and peaceful because of our lovemaking. It wasn’t helping my sudden impatience to bring up marriage that he looked handsome as ever.
“Are you awake?” I asked.
“Mmm.”
“You know I love our life.”
It took a couple seconds, but just like I knew it would, that brought Manning back to consciousness. He opened one eye. “What?”
I traced a circle in his chest hair. “And in the past, I said I wanted to finish school before we made any big changes.”
“And I said we’ve already waited long enough.”
“Exactly.”
“Exactly what?” He scanned my face. “Hard as I try, I can’t read your mind. You want to ask me something, do it.”
Manning always reminded me he couldn’t read my mind, but I didn’t believe that for a moment. He knew what I wanted—he always seemed to, anyway. It was the small things, like when he brought me tea some nights while I studied, and others, he seemed to sense when I’d hit a wall. He’d carry me off to bed, even when I protested that I should push through a few more hours. I didn’t have to ask for what I wanted very often, and since there was no bigger request than “marry me,” it made me shy. “You really don’t know?” I asked.
“Yeah.” He tucked some of my hair behind my ear. “But I need you to say it.”
I blew out a breath. “Remember a few months ago, we were on that hike in the woods, and you stopped to tie your shoes?”
He laughed a little. “We’ve been on a lot of hikes, Lake.”
“But you got down on one knee, and I wasn’t expecting anything, but the way you did it, it looked like . . . I mean, I know it’s dumb, but . . .” Like it had in that moment, my heart skipped with the possibility of Manning proposing. “I’m embarrassed to admit where my mind went. And not for the first time.”
“You told me not to propose.”
“Since when do you listen to me?”
The dimple that appeared when he half-smiled made me want to forget this whole thing and ravage him again. “For once,” he said with amusement, “I’m not the one bringing this up.”
“You used to all the time, but you don’t anymore.” I lowered my eyes to his chest. “I know you’re not having second thoughts about us, but . . . are you having second thoughts?”
He laughed. “No, Birdy. Of course not. It’s because other things have been taking up space in my mind.”