David(59)

“There’s one fantasy that I’ve had since the moment I met you. Would you indulge me?”

She turned into me and kissed me in the center of my chin as she stood on her tiptoes.

“Anything you want.”

I don’t know what she expected. An erotic moment in the hallway, maybe. But she was clearly surprised when I swung her up into my arms and carried her over the threshold.

“That’s a little premature, isn’t it?” she asked.

“What do you mean?”

“You’re supposed to do that on our wedding night. This isn’t that.”

“It could be.”

She groaned. I’d been begging her to make the whole thing official sooner rather than later, but she was set on a winter wedding. January, she’d said. I don’t know what the fascination was, but I wanted her to have what she wanted. So we were waiting.

But you couldn’t blame me for trying.

She took my hand and led the way to the bed. We’d been back together for weeks, but I didn’t think I was ever going to get used to the new dynamics in the bedroom. I didn’t have to lie still and watch her pleasure herself on my body as I had before. I could lift her onto the mattress and undress her before undressing myself. I could move anywhere I wanted over her body, pleasing her with anything and everything she would allow. And I could set the rhythm and please her without making her do all the work.

I loved the touch of her body. I loved seeing the pleasure in her eyes.

She turned into me and began to unbutton my shirt.

“Let me,” I said, reaching around her to unzip the back of her bridesmaid dress.

“No. I want to.”

I held my hands up out of the way. She unbuttoned my shirt slowly, her fingers lingering here and there. I watched her, watched the slight tremble in her hands. How could she be nervous? We’d been here so many times, but then I let my fingers slide over her bare arms and realized there was a little shake to my hands, too.

Watching Donovan and Kate commit to their lives together, listening to them pledge their love to one another for the rest of their lives…it was humbling. And inspiring.

“I love you,” I said, lifting her chin and realizing she was crying for the first time.

“I never thought I’d find someone like you,” she said.

“Like what?”

“Someone who would love me for me. After everything I’ve been through, everything I’ve done…I never thought someone as good and gentle and beautiful as you would want me.”

I slid my hand over the back of her neck, teasing the curls that had been carefully placed in her hair.

“I hate what’s happened these last three years. I hate that my parents died, that Ash lost his fiancée, and that we’ve all suffered so much. But I wouldn’t change it.”

Her eyes came up to mine. “Why not?”

“Because it brought me to you.”