It was breathtaking, like a picture out of a book.
“Is this the same backyard?” I asked. “It can’t be.”
“It is.”
“I’m blown away.” The grass looked so green and plush, like a carpet. “Is it okay to walk on it?”
“Of course.”
I had to feel that lawn under bare feet. I steadied myself against the deck railing as I pulled off my shoes. Shane placed a hand on my waist to help me. It was a sweet gesture, so like him when he was at his best.
The minute I had my shoes off, I padded down the stairs and stepped onto the grass.
It was so soft it didn’t feel real. It felt like satin. Cool, smooth satin. “Ohhh. I’ve never felt grass like this.” Bending down, I ran my hand over the blades.
Shane gently pushed me down until I was lying flat on my back. His hands were palm down, arms holding his upper body off mine. My head was trapped between his arms. My heart was trapped in my throat.
His cool eyes looked bright in the brilliant daylight, but still I could see shadows darkening them. Secrets. Things he couldn’t tell anyone, not even me. “The day I make you mine will be the happiest day of my life.”
I believed him. My heart soared, and I knew that we could work through whatever problems came up. He loved me. More than life. More than anything.
And I loved him.
I loved him. I loved his many good qualities. His loyalty. His passion. His commitment.
And I loved him, despite his faults.
“Shane,” I said, tears gathering in my eyes. “I…love you.”
His smile was more brilliant than the sun blazing overhead. “I promise you, I will show you each and every day how grateful I am to have you in my life.” He bent down and ravaged my mouth, kissing me fiercely. His tongue plunged inside, stroked, claimed, possessed. His hands skimmed down my arms, curled around my wrists and held them like shackles. “My Bristol. Mine. Forever.”
I writhed beneath him. My body was burning up. I craved his touch, his possession. Here. Now. “Yes, yours, Shane. Yours forever.”
He sat upright, gazed down at me as I struggled to catch my breath. “This isn’t how I imagined it would be. But I couldn’t help myself. I never can when I’m with you.” Shifting to one knee, he helped me sit up. “That’s a little better.” He slid a hand into his pocket. He pulled it out.
There was a box in it. A small black velvet box.
“Oh God,” I whispered.
“Bristol, I need you. More than my next breath. More than life itself. I never wanted to need someone. Needing is terrifying. It’s strange to me, foreign. I tried to walk away. Hell, I tried to run away. But I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t live without you.” He pulled up the top, revealing a ring with a huge sparkling diamond. “You’ve turned my world upside down. Everything is different now. I can’t do anything without thinking about you.”
Never had I heard such beautiful words. He meant them. Every single one. There could be no doubt.
“There isn’t a single person or thing I’ve loved that I haven’t lost. I’m terrified. But I have to take this chance with you. I love you. I need you. Please tell me I won’t have to live another day without you.”
I don’t know how long I sat there staring into his eyes. It might have been a few seconds. It might have been a few hours. I was speechless, lost in the shadows in his eyes. But eventually I found the words I needed to say to him.
“Shane, I have always been yours, and I will always be yours. There’s no reason to be afraid. My heart, my soul, they belong to you. I’ve been scared too. I tried to run. But I couldn’t stay away any more than you could. You see? We belong together. We both know it, even if we didn’t always want to admit it.”
His eyes teared up. His lips curved into a sweet smile. “Thank you.” He plucked the ring from the box and slid it on my finger.
It fit perfectly.
My doubts evaporated.
Shane was not perfect. He was flawed. He was scared. He was human. But the flaws and fear and humanity were what made him perfect for me.
Soon I would be this man’s partner. His wife. His lover. His friend. And his submissive.
“We’ll start our life together here. In this house. Where it all began,” he said as he pulled me into his arms. “We’ll start a family of our own.”
I sank into his embrace and closed my eyes. The image of a beautiful little girl flashed in my head. With long dark bouncy curls and wide, dark expressive eyes.
His child.
Our child.
The perfect expression of our flawed, imperfect love.
The End