When she laughed this time, it was with something close to pure joy. “It’s not a sex toy. Well…not really. Open it.”
I shifted a little, trying to keep her right where she was on top of me, while I tugged at the drawstring. I was even more confused when I pulled out a trophy. Like the kind you get in middle school—a participation trophy.
It took me a minute to realize it was an R-rated trophy. Well, maybe not R-rated, but definitely PG-13. The figure at the top was two people twined in a very heated kiss. They were clothed, but he had one hand on the back of her head and the other on her ass, holding her up against a wall. She had one hand in his hair, and the other was hidden, tucked up between them, but was likely on his junk.
“Maise—” I was confused and slightly turned on by a damn bronze trophy.
“Read the plaque, Fireball.”
I squinted, and it took me a minute for it all to set in. And then a laugh rumbled out of me from deep within my core. The inscription said,To Chief Romero, for his exceptional expertise in the bedroom. He is hereby awarded this trophy as King of Inciting Orgasms.
“Took me longer than I thought it would to find the right reward. It’s not quite a medal, but…” Maisey shrugged. Her face was lit with a joyfulness that bordered on mischievous.
I tossed the trophy on the floor, and she made the same noise she did when Vader did something wrong, but I didn’t care. I put a hand to the back of her head and pushed her face to mine so I could nip at her lower lip. “’Bout time you recognized my expertise.”
She laughed again as I trailed kisses over her jaw, her neck, and down over the curve of a breast.
She sighed. “Keep earning it, Chief Romero, and maybe you’ll get another, better reward.”
The sweet tease hit home differently than she’d intended, igniting not my libido but my heart. The fullness I felt in my heart, in the muscle that beat freely for her, had me leaning in to give her another tender kiss. “I already have the best reward anyone could ever give me, my Maisey-girl. I have you.”
She flushed, pink coating her skin. I loved how I was able to trace my fingers over it, following the trail all the way down to the places that made her gasp.
“Tell me you love me,” she whispered.
“I love you. I loved you yesterday and today, and I’ll love you even more tomorrow.”
I rolled so she was below me, staring into eyes that had darkened like the forest out back. As I continued to stroke and caress and touch and taunt, I demanded, “Your turn, darlin’. Tell me you love me.”
Her breath turned thready again, but she gave me what I wanted, saying, “From the moment you tumbled into my backyard, I’ve been yours, Beckett. Saying I love you isn’t enough, but they’re the only words we humans have been able to invent to try to convey it. So why don’t I show you instead?”
And that was precisely what we did, showed each other, with not only our bodies but our hammering hearts and shimmering souls, we belonged to one another. That our knot would never fray. That we would be one of the lucky couples who beat the odds by finding our forever after right next door.
Epilogue
Maisey
WORKIN’ ON THIS LOVE
Performed by Lady A
ANOTHER TEN MONTHS LATER - OCTOBER
HIM: I need a new trophy.
HER: Hmmm. Do you? Do you really? What did you do to deserve one now?
HIM: I’ve exceeded the human capacity for patience.
HER: *** eyeroll emoji ***
HIM: That dress… It isn’t going to be salvageable when I’m done with it, darlin’. I’m absolutely not wasting time undoing each of those buttons. I’m just going to rip it right off.
HER: It’s got a side zip, but it’s too bad you won’t be able to use it. We agreed I’d spend the night in the bridal suite, and you’d be with Kurt.
HIM: That was before you decided to wear that dress. All bets are off.
The wedding rehearsal down by thewaterfall had gone smoothly and quickly. What was even better was how the clouds that had lingered overhead had broken up and shifted off into a glorious orange-and-pink sunset.