And now the man I’ll love last.
“Yes,” I whisper, though I can’t explain the pricks of tears at the corners of my eyes. Maybe it’s because we’ve waded through so much to get here, or maybe it’s because it still feels like a dream. Our lives, our baby, our love.
Patton’s forehead presses against mine as he pummels me, the tip of his cock finding that place deep inside me. “We were always going to find our way back to each other.”
“Like two halves of the same soul.”
His jaw tightens, the blink of his eye telling me he’s feeling the same emotion echo inside him, pure and unshakeable.Ours.
“I love you,” I breathe, my fingers fisting the front of his shirt. “So fucking much.”
His lips find mine as my orgasm crests and those same stars find the backs of my lids. “I know.”
I moan, long and guttural, into his mouth as Patton finds his release inside me, both of us coming together like colliding ocean waves.
Our ragged breaths settle as our heart rates find normalcy. Patton peppers kisses over my jaw and neck before he finds my lips again.
“So,” I say, a smile dancing on my lips. “Is this what you brought me here for? To defile the hood of your car?”
A snicker escapes him before he tugs my bottom lip between his teeth. “I told you I wanted to finish our date. The defiling was just a bonus.”
I flick my nose against his. “I seem to recall that our last date here had Cheeky Mike’s tacos and pineapple margaritas.”
Thank all the gods I got my taste back for pineapples!
“Well, that’s good, because this one does, too.”
My heart fires off a strange beat. “What?”
He tips his chin down to our still-connected groins. “How about we get our clothes on and head to our spot? Actually, leave your panties off . . .” He adds quickly, “It’ll make it easier for when I’m ready for dessert.”
My cheeks heat. Yes, we just had wild sex on the hood of his car in the middle of nowhere. Yes, he’s seen and felt me in ways I haven’t let anyone else. And yet, he can still make me blush.
Five minutes later, Patton and I have crossed over that scary, rickety old bridge, and I’m too busy marveling at the glittering L.A. skyline against the darkening sky to notice what he’s been leading me to. Until I do.
The same flannel blanket is laid out at the end of the cliff with almost the same rocks and large cooler flanking the sides, as if he recreated that night down to the last detail. Spread on the blanket are tortilla chips, bowls of salsa, and bags of tacos from my favorite food truck, all covered by an enormous glass dome so the wind won’t steal our food. Also present are flameless tea lights, each one flickering like they’re competing to outshine the other.
When did he . . .?
“Patton . . .” My smile tugs at the corners of my mouth even as my throat tightens.
I turn to my right, then my left to find him.
He was right here two seconds ago.
But then I feel him before I see him, his warm presence at my back. I turn around, gasping when my gaze dips.
There, in the middle of this cliff, illuminated only by the dusky sky, the city lights far below, and the flickering tea lights, is my ex-husband.
On one knee.
Presenting me with an open velvet box.
My breaths feel ineffective inside my lungs. My hand trembles as I brush my fingers over the back of his hand. “Patton . . . oh, my God.”
His throat works before he speaks, his voice thick and rough.
“You’re not just the mother of my child, baby; you’re my best friend, my fucking heart and soul. You always have been. Losing you once nearly broke me, and I swear to God, I couldn’t survive it again. I barely survived it the first time.”
