“The plan,” I said, stepping back out of his embrace. Whipping my shirt over my head, he studied the two identical rings hanging from around my neck.
“What…”
Before he could ask his question, I asked mine.
“Colin Kearney,” I said, taking off the chain.
“Love of my life.” I held his ring out, then dropped to one knee.
“I don’t want to do this life without you because I will never stop loving you. You have owned my heart from the moment you came down that escalator. So, would you please put us out of our misery and agree to spend the rest of your life with me as my husband?”
He looked at the ring, then at me, down on one knee. When his eyes met mine, visible relief washed over him. “Are you sure you want that with me?”
I stood and I held out my hand for his left one. “There’s no one else for me,” I said, sliding the ring on his finger. “You’re who I’ve been waiting for my entire life.”
I held his face in my hands and kissed him softly. “Say yes.”
He smiled, then brought his forehead to mine. “Yes,” he whispered across my lips. We sank into a sensual kiss that I poured my heart into. We hadn’t been together before he left, both of us too sad to summon the intensity needed for one another.
“I want to make love with you,” I said to him, kissing his eyes, his face, and any exposed skin. “I want to show you how much you mean to me. Prove to you how I can’t live without you. Neverallow yourself to doubt how perfect you are in my eyes. Now ruin me for anyone but you.”
Colin’s smile was beautiful as he nodded.
I kissed his forehead. “I need to clean up so I can relax. Shower with me?”
His eyebrows knitted just enough for me to notice. “What’s wrong?”
He swallowed and looked at me. “That’s where he used to…”
I stopped him with a kiss, knowing exactly what he needed. “Then allow me to exercise every demon living in there, and wipe away any other memory but ones of how much I love you. Let me fill your mind with what our future is going to look like.”
Colin took a deep breath. “Yeah. That.”
He took my hand and led me to his bedroom. I put the chain on the dresser, then began to strip out of my clothes. But Colin had other ideas.
He picked up the chain and looked at the ring. “This one is yours, right?”
I smiled and nodded.
“Then you need to be wearing it.”
Removing the ring, he took my left hand. Placing the ring on my finger, I couldn’t imagine a more intimate expression of our love. We’d get the paperwork and make it legal, but as far as I was concerned, he was my husband, and I was his.
“I love you with all my heart and soul,” he said, leaning down to kiss my ring.
I returned his words, feeling them deep into my core. “And I love you with all my heart and soul.”
I pulled him into my arms and kissed him sweetly, just as if we were taking our vows in front of our family and friends.
Leading me to his shower, he turned on the water while I wrapped myself around him.
“I wantyouto takeme,” I murmured into his neck. “I want to feel you deep inside. Make me yours, sweetheart.”
Colin turned and looked into my eyes. I needed him to see that I intended to erase every bad memory in his life and replace it with one of love. Starting in this very room. Nodding just enough for me to see, he adjusted the water as we stepped in.
Pressing my back to the wall, my fiancé kissed down my body. He fisted our erections with his right hand as he leaned into me.
“You don’t want to tease me. I’m kind of desperate for you,” I said, kissing any place I could reach.
