All of the women that came before her meant nothing.
They were nothing.
He had finally found the one, and he wasn’t going to wait for her to find out what an asshole he was.
Wait, she already knew he could be an asshole, but he wasn’t to her. Never to her.
The sound of the lock turning made him pick up the box and quickly hide it in his pocket. Dani entered. She wore a hat, which she quickly removed.
“Oh, yum, something smells so good.” She closed the door, and he saw her holding a bag.
“You went shopping?” he asked.
“Sorry. I didn’t technically go shopping. I had this on back order last week and one finally came in.” She removed her jacket and bag, putting them in the relevant places. “Here you go. It’s for you.”
“You bought me something?”
“The moment I saw it, I thought of you.”
He pulled a book out of the bag, and he saw it was a recipe journal.
“You can put your own recipes and make notes. There are spaces for pictures so we can document it. I saw this and thought of you.”
“Wow,” he said. “This is … amazing.”
“I know you love to cook, and I bet your mom would be so happy right now.”
He stared at the recipe book and remembered his mother’s that he still had in the back of the closet.
“One day, Jax, you’ll be a dad, and you’ll have to put your recipe memories in a book. Always document everything.”
Going down onto one knee, he held the box, flicking it open. “Marry me.”
“Jax?”
“You said yes, and I gave you lots of orgasms. This is the ring. I want you to be mine, Dani. I know I’m fucked up. I don’t expect to be perfect, but for you I will try. I want to try. I want you to be my wife and to love me, faults and all.”
She went down to her knees and stared into his eyes. “I don’t back out on my promise. Yes, Jax. I love you, and I will marry you.”
He put the book on the sofa and took the ring out, sliding it onto her finger.
“I love you, Dani. I really do love you.”
“I believe you.”
“Answering that damn phone was the best thing I ever did.”
“Calling that number was the best thing I ever did and agreeing to your conditions no matter how crazy they sounded.”
“We’re both crazy,” Jax said.
“No, I’m crazy in love with you.”
“Does that mean I get anal?”
“You have this fascination with it.”
“Not really, I just want to feel every single part of you,” Jax said.
She rolled her eyes.
“Come on, we’re going to get married. The least you can do is let me have it.”
“Fine, you can have my ass, after you’ve cooked me one of your mother’s favorite dishes again,” she said.
“That all it takes?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll be cooking her meatballs tomorrow.”
She burst out laughing. “I can’t wait.”
“Oh, one more thing.” He moved away, opening up a cupboard and turning back to face her. He held the vase in his hands. He’d never stopped looking. His one-night stand had destroyed it, but he remembered what it looked like. He’d trawled through auctions and vintage places, and he ended up finding it in a salon a few blocks from where he worked. He’d paid the owner twice what she asked for.
“The vase?”
“You said how much it meant to you, and seeing as you mean everything to me, I wanted to repair the damage I’d caused.”
“Oh, my God, this is … wow, Jax, wow. I can’t believe you found one.”
“It took some time.”
She took the vase from him and turned it in her hands.
“I know it won’t replace the original.”
“It doesn’t matter. The fact you never stopped looking, that for me means the world.”
“Still getting anal?” he asked.
She burst out laughing. “Totally getting anal any time you want.” She threw her arms around his neck, and kissed him hard.
****
“You need to relax,” Jax said.
“It’s easy for you to say. You’re not the one that’s about to have a big cock up their ass.” Dani let out a gasp as he teased across her anus, his fingers pressing against her. He’d already covered his cock and her ass with lube, so as he pressed against her ass, it didn’t feel too dry or tight.
She closed her eyes and lifted her legs beneath her so that she was spread exactly how he wanted her to be, open to take him.
“You asked me to. I have to say I think it’s an honor that I get to pop your cherry.”
She rolled her eyes.
He’d wanted to do it, and she hadn’t been ready. Over the past couple of weeks he’d been preparing her ass, and now she wanted it.
He added in a second finger, stretching her ass.
The biting pain eased, and she felt this need building inside her.