The Loner's Lady

When I’m not bogged down in school work, I help John run his new, online walking stick shop. One rainy weekend, we built a website and organized some advertising for the operation. In no time, we were getting emails from all over the country from people excited to purchase an original creation for the wounded veteran in their life. Each month, we walk to the post box together and drop in a check for one hundred percent of the profits to a military charity and it gives me so much happiness to witness John’s pride in what we built together.

Now, I pull him to stop at an ice cream stand midway through the park. “Want one?”

He shakes his head no, but pays for my vanilla cone, then walks me over to a park bench and sits me on his right thigh, my shoulder pressed to his chest. His big hand works its way into my hair and massages my scalp, those brown eyes of his riveted on my mouth. I’m being kind of shameless, licking my ice cream cone slowly, teasingly, and I can feel the effect it’s having on John’s body. His sex pulses under my butt, thickening with every lick I take.

“Christ, Lyssa, you’re asking to be fucked in broad daylight on this bench.”

I wiggle my bottom in his lap and lean in, smiling against his mouth. “Will you settle for a kiss?”

“For now,” he growls, nipping at my bottom lip. “Later, I won’t settle for anything less than you on your back screaming.”

Heat flares between my legs, pulling at my intimate muscles. “The upstairs neighbors will call the landlord and complain again.”

“No,” he drawls. “They won’t.”

My spine straightens. “John, did you threaten the neighbors?”

He grunts. “I suggested a new place to shove their phone.”

I giggle into his shoulder. “See? You fit right in here, just like I knew you would.” I take a few licks of my ice cream, a sigh of complete contentment leaving me. “I love you so much, John,” I whisper, leaning up to nuzzle my nose against his unshaven chin. “You make me so happy.”

Affection deepens the brown of his eyes. “Thank God for that, Lyssa, because I can’t live without you.” He pulls me down for a long kiss, his tongue traveling into my mouth and coaxing mine into a dance. When we finally break for air, I’m spun in such a web of lust and love, it takes me a few seconds to notice the black velvet ring box he’s holding between us.

My jaw drops.

Before I can sputter an answer, John stands, turns and settles me on the bench. And then he gets down on one knee in front of me. Oh wow. This is happening. He’s proposing to me while I eat ice cream—does life get any better? John is the most heroic, incredible sight I’ve ever beheld, a gorgeous treasure of a man surrounded by the city I’m slowly but surely teaching him to love.

“Lyssa,” he begins gruffly. “You’ve shaken up my life in a way I never could have expected. I’ve had this ring for three months because…I keep wondering if taking you for my wife makes me selfish. See, I’ve never been happy and now I grow happier every damn day, because of you. I’m…overflowing.” He clears his throat hard. “I finally decided to accept that I’m a lucky bastard and be selfish, though I never really had a choice to begin with because living without you is never going to be an option. I’m putting a ring on your finger, Lyssa, and I’m keeping you. Always.”

“How like you to tell me we’re getting married,” I laugh tearfully, throwing myself into his arms. “Yes. Yes, you’re going to keep me. And I’m keeping you.”

John pulls back long enough to slide a big, sparkly diamond onto my finger. Then he picks me up off the bench and spins me in a circle while passersby applaud. It’s the single greatest moment of my life and I know there are many more to come.

John

Five years later

I wait for my wife in the meadow, heart hammering in my throat.

She will forever put me in this state of need. Anticipation. Longing.

Waiting to be alone with her is the hardest part of my life, because she has made everything else so easy. Since she graduated college, we’ve spent the majority of our time in the Catskills. Having more space became especially necessary when she gave birth to our son, Graham, although we still return to our apartment in the city for weekends alone. Mason is happy to babysit across the hall, but when he’s busy, our nanny remains home with our son, as she will do tonight while I make love to Lyssa in the meadow. Our meadow, where I took her for the first time.