“I can’t wait, baby,” he said, standing to take off his shorts and shirt. “Close your eyes,” he told her, knowing the sight of his scar still worried her.
“Open,” he said once he’d lowered himself above her again. “I want you to see the look on my face, so you know exactly how good I feel when I’m inside you.”
Ava whimpered when Tabon’s eyes practically rolled back in his head.
“God, I love that sound,” he shuddered, thrusting deeper into her. “Almost as much as I love how it feels to have you wrapped around me.”
He reached down with his fingers and toyed with the bundle of nerves at the top of her sex.
“Tabon, I—” She couldn’t say another word as an orgasm swiftly overtook her.
“What was that?” he said, smiling down at her.
“I love you.”
“Mmm. I love you, my sweet Avarie.”
He started moving again, slowly at first, and then faster and harder. “Come with me, baby,” he said, thrusting one more time and then pulsing inside her. Ava clung to him as the look on his face brought her back to the brink, and then let her pleasure spill over them both.
“Have you thought about where you want to get married?” Tabon asked her as they lay naked in each other’s arms.
“Do I have a choice?” she asked.
Tabon moved her off of him and sat up. “Why wouldn’t you?”
“I guess we could get married here.”
He smiled. “Please hold back your enthusiasm.”
“It really doesn’t matter to me, Tabon. All I care about is being your wife; where and when we have the ceremony is inconsequential.”
Tabon rested his forehead against hers. “Close your eyes.”
She smiled and closed them.
“Think back to when you were a little girl. Tell me what your dream wedding looked like.”
“On the beach,” she answered, and then smiled and opened her eyes.
“Well, there you have it.” He motioned out the window. “What?” he asked when he saw her face fall.
“I think we should wait, Tabon.”
“When I was still in the hospital, I told Saylor that when all of this was over, I was going to ask you to marry me. She told me not to wait. We aren’t going to wait either, Avarie.”
“I know I just said that I didn’t care where or when, but I do care who’s with us. That’s why I want to wait.”
“Okay…” he said, raising his eyebrows.
“Not my father, obviously. But I would like my mother to be there, and Quinn.”
Tabon nodded. “That can be arranged.”
“Have you talked to her?”
“Quinn or Peggy?”
“You just gave it away.” She smiled.