She gives a little whimper. “Oh, my God, Rawley, it's too much.”
“Nothing’s too much for my baby.” I take it from the box. She holds out her left hand and I slip the band on her ring finger, taking her hand to my mouth and kiss it.
She tugs me up. I take her in my arms and she buries her head in my shoulder. I kiss the top of her head. “I love you, babygirl.”
With Emmeline in my arms, her ring on my finger, I feel complete.
I unzip her dress, letting it fall to the ground. She wears nothing beneath it, and I take in her naked body with the hungry gaze of a man who's been starving. I want her. I need her, now.
I kiss her lips, her cheeks, her chin. I cup her beautiful breasts in my hands. I stroke her soft skin, taking in the memory of her curves.
I lay her on the bed, her dark hair splayed over the pillows beneath her head. I undress, crawling across the bed to her, pressing my naked flesh against hers. She spreads her legs, welcoming me into her.
When I enter her, something shifts. This is my soon-to-be wife I’m making love to. I kiss her as I move inside her, slow and warm, getting as close to her as I possibly can. I slide an arm under her shoulders, pulling her into me, another beneath her ass, curving her hips upward and dive deeper inside her.
I rock my body in time with hers, the sweet release building inside us. Holding her tight, I turn over on my back, bringing her above me so I can watch her beautiful face, touch her soft breasts as she rides me.
Her hands go to my chest, pressing into me. She leans over, her long, dark hair brushing my skin as her lips brush against mine. And she takes off. Arching her back and rolling her hips, riding my cock, hungry for me, like she’s missed this just as much as I have.
She’s breathtaking, her head back, her full lips parted, her eyes closed as she chases down her pleasure. I lift my hips, going deeper inside of her, making her call out, Daddy.
God I’ve missed hearing that word.
I need to be on top of her again, holding her. I bring her to me, flipping us over again until she’s on her back. I kiss her neck, her lips, moving inside her.
When I come, it’s like I’ve finally found home.
We spend the next morning calling all our friends, telling them the good news. They’re happy for us, sending us their warm wishes and congratulations.
I put the little red box the ring came in on my kitchen counter, unable to part with it. Emmeline notices, asking me, “Why do you keep it?”
“As a reminder.”
“Of what?”
“Of how I felt, when I thought you weren’t coming home.” I think of those dark days, and remember how I’d stare at that little red box, thinking of her.
Her nose wrinkles. “That’s a sad thought.”
“Not to me.”
“Why?”
“Because I never gave up hope.” I lift her finger, letting the diamond sparkle under the kitchen lights. “And see. It all worked out.”
When she reaches up to kiss me, there’s unshed tears in her eyes.
Chapter 17
Emmeline
The day after Lexi and Shane’s wedding, Rawley found the penthouse suite at Vegas, Baby cleared out, the only sign of Tiffany the credit cards he’d given her, cut up and strewn over the dresser.
But that doesn’t mean she didn’t still have the card numbers in her phone. Before Rawley could cancel the cards, the girl had racked up ten thousand dollars in charges. Clothes, shoes, and a charge for a purse that cost more than my car, for God’s sake.
With her new wardrobe, she’s going to be looking stylish in court, because Rawley is pressing charges and his lawyers don’t mess around. Until then, we both have a restraining order against her and she’s not allowed within three hundred feet of us, our apartment, or our place of work.
Last we heard, she’s back in Georgia, and soon, Tiffany will be nothing more than a bad memory.
On a happier note, work is fantastic. The doctor I work with finally trusts me and recommended me to work on my own, no longer needing to shadow him. He even gave me a high five, telling me, “You do great work, kid.”
It’s Friday night, my favorite night of the week. We have dinner down at Little Italy, a Grandma’s Margherita pizza with two cokes, lots of ice in the cups. Then back to Rawley’s, where I put on comfy clothes and after a long week of work, we plan on spending the rest of the evening on his sofa, our legs tangled together, me in sweats and a tee, him shirtless in jeans. As we lounge, I’m going over my patient's notes from the day, while he’s showing me options for floral bouquets on his phone.