Shivers raced down my body as I felt Tristan’s arms wrap around my body. Dropping my head back against him, I tilted my head, giving him better access. His lips began to lightly graze across my skin.
“I love you, Ryn.”
Feeling the warmth of his love spread through my body, I spoke barely above a whisper, “I love you too, Tristan.”
My eyes were closed as I felt the breeze blow a few brown curls that hung down from my pulled up hair.
“I have a journey I want to go on with you, baby.”
Keeping my eyes closed, a low moan formed at the base of my throat. “I like the sound of that.”
Hot breath hit my neck, causing a throbbing sensation between my legs. Instantly wet, I began having that familiar draw that I couldn’t resist.
“It’s a life long journey of love.”
My eyes snapped opened as I dropped my head forward and I saw the bottle sitting on the railing. My heart slammed against the wall of my chest as my stomach dropped.
The bottle.
Turning around, I looked up into Tristan’s eyes. “The bottle?”
Placing his hand on the side of my face, he gently brushed his thumb across my face. “Azurdee?”
Nodding my head, I felt a tear roll down my cheek. “Tristan . . .” I couldn’t even begin to form the words in my brain to express how I felt. I didn’t need the bottle to confirm Tristan’s commitment to me. Matter of fact, I had forgotten all about it until I opened my eyes and saw it. But knowing the meaning behind it, I’d never in my life felt the way I was feeling this very moment.
“I told my father I wanted to do something different with the tradition. Before, each person wrote their letter and put it in the bottle. I want us to write our letters, but I want to exchange them before we put them into the bottle.”
“You want to read each other’s letter?”
His other hand moved up to my face as he held my face firmly in his hands. “I wish I was more romantic and swept you off your feet more, Ryn. There are so many things I feel in my heart that I want more than anything to express to you. I know by writing it down, I’ll express it better. My hopes and dreams for our future, but my fears from the past as well. I want to share everything with you.”
A small sob escaped through my lips as I placed my hands over Tristan’s. “Tristan,” I whispered as he pressed his lips to mine. The kiss was slow, soft, and utterly romantic. How can he even say he doesn’t sweep me off my feet?
Pulling away, he whispered against my lips. “Okay, I know what I want to say.” Dropping his hands, he quickly grabbed the bottle and made his way around the pool and into the house. I stood there stunned. I began to look around as if a joke was being played on me. Rushing into the house, I called out his name. “Tristan?”
“In the office, baby.”
Making my way into the office, Tristan was behind the desk with a piece of paper and pen in his hand. Looking up he said, “I can’t talk, the words are flowing. You need to find a spot to write.”
Pulling my head back, I said, “Um . . . okay . . . well I’ll just go to the kitchen table I guess?”
Pushing a few pages of paper in my direction, he nodded his head. Trying not to laugh, I took the paper and headed to the kitchen.
Sitting down at the table I stared at the paper.
Nothing.
Picking up the paper, I headed outside and sat on the deck overlooking the ocean.
Nothing.
Oh shit. Here Tristan was pouring his heart to me in words and I sat here with not a single thing written down.
Closing my eyes, I took in a deep breath and slowly blew it out. I thought back to the first time I’d ever seen Tristan. The first time he kissed me, made love to me, looked at me like I was his everything, and the first time he told me he loved me.
Opening my eyes, I looked out over the ocean and smiled. Picking up my pen, I began writing.
Dear Tristan,
I sat here for what seemed like forever, trying to put into words how I feel about you, our hopes, dreams, and desires of what our future will be.
I stared at the paper and nothing would come out. Then it hit me. Life is a journey, much like the journey of love that we will embark on ourselves.
I look at my parents, and your parents, and even Lark and Azurdee. I see people who are madly in love. I also see human beings who will make mistakes and have regrets along their journey. I think what is important though is that they have each other during all of it. The good times and the bad times. They are each other’s strengths.
That is what I want our journey to be. A journey filled with lessons, mistakes, triumphs, good times, bad times, and most of all . . . a journey filled with love.
I’ll never be able to put into words how much I love you. I can show you though. I promise to show you every single day what your love does to me.
My hopes and desires for our journey are simple. A future filled with love and a lot of laughter. The smile on your face when I tell you we are expecting a child, the sound of our baby crying, the feel of your body next to mine every night as we fall asleep, and the touch of your hand when we walk along the beach in our later years.
I love you, Tristan. I promise to love you forever. I promise to never go to sleep when we are fighting, and I promise to always be your strength.
Love,
Kathryn
I wasn’t sure how long I had been sitting on the deck before I felt him behind me. Turning, I looked up and saw Tristan gazing down at me. “I wrote like six letters.”
Laughing, I pulled my knees up into my chest as I watched him sit across from me. “You wrote six letters? Damn. I only wrote one.”
Giving me a smirk, he shook his head. “No, I started writing at least six times, ea
ch time I tore it up.”
“Did you finish one?”
Peeking at me through his beautiful long eyelashes, he winked. “Yes, I did.”
“Can I read it?”
Lifting his eyebrow, he said, “Maybe we should draw straws.”
Giggling, I stood up. “Do we have straws?”
Glancing back toward the house, Tristan said, “If we do I have no idea where they would be.”
“Rock, paper, scissors?”
Tristan jumped. “Yes! I love that game.”
Tristan and I prepared our fists. “Ready?” I asked.
Tristan nodded his head as he adjusted his body and got ready to play. “Ready.”
“One, two, three, show!”
I had rock, Tristan had paper. Doing a fist pump he shouted, “Yes!”
Rolling my eyes, I started counting. “One, two, three, show!”
I had scissors and Tristan had paper. “Fuck! I fucking hate paper.”
Giggling, I said, “You won the first round with paper. How can you say you hate paper?”
“Just count, Ryn!”
Snarling my lip up at him, I said, “Gesh, man oh man. You really want to go first.”
Looking at me with a frustrated look, he whispered, “Count.”
“Fine! One, two, three . . . show!”
I had rock and Tristan had scissors. I started jumping and yelling out, “I won! I won! Woohoo I won!”
Tristan glared at me. “Really, Ryn? What are you, five?”
My mouth gaped open and I couldn’t help but smile at the pathetic face he was making. “Oh. My. Gosh. You sore loser you. I didn’t say that when you were all fist pumping your freaking paper win.”
Dropping back into the seat, Tristan crossed his arms and pouted. Oh dear lord. If that wasn’t the sexiest thing I’d ever seen. This man . . . the one who has a room filled with sex toys . . . is pouting because he lost at rock, paper, scissors. I was so going to swallow tonight when I gave him a blowjob.
“Okay, since I won, I get to pick.” Handing him my letter, he looked up at me and smiled the most beautiful smile I’d ever seen on his face. It took my breath away.