And the girl just smiled at me, her breath warm, her body tense yet relaxed near mine.
“It’s absolutely what I want Chris,” she breathed. “You’re what I want because,” and here she paused, “my mom and dad had an unexpected courtship. I’m not going to get into it now, but let’s just say that they got married when no one approved, not one of my grandparents attended the ceremony. And you know what? It’s worked. They’ve been happily married twenty years, and so I know that we can make it work.”
My body grew hot then, my jaw clenching as her words sank in. Twenty years? More like I wanted fifty years with this beauty, shit, even that wasn’t enough. A lifetime was more like it.
But I still didn’t get it.
“But honey,” I ground out. “What about the way we met? You hated that, you thought I was buying you, that you traded sex for money.”
The girl nodded soberly, her brown eyes meeting mine.
“I admit that we met in a … um, untraditional way,” she said softly, “but that doesn’t mean that what we have now isn’t real. I’ve been thinking, and I think everyone ‘buys’ others to some extent, it’s just a question of how explicit it is. I mean, my mom’s never worked during her marriage so I guess my dad has ‘bought’ her for the last twenty years, right? It was part of their marriage pact.”
And I growled deep in my throat.
“But honey, that’s completely normal. Your mom is taken care of because she’s a wife,” I ground out. “I’d want that for my wife as well, I’d want to provide for her and my family, but we’re talking about something different. You weren’t my wife, you were a girl whose body I wanted, and which I paid for, I admit. And that transaction was making you question everything, our love for one another, our devotion, our mutual trust and understanding.”
And the brunette nodded at me, her eyes growing wide at the word “love.”
“I know, Chris,” she whispered, her breath warm against my skin. “But I’ve realized that as cheesy as it sounds, love can triumph … if you’ll just let it. And we love each other, don’t we? We love spending time together, talking, fighting, loving, we’re a match through and through, aren’t we?”
And the lump in my throat was so big, so enormous that I could hardly make out any words. But I forced myself because this was literally the most important moment in my life and I couldn’t let her down. I couldn’t let down my best girl, who’d pushed through her own inhibitions, her own justifiable concerns and doubts, to end up here, with me, believing in me, in us, trusting me and revealing her heart.
“Baby,” I ground out, pressing my forehead against hers. “I’ll make it worth it to you. I promise,” I rumbled deep in my throat. “There is no one more precious to me than you because yeah, we started off in an unsavory situation but I’ve never regretted it. Never,” I ground out roughly.
And the girl laughed softly then, flashing that beautiful smile, making my heart pump all the faster.
“Chris, let’s do something different from here on out, okay?” she suggested gently, her brown eyes filled with such emotion that my heart overflowed and burst, I was such putty in her hands. I was a prisoner to Lindy, whatever she wanted, her desires were mine, her needs, her wants, were my guides in life. “I want to propose that instead of referring to our first moments together as a ‘transaction,’ let’s just say that I ‘gifted’ myself to you instead. Is that okay?” she asked shooting me a special smile.
And I leaned down to kiss her again, nuzzling her lips, grazing my mouth across her cheek.
“Of course baby,” I rumbled. “Because I’ve never had a gift as good as you.”
And the brunette just sighed, wrapping her arms around my neck. “Good,” she breathed. “Now take me again and make me yours.”
And this time, I didn’t hesitate. Because the virgin was a virgin no more, but instead of walking away as I normally do, Lindy and I were going to find a future together. It wasn’t a straightforward path at all. We’d gone from sex for money, a hedonistic ten-day arrangement, to a long-term relationship all in the course of a few months. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything because the brunette was my lover, my star, my guide, and I can’t imagine life without her anymore, it would be cold, pathetic and miserable. But instead, a new chapter has blossomed and I’ve got a girl in my arms that’s worth more than anything.
So I kissed her and murmured into her hair.
“I love you baby,” my throat tight, my heart aching. “I love you so much and I can’t wait for our life to start together.”