“You make me believe that love isn’t hard because you love everyone in your life so effortlessly.” He cups my jaw in his hands, his fingers mingle in with my hair, and his thumbs brush the tears from my face. “When you smile in that sweet way you do just for me, I swear I can see the next fifty years of my life.”

I smile and drag my fingers down his cheek. “I always think that you smile at me in a special way too.”

My heart stalls in my chest as he reaches in his pocket and pulls out a blue box with a slightly smashed white bow and places it in my palm. With shaking fingers, I unwrap the box and gasp at the gorgeous ring winking up at me.

“Rhys.”

“I need you with me, beside me, as my partner and my love, for the rest of my life, Gabrielle. Please tell me that you’ll be my wife. Have more babies with me. Let me give you and Sam my last name.”

Is this real?

“I love you so much,” I whisper through my tears. “I was so scared that I’d lost you.”

“Never.”

“I would be honored to marry you.”

“Oh no, sweetheart. The honor is all mine.” He lifts the ring from the box and slides it on my finger. It’s a perfect fit.

And suddenly, I’m in his arms and he’s carrying me into the house.

“Where are we going?”

“I can’t do what I want to do to you on the porch.”

“What do you want to do to me?”

His grin is slow and naughty as he carries me into my bedroom, lays me on the bed, then covers me with his body. “I’m going to make love to you.”

“Mmm,” I moan. “That sounds like a good plan.”

He kisses my lips sweetly and drags his nose down my jawline to my neck as his hands make quick work of shedding my summer dress and panties.

His hands are everywhere.

“I missed this,” I whisper before kissing his shoulder.

“I was going crazy in Chicago,” he says as he nibbles his way down my torso, paying special attention to my nipples on the way. “These are sensitive,” he murmurs.

“They’ve been sore,” I agree.

“Am I hurting you?”

“No.” I push my fingers into his hair, loving how soft it is. “I don’t think you’d ever hurt me.”

“Never intentionally,” he agrees and slides his hand down my stomach and into my already wet folds. “God, you’re so damn wet.”

“You’re doing sexy things to me,” I reply with a giggle, then sigh as he pushes two fingers inside me. “You’re so good at that.”

His thumb is wreaking havoc on my clit, making me writhe and moan beneath him.

I need him inside me!

“Rhys.”

“Yes, baby, sigh my name like that again.”

I smile. “Rhys, I need you inside me.” I’m yanking at his shirt, trying to get it over his head. “You’re seriously over-dressed.”

Finally, he rears up and sheds the shirt, works his jeans off, and I cup his impressive hard-on in my hand, pumping it firmly, wiping the bead of precum with my thumb.

“You’re going to be the death of me,” he whispers.

“What a way to go,” I reply with a satisfied grin, and then he’s suddenly nudging inside me, pushing slowly.

So fucking slowly.

I try to tilt my hips up to meet him, but he’s holding me down, making me feel every incredible inch. And then he keeps the torture going with long, slow strokes, filling and emptying me, watching me with those amazing green eyes.

“I love you,” I whisper, holding his face in my hands. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before.”

He kisses my palm and lowers himself over me, resting on his elbows. His lips are against mine, my arms and legs are wrapped around him.

I’ve never felt so physically and emotionally connected to anyone in my life.

“I should have told you too,” he whispers against my lips. “There aren’t words sufficient enough to explain to you how amazing you are. I promise you, I’m going to spend every day making sure you’re happy.”

“You do make me happy,” I reply. “You make me feel things that I don’t even have a label for, it’s so big.”

“That’s my cock, baby,” he replies with a naughty grin.

“You’re such a man.” I giggle and clench down on him harder. “You know what I mean.”

He pushes even deeper inside me, making us both gasp.

“Sex and love all at the same time is a powerful thing,” he whispers. “A very smart woman I know once said that. I had no idea just how powerful until you.”

His hands are in my hair, just as they always are. I hope he never stops loving my hair.

With his eyes on mine, he sets the pace, increasing the tempo, pushing harder, until finally we can’t stand it anymore, and fall apart at the seams, exploding into a million pieces, then falling back together again.

He collapses on top of me, panting and sweaty.

“I’m so fucking hungry,” he growls in my ear.

“I’ll go make you something to eat.”

“Oh, you think you can still walk?” He pulls back to stare down at me with a raised brow. “Then we’re not done.”

“How are we going to get food?” I ask.

“We’ll worry about that later. For now I’m going to make love to the mother of my children.”

My children.

I blink up at him in surprise.

“Yes, Sam is mine, just as much as this baby is mine.” His hand covers my belly. “Just as much as you are mine.”