Andi covered her mouth with her hands.
"I never asked." My voice trembled. "I never had the honor of asking you to be my wife." I reached into my pocket and pulled out a three-karat princess-cut diamond ring. "And I wondered, if you felt as cheated as I did, that we never had this moment."
Tears poured down her face.
"So Andi…" I held up the ring higher. "…will you do me the greatest honor of my life — and be my wife?"
"Yes!" She didn't even grab the ring but grabbed me instead, kissing me so hard on the mouth that I stumbled backward. "I love you."
Laughing, I swung her around. "I love you too."
I swung her around again, knowing she liked more than one twirl, and placed the ring on her finger. "So, did you really want to work on number four now, or did you want to ride the Ferris wheel?"
"The Ferris wheel can wait." She pulled her shirt over her head and tossed it at my face. "I can't."
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
Sergio
I THINK, LOOKING BACK AT THIS MOMENT, I would always struggle with fully describing the way my heart hammered against my chest, the electric feeling of my hands as they roamed freely across her body.
How do you describe something that's indescribable? You don't. You can't. It's impossible. And I knew, five years from now — or ten, maybe twenty — I'd still be walking around with a smile on my face when I recalled the moment she was mine — the moments I owned her, and she owned me, the moments our hearts were one, our souls united.
"Sergio…"
Her shirt went flying, her bra followed, her jeans. I'd never seen someone undress so fast and was slightly humiliated that I couldn't keep up, that I wanted her to go slow so I could savor every second my eyes were allowed the pleasure to gaze upon her beauty.
"…make love to me. Make it good."
"I can make it good," I whispered. "But you'll have to forgive me."
She frowned.
"Forgive me…" I smiled. "…if I stand here a moment longer than I should — because I feel like you deserve to be stared at. Hell, you deserve to be worshipped, but I'm not that patient of a man, so at least give me this — one minute, sixty seconds — give me that, and I'll make love to you. I'll make it so good you never forget."
"Even in my death."
"In life or death." I shook my head and licked my lips as I took a cautious step toward her. "You'll never forget this — or forget us. I swear it."
She nodded, her eyes pooling with tears again.
I reached out and touched her arm, my hand slowly caressing up toward her shoulder. I could never understand how her skin could be so soft. "Every touch feels like the first."
Her eyes closed. "It does… it really does."
"I think… I'll remember this moment…" I sighed. "…forever."
Andi pulled back, then twirled once, twice, and winked. "Since it's forever, I figured I better make it good."
"It's a two-twirl moment," I agreed.
She giggled. "I thought so."
"Come here." I held out my hands.
Tentatively, she walked toward me, naked, her perky breasts like a siren call, her curvy body my ultimate demise.
"This," I said once she reached me and I was able to press a kiss against her hot lips, "this is what people wait for."
"It's fair." Her forehead touched mine.
"What?"
She shrugged and then wrapped her tiny arms around my neck. "I've been saying it over and over again. How is it fair that I only get you for a few short weeks, a month, maybe two?" She sighed against my mouth. "But in this moment, right now, I can honestly say it's fair."
"Yeah?" I croaked. "Why's that?"
"Because we get to live… we get to love… together. We get this." She pressed her palm against my chest. "Regardless of the journey, of how hard it was, of how hard it is or how short we— The time — we still had it — and that, my friend, is a beautiful ending."
"I've always loved the end." I fought to keep my tears back. For her, I smiled when I wanted to cry.
"They're my favorite too," Andi agreed, her lips teasing mine. "Because you know, after everything, they'll be okay."
I nodded. "They'll be okay."
"You will be." Andi cupped my face. "You know that, right?"
"No," I blurted. "But for you… I'll try."
She crushed her mouth against mine, and I savored it. I lived for that feeling right there where everything was right in the world, where sex was making love, and making love to my wife, Andi, was my destiny, my purpose — the reason I'd been spared.
The reason I hadn't been killed up until this point…
Was in order to love her.
Amazing, I'd always wanted a higher purpose. I'd had no idea it would be my wife.
Yet it was.
"I love you…" I choked. "…so damn much."
She wrapped her legs around me as I walked us back toward the bed. The back of my knees touched the mattress. She jumped down and crawled on top of me as I scooted up on my elbows.
"Show me…" She winked. "…just how much."
"Pretty sure I just did." I pointed around the room.