“Deal,” I quickly agree.
He smiles, his lips still a breath away from mine. “I thought you were a lawyer. You’re a terrible negotiator. Never take the first offer, it’s always the lowball one.”
“You distracted me. Knocked me off my game. Let’s try again.”
“What else do you want?”
“I want…to always get my way. On top of the multiple orgasms every night.”
“Deal, as long as I get to keep you forever.”
Before I can reply, his lips are on mine and I completely lose my ability to think of anything else. Yes, you can definitely keep me forever.
“I’m starving. Let me refuel my engines then I’ll gladly keep up my end of the deal.”
Ace takes a quick shower while I finish making the dessert. When he rejoins me at the table, I show him all my ideas for River’s room over our dinner. He loves my ideas for building a bunk bed fort in her bedroom. It has stairs that lead to a bed on top and a secret playroom underneath. I laugh until I cry at his plans for making our own secret playroom in our bedroom and how we’ll explain it to others. Our conversations come so easy, so natural. In him, I have a best friend and the best lover in the world all wrapped up in one.
After we finish eating, he leads me to the bedroom and makes good on his earlier promise. His lips on my skin, the warmth of his tongue, and the feel of his muscular body as he slides into mine make up my heaven on earth. Repeatedly, we climb to heights only he can take me to before only temporarily allowing me to come back down again. I don’t know how much more my body can take, but dying while feeling this good can’t be all bad.
Afterward, we’re lying in bed, facing each other, and he’s lovingly caressing me with his fingertips. “Marry me.”
I’m not convinced that I’m not hearing things. “What?” I ask softly. “What did you say?”
“I know it’s not the conventional way to propose. But we haven’t exactly had a conventional relationship either. The day you walked into my life, I knew there was something special about you. Every day that we’ve spent together, I’ve fallen more in love with you. Every minute that we’re apart, you’re on my mind. We’re raising River together and we’re about to adopt a newborn. Marry me.”
His eyes move back and forth while he gauges my reaction. There’s no fear or questions in his, only confidence and patience.
“I’d love to marry you.”
“Tomorrow?”
“I may need a little more notice than tomorrow. Besides, doesn’t it take a few days to get a marriage license?”
“Not in Georgia. And I’m not waiting past the weekend.” His smile is playful but his tone is resolute.
“Do you really want to get married that soon? Or are you messing with me?”
“I would get up early and marry you tomorrow morning. It’s not like we have a lot of family who would be upset if they weren’t invited,” he reasons.
“Your sister and your daughter may have something to say about that,” I remind him.
“They’d just be happy it actually happened.” His kiss distracts me, as it’s meant to. “So what do you say?”
I release a long, happy, satisfied sigh. “Yes.”
“Yeah?” He sounds so excited.
“Yes, I’d love to marry you early tomorrow morning.”
“We’ll get the marriage license as soon as the courthouse opens. Then we’ll go to the Oak Grove wedding chapel where I’ll make you mine forever.”
“Did you forget something?”
His brows scrunch together and he looks charmingly confused. “Nope. That’s the entire plan.”
“You’ll be mine forever, too.”
“Baby, I’m yours forever whether you marry me or not.”
“You’re so good to me.”
“You’re my barn owl.”
He says it so seriously that I can’t help but laugh out loud at the visual. “I’m your what?”
His smile spreads across his handsome face, lighting his eyes with mischief and an obvious glint that says he knows something I don’t. “I said, you are my barn owl. They pick one partner and are completely monogamous until they die. You’re mine.”
“I never knew owls were so romantic. I’m thrilled to be your barn owl. You are definitely mine, too.”
Waking to soft kisses down my spine has to be one of the best feelings in the world. “Mmm…I love that.”
“Time to wake up, my love. I have big plans for you today,” Ace murmurs from behind me.
“Isn’t it supposed to be bad luck for us to see each other before the wedding?”
“It’d be bad luck if I had to wake up without you. Other than that, I’m not superstitious.”
“I think you just make up your own rules as you go along.”
“My secret is out,” he chuckles. “Now get your fine ass up and get ready. You’re changing your last name today.”