Page 72 of Not In Love

Her surrender. Her claiming of him. Whatever she wanted to call it.

And then, he would put the world and all its happiness at her feet. He would be at her feet, ready to worship her, ready to love her for the rest of their lives.

She pulled back and looked at him. Fresh tears streaked down her cheeks. "I'm in love with you,” she whispered with such awe that it felt like a sacred vow. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you but I will spend the rest of my life thanking my lucky stars that you are mine.”

Diego closed his eyes for a second, the words crashing into him like a goddamn tidal wave. The world tilted sideways under him, wrecked him and steadied him at the same time. Remade his entire universe in mere seconds.

His own tears trailed down his cheeks as he opened his eyes. Her half-smile, half-cry was a shimmering vision before she pressed her face into his neck, every inch of her trembling. “Please tell me you’re mine.”

He circled the nape of her neck, letting his fingers creep up into her hair and tugged hard until the brown gaze met his. “As much as the sun and stars shine in the sky, Preciosa.”

And then he kissed her. Tasted the salt of her tears, the sweetness of his name on her lips as she chanted it over and over, drove his tongue into her mouth and licked her up with a ravaging hunger. He pulled her into his lap and stroked over the strong shoulders, the slender back, the lush thrust of her hips. The rub and slide of her breasts against his arm drove him wild.

But it wasn’t just desire as much as it was a possessive, feverish yearning—and relief—that made a hungering beast out of him. “You’re mine, Kash. For an eternity and more,” he said, between biting kisses.

“Yours,” Kash whispered, trailing kisses up his jaw, over his temple, the tip of his nose. “No one has ever wanted me or loved me or claimed me for their own as you do, darling.” With each word, she peppered more kisses over his face. “No one has ever made me feel so right in my own skin. I love you so much that it terrifies me. What if?—”

“No what ifs, no maybes, no clauses, Doc. We belong to each other,” Diego said, swallowing her fears and taking her mouth for a ride again.

On and on their kiss went, already different from other kisses. A thousand promises and pleas swirling in it, morphing into a prayer that their hearts sang.

Someone cleared a throat.

“Should have known these two will steal my spotlight,” Muriel said in an exaggeratedly loud tone. “Didn’t I tell you, Kaif?”

It was Kaif’s uncharacteristically loud laughter that broke the addicting spell of their frantic kiss. “You also said you were going to get a lot of good karma from throwing them together for the wedding events, Muri.”

“True dat,” Muriel said, words overflowing with pride. “Yo, lovebirds! You want to cut it out now? We have to bring D to the ER and luckily for you two, the two Mamas aren’t here to make a big deal out of this.” She sighed, then went on. “I’m guessing you don’t want to tell them today, the day before my wedding? Because let’s face it, both my aunt and your mom will make it all about them.”

Kash laughed, pulled back and looked over her shoulder at his cousin. “How are you already the best sister I could ever ask for?”

Affection danced in Kaif’s eyes as he encircled his almost-bride from behind and kissed her temple.

“Okay, people,” Muriel said, clapping so hard that Kash hid her face in Diego’s neck again. Not that she needed an excuse anymore to do so. This man, and his generous heart, were all hers now. “Nobody say anything to my aunt or Kaif’s mom about the heartfelt declarations or the blatant horniness we all just witnessed from my cousin and my almost sis-in-law, you hear? Or you will feel my wrath.”

Appropriate shudders and happy affirmatives broke out among the crowd before they dispersed.

Kash pulled back and studied his face. “You must be in hell with your ankle swelling to that size,” she said, regret lacing her words. “I’m sorry I made it worse.”

“You make it more than bearable, Preciosa.” Then he tucked a stray curl behind her ear, his heart overflowing with things he wanted to say, his mind churning with plans he wanted to make. With her. For their future.

But before he could decide what to start with, Kash leaned in again, her mouth brushing the shell of his ear, her words a breathy promise. "If you don’t get better soon," she whispered, "and fuck me until your cum is dripping down my thighs at all hours, I won’t marry you."

A broken sound escaped Diego, his body tensing against hers. He should have known that his beautiful, strong, girl would beat him to the punch.

For years, he’d had a taste of her devotion to his daughter, to her family. And now, he couldn’t wait to be on the receiving end of this woman’s faith and love and care.

Sliding his hands into her hair, he cradled her closer, needing to feel every lush inch of her. "You want to get hitched, Doc?" he rasped against the corner of her mouth, still barely able to believe it. “Become my wife and get knocked up and raise my babies?”

“I already raise your baby,” she said, nipping at his lower lip. “I might as well get some good old wifely fucking out of it, yeah? Or maybe I want to marry you purely for the orgasms you dole out?”

He chuckled and yet somehow, she saw the last flicker of doubt in his eyes.

Shaking her head, she pressed her forehead to his. "Yes, Diego," she said. "I want to marry you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to be your lover, your partner, your wife—everything I can be to you.” Her voice wobbled, somehow fierce and soft at once. "I want more babies with you. Only if you want them too.” She tapped the edge of his mouth, her fingertips lingering. “But if you want to pour your heart and soul into the soccer academy and only be a carefree couple whose kid will be a teen in a few years, that works for me too.” Her eyes searched his. “I want whatever this wild, crazy ride turns into. As long as you’re with me every step of the way.”

“I’m with you, Doc,” he said, tenderness for this glorious woman filling his very marrow. “And yes, I want to build a family with you. I want to do late night feedings and elementary school field trips and be those parents who show up to everything and embarrass their kids. But from the beginning and together. If we can build a girls soccer team, that would be nice.”

Kash laughed in half humor, half horror. "Then, my love, since I’m already forty-one," she added, mischievous and shaky and radiant, "we should probably get started ASAP. Which brings us full circle back to you fucking me bare."

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