Page 133 of Last Fall

“Erik! Yousillyman.”

“Would you prefer the kitchen? There are countertops!” I walked her into the room I couldn’t wait to make shirtless breakfast in for all her friends. There was enough space that they could come visit and write with Zoeanytime.

I hoped she’d have them over when I was on long road trips. I also hoped she’d be with me on someofthem.

Turned out the counters were a bit too high for what I had in mind so I set her down and took her into the room where I imagined we would set up a record player. Maybe a card table. I still wasn’t sure of the specifics, but I knew I needed a room fordancing.

I got out my phone and went to the playlist I’d made for tonight and set my phone up on the fireplace mantel. “Music and dancing were always part of our house growing up.” I spun her intomyarms.

The opening chords of “Despacito” filledtheair.

She smiled. “I remember some talk ofthis,yes.”

She’d been part of it a few times now, too. Dinner at my mother’s always involved music anddancing.

“Some of my favorite memories are of my parents dancing after we were supposed to be in bed.” I moved us around the room. “And one of my favorite memories of you involves dancing tothissong.”

I pulled her tight andstopped.

“It’s one of my favorite memories, too.” She looked up at me with those big green eyes and I almost forgot everything I plannedtodo.

“I was thinking we could put a really kickass stereo system over here and maybe one day our kids will sneak down and find us dancinginhere?”

She smiled with her whole face and sighed. “Perfect.”

“We took everything slowly, Zo. We needed to. I’m glad we did. But now that we’re together, I don’t want to do anything slow and I hope that doesn’t scare you.” Holding back, taking our time, it was all worth it. I had Zoe because of it. And maybe it was because of her that all my other dreams came true. I’d never know for sure, but it felt like it. I was a different person after we fell in love. I knew it affected the way I played the game and the championship ring on my hand proved it was a good kind ofeffect.

“It doesn’t scare me at all,” shewhispered.

Good.That meant I was doing my job. I took her face in my hands and kissed her, nibbled down her jaw to her ear where I whispered, “Be my wife.” The enormity of what I just asked hit me square in the chest and even though I was positive she would say yes, in that moment I was suddenly struck with the overwhelming fear she mightsayno.

I could not live withano.

So I squeezed my eyes shut and pressed our foreheads together. “I love you so much, Zo. I know it’s fast but I also know it’sright.”

She kissed me. “I would love to beyourwife.”

Oh, thank god.I turned that kiss dirty real fast. Kissed her as deep as I could before remembering I had a ring in my pocket. I did what so many men had done before me and dropped down on one knee, looking up at the only woman who made me believe I could doanything.

“Zoe Burke, I request the honor of loving you for the rest of my life. Will youmarryme?”

She smiled and sighed all over again. “Yes. I willmarryyou.”

An overwhelming feeling of peace settled over me as we shared this moment. I slid the ring onto her finger, then kissed the back ofherhand.

I flipped it over and kissed her palm. I worked my way up her arm until I couldn’t reach any higher and moved to her body, kissing my way back down, worshipping the woman I loved. There was really only one way to properly celebrate anengagement.

“May I also have the pleasure of defiling our new house with yourightnow?”

“I thought you’d never ask,” she whispered, bowling me over and straddling me. “You touch me and kiss me like that and all I can do is think about getting you inside me.” She unbuttoned my jeans and lifted my shirt, running her hands all overmyskin.

My dick sprang to life at record speed, heat-seeking missile mode engaged. I reached under her skirt and felt for her underwear.Nice. They were the tiny ones. I ran my fingers along the edges, searching and finding all those warm places that made her throw her head backandmoan.

Thunder rattled the house and lightning lit up the house as a late evening thunderstorm rolled in from the bay. The patter of rain filled the air suddenly as it broke free of theclouds.

As I arched up into Zoe, saw that look of abandonment only I could give her, I smiled because she was just like this thunderstorm. Crashing and striking until all the right things came together in a beautiful burst of rain. All that rain had to fall; she had to let it go if she wanted something new. The brightest, greenest, most beautiful things grew out of a good storm, and my god was she a beautifulwoman.

So even though I wished day in and day out that I could erase her pain, I was also grateful that I was able to love this woman and give her so much more. This new life of ours, this new house, we were going to make a beautiful lifetogether.

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