Page 58 of Ember's Heart
He chuckled, a low, rumbling sound in his chest. “Never, Firefly.” He picked up the pace, his thrusts becoming more powerful, more urgent. My body responded by meeting his every movement, as we moved in sync, our moans filled the quiet room.
“I love you, Ember,” he gasped, his voice raw, as the first tremors of release began to ripple through me.
“I love you too, Colton,” I cried out, my body arching, consumed by the overwhelming wave of pleasure.
He sped up, his body tensing, his own climax building rapidly. “Ember,” he moaned deeply into my neck. “I’m going to come, Firefly. I need you to get there.”
He reached between us, his fingers finding my slick, swollen clit. He pinched it, and began to rub fast circles to get me there quicker.
“Almost there, Colton,” I gasped, my voice strained with pleasure. “Don’t stop. Please, don’t stop!”
My pleas had him speeding up his thrusts, driving into me with an urgency that had me feeling tingles along my spine. I dug my nails into his back, my legs clamped tighter around his waist. The world narrowed as I cried out, my body trembling, the intoxicating scent of our mingled arousal.
As I felt my orgasm crash over me, I clamped down around Colton’s cock, and with that, he was coming with me. He let out a guttural roar of pure ecstasy. “Yes! Ember, yes!” He moaned, as hot ropes of cum painted my inner walls.
We collapsed against each other, spent and breathless, our bodies still joined. We laid there in each other’s arms, the soft glow of the lamp casting shadows across the room. I don’t know how long we laid there, just breathing, our hearts slowly returning to a normal rhythm. When I felt myself starting to nod off, Colton gently pulled the comforter up over us, kissing my forehead softly.
Chapter 42
Colton
We had dozed off, wrapped in each other’s arms, as snow fell outside.
Laying here watching Ember sleep, I hated having to wake her, she looked so peaceful, but there was still one more part of my plan. As I gently nudged her, her eyes fluttered open, a slow smile spread across her face as her gaze caught the ring on her finger.
“Come on, Firefly,” I murmured, pressing a kiss to her lips. “Let’s get going. I still have one more surprise.”
She stretched, a soft groan escaping her lips, but her eyes were bright with curiosity. “Another one?”
“You deserve it,” I countered, helping her sit up.
Once we were both dressed, I took her hand leading her out of my room. “We’ll take my truck,” I told her. “I’ll make sure you get your car tomorrow.” She nodded, squeezing my hand, her eyes still shining with emotion.
The drive to her family’s house felt both impossibly long and incredibly short. My heart pounded with a new kind of anticipation now. Pulling into her driveway, I saw the glow of lights spilling from every window.
Ember turned to me, her brow furrowed in confusion. “What’s going on, Colton? Who’s all here?”
I grinned, my pulse quickening. “I don’t know. Why don’t we go find out.”
We walked hand-in-hand up the snow-dusted porch steps, and I didn’t even bother knocking. I just pushed the door open, pulling Ember in front of me, herhand still clutched in mine. The living room was packed. Richard and Laura, my own parents, Marge and her husband Larry, Agnes, Avery, her daughter Lila, and Lori—basically everyone who had a helping hand in making today happen. All eyes swung towards us the moment we stepped inside.
“She said yes!” I boomed, unable to contain the sheer elation bubbling in my chest.
There was an eruption of cheers and applause. Our moms were the first to move, rushing towards us, their faces wreathed in tears and smiles. Laura enveloped Ember in a hug, while my mom hugged me. “I’m so proud of you, Colton,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
“My girl,” Laura choked out, pulling back to cup Ember’s face, her eyes brimming. “Oh, my sweet girl.”
Then our moms were switching, and Laura was next, pulling me into a hug that squeezed the breath from my lungs. “I’m so happy for you two.”
After our moms, our dads came over to hug Ember and me. Richard clapped me on the back, a proud smile on his face. “Welcome to the family, son. Officially.” Then Garrett and Owen descended next, their eyes surprisingly damp. Garrett gave Ember a tender hug, then turned to me. He clapped my back, harder than necessary, but there was genuine warmth in his eyes. “Congratulations, you guys.” Owen just enveloped me in a bear hug, laughing. “Happy for you two.”
Then came the excited congratulations of everyone else—Marge and Larry, Agnes giving Ember a surprisingly tight squeeze, lastly Lori and of course Avery, who descended on us with a squealof delight.
“Let me see the ring!” Avery practically shrieked, grabbing Ember’s hand. She held it up to the light, her eyes wide. “Oh my god, Ember! Colton, it’s stunning! So perfect!”
Laura leaned closer, taking Ember’s hand herself. She studied the ring, then looked up at me, a pleased smile gracing her lips. “Colton, I’m very impressed. You did good.”
A wave of relief washed over me. I’d spent weeks agonizing over this ring. It wasn’t a diamond, not in the traditional sense. I’d worked with a local jeweler to design something truly unique, something that perfectly captured Ember. It was a delicate, antique white gold band, handcrafted to resemble intertwining branches, with tiny gold leaves scattered along its length. Nestled in the center wasn’t a single large stone, but a cluster of small, brilliant yellow-green sapphires, each one cut with such precision that they shimmered and sparkled, almost like tiny, captured fireflies. I wanted something that represented her nickname. And inside the band, I’d had a simple inscription engraved:My Firefly, My Home.
