Page 47 of If You Could Only Imagine
“No apology necessary,” he mumbled.
“I love you in a way that I’m going to end up driving you crazy one day, I’m sure. But our one day is starting right now, Denise.” He leaned down and placed a chaste kiss on my forehead. “I love you,” he repeated. “I love you and I am not going to date you and give you a chance to realize that you can do better than me. I’m locking you down with a ring, my last name, my family, and hopefully soon, twenty babies.” I let out a tearful laugh. “Say yes, baby.”
It was crazy.
This was absolute madness.
I’ve only known this man for a few weeks, a couple of them which were disastrous. No one gets married after…
And then I looked over at my parents. I looked at my parents and then looked over at Shane and Mason Buchanan, and I realized maybe my biggest mistake here was giving love a timeline. Love didn’t have a timeline.
Love had no rules or guidelines.
Love didn’t have any limits or any minimal requirements.
Love was just love.
I looked up at Aiden and nodded my head. “I love you, too.”
The look on his face was pure relief before he grabbed my hand and turned us both to face the priest. “We’re ready, Father.”
And we were.
I was ready to marry Aiden Buchanan, but not before Shane squealed, “That’s another two bucks in my pocket!”
Epilogue
Denise ~ Two Years Later
I walked into my husband’s office and dropped on one of the chairs positioned across from his desk. “Maybe the twins can work from home,” I suggested.
Aiden put his pen down and smiled over at me. “You’ll hurt their feelings talking like that,” he teased.
“It’s only been a week since the announcement that they’ll be finally fulfilling their roles in their official capacity, and I swear to God, Aiden, the single-and not so single-women in this building are losing their ever lovin’ minds about the boys being here.” I knew Gabriel and Michael were grown men, but to me, they were still my boys.
Aiden’s grin was full of laughter. “They would still have to make the occasional appearance in the office, Dibtab.”
Ugh. That damn name.
No matter how many times I tell Aiden, Gabriel and Michael to call me Denise, they just are adamant in their refusals, insisting that Dibtab is a wonderful name.
I closed my eyes and began to rub my temples. “I just keep imagining women throwing their bras and panties at the boys whenever they’re walking down the hallways.” I wasn’t joking, either. Every break room or restroom or copy machine room was filled with giddy whispers of how Gabriel and Michael were going to start BI soon and questions about their single status. I knew Gabriel had a girlfriend he visited often, but poor Michael was single as a one-dollar bill.
I was so engrossed in the possible future attacks on my brothers-in-law that I hadn’t noticed that Aiden had gotten up and walked over until I felt his hands on my shoulders. He started massaging my concerns away, and it felt so damn good. “Mmmmm…”
He leaned down and I could feel his breath on the shell of my ear. “I love that I’m the only one who can make you make that sound,” he said before dragging his tongue across the tip of my ear.
I let out a deep sigh. Two years later, the man still knew how to make my body sing. “The nachos from Senora’s, down the street, make me make that sound, too, just so you know,” I joked.
Aiden chuckled, and I felt in love with the sound all over again. In the two years that I’ve been married to this man, he hasn’t changed one bit. He was still arrogant and…overwhelming. When the man was in, he was in all the way. “Did you lock the door?”
Now it was my turn to chuckle. “No, Aiden, I didn’t,” I laughed. “I came in here to tell you that I have real concerns for the safety of your brothers, not to get hit on.”
His hands ran up my neck, and he started kneading the shit out of my knots. It felt wonderful. “Just for the record, I’m always hitting on you, Dibtab,” he remarked. “It might seem like I’m having a mature, intelligent conversation with you, but secretly, I’m undressing you with my eyes.”
“It’s really a wonder that between Shane and Mason, and now, you and me, BI hasn’t been sued due to creating a hostile sexually inappropriate work environment,” I muttered, half-ass serious.
“I’ll give you sexually inappropriate, but there’s nothing hostile about it,” he quipped. “As a matter of fact, I think our inability to stay away from you and Shane provides a sweet and loving work environment.”
