Page 107 of The Artist
“Yes.”
With a roar of relief, he squeezed me so tight that I had to cry out that he was crushing me.
“I’m sorry.” Mason was out of breath despite the fact that we were lying down. Rolling to his back, he pushed both hands through his hair. “I’m so relieved right now that I’m shaking. Look.” Holding up his right hand he showed me.
“Is it a good thing?” I asked and felt my heart race as if the teen version of me with the biggest crush on Mason was sprinting around in victory circles.
“I’ve waited a long time to start my family. If you knew how much I argued with my parents when they pushed me. We even fought the morning of the arrival dinner. I’ve been frustrated that I couldn’t fall in love. I should have known it was because you were already in my heart.”
With a broad smile, I planted kisses on his shoulder. “I love hearing you say that you’re in love with me.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t kiss me, Belle. I don’t want to wreak more havoc on your body and you’re making me hard.”
We laughed together.
“Come on. You’re coming to the shower with me.” Picking me up in his arms, Mason walked us to the bathroom where the mirrors showed our naked bodies.
“I would tell you that I have feet, but this is so nice.” I rested my head against his shoulder. “For years I’ve been carrying babies around. I love that I get to be the small one for a change.”
Mason kissed my forehead and set me down in the large shower stall. “Soon you’ll be carrying a baby in your arms again, but this time it’ll be ours.”
“What should we call our child?” I asked and watched him turn on the water.
“If it’s a boy I’d like to name him Victor.”
“You’re joking.”
Mason laughed and pulled me into his arms again. “We have time, my love. We’ll figure it out together. All that matters to me is that you’ve agreed to become my wife. I have tons of name suggestions for our children.”
“Children?”
He leaned his head back and let the water pour over him before stepping back to give me space. “I’m thinking three children is a good number.”
Hearing him say that broadened my grin. It was a reminder that Mason wasn’t planning on swapping me out after our first child. He wanted us to have more together.
“When are we getting married then?”
Mason turned quiet and began washing my body with gentle movements. After a long moment, he said. “I never imagined marrying without Aubri and Indiana present.”
“We could wait.”
“Not for a full year.”
“But they’ll be back this summer.”
Lifting my arm, Mason turned me around. “Yeah, so maybe we could have a small ceremony now and push along the celebration until they’re back.”
“That’s fine with me.”
Stroking his hand over my stomach, he reminded me, “You’ll have a large belly then.”
“Is there a rule against that?”
“It’s not how we usually do things here, but then our wedding will be a first in many ways.” Mason leaned down and kissed me with soft lips. “You don’t know how bad I want to pick you up and fuck you against the wall.”
All our talk about a shared future had energized me and rising up on my tiptoes, I linked my hands around his neck and smiled. “Why don’t you then?”
Everything on his body was hard from his biceps to his abs and erection.
