Page 84 of The Fallen
“I’m tired of big brotherly endeavours. She has a husband now. Her choice, I might add.”
“Okay, well, yes, but still, just for this day, be there for her.”
“I have been. Since God knows when this morning and the last eight weeks of planning. This argument is flawed. And my cock is getting angry.”
A low chuckle comes out of her, and she walks us back to the door so she can get up close to my lips and put her arms around my neck. “We have a lifetime for this. Every day if you like, in whichever place, position, or slutty costume you’d like me to wear, but this now is for her.” Her lips come to mine, a soft kiss pressed against me until she pulls back and stares. “Be the man I know you are for her today.”
“Mmm. You’re really quite good at that.”
“What?”
“Coercion.”
The smile widens on her face, showing me all the things about her I’ve fallen in love with. Exquisite beauty, cunning, influential manipulation of my senses around her. My hand goes to her cheek, palm travelling lines I’ve learned so much about. I can’t imagine not touching them again, nor can I see a future where anything will better her in my eyes.
“Do we have one more minute in the schedule?”
She rolls her eyes. “Even I can’t manage a blowjob in one minute.”
My brow cocks. “You could try, but that wasn’t what I meant.”
“Okay. What then?” My hand goes to my pocket, then lifts the small blue box up in front of her face. “Landon, this really isn’t the time for more gifts. These emeralds in my ears are already enough and-”
“But I was hoping you might get excited this time.” Everything about her stops moving, bringing a stillness to the moment that even I didn’t realise would come. “Back up a bit.”
She looks between me and the box. “What?”
“I can’t get to the floor with you this close.”
Her hands fly to her cheeks, feet skittering backwards, as I drop to one knee. “Oh, God! We’re in a cupboard!”
“Wrong time?” I say, half getting up.
“No. Don’t you dare stop now! Stay there!”
Smiling at that response, I watch as she fidgets and looks at my hands. They flip the box open, inexplicably calm at the thought of doing this whenever the moment came upon me. No fanfare. No offer of grandeur other than what I am for her and her alone. We’re just two people in this space. Two people who will be very much in love for the rest of our lives if I have any say in the matter. A lifetime, she said. That’s what I’m offering now.
“Willow Etherington, will you marry me? I love you, utterly and without reservation, and I would very much like you to be my wife.”
Her head nods, eyes filling with tears. No words, though.
I need them.
“Speak, woman.”
“Yes! Yes, of course, I’ll marry you!” I get up, happy with the confirmation. “Oh, my God. Married? I can’t believe you’ve asked me in here and-” My mouth smothers hers before she gets any more excitement out. She can have that later, but for this moment, I want it between our lips and within our hearts and minds so we can think about it privately.
Sadly, time is not on our side here, as she said, so I pull back eventually and take the ring out of the box, now ready for her to wear it, show it off, and let the world know that this is what we mean to each other.
“That’s a big bloody diamond,” she says quietly.
“It is rather, isn't it? But you managed to find a heart in my chest. I thought it deserved some show of power and merit. Well done you, frankly.” She giggles as I take her hand and slip it on her finger, then stare at it as if we have all the time in the world. We do. We have forever. But not quite yet. “Are you ready?”
Her head rears up. “What for?”
“Eight minutes.”
“What?”
