Page 68 of Seventeen Years Ago

He smiled down at me. “No Aiza. We haven’t even begun.”

Slowly he began to move inside of me. Each time felt better than the last. Soon I was rocking my hips encouraging him to enter me faster. My body no longer felt pain, but only pleasure. He plunged into me deeply and this time my cries were begging him for more.

“Yes, Steven. Please, I...yes...” I didn’t know what I needed, but he did.

He increased the rhythm and soon my body was on the brink of another wave, even stronger than before.

I couldn’t catch my breath. I grabbed his shoulder pulling him closer to me. There was no holding back.

“Let go, my love,” he growled in a deep voice riddled with his own need.

The waves crashed over me, and my cries of pleasure were met with ones from Steven. One last thrust and he collapsed on top of me. We were both panting.

Rolling over he took me with him and now I rested on top of him. He held me close, kissed me gently, and asked, “Did I hurt you?”

“No. You kept your promise as always,” I said, resting my head on his chest.

“Then let me promise you something else.”

“What is that?” I asked.

“That it will be even better the next time,” he said.

I kissed his chest and said, “I like your promises.”

He rubbed my back and said, “And I intend to keep them.”

As I closed my eyes, I thought of how my day was nothing like I had planned, but it was everything I could’ve hoped for and more. The universe was shining down on us today and I was sure it would continue throughout our lifetime.

Thank you for bringing him back to Tabiq. Back to me.

EPILOGUE

Steven

We sat outside our newly remodeled cottage watching the sun set. “I’m surprised your grandmother isn’t out here with us tonight,” I said.

“She said we need some alone time. I explained that I’m eight months pregnant. I feel like a whale. That there wasn’t anything she was going to interrupt,” she laughed.

“I wouldn’t go that far. There are things I can still do that you will enjoy,” I said, picking her up and putting her on my lap.

Aiza gave me a playful slap and the hand. “Don’t you dare start that. You know she is probably watching us from the window.”

“I know. I just like to shock her occasionally,” I said.

Aiza chuckled. “Not as much as she likes to shock you.” She wrapped her arms around my neck and said, “Have I told you lately how much I love you?”

“Not sure. Maybe you should tell me again,” I teased.

“I love you more than the stars in the sky,” she said.

I looked up and it was a clear night, not a cloud in sight. “That’s a lot of love, my dear.”

“And it grows each day,” she replied.

“How did I get so lucky as to have a beautiful angel like you love me?” I asked.

“The universe had it planned all along. We just had the date wrong the first time. But it never gave up on us,” she said.

---