Page 184 of Alive At Night

“No.” I shook my head, and Julian’s eyes grew wide. “No, that’s not the proof,” I amended with a ridiculous, giddy laugh. “The proof isn’t the ring. It’s you, Julian. It’s you and everything you’ve done for me. It’s you and everything you are to me. I love you. And I very, very much want to add Mrs. Briggs to the list.”

Julian tugged on my hand at that, and I came crashing down into his arms. Laughter continued to spill out of me, the happiest of sounds. Julian’s lips found mine, and then he breathed against them.

“Say the word.” His forehead tipped into mine, pressing us together. “Please.”

“Yes.” I brushed the word he wanted to hear over his lips. “Yes, yes, yes, yes, ye—”

Julian caught the last yes with his mouth, absorbing it with a soul-searching kiss. The way he kissed consumed me, and I almost cried out in protest when his lips eventually left mine. But then I realized it was only because he wanted to slip my new ring onto my finger. It distracted me, dazzling there, and when I looked up again, I realized Julian had left my side and was weaving through the forest of flowers. He stopped before the fireplace, slipping off his suit jacket and beginning to roll up his sleeves.

I stared, unashamed of how ridiculously attracted I was to him. I always had been, and now he was mine. Really, really mine.

This man. He loved so fiercely. I’d always known that, but to now be the center of that love was unbelievable. I admired him endlessly for the person he was, for the selflessness in his heart, and for how much he cared for others. I couldn’t wait to return that care for the rest of our lives. He deserved more than anyone to be taken care of in just the way that he took care of everyone else.

Once his forearms were bare, Julian went to work making a fire. And unsurprisingly, it didn’t take him long. Although, I wouldn’t have even minded waiting. Despite being eager to have his lips and body back on mine, the moment couldn’t have been more perfect. I liked watching him work. Even though he sat behind a desk most days, he was still someone who worked well with his hands. And who looked good while doing it.

“Come here.”

Julian’s soft voice called to me, and I crossed the room to crash back into his arms. Julian caught me, and then we crumpled back to the floor—as though the weight of our desire was simply too much to stay standing. Soft, plush carpeting cushioned my body as Julian’s deliciously hard figure covered me from above. His lips found mine again, and then I was lost.

I wasn’t sure if I had ever felt the frantic need that I did right now. It could have been the long ride here or the proposal or just the fact that my fiancé was fucking hot as he shed his clothes and then mine, but I was dying. And Julian was loving it. My hips rocked up, begging for him.

“God, you’re beautiful,” he breathed as he positioned himself over me again. His words were soft, but his touch was demanding as he encouraged my legs to wrap around his waist before driving into me with a single thrust.

“Yes.”

Nothing had ever felt better than this. Nothing had ever been better than Julian and me together.

“Say it again,” Julian demanded, his voice strained as he pulled out and rocked into me again.

“Yes,” I groaned, tightening my legs around him. Closer. I needed us even closer.

Julian reached for my hand—the one with the ring—and threaded our fingers together. His thumb brushed over the delicate jewelry before he anchored our hands above my head and continued fucking me with rough thrusts.

I gasped, unsure if I could manage much longer. He was destroying me—every movement was unraveling me from the inside out.

“Oh my God,Julian.” I tipped my hips, meeting him thrust for thrust. “I—I can’t.”

“Take it, Juniper,” he demanded, his voice low and gravelly in my ear. “Be my good, gorgeous girl and take it.”

My release didn’t just wash over me at his words; it broke like a dam, flooding every sense and nerve ending. I held on tight to Julian while it overpowered me, and he didn’t dare let go. Crying my name, he followed me, and pleasure dragged both of us under until we were a sweaty mess on the floor.

We didn’t talk.

The fire crackled, and our heavy breaths mingled, but we didn’t talk. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to talk, honestly.

Julian eventually shifted so he wasn’t crushing me. Although, the weight felt soothing in a way. He gently stripped the rest of my clothes from my body, and then I did the same to him. Somewhere amidst the forest of flowers, he found a pile of blankets and used them to create a soft cocoon in front of the fire, where we curled up together.

“This is better,” I said definitively once I was nestled into Julian’s arms.

“Hm?” He shifted closer before brushing his lips over my temple.

“This is better,” I repeated. “I know I said I couldn’t pick between you and my books, but that was a lie. This is better.Youare better.”

Julian chuckled. “I knew I could get you to admit it if I just gave you a side-by-side opportunity to compare.”

“I’m so happy,” I mumbled, feeling my eyelids droop.

Julian was right: this was the best day ever.

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