CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Murphy and Heidi were over earlier helping us paint the kitchen. Alexa kindly left us one of her tiny hand prints on the wall and we decided to leave it.
After they went home, Marcel and Carter went outside to work on a secret project.
I’m in the living room reading when my brother’s car starts up and drives away.
Marcel sneaks up behind me, and kisses my cheek.
“Where’s he going?” I ask.
“Out.” He holds out his hand. “Come here, I want to show you something.”
I set my book down. “Is it your dick? Because there are a few rooms in this house we haven’t christened yet.”
He bursts out laughing. “No. Get over here.”
I take his hand and he leads me into the backyard. There’s a grove of large trees. The woods thicken as the yard stretches up the mountain, but in this spot, it’s flat and the trees provide a lot of shade.
The closer we get, I notice a hammock strung between two of the trees. A much bigger, nicer one than the one in my apartment.
Little white lights wrapped around the tree trunks sparkle, illuminating the area around the hammock.
“It’s like a fairy wonderland.” I glance at Marcel. “Is this what you two were working on?”
“Yes.”
Marcel even has a small table set up next to the hammock. A thick black notebook rests on top.
“Remember when you told me you liked to sit in your hammock and picture your ideal life?”
“Yes.” Heat creeps over my cheeks. We had our first fight that night too.
He points to the ground and grass under our feet. “Green grass.” He points skyward. “Blue sky.” He winks at me. “Well in the daytime.”
“The night sky’s even prettier,” I whisper. My pulse races. “Marcel?”
He picks up the notebook and hands it to me. “Here’s my ideal life.”
I open to the first page.
Marry Me.
Not a question. A statement.
I fight the smile forming on my lips. “Are you trying to ask me something?”
He drops down on one knee and sighs. “I knew you’d be difficult.”
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small box.
“Oh, shit,” I gasp. “You’re serious.”
“Yeah, Sunshine. I’m serious.”
He opens the box and pulls out a ring.
“Marry me, Charlotte.”
“That’s still not a question.”
“No, it’s not.”
I give him my hand, and he slips the ring on my finger. I can’t stand teasing him any longer and throw myself at him. Down we tumble to the wet grass, rolling over until I’m on top of him, staring into his eyes.
“Yes, I’ll marry you.” I lean down and press a kiss to his lips. As if I tripped a switch, his breath hitches and he cups the back of my head, holding me in place for deeper kisses. Underneath me, he hardens and I rub against his erection.
His hands move from my head to my pants. “Get these off.” His hoarse voice leaves no room for discussion.
I wriggle out of them while he frees himself. Before he even has a chance to ask or order, I throw my leg over him. One of his hands grips my shoulder, applying light pressure, while he uses the other to guide me to his cock. We both groan as I take him all the way inside me.
He holds my hip, digging his fingers in, and I move it to my breast. His other hand rests on my shoulder, and I guide him to my neck. He strokes his thumb over my pulse. A light brush. “There.”
I move faster and faster, my cries growing louder, but all I hear is the movement of our bodies and the blood rushing through my veins. Blinding pleasure gathers at my core, seizing me in place. I grind down harder, chasing the sensation for as long as I can. At the perfect moment, Marcel applies just the right pressure against my neck and I’m flying.
For a few seconds, there’s nothing but the bliss of our bodies joined together. And our love binding our souls together.
He groans and arches up into me once, twice before stilling.
I blink down at him and smile.
After we catch our breath, we collect our clothes. He holds me in his arms and we tumble into the hammock, swinging side to side in silence.
“We should do this every night,” I whisper.
A happy rumble rolls through his chest and his arms tighten around me. “Works for me.”
“This is so beautiful. Can we leave the lights up?”
“Whatever you want, Sunshine.” He glances down at me and strokes his hand over my cheek. “You light up my whole world, Charlotte. You’re the something I was missing and didn’t think I’d ever find. Anything that makes you happy, I want you to have.”
Tears wet my lashes. Our lips meet. A soft brush of a kiss. “You make me happy Marcel,” I whisper. “You helped me recover a piece of my soul I thought had been lost and damaged forever. I want to be your wife and your partner.”
He wraps me up in an embrace, squeezing to the edge of breathlessness. “I’m all yours.”