“Gabe,” she huffed. I could tell she wasn’t happy about me waking her up, but I had something up my sleeve and couldn’t resist. I leaned over and kissed her bare shoulder. Warm and silky-smooth skin met my lips. It felt like coming home.

She was it for me. I completely understood how home wasn’t a place. Not anymore. But it was more than that. It was the person who met you at the door, in your bed, as it was tonight. No doubt about it, Daisy was my home.

“What are you doing?” she asked, and my dick strained toward her.

Jesus Christ, I wanted her.

I wanted her more than I had ever wanted anyone or anything. The need that had started to burn when I’d first laid eyes on her never dampened. Not after I’d had her time after time. Six months had rushed through in a blink of an eye, yet I couldn’t remember what life was like without her.

It didn’t mean shit was smooth sailing.

We both had jobs that kept us busy. Overwhelmingly so. But the saying ‘Where there is a will, there is a way’ never rang truer.

We made it work. It wasn’t easy.

Between her events and my work schedule, there were stretches of time when all we were able to do was meet up and have lunch. But we always talked and texted. Hell, I even found I had a knack for writing her letters. When I did, I’d leave them on the windshield of her car while she was working in her office.

We were very committed to making it work.

No matter what fight or discussion or how tired we were or how much we missed one another, we always ended our nights with at least a call good night. One month in at the beginning of February, we had taken our relationship to another level. A new one for both of us.

We met one another’s families.

It was no surprise my mom fell in love with her as quickly as I had. Nerves had faded away for both, and they had become friends. It was easy to say the women in my life, my mom, sister and Daisy, got along. And because of that they liked to push my buttons, but it was okay. I liked their teasing and razing.

Her parents, on the other hand, had been hesitant at first.

The age difference was something her dad struggled with, and as a man I understood. That was why I went to their place a couple of days later and had had a heart to heart with him. I figured it’s what my own dad would have wanted if it had been my sister and maybe, just maybe, helped set his mind at ease that I wasn’t the kind of man who couldn’t be trusted with his daughter. I wanted it clear he knew I would treat her like nothing less than the treasure we both knew she was.

That helped. As did time.

They saw I was being true to my word as we both made the effort to be present at her family’s events.

I wasn’t sure if her dad liked me. I could only hope. I honestly had no clue what was going to happen when I’d stopped by to talk to him on one of my days off last week. Despite not knowing what to expect, I still showed up. I knew I needed to go. Not only to be respectful to the man who had raised her but so what I had planned would start off on the right foot.

He had sat across his kitchen table as he listened to me talk. His hands on his large belly, and his face never giving a hint to what he was thinking. The man was like a stone, but I pushed through the slight wave of nerves I was man enough to admit I felt. When I was done, for a long moment, the man leaned back in the kitchen chair and looked at me without blinking. I simply sat there, not breaking eye contact. I watched the big man blink, and the first words out of his mouth took me by surprise.

“She has a strong personality, son. You sure about this? Marriage is forever, and I will tell you now, I don’t take refunds or exchanges.” The surprised look on my face made his own stony expression dissolve into a smile.

“I’m positive, Mr. Hernandez. I love her,” I honestly admitted, and I got the privilege to see the big, strong man’s face warm with pride as he stood up and told me to call him Dad because we were family.

“What are you smiling about?” she asked, her hand now touching my face, snapping me out of my thoughts.

“I love you,” I told her seriously, and she raised a sassy brow, sleep quickly fading away from her eyes. We’d said this to one another a month into our relationship. This wasn’t something new, but she could tell I was up to something.

“Hmm…” she sighed sitting up in bed, adjusting the strap to the red silky nightie she’d put on to go to bed over her shoulder. Anytime I caught a glimpse of her in bed, especially my own, I couldn’t help but think of what a lucky son of a bitch I was. “What’s up?”

“Why does anything have to be up?”

“Gabe.”

“Dais.”

“I’m serious.”

“You’re fucking beautiful, you know that?” I asked, knowing everything I was feeling was probably showing all over my face.

“Mmm.” She licked her lips before giving me a smile. “Always the smooth talker.”

“It’s not smooth talking when it’s the truth.”

“Mmm, you okay?” she asked, and I didn’t know how to start everything I wanted to say. Leaning forward, I kissed her lightly, stealing just a small taste of her, giving myself a little something to get what I needed to say. Like anytime I kissed her, she closed her eyes, and when she opened them, I felt the light she shared with me in my gut and in my heart. Sheer beauty.

“Do you know that six months ago, I hit the jackpot?” I asked, bringing her over to me and having her straddle my lap.

“Did you?” Her lips twitched.

“Yeah,” I sighed, running my fingers through her hair. Six months, and I was still shocked with how it felt in my fingers. Satiny smooth, like silk. “I saw this girl the day before from far away, gold and black confetti falling all around her like sparkly snow, and I couldn’t believe beauty like her existed.”

“I looked like a mess that day,” she softly said like she always did when I told her about how I had fallen for her at first sight. I didn’t agree with her. She had been gorgeous standing looking up in wonder with happiness shining in her eyes. Happiness that now shined in my direction when she looked at me. Happiness that radiated from her to me. I cupped her face with my hands. “You were stunning. Your smile. Jesus, babe, you have no idea how much, and thank fuck because if you did, you would leave my ass and find someone better.”

“That doesn’t exist,” she answered, making me want to puff my chest out like a motherfucking peacock.

“I got you something,” I blurted out. Calm the fuck down, Blanco. Man up!

“You did? You didn’t have to—”

“Don’t thank me yet.” I glanced at the clock on the nightstand beside us. The red digital numbers blared it was ten before midnight, and I swallowed hard, “It’s kind of a selfish gift.”

“How can gifts be selfish?” she asked, clearly amused with a cute little smile quacking her lips.

“Because this is more for me than it is for you, and I’m man enough to say that even though you might disagree or second-guess this.”

“Gabe?” Her head tilted to the side. She was confused, and I couldn’t blame her. I was making a mess of what was supposed to be a romantic moment, but fuck me running, I didn’t have a romantic bone in my body. “You’re talking in circles, baby,” she whispered. A smidge of worry looked back at me.

I let my hand drop from her face, running my fingers down her arm, linking our fingers together. “I love you, Daisy Marie.” I lifted her hand to my mouth and kissed the top of her knuckles. “Six months in, gorgeous, and I just want more.”

“More?”

“More of this. More of you here.”

“I like being here,” she answered softly, and I licked my lips.

“Permanently,” I announced and saw her eyes soften.

“You want me to move in,” she guessed. She had no idea how much I wanted that.

“Sure.” I shrugged. “Move in, and when you get a change of address, how about we change your last name too?” Her smile faltered for a moment as she processed my words.

“Gabe,” she gasped. She was finally understanding what I was saying.

“Marry me, Daisy. Be mine.”

“I already am,” she whispered a breath away from my lips, and I smiled at her.

“Officially,” I explained, leaning toward the nightstand and grabbing the small box I had picked up from my mom’s house. “Marry me. Be mine and only mine, showing the world who you belong to by wearing this.” I opened the box, and her eyes widened at the sight. She knew what it was. My mom had shown it to her before. The engagement ring my dad had given her. “My parents’ story was too short, but it was a good one. I can’t promise perfection, but I can promise no matter what, I will always be on your side, a partner who only wants the best for you.”

“Gabe.”

“Life can be shit to some, and I know exactly how—” But I couldn’t say another word. Her fingers were on my lips and a look I had never seen was on her gorgeous face.

“I don’t need or want perfection.” Her lips quirked up. “I just want you. If we have struggles, we’ll have them together, but we will get through them together and be better for it. Just like my parents and just like yours did.” My heart was hammering in my chest trying leap out.

“You saying what I think you’re saying, baby?” My words felt too big for my throat.

“Yes,” she whispered and then made the sweetest sound ever. A cross between a giggle and snort as she nodded. “Yes, I’ll marry you, my crazy man! Yes!” Her hands were on my face the second I placed the ring on her finger.

Our lips met one another, and just like that, fireworks burst behind my eyes as heat flowed through my veins. There was no hesitation or word shared between us as I rolled her to her back and hovered over her, moving my hard body between her thighs she quickly helped to make space. My girl loved me anyway she could have me, but she enjoyed me on top.

I pulled away, breaking the kiss as I moved my mouth down her jaw and she tilted her head to the side. I couldn’t stop the grin that fell over my face as I made my way down to her neck. Nipping and biting. Licking to soothe the spot as I absorbed the soft sexy sounds she made. I reached her collarbone, and without having to ask, she brought her tits out, and when I looked at her, she was my own personal goddess. A goddess offering me everything, and fuck, I was enough of an asshole to take it.

The beaded nipple hardened as I licked and sucked its stiff peak before showing the same attention to the one on the other side. My hands did quick work of pushing the silky material of her nightie up her body, pulling the matching panties to the side.

My thumb skimmed her dewy center just as I sucked on her nipple, and she gasped my name. I moved lower, clutching her legs over my shoulder, her sweet wetness right in front on me.

“Say it,” I grunted, skimming my nose over sensitive flesh, her scent consuming me.

“I’m yours,” she gasped, and I kissed the right side of her thigh before placing my mouth on the prettiest, sweetest pussy ever created.

I licked and kissed.

Savored and devoured.

Her sweetness filled my mouth, and there would never be anything sweeter. She was mine, and I was hers. I was determined to bring her to the edge. I wanted to have her writhing and squirming for what only I would give her. Out-of-this-world pleasure.

The sounds of her shallow breathing, the little gasps and mewls, were going to drive me insane. I was so damn hard I was afraid I was going to go fucking cross-eyed if I didn’t sink balls deep into her. Slow, I reminded myself as I slipped a finger into her wet pussy. Sliding in and out, my mouth now focused on her tight little bundle of nerves. I could feel her sex tightening, getting close to get what she was dying for. Instead of giving it to her, I pulled away and brought my body over hers. She groaned but attacked my mouth with hers, not hesitating about her essence on my mouth as I aligned our bodies just right and thrust into her with one long stroke, swallowing her gasp.

“More,” she begged, and I rested my forehead against hers.

Breathing the same air, our eyes focused on one another’s I drove into her. Hard and demanding, but she met me every step of the way. It was always like this. Taking and giving. Regardless of us taking our time with sweet and slow or hard and rough. Each time was better than the last, and this time was no different.

“You’re going to be my wife.”

“Yes,” she panted, and I shifted, bringing her hands up by her head, intertwining our fingers. The position was intimate and perfect.

“My wife.”

“Yours.”

“Forever.”

“Always.” I was like a madman possessed, and when I felt her tight pussy squeeze my dick, I sped up and met her just as she reached her peak of pleasure, letting everything go, burying my face in the sweetness of her neck as I groaned. Ribbon after ribbon of my orgasm emptying out of me as she milked my shaft with her tight sheath.

“Fuck,” I groaned, trying not to let my weight fall on top of her, but she wrapped her arms and legs around me, forcing me to give her what she wanted.

“I love you,” she whispered mid-pant.

I lifted my head to look at her eyes. Sleepy and sated, she wore a gorgeous smile. I am a lucky man. Those are the eyes I get to look into for the rest of my days.

“You proposed,” she said, surprise still in her voice.

“You said yes,” I reminded her and knew she was happy about it when her eyes moved to the ring on her finger before returning to me.

“I did.”

“I love you, Daisy Marie soon-to-be-Blanco.”

“Soon, huh?” She yawned against my chest.

“You got six months.”

“That would be—"

“New Year’s.“

“You want to get married on New Year’s?” Her head tilted, and her dark long hair fell over my shoulder.

“Why not? In my opinion, it’s the best day ever.” I shared, and her eyes softened as she snuggled up into me.

“It was the best day ever,” she whispered back as I stroked her hair before sleep claimed both of us.

She liked to say kissing me was the best choice she ever made, but I know kissing Daisy made me whole.