We walk down the street in New York and Bridget takes my hand in hers and then raises her eyebrow. This is her new thing, to try and hold my hand in public and see how long I can take it. It’s a struggle.

We arrived in New York yesterday afternoon, and then went out on the town last night. We ate, we drank, and we laughed. I haven’t had so much fun with a woman before—ever.

But, today is a different story. Bridget has taken me to every tourist attraction known to man.

I’m trying my best, I really am, and I know she’s trying to cheer me up, but I can’t stand it.

I can’t stand being here without Meika.

Happy Birthday, sis.

Everything that I look at reminds me that she is never going to see it.

That she never got to experience it.

We make our way up the elevator to The Empire State Building and I watch the doors as we wait for them to open.

I often wonder why it was her that was taken and not me. She was so good.

And me… I’m not. I never have been.

How is it fair that I get to live and she doesn’t?

I grip my beautiful Bridget’s hand that bit tighter.

How she loves me, I will never know. She smiles up at me lovingly and my breath catches. She is the most perfect thing that has ever come into my life. Just being with her and having her look at me the way she does is all I I need. I lean down and kiss her softly.

“Thank you,” I whisper.

“For what?”

“For doing all this.” I gesture at our surroundings.

“Anything for my man.” She smiles up at me.

The elevator arrives and we get in and rise to the top. We eventually walk out onto the viewing platform. The lump in my throat becomes unbearable and, as if sensing it, Bridget grips my hand that bit tighter.

We look around and Bridget goes up to a lady who is beside us. “Excuse me, can you take a photo of the two of us, please?”

“Of course.” The kind lady smiles.

God… I fucking hate this.

We pose for the shots, and then Bridget says, “Can you put it on movie now, please, and film us for a moment.”

Huh?

I glance at Bridget.

Her eyes glow up at me and I smile.

“Ben.” She pauses, as if nervous. “I want to give you something else to celebrate on your birthday from here on in.”

I smile down at her “What would that be, Miss Bridget?”

“An anniversary.” She kisses me softly. “Marry me.”

I frown. What the hell? I stare at her, shocked.

What? Is she joking?

That is the last thing that I ever expected to come out of her mouth.

“Ben?” she asks, her voice filled with hope.

I raise my eyebrows in question. Is she for real?

“I’m serious, Ben. Will you marry me?”

I look up at the lady filming with wide eyes, and she shrugs, just as surprised as I am.

“Ben!” Bridget snaps.

“You’re fucking crazy,” I whisper.

“It’s a yes or no answer, Ben.”

I kiss her softly and the people around us all cheer.

“Answer me, goddamn it,” she snaps.

“Bridget…” I pause. “I wanted to ask you,” I whisper

“Yeah, well. You’re too slow. You snooze, you lose, Statham.” She smiles against my lips as she wraps her arms around me.

Oh, God, I love this woman.

“Answer me before I take it back,” she whispers

I wrap her in my arms. “Oh, God, you kill me.” I laugh.

“Today?” She smiles up at me.

I frown down at her. What the hell? “No. Not today, Bridget,” I whisper.

“It has to be today, in a registry office. I want to give myself to you for your birthday.” Her eyes search mine. “Both our families will be with us in spirit.”

I stare at her as the ground moves beneath me and I lose focus. I drop my head to her shoulder. She would actually give up having her family at our wedding because I don’t have mine.

This is too much.

I don’t deserve for her to love me.

Emotion starts to close my chest up.

“We can have another wedding later for our friends.” She smiles softly. “And we don’t even have to tell anyone about this one if you don’t want to.”

My eyes meet hers. “You’re actually serious?” I whisper.

“Ben…” She smiles softly. “This is about us. I want to start our new life together today. No more fights, no more secrets, and no more bullshit. Just you and me. We love each other enough, right? And I know it’s early, but I’m never going to love someone as much as I love you.” She bounces on the spot in excitement, and my heart free-falls from my chest.

I stare at her as time stands still.

She bounces again. “Come on, Ben. Jump off the cliff with me. Let’s live today like it’s our last.”

I feel like I’m in deep water and swimming towards her to be rescued.

Could this be happening?

“Ben, don’t make me beg.” She laughs.

I smile broadly as the last of my resistance dissolves. I take her face in my hands and I kiss her perfect lips. “Okay,” I breathe, and our foreheads touch. We kiss again. “I love you,” I whisper, and then I laugh in disbelief. “Is this something you’re going to wake up tomorrow and regret?”

She shrugs. “Who cares? I’m living for today.”

“Since when?” I smile.

“Since now.”

“Can I stop filming now?” the lady interrupts.

“Oh, sorry,” Bridget says. “I forgot about you.”

“I thought you did. Congratulations.” She smiles as she hands the phone back.

It’s then I notice everyone standing around watching us, and I become instantly embarrassed.

I grab her hand. “Let’s get out of here. You totally just emasculated me.”

She bursts out laughing as I pull her towards the elevator. “Finally!” She laughs. “Someone had to do it.”

* * *

“Are you sure about this?” Ben asks as we walk up the stairs to City Hall.

I smile at my beautiful man. “Positive.” I lean in and kiss his big, beautiful lips. “Happy birthday, baby,” I whisper as I run my hand through his stubble.

His eyes glow with happiness and he squeezes my hand.

I’m wearing an ice-pink dress that has a fitted waist and flared skirt that falls just below my knees, and matching pink high-heeled sandals. My hair is down and full, and I have a large white flower tucked behind my right ear. My makeup is natural and my lipstick is pink.

It’s my wedding day. I made this split decision last night at dinner before sneaking off to the restaurant bathrooms to apply for a marriage license online.

Ally’s words love him like it’s your last day with him have played on repeat in my mind since she said them three days ago, so that’s exactly what I’m doing.

I’m beaming with happiness and I have no regrets.

This is the right thing to do. I love Ben. I have always loved Ben, and this is crazy. I know we just got back together. Maybe I’m completely blind and stupid. Am I marrying the wrong man? No, I’m not.

It feels right. Every cell in my body wants to do this.

To give myself to him on his birthday—a day he hasn’t celebrated in twenty years—is the ultimate gift.

You know, I used to think that weddings were all about the dress and the guests and the reception venue… until today, when all that matters is him.

Ben moving forward without painful memories every birthday is all that I want. Ben is wearing his clothes that he brought to wear out tonight. They’re nothing special, but he couldn’t look more perfect if he tried.

It’s as if this happiness beacon has been turned on inside of him and he’s glowing.

All uncertainty between us has disappeared in an instant.

We both know.

We get to the counter and I smile through the window. “Hello. I called before; we have an appointment at three.” I smile.

Ben bites his bottom lip as he tries to remain calm.

I have to concentrate and try not to bounce on the spot. “Yes, do you have all the paperwork?” she asks.

I take all of our identification from my bag and slide it across the counter. She goes through and copies it all down. “First door to your right.” She smiles.

Ben takes my hand, and we turn and walk down the corridor and knock on the office door. “Come in,” a male voice calls.

Ben and I take one look at each other and I smile broadly, rising to kiss him on the lips. He shakes his head, as if not believing what we are about to do. He pushes the door open and we find a man sitting at a large mahogany desk. He looks at us over the top of his glasses. “Hello.”

“Hello.” We both smile.

“Close the door behind you.”

Ben turns and closes the door.

“I’m Henry Thomas, I’ll be performing your ceremony today.” He shakes our hands. Ben and I smile nervously.

“Okay, so you have some documents for me?”

“Yes.” I hand the file to him and he looks through them.

“Do you have the rings?” he asks.

Ben takes his mother’s ring and the gold band we bought him today out of his pocket, and hands them over. I hunch my shoulders up like a little kid. Are we really doing this? We both go through and sign a lot of documents until, finally, its time.

“Please stand and face each other.” He smiles and gestures to a place on the carpet.

Ben and I stand and face each other. He takes both my hands in his. I begin to giggle like a stupid schoolgirl, and even Ben is having trouble keeping a straight face.

Is this really happening?

“Repeat after me.”

“I, Benjamin Statham,” his eyes hold mine and he smiles softly, “Take you, Bridget Marx, to be my lawfully wedded wife. To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, from this day forward.”

I smile, and bounce a little on the spot as he carefully slides the ring onto my finger. He picks up my hand and kisses the back of it. We both laugh and his eyes twinkle with a special something.

I feel overcome with emotion. “I, Bridget Marx, take you, Benjamin Statham, to be my lawfully wedded husband.” He watches me in wonder and I smile. “To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, from this day forward.”

I slowly slide the ring onto his finger, and giggle.

“You may kiss your bride.”

In slow motion, Ben takes me into his arms and gently kisses me.

The air leaves my lungs because it’s the most perfect kiss that he has ever gifted me with.

It’s a kiss of promise, and my eyes fill with tears. I laugh against his lips and he wraps his arms around me tightly.

“Let me take a photo.” Henry smiles, and I hand over my phone and he takes a few snaps. I have to laugh at what Adrian would say if he saw me getting my wedding photos taken on some dodgy phone.

“Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Statham, and congratulations.” He hands over the wedding certificate.

“Thank you.” Ben nods before he kisses me again, and I laugh.

This is fucking insane!

Henry opens the door, and Ben and I walk through it as I laugh in disbelief.

“Congratulations,” the girl on reception calls out.

“Thank you,” I call back.

Ben takes the envelope from me. With my hand in his, and with my heart pounding hard in my chest, we walk out the front doors.

We did it.

Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Statham.

I stir the ice in my margarita as Ben smiles warmly across the table at me. He’s sitting back in his chair, beer in his hand, looking very pleased with himself indeed. “What are you smiling at?” He smirks.

“You.” I’m actually looking at how perfect he is. I’ve never seen a man so gorgeous. “This husband thing looks very hot on you.” I smirk into my glass.

Rugged, handsome, with a chiselled jaw and buzz cut hair. He is the epitome of masculinity, and day by day, as his walls come down, I find myself falling deeper and deeper in love with him.

Which is lucky… because I married him today.

Ben and I have just had dinner and are at a cocktail bar in New York. His eyes drop to my lips. “I feel guilty,” he whispers.

“Why?” I frown.

“That your family isn’t with you on your wedding day.” His eyes drop to the table as he speaks.

“We’ll have another wedding for them. Ben, our relationship has never been about my family.”

His eyes rise to meet mine.

“It’s about us, between the two of us.” I frown as I think of the right wording. “In fact, we don’t do out there very well.”

“You do.” He smiles softly.

“But you don’t,” I whisper.

“I don’t mean to be the way I am.”

“Silent and strong?” I smile. “I wouldn’t want you any other way, Ben. You are absolutely perfect for me just as you are.”

His sexy eyes hold mine. “It’s you who’s perfect for me.”

“Lucky we got married then.” I throw him a cheeky wink, and he shakes his head in disbelief. “Did that actually happen?” He raises his eyebrows in surprise. “Did I dream that?”

“Ah.” I nod. “It just came over me and I had to just blurt it out.”

His eyes widen in horror. “So, you… you just thought of getting married randomly on the spot?” he stammers.

I sip my drink and shrug. “Pretty much. Last night, at dinner… I decided.”

He frowns. “And you went through with it.”

“I love you, Ben.” I smile. “I’ve always loved you, and I had to lock you in before you ran away again.”

He chuckles and takes my hand over the table. “Nothing could drag me from your side.”

Our eyes lock. “Promise?” I whisper.

He kisses my hand. “I promise.”

He looks over at the dance floor, and then back to me. “Would you like to dance?” he asks.

An unexpected thrill runs through me, and I giggle like a school girl. He takes my hand and leads me to the dance floor, and he wraps his huge arms around me. I smile goofily up at him as we sway. The song ‘Perfect’ by Ed Sheeran comes on, and it’s so fitting to the mood we’re in.

“This is the first time we’ve ever danced as husband and wife.” I smile

He kisses me softly on the lips. “First of a lot of things. Our story starts today, Bridget.”

My eyes tear up, because that’s exactly how I feel. We had to cut through all the bullshit to actually start this story, and it feels like it’s taken us so long to get here.

“I love you.” He smiles down at me. “This has been the happiest day of my life.”

My tears burst the dam and I wipe them away, embarrassed. “Your sappy is making me sappy.” I smile.

He laughs and spins me around.

“I suppose I can give you my sappy on our wedding day.”

“What about our next wedding? Will I get sappy at my next wedding?” I ask.

He laughs and kisses me softly. “Yeah, I can be sappy on that day, too.”

He spins me again and I laugh out loud.

“What about when we have kids?” I smile up at him like a lovesick schoolgirl.

He shakes his head. “No, two days of sappy is all I can manage.”

He spins me out and we come back together.

Our faces are just inches apart. “Ben, I know your secret.”

“What’s that?” he whispers as his lips touch mine.

“You’re sappy all the time. You just don’t show it,” I tell him.

“Pftt.” He spins me fast and I laugh again. “I am not. You’re delusional.”

We come back together and I put my arms around his neck to hold him close. “You kept a chocolate that I gave you for six years,” I whisper up at him.

We stand so close, tight in each other’s arms. His eyes hold mine. “In my defence, the girl who gave that chocolate to me was very special.” He murmurs as our foreheads touch, and we sway slowly to the beautiful song.

“That girl is now your wife.”

He subtly shakes his head in disbelief.

“Mrs. Statham.” His hand slides down to my behind and his eyes darken.

“Happy Birthday, baby,” I smile as I kiss him softly.

And on the perfect night, with the perfect man, I dance to the perfect song.

I lie in the darkness and Ben’s breath quivers as he tries to control his arousal. After dancing all night, we have finally come back to our room.

Ben’s worshipping every single inch of my body with his tongue, his lips, and his hands. I’m spread out on the bed, about to lose my mind. My hand runs over the top of his head between my open legs.

My back arches off the bed as my arousal peaks. “Ben…” I whimper. I’ve orgasmed three times, and God, here comes another one.

“Ben,” I moan. “I want you.”

His tongue dives deep, lapping, sucking and kissing. I close my eyes in pleasure, and my mouth hangs open as I lose control.

“Ben,” I demand. “Don’t make me beg. Now. I want you now.”

He rises above me and kisses me softly. I taste my own salty arousal on his lips and our kiss turns desperate.

Ben’s here to make love.

I can count on one hand the times we have made love. We usually fuck. Hard.

But this is my favourite kind of sex with him. When he lets his guard down and gives himself over to me completely. It’s like his surrender, and I don’t get it often, but when I do it’s so worth the wait.

His large body rocks onto mine as he holds himself up on his elbows. My hands roam over his back and shoulders, down to that tight ass.

His large cock is rubbing over me and, oh God, I want it.

I need him.

I put my hand down and guide him to my entrance. I can’t wait a moment longer. He slides in and we both moan in pleasure. Deep, slow pumps and our bodies become one. We are completely in sync as we move together.

I was born for this, to do this with him. To love him the way I do.

Nothing else matters when I’m in his arms and his body is inside mine.

“Don’t ever leave me,” he whispers.

I hold onto him that bit tighter. “I won’t, baby,” I whisper as our lips crash together again.

He goes up onto his elbows and his eyes search mine. “Tell me that you won’t die.”

My heart constricts. Is that why he holds himself back from people, because he thinks they’re going to die?

My eyes tear up from all the pain he’s suffered, alone.

“I’m here, baby.” I cling to him as his body slides in deep again, tenderly taking mine. “I’m never going anywhere, Ben. I promise.”

I stretch sleepily as the sun peeks through the side of the drapes, and my eyes flick to Ben who is lying on his side, watching me. “What time is it?” I ask.

He smiles sexily. “Who cares?”

I roll onto my side to face him and I cup his face in my hand. “You’re looking very relaxed this morning, Mr. Statham.”

He licks his lips cheekily.

I smile broadly. “Would you have ever asked me to marry you?”

He cups my naked breast in his hand. “I would have wanted to.”

I narrow my eyes. “But you wouldn’t have asked?”

“I…” He takes a moment. “I never saw myself as the marrying type.” He frowns, as if he’s having an epiphany.

“But?” I ask.

“I guess I never expected to…” He stops mid-sentence.

“Will you stop doing that?” I ask.

“Doing what?” He frowns.

“Stopping yourself from saying things to me. I’m your wife now, Ben, and you can tell me anything.”

He grins, and rolls onto his back, pulling my body half over his.

“What were you saying?” I ask as I look at his face.

He kisses my forehead and his fingers run through my hair as he thinks. My head is on his naked chest. “I never thought you would accept me if you really knew me,” he admits.

“So, you were only going to give me seventy percent of yourself?” I frown.

He nods, distracted by his thoughts. “I thought that’s all I could give.”

I smile sadly against his chest.

“What about you?” He glances down at me. “I only know forty percent of you so far.”

My mouth drops open. “Forty percent? You… you know me better than forty percent,” I stammer.

“I don’t know what your favorite subject was at school. What your favourite book is. How you like your eggs. Why you stopped having sugar in your coffee, and what you think about when you crinkle up your forehead.” He smiles above me. “And I doubt I’ll ever know what you see in me.”

I smile and kiss his chest. “I like husband Ben.”

He laughs and holds me tighter to him, and we lay in blissful silence for a few moments until he turns the television on and flicks through the channels. He stops on the news.

I frown in horror.

Dear God.

“Fuck!” Ben snaps as he jumps out of bed.

“What… what does this mean?” I stammer.

“We’ve got a fucking problem.”

“Are they going to come after us? Where’s the envelope?”

“It’s here. I brought it with us.”

I jump out of bed and put my hands on my head.

“I’ve got to get Joshua to decipher it. I have no choice. I need to know what it says,” he snaps.

I nod. “He can break the code, I know he can.”

Ben’s phone rings; he looks at the name on the screen then answers it. He’s still naked.

“Hello.”

He listens and puts his hand on his hip. “What was taken?” he asks, narrowing his eyes as he listens.

“What?” I mouth, sensing something is wrong.

He ignores me. “Okay, thank you. I’m away at the moment, but if you can organise the door to be fixed I’ll be home as soon as I can.”

He listens for a moment.

“Thanks for your call.” He hangs up.

“What?” I ask.

“My apartment was broken into last night. Ransacked, as if looking for someone or something.”

My eyes widen. “What does that mean?”

“Whoever killed Jason Steel… they know about the envelope.”

Fuck.