WHEN VICTORIA OPENED her eyes, she was stunned by the bright white light. Squinting and waiting for her eyes to adjust, she slowly became aware of where she was. Hospital. She could feel the wires all around her, the needle in her arm, the uncomfortable gown against her chest, and… the warm hand interlocked with hers.

When Victoria turned her head, she thought her heart might explode.

“Hey, sleepy,” Gabe smiled. “Do you know where you are?”

“Hospital.” Victoria’s throat ached when she spoke. She swallowed and pushed herself. “Why?”

Gabe lifted a hand to her face and brushed a piece of hair behind her ear. “You were in an accident, baby.”

Yes. She was driving to the airport and—shit! “Jason?”

Gabe laughed. “He’s fine. He’ll probably be down here to visit you in a few, but I told him to back off for a bit. I wanted to be alone with you when you woke up.”

Victoria bit her lip and struggled to remember what happened. She went to lift her arm and was shocked by the tight soreness she felt.

“I wouldn’t do that, honey. You’ve got some stitches over there.”

Victoria saw her arm was in a sling. As Gabe started explaining her wounds to her, she found herself incapable of listening to him, completely lost in the way his eyes glistened and the way his voice sent shivers down her spine.

His face quickly grew worried, and she realized she was just staring at him.

“I’m sorry,” she said quickly. “I don’t really remember.”

“It’s okay, hun. Somebody hydroplaned and hit into Jason’s car. But you’re both okay, and that’s all that matters. The girl in the other car, is, too.”

Victoria nodded, expecting Gabe to leave. He didn’t.

“Jason wasn’t taking you to the airport,” he said after a moment of silence.

“Yes, he was…” Victoria started. “We were on our way-”

“You were on your way, yes. But I had this ridiculous plan that Jason was helping me out with. A ridiculous plan to win you back.”

Victoria’s heart began to race, evident by the beeping on the machines she was hooked up to. That was embarrassing.

“Win me back?” He wanted her back?

“Victoria, I have never felt for anybody the way that I feel for you. I spent my whole life trying to drown my feelings, even after I gave up my vices. I couldn’t feel things. I couldn’t get close to people. And the truth is, I was scared. Terrified.”

Gabe’s hand was still locked with hers, and he moved the other one to her neck.

“When I felt myself falling for you, I was fucking terrified. So I wanted to run away, the same way I ran away seven years ago. It was easier to be alone than to take a risk and get hurt. But I realized something, Vic. I realized that I need you in my life. You are the best fucking thing that has ever happened to me, and I will do anything and everything to keep you in my life. And if you don’t want me, if you think you’d be happier with somebody else, I’d get it. Hell, all I want is for you to be happy. But I swear, if you give me the chance, I will make fucking sure that you are the happiest woman in the entire world.”

Victoria’s heart was going to burst from her chest.

“And if you would just give me that chance, you will make me the happiest man in the entire world.”

The tears were welling in her eyes, but this time, it wasn’t because her heart hurt. It was the opposite. Her heart was so full, she couldn’t help but be overwhelmed by it.

“I love you, Victoria. And I will love you for the rest of my life.” He reached down and pulled something out of his pocket. When he opened the small suede box, Victoria knew she was dreaming. “If you’ll have me.”

He stared at her, eyebrows raised and hope written all over his face. Her heart was beating too fast. Her cheeks hurt from smiling. But she knew this was a dream. It had to be.

“This isn’t really happening,” she said sadly. “It can’t be real.”

“It’s real, baby. Realest fucking thing I ever felt.”

In her dreams, Gabe wouldn’t curse so much. God, he has a mouth like a sailor.

But…

“You weren’t drinking that day at the cemetery, were you?” She had to ask him.

“No, baby. I was letting go. For good. I’ll never touch that stuff, again. Except maybe at our wedding, a small sip of champagne for the toast.”

“We’ll have to have cider.”

The smile quickly spread across his face. “So does that mean yes?”

Victoria bit her lip, but it did nothing to hold back her smile. “Yes. Of course it’s a yes!”

Didn’t he know? It had been him since she was a child. It would always be him.

Gabe grabbed her face and pressed his lips to hers, clearly being gentle. Victoria wasn’t having it. She pressed into his kiss and moved her mouth against his. She flicked her tongue against his lower lip and felt the growl roll from his throat.

“Damn, baby. You can’t do that to me. Not here,” he chuckled.

Victoria smiled and placed her hand—the good one—on his cheek. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and sat back down beside her.

“I love you, Vic.”

“I love you, too, Gabe.”

Her heart swelled with joy. She finally had what she’d always wanted. She finally had her Gabe.

 

***

 

 

SIX MONTHS LATER...

Gabe stared at the beautiful woman in front of him, their patio doors open behind her to reveal the crashing waves against the shoreline of their private little oasis. Victoria’s hair fell in loose curls over her shoulders, hairspray from the ceremony earlier in the day still pumping it up into a wild ‘80s style do. Her lips were plump and pink, pairing perfectly with her dark smoky eyes.

His eyes wandered down, cock pulsing against his zipper. Lacy white lingerie was all she wore. When she bit her lower lip, he nearly lost it. He stalked towards her, placing his hands on her hips and pulling her body against his.

His lips feathered over hers, but he didn’t press down. Not yet.

“Why, hello, Mr. Matthews,” she giggled into his lips.

“Hey there, Mrs. Matthews,” he smiled back.

Her hands traced up his chest and wrapped around his shoulders.

“What do you think?” she asked, looking up at him the same way she had so many years ago. Gabe’s heart melted at the hope and the innocence that she’d held onto for all of those years. He adored her for looking at the world in the way that she did.

“I think you’re perfect. Just like you were yesterday, just like you will be tomorrow.”

Gabe pressed his lips softly against hers, his hands squeezing her hips and pulling her tighter against him.

“I also think that you’re mine,” he whispered.

“I know that I’m yours,” she smiled back, gently sucking his lower lip.

He couldn’t help the groan that escaped his throat. Gabe picked her up effortlessly, and she quickly wrapped her legs around his waist. Walking to the bed, he kissed her ferociously, taking everything she would give.

Victoria’s fingers wrestled with the buttons on his shirt. He’d rip it off. He felt bad when he thought about how much her pretty little lingerie cost her, because hell, he was going to rip that off, too.

He needed her naked.

Dropping to the bed, Gabe tore the lace from her skin. She gasped, but he just pressed his lips to her flesh until she sank back into the pillows. He pulled his shirt off while trailing kisses up her chest.

He took her nipple in his mouth and began to lick, suck, and nibble on it. Her moans drove him to madness. When he moved to her other breast, she knotted her hands in his hair, moaning his name and rocking her hips against him.

“Gabe… need… you,” she breathed.

She didn’t have to ask twice.

Gabe shoved his pants off and moved on top of her, positioning himself at the entrance to her body. Staring down at her, Gabe realized just how damn lucky he was.

“I love you, Vic,” he said to her.

She smiled sweetly and caressed his neck. “I love you, too, Gabe.”

His lips crashed against hers as he pushed into her. She gasped against his mouth, but he didn’t release her. He began thrusting in and out, holding her hip with one hand and her head with the other.

He felt his release approaching, but he couldn’t come without her. He pressed a kiss to her neck, gently sucking the skin there and positioning his hips so his thrusts would hit her most sensitive spot.

He heard her breath quicken, and when she dug her nails into his shoulder blades, he knew she was close. He pounded into her, staring into her eyes as pleasure washed over her face. Her sex contracting pushed him over the edge, and he was with her, collapsing into her neck as they both rode out the pleasure.

After a while, their breathing slowed and their hearts returned to their normal rhythm.

Gabe pressed a kiss to her lips. Not the kiss of a starving man, but a gentle kiss, a lover’s kiss. He pulled back and stared into the eyes of the woman who he would spend his life with, the woman who had saved his life.

“What?” Victoria asked, her voice sweet and perfect as ever.

“I’m a lucky man.”

Victoria giggled. “I’m a lucky lady.”

Gabe laughed and pressed another kiss to her lips.

“You know, I spent my entire life searching for something to make me feel alive. And no matter what I tried, it never worked. Not until I found you.”

“Gabe…” she started.

“You were right in front of my eyes and I didn’t see it. I was so desperate to feel that when I finally did, I panicked.” Her hand was gently massaging his jaw. He smiled. “I’m so damn happy I found you. And I’m so damn happy you gave me another chance.”

She smiled up at him with those eyes—beautiful blue eyes.

“It’s you, Gabe. It’s always been you.”

A-fucking-men.

Gabe pressed another kiss to her lips and slipped into the ecstasy that was Victoria. Her love was the only drug he’d ever need, and it seemed he could just never get enough of her.

He was the luckiest man in the world to call her his wife, and he’d spend the rest of his life thanking her, for everything. He’d make sure she was the happiest woman in the world. Because she deserved that, that and so much more.

And he’d give it to her.

He’d give her the fucking world.

 

THE END