“I wrote you every day for a year,” the hunky Ryan Gosling says. I whisper the words as Tyler sleeps softly behind me. We’re spooning on the couch watching The Notebook, and my favorite movie has never been as good as it is right now. It’s probably the thick muscular arm wrapped around me that’s bringing it to the next level.

“You wrote me?” a soaking wet Rachel McAdams asks.

“Yes. It wasn’t over. It still isn’t over.”

My heart swells as they kiss in the rain, but I’m not sure if the lightness in my chest is from the movie or from the beautiful moment around me.

I grab the remote and turn off the TV, just enjoying the relaxing sound of Tyler breathing softly behind me, his warm breath tickling my neck, and the crackling and popping of the fire in my stone fireplace.

The toasty fire is casting a warm orange glow in the room, and I smile as I watch it eating my decorative logs.

It’s the first fire I’ve ever had in the fireplace. I never knew how to start one, so I never did, but Tyler insisted on making one.

“You’ve never used this fireplace?” he had asked, staring at me like I’m crazy. “Look at the stone. It’s so beautiful. You should be using it every day.”

“I don’t know how,” I said as I knelt down in front of the DVD player, getting it ready.

“Then what’s this?” he asked, pointing at the pile of logs beside it. “Why do you have logs if you don’t make fires?”

I cringed, suddenly feeling very foolish. “They’re decorative.”

He laughed as he grabbed a few logs and opened the glass doors. “Well, I’m burning your decorations.”

And I’m glad that he did. My house has never felt so warm and inviting, so cozy and full of love.

The warmth seems to radiate out from the fire and into my body, making me feel weightless in Tyler’s arms. He mumbles something in his sleep and shifts on the couch, squeezing me tighter with his thick arm.

I smile to myself as I look down at his tattooed arm wrapped tightly around me like he never wants to let me go.

This feels so natural and safe and perfect. When we take away all of the complications around us, all of the evil cousins, angry parents, factories, businesses, drunken nights, and cult members who are strangely fascinated with us, and it’s just us—it feels nice.

It feels like I could do this every day. It feels like I could fall in love with this man.

A feeling of breathlessness hits me when I look down at his forearm that’s holding me tight and see something hidden in one of his tattoos. On the tattoo of a rose, in one of the pink petals, my name is written in cursive.

It’s simple. Six small letters, but it changes everything.

Dahlia.

He did get my name tattooed on his arm during that drunken night, and it’s absolutely perfect. I’m marked on his body, like he’s marked on mine.

Tyler lets out a soft moan as I trace my fingertip over my name as love fills every inch of my body. I slowly turn around, spinning in his arms until we’re face to face.

His eyes are closed, and he has a faint smile on his face as he dreams about what? Me? I hope it’s me.

I want to give us a chance. I want to see what my life could be like with Tyler in it for real, but I’m afraid all that I’ve worked for will go down the drain if I try.

Will I turn out like my parents? They found love, but it took them over, ruining everything else in their lives. They could never hold down a job or stay in a town for more than a few months. I don’t want to go back to that. I’m afraid to return to that kind of life.

But a life with Tyler holds so much promise. If I can be held in his arms every night like this, wouldn’t it be worth giving up everything else?

I guess I can try it for one night.

I take a deep breath and give him a soft kiss on the lips. His eyes slowly open when I pull away, and he moans contently as he licks my taste off of his lips.

“Are you kissing me or are you pretending that I’m Ryan Gosling?” he asks with a groggy voice. He smiles as I kiss him again.

“We should watch The Notebook every night,” he says with a satisfied smile on his delicious lips.

“Sounds good to me,” I answer, running my fingers through his hair. “But one of these days, you’re going to have to stay awake through it.”

He smiles. “You have yourself a deal.”

I take his arm and run my finger over his rose tattoo. My body tingles as I see my name on him once again.

“Did you know you had this?” I ask, showing him.

His brow furrows as he raises his arm and looks at it. “So, that’s where it is,” he says with a warm smile. “I love it. Now you’ll always have a place on my arm and a place in my heart.”

I kiss him once again, long and passionate until I’m ready to break my first date rule. “I’m glad you’re here with me,” I whisper to him once we pull away from the kiss.

“I’m glad I’m here too.”

We kiss for a few heavenly minutes until arousal begins coursing through our veins and our bodies start demanding more. Our hands begin to wander, touching skin, sliding under clothes, and it’s all making me lightheaded. My heart starts thumping when his hand slides under my shirt and over my breast.

He hardens against my leg and the feeling makes me even wetter than I already am.

Our bodies shift until I’m on top of him, straddling his sexy body as the fire roars beside us.

“You’re so sexy,” he says as I sit up and pull off my shirt. His hungry eyes are focused on my breasts as I lean down and kiss him once again.

Our kiss is deep but soft, passionate but romantic.

Tyler reaches behind me and unclasps my bra.

“Fuck,” he moans when he pulls it off and my breasts spill free on his hard chest. He caresses them softly in his strong hands as our lips connect with another deep kiss.

I’ve done this with Tyler before, but it’s never been like this. It’s more than just pent-up sexual frustration this time. It’s more than just lust. There are feelings here, perhaps even a hint of love. This euphoria can only be the beginning stages of love. It has to be.

In the next few moments, we undress each other between kisses until we’re both lying on the couch naked, me on top of him.

“I thought you don’t put out on the first date,” he says with a smirk as I reach down and stroke his hard cock.

“We’re already married,” I whisper on his lips as I squeeze his thick shaft, making him groan. “It’s a little late for first dates.”

“Lucky me,” he says, sliding his hand behind my head and pulling my lips down onto his.

I shift my hips forward until my throbbing pussy comes down on his hard shaft. We both moan into each other’s mouths as I press my aching clit onto his hardness.

I’m so wet. He’s so hard. I haven’t been able to stop thinking of the sex we had and how good he felt rooted deep inside me. It was quick and hurried in his office, but now we have time to take it slow. We have time to properly enjoy each other’s bodies.

He runs his hands down my sides, grips my hips, and starts rocking my body back and forth along his length as he takes my nipples into his hungry mouth and sucks on them, making me moan.

I place my hands on the side of the sofa to stabilize myself as I enjoy the feeling of Tyler’s masculine hands on me, his warm tongue coating my tingling nipples, and his long cock sliding through my folds, teasing my clit.

With one last soft kiss, he releases my breasts and pulls me down until we’re face to face. His green eyes look mesmerizing in the light of the fire as he looks at me with all the emotion that I’m feeling for him. “I want to make love to you,” he whispers, making my chest swell.

I run my hand through his messy hair and kiss him softly on the lips.

This isn’t just about sex. It’s more. We’re sharing a deep human connection on a level I didn’t know was possible. I can’t quite wrap my head around it.

I think it may be love.

“So, what are you waiting for?” I ask him with a smile on my wet lips.

I arch my hips up as he reaches down and grips his cock. He slides it through my folds until his thick head is pressed up against my opening, making me moan with anticipation.

“Oh, Tyler,” I moan as I sink my hips down on him, taking in every heavenly inch of his cock. My body shudders as he stretches and fills me, making me hyper-aware of every tingling cell in my body.

My pussy is soaking wet, dripping for him, but his huge size still makes me cry out with every slow inch that I take in.

My body molds against his as my burning clit reaches his hard pelvis. I wonder how long it will take to get used to his size. He feels so fucking big.

His strong hands slide down to my ass and he grips me hard as he guides me back up the length of his cock. My hands are on his sculpted abs as I slide up and down, my pussy easing into it with every stroke.

He’s so beautiful. I can’t get over it. His chiseled abs, his wide muscular chest, round tattooed arms, and gorgeous face. It all helps to build up the pressure inside me.

I slide down on him, rocking my hips and just enjoying the feeling of him deep in my pussy. I want to hold him here forever. I never want to let go. I’ve never felt so happy and at home in my whole life than I do in this moment, and I never want it to stop.

I want Tyler with me forever.

He groans as I move my hips back up, shivering as his beautiful cock hits every spot in me. My body is on fire. It’s a heavenly burn that roars through my veins, and I can’t get enough of it.

His intense green eyes are locked on mine, and something tender passes between us as I ride him up and down, taking him deeper and deeper with every plunge of my hips.

We grip each other tightly as the slow pressure speeds up. He thrusts his hips up as I come down, making us both cry out as he slams into me, burying himself completely inside me.

My breath quickens; so does his. Heat begins flooding my body as I feel an orgasm coming on.

He squeezes my ass, making me moan and cry out for more as my muscles tighten and my body prepares for the sweet release that’s building up deep within my core.

“Fuck,” he groans, his gorgeous face twisted in pleasured agony. “Oh, Dahlia.”

I can tell he’s close to filling me with his hot come, and it only spurs me closer to the edge. I tremble in tight anticipation, wanting to feel him coat my insides with his seed.

This is all so perfect. My body was made for him. That’s how this feels. Like we were designed by fate to be here together in this moment.

His hand slides to my clit as I ride his hard length, and he begins to rub me with hard circles, and it’s too much to take. I throw my head back and cry out as the tight ball unravels and a fierce orgasm consumes me.

“Oh, shit,” I scream through clenched teeth as a rush of heat and pleasure runs wild through my body like a whirlwind. It hits me hard, and Tyler’s hands on me are the only thing keeping me upright. I squeeze my eyes shut and my mouth falls open as I give myself over to the intense bliss ripping through my veins.

Tyler’s grip on me tightens, and I open my eyes just in time to see his back arch and his muscles clench as he fills my pussy with his hot sticky seed.

It feels so fucking good and just brings me higher as I ride the intense rush of my orgasm.

When the heat in my body subsides, I’m totally spent. I fall into Tyler’s open arms, and he wraps them around me, holding me tight. His skin is hot against mine. His heartbeat feels so soothing as I feel it beating hard against my naked breasts.

This moment is more perfect than I ever thought it could be.

My hand finds his and we thread our fingers together, enjoying the closeness of the moment. Enjoying the feel of each other’s bodies.

His erection begins to fade inside of me, but I keep my legs squeezed against his, not ready to let him go. I want this moment to last because I’m not sure if I’ll get another.

Tyler will be back in Vegas soon, and I’ll be looking for another job if the factory gets closed.

The thirty-day deadline to get our annulment is coming up on the horizon, and as soon as the decision of who gets the promotion is made there will no longer be a reason for us to stay married.

We have a connection, but I’m worried it may not be enough to keep us together. Once we get that annulment, I might not ever see him again.

I hold him tight as I lay my head beside his, enjoying his smell and the sound of the fire crackling softly in the fireplace.

It feels like my house is finally a home.

But that scares me.

What’s it going to feel like when I’m all alone again? What are my priorities going to look like then?

Will I still be focused on my career at the expense of a love life? Or will I choose love over work?

Love always seemed so terrifying to me, but lying here, falling asleep in Tyler’s arms, it doesn’t feel scary.

It feels perfect.