Sam fell asleep in my lap when we were about halfway through watching a movie. He was bundled up in his favorite blanket and had his blue bear stuffed under his arm. I was laying tucked under Zach’s arm, who unbeknownst to me, had also fallen asleep.

I looked up at him to tell him we should put Sam to bed, but his head was back against the sofa, and his eyes were closed. He was breathing slow and deep and looked incredibly peaceful.

So I sat there, cuddled up close to both my boys and just enjoyed the moment.

I thought of the day and the future. I was going to marry Zachary Flynn. Who would have ever thought that he and I would end up together?”

Josephine Flynn.

I liked the sound of that. I liked the sound of that a lot. I smiled to myself. Sam Flynn. Also adorable. I wondered if he would want to change his name or not. The choice would be up to him.

I ended up reaching for my phone on the armrest of the sofa beside Zach. I started flipping through pictures of wedding dresses online and saved the ones I really liked. I’d never thought too much about my wedding. I wasn’t one of those girls who grew up with the idea of the perfect wedding dress already in their mind. I saved all sorts of styles: lace, tulle, satin, A-line, ball gown, mermaid, sleeves, sleeveless—it was endless. Shopping for my dress with Rosie was going to be an adventure.

Maybe I would invite Zach’s mom along, too. She would probably love that.

Then I started looking at veils and shoes and jewelry. That branched off into more research of venues, decor, centerpieces, ceremony styles, food, first dance songs, and DJs. I had to consider officiants and photographers. Bridesmaid dresses. Suits for the groomsmen. A suit for Zach.

It was going to be a lot of work, but holy Hell was I ever excited.

“What on earth are you doing, pretty girl?” Zach breathed in my ear.

I let out an embarrassed giggle and tried to hide my phone from him, but he snatched it up and started looking through all the photos I had saved. I ran my fingers through Sam’s hair absently as Zach searched through it all. “I got a little carried away,” I admitted.

Zach chuckled. “So you’re leaning toward a blue theme, hey?”

“Or purple,” I said. “I like purple. But teal and silver would be pretty in the spring, even though it’s pretty overdone. I was even thinking yellow. Yellow is nice and bright, and I’ve always liked yellow. I picture yellow daisies everywhere and stuff. So between those three, I think.”

Zach nodded along like he knew what I was talking about. “I think they would all look nice.”

“Me too.” When he got to the section of wedding dress pictures, I took the phone from him. “Nope, you don’t get to see any wedding dress related stuff. I want that to be a complete surprise.”

Zach chuckled. “Good. I want to be surprised, too.”

“Are you going to be one of those grooms who starts crying when he sees his bride for the first time?”

“I cried before you showed up at the pub, so yes,” Zach admitted.

“Really?” I laughed, resting a hand on his chest. “That’s so sweet.”

“It’s been an emotional month.” He smiled. Then he kissed my forehead. “Come on. Let’s put Sam to bed. Then I want to make love to my beautiful fiancée.”

“Fiancée,” I whispered. “I love the sound of that.

“And soon it will be wife.”

“And husband.”

Zach nodded and then rolled slowly to his feet. He scooped Sam up in his arms and carried him to his bedroom. The boy didn’t even move. He was fast asleep as Zach tucked him into his bed, and I turned off the light.

We both went to our room and brushed our teeth. I took off my makeup, moisturized my face, and brushed my hair. Zach finished long before me and patted my ass as he went to the bed. I spritzed on a little perfume before joining him.

He was already naked when I came in. He was lying on top of the sheets with his arms crossed behind his head. His cock was hard and reaching up toward his belly button.

I paused in the doorframe of the bathroom to soak in the sight of him. “I’m a lucky woman to be marrying such a stud.”

Zach laughed, and it made his abs even more defined. It should have been criminal how hot he was. He patted my side of the bed, beckoning me to join him.

I didn’t listen. Instead, I pulled my shirt off over my head then took my jeans off. I stood before him in just my black lace bralette and purple panties. I spun around, arching my back, and gathered my hair up off my back to give him a view of my body. He made a satisfied sound in the back of his throat and patted the bed again.

“Come here, woman. No need to tease me.”

“But I like to,” I said coyly. Then I bent over and snapped the waist straps of my panties on my hips.

Zach made that same, low sound, and then I heard him move.

He was off the bed and grabbing me before I even realized he had stood. I giggled, and he patted my ass and told me to be quiet. He brought me to the bed and threw me down none too gently. He leaned over me and trailed kisses up my stomach and all the way to my lips.

We devoured each other like we were ravenous and like we’d never had sex before. My body was tingling, and the place below my belly ached with desire.

Zach reached down and tugged my panties to the side. I lifted my hips in encouragement, and he ran his fingers along the opening of my pussy. Then he slipped one inside, and I sighed softly.

I matched his eagerness by grabbing his cock and stroking him as he fingered me. We were both breathless but refused to stop kissing.

He pushed another finger inside me and began thrusting in earnest. It felt so good. Too good. I clung to him and muffled the cry from my climax with his mouth. He grinned into our kiss as I became even wetter, and then he fucked me harder and faster still until I came all over again.

Then neither of us could stand to wait anymore.

Zach flipped me over onto my hands and knees. I didn’t fight him. I went and arched my back, pressing down toward the mattress to give him the view I knew he loved. He slapped my ass and then squeezed it in his hands as he plunged his cock deep inside me.

This time, I could not stifle my moan. It came out of me, hoarse and ragged, and Zach put his hand between my shoulder blades to push me roughly down on the mattress to bury my face in the sheets. I grabbed the blankets, my fingers curling into fists, as he rode me hard and fast from behind.

Zach’s hips slapped against the back of my thighs. He reached around my hip to rub my clit as he squeezed my ass with his other hand. I could hear him grunting behind me, and the sound was too sexy for me to keep my composure.

I came again, and this time, I muffled my cry with the blanket.

“Good girl,” Zach praised me.

And then he rewarded me with delicious upward thrusts until both of us shuddered with our climax and succumbed to the pleasure. He filled me with silky warmth that made my head spin with ecstasy, and I thought dimly that I should go on birth control after this because I loved when he filled me up with his seed, and I didn’t want to give that up.

When we were done, Zach and I lay on top of the sheets together on our backs. He wrapped an arm around me, and I snuggled up into his side where I fit perfectly.

“How long had you been thinking of proposing?” I asked after we lay in comfortable silence for a little while.

“Since the first morning I met Sam.”

I turned my head to look up at him. “Really?”

He nodded. “Yep. As soon as I met him, I knew what I wanted. I guess I knew even before that. But I had to make sure he liked me first. I wouldn’t force myself into your life if he didn’t like me.”

“It’s crazy to think that was a year ago already,” I whispered.

“Tell me about it. Back when I was just a single guy, trying to figure out what the hell to do with my life. And then it all came together so much better than I could have ever imagined.” He kissed my forehead and pulled me closer. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” I sighed.

The feeling in my heart was true joy and contentment. There were still going to be hard days, weeks, maybe even months ahead of us. That was what a relationship was. Struggles and highs and lows and renewed moments of giddy love that popped up when you least expected it. It was real life love. Not the sort of love you read about in books or saw in the movies. It was raw, pure, easy, difficult, and beautiful.

Love was Zach.

And love was Sam.

And I knew that I could handle whatever life threw at me now. I was whole.

“What are you thinking about?” Zach asked. He sounded tired, like he’d stopped himself from fading off before me.

“You. Life.”

“Deep.” He chuckled.

“Very,” I admitted. “I’m just really, really happy. I don’t think it could get any better than this. Our family is together. We’re making this thing work. A year and a half ago, I never would have believed that this feeling was possible.”

“Me neither,” Zach admitted. “Not in a million years.”

“And yet, here we are.”

“Here we are.”

“Engaged. Parents.”

“Lovers,” Zach teased, poking me in the ribs.

I giggled and squirmed, and he rolled on top of me. He rested his elbows on either side of me and stared down into my eyes. I looked into his perfect hazel ones. Eyes that I’d always dreamed of looking at me the way he was now.

“I’m glad you’re mine, Jo,” he said, stroking my hair off my face.

“I wouldn’t ever be anyone else’s,” I whispered.

And then we were kissing again, and the world around us faded away, and he reminded me of how good it felt to be his.