~Trevor~

She’s not saying anything, and I swear my heart has stopped beating. She’s frowning, thinking over everything that I just said, I’m sure.

Finally, she looks into my eyes and smiles.

“Of course I want you here.”

Holy shit, I can breathe again.

“That’s excellent news because I’ve already hired a moving company, put my house on the market, and my boss’s boss has approved the show.”

“Wow, this is fast. This morning I was working on getting over you, and now here you are.”

“Getting over me.” I stand with her in my arms and walk back to her bedroom. “Maybe I should remind you what you’d be getting over, exactly.”

Her lips twitch, but she keeps her face neutral. “I have an excellent memory.”

“Really.” I set her on her feet and get to work on freeing her from this dress. “This is sexy as fuck on you.”

“You’ve seen it before.”

“I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever.” I stop undressing her and lean my forehead against hers. “I missed you, Riley.”

“I missed you too.” She cups my face in her hands and tips her chin up, offering herself to me, and it’s the sweetest offer anyone has ever given me. I kiss her thoroughly, greedily, as I make quick work of the rest of her clothing, and suddenly she’s standing before me naked, aside from her killer red heels.

“Leave those on.”

“I like it when you’re bossy.”

I grin and lean in to kiss her neck. “Lie on the bed.”

“Only if you’re getting naked too.”

“Well, I think this is a naked zone,” I reply as she arranges herself on the middle of the bed. She bites her finger, her blue eyes shining as she watches me shed my jeans and T-shirt and then climb onto the bed over her, kissing and licking my way up her amazing body.

“You taste fantastic.”

“I almost forgot how good you are with your mouth,” she says, and bites her lip. I’m taking my time. There’s no hurry, and I want to rediscover every inch of her. I lick the backside of her knee, making her gasp.

“Your knees are so sensitive.”

“I had no idea,” she mutters, and moans when I nibble the inside of her thigh. “Or maybe it’s just your mouth.”

“Both.” I lick both thighs now, all the way to the crease. “I can smell you.”

“I don’t know if that’s a good thing.”

I smirk and kiss her pubis. “It’s a very good thing. You’re wet.”

I glide my fingertip through her wet center and up around her clit, making her moan and circle her hips.

“You’re killing me.”

“No, baby.” I press a kiss to her core and then lick down her lips and up again. “I’m making you feel alive.”

Her hips buck when I suck on her clit, and her hands grasp on to my hair, holding me firmly in place.

As if wild horses could pull me off her right now.

“I want you,” she says.

“And you’ll have me.”

“Now.”

I stop and look up at her, her chest heaving with each breath. Her nipples are hard pebbles, begging for my mouth.

And they’ll have it.

“We’re going to take our time, sweetheart.”

“I’ve waited too long for this to take our time.”

I pull myself up and over her, thread my fingers in her hair, and kiss her deeply.

“I can taste myself.”

“Do you like that?”

She nods.

“I don’t want to rush this, Ri. I feel like I was without you forever, and then I thought I wouldn’t ever be here again. I just want to enjoy every second of this.”

“Trust me, I’m enjoying it.”

I pinch her nipple and she yelps, then laughs. “Okay, okay.”

I press a kiss her to lips, her cheek and neck, and then I camp out at a nipple for a while, kissing and biting. Tugging. Her hips and legs are shifting in pure pleasure.

“You’re beautiful.”

Her navel piercing is screaming out for me, so I kiss my way down and tug it with my teeth and then place wet kisses all around it.

“I think you should get your piercing back.” My thumb presses on her clit, waking her up again. “If you want it, that is.”

“You don’t have a problem making me come,” she says, and shakes her head when I replace my thumb with my mouth and suck her. “I don’t need it.”

“Good.”

And now I can’t wait any longer. I go to fucking town on her, fucking her with my fingers and kissing her until she falls apart, crying out and shivering, then coming back to earth.

I need her.

Now.

Unable to wait, I cover her once again and brace her legs on my shoulders as I slowly slide inside her.

“Holy fuck,” she groans.

I couldn’t agree more.

I thrust slowly, shifting my angle and watching her face. She’s flushed now, and so fucking responsive I have to look away or I’ll come myself.

But then she clenches around my cock, her muscles tightening in another orgasm, and I can’t control it. I come with her, groaning as we both ride it out.

When I can move again, I fall to the side of her and wrap my arm around her waist.

“You’re good at that.” She drags her nails lightly up and down my arm.

“I was just reminding you.”

“Thanks.”

I kiss her cheek and sigh, finally content.

“I love you, Riley.”

“I love you too.”

Her voice wavers, catching my attention. She has tears in her gorgeous eyes, and it tears me apart.

“Hey, don’t cry, baby.”

“I’m sure it’s just a physical reaction to so many orgasms right in a row.”

She’s so fucking adorable.

“I’m sure that’s it.”

“And I’m relieved,” she admits with a whisper. “I didn’t want to lose you.”

“You were never in danger of losing me.”

She nods and wipes her tears away.

“You need to know, right now, that I don’t do well with drama. It’s one of the reasons that I had so many issues with dating when you met me. I don’t play games, Trevor.”

“I know.”

“And suddenly your past was in my face.”

“I’m so sorry. I promise you that they have both been dealt with.”

“I trust you. I never stopped trusting you. I didn’t think for a second that you were cheating on me with either of them.”

“Thank you for that.”

“You wouldn’t do that. You’ve had it done to you, and I know you wouldn’t put me through it.”

“Never.”

“So I mostly thought they were pathetic. And they both wanted to stir the pot.”

“Which, I guess, they succeeded in doing,” I reply. “But no more.”

“My biggest problem was not hearing from you. I’m too needy for that.”

“Okay, we’re going to squash this right now,” I reply, feeling my blood begin to boil. “You are not needy. Stop saying that. You need attention from me, and I’m your partner, Riley. You should have all of the attention that you need and more. I don’t ever want you to feel guilty for asking for what you need from me.”

“It’s a knee-jerk reaction,” she admits. “And you’re right, it’s not needy, especially because we’re in a committed relationship.”

“Exactly. Don’t speak about yourself that way anymore. You’re putting yourself down, and that’s not right.”

“You’re good for me,” she says. “I hope you’ve got a new phone.”

“I need to take care of that soon.” I kiss her chin. “I was in too big of a hurry to get up here, so I didn’t have time to go in and swap it out.”

She laughs and wraps her arms around me, hugging me close.

“Thank you for coming for me.”

“Always, love. Always.”

“I’m so damn nervous,” I say to Cami one week later at the restaurant. I’ve arranged for Mia to make Riley’s favorite food, a special pizza that apparently only Mia knows the recipe to, wine, and mini carrot cakes for dessert.

Not to mention the diamond ring currently burning a hole in my pocket.

“You’re going to be great,” Cami says as she puts the final touches on our table. Kat took Riley out to get her nails and feet done, along with a shopping trip.

All on my credit card.

And everyone we love is here, but hidden. Kat’s surprise party gave me an idea for how I wanted to propose to Riley.

Nana and Colleen are chatting in the bar, both looking at Colleen’s phone and laughing. Even my mom is here, but Colleen has yet to speak to her.

I wish those two would figure their shit out, but at least they’re both here for me today. My other sister, Lisa, couldn’t make it, but Colleen promised to take a video and send it to her.

“They’re on their way,” Cami says with a grin. “I’m going to lead Riley in here to you, and after she says yes, we’ll all come rushing in to congratulate you and then we’ll have dinner.”

“If she says yes.”

“She will.” Cami winks and scurries around to make everyone hide, in the kitchen or behind the bar.

If seems like an hour goes by before Riley walks into the restaurant, a frown on her pretty face.

“Why aren’t we open?” she asks.

“Because I asked the others to close tonight,” I reply, and reach my hand out for hers. “Did you have fun today?”

“I got pampered and went shopping. Few days are better than this one.”

God, I hope that’s the truth.

Kat sneaks into the bar, and I’m left with Riley, about six dozen flowers, candles, and a ring.

Now it’s time to make some promises.

“I love you.”

She smiles widely and pushes up on her tiptoes to kiss me.

“I love you too.”

I take a deep breath and decide that the speech I’d prepared is dumb. The right thing to do is to speak from the heart.

“Riley, I need to tell you a story.”

“Okay,” she whispers.

“It might be autobiographical.”

Her lips twitch. “I like those kinds of stories.”

I nod and lick my lips. “I wasn’t looking to fall in love when I met you. I was excited about the opportunity to feature your business on television, but beyond that, I had no expectations. In fact, the week after we wrapped filming, I was supposed to fly to Miami to scout out another place.

“But then I met you, and I knew that you were going to be an important part of my life. I’m so glad that every other man before me fucked up so colossally. I’m so happy that they were all idiots, because they gave me the opportunity to show you how a woman should be treated.

“They gave me the opportunity to fall in love with you, and for you to love me in return. Riley, I’m not a young man. I’m not over the hill quite yet, but I’m experienced. I failed at this once before, and in that experience, I learned some very important lessons, the most important of which is trust. Mine and yours. Trust is a choice, Riley, and that’s something that we’ve always had for each other.

“And in that same vein, love is a choice. Every day, even when you’re pissed at each other. It’s a decision, that even though I may be disappointed or frustrated, or you may be ready to smack me on the back of the head, we will continue to choose love. The trust and the love go hand in hand for me, and that’s where I failed before. I’d chosen someone whom I certainly didn’t trust, and we chose not to love.

“I won’t do that again. With you, I’ve learned that there can’t be one without the other. Just like there is no me without you.”

Tears are falling down Riley’s cheeks as I sink to one knee and pull the ring out of my pocket, holding it up. Riley’s hands cover her face, but she continues to watch and listen.

“So, I’m asking you today, with all the love and trust in my heart, to marry me. Continue being my partner, my love, my life.”

“Trevor,” she whispers.

“Will you marry me, Riley?”

She nods and sinks to her own knees, cupping my face in her palm.

“Of course I’ll marry you.”

I slip the ring on her finger and pull her to me, kissing her like crazy. Suddenly we’re surrounded by everyone. They’re applauding, whistling, and the girls are crying.

“Everyone’s here?”

“I thought you’d like to celebrate with the people you love the most.”

We stand together, and I wrap my arm around her shoulders, not willing to let her go quite yet.

“She said yes!”

“We heard,” Nana says as she hugs Riley. “Congratulations, sweet girl.”

“That was a great speech,” Mia says. “It’s worthy of my pizza.”

“Wait, you made pizza?” Riley asks, her eyes as wide as saucers.

“That and carrot cake,” Mia says, smiling with satisfaction. “This man pays attention. You should keep him.”

“Oh, I plan on it.” Riley lifts her lips to mine. “I’m absolutely keeping you. I love you.”

“I know.”