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IN THE SPAN OF A COUPLE weeks, I’ve gone from my darkest moment—stepping out of that prison with no idea if I would find her again or even if she was alive—to everything I now have.

Tensfield, and my own heart are full of life as Mia dances around the bedroom, singing off key to Aretha Franklin’s ‘Respect,’ playing on the speakers I just installed.  Mia told me that she had trouble concentrating on her online classes with the house completely silent, so I suggested a bit of music.  She took quite a shine to classic R & B and she’s completely unashamed of the fact that she cannot carry a tune.  It’s cute though, and at least her moves in the dancing department are just about perfectly matched to her singing ability.

But, honestly, to me, those sounds are worthy of a Grammy and her moves rival Janet Jackson.  I’m that far gone over her.

Leaning down to tie the laces on my black dress shoes, I catch a glimpse of the shreds of Mia’s little lingerie number she’d worn last night.  It didn’t last long.  There are times when something takes me over and I have to tear her clothes off, and last night was one of those times.

“Hey.”  Mia pauses mid-step with a light in her eyes.  “I wanna cook tonight.”

“Baby.”  I stand, brushing my hands down the front of my black suit jacket.  “I’ll gladly eat whatever you cook.”

“You love me that much?”  She eyes me with suspicion, but the curve of her lips tells me she understands. 

I step over and slide my arms down her back.  She’s wearing just my T-shirt from yesterday.  She loves the scent of my clothes and I love seeing them on her.  She comes up on her tiptoes and her hands settle at the back of my neck.

“I do.  I love you enough to eat your cooking every meal for the rest of my life.”  I bend down and cover her mouth with mine, stifling her giggle.

Our tongues come together and the little sigh she releases in these moments never gets old.  The kiss builds quickly. There is something between us that ignites no matter the time or place. 

But this morning, I’ve got to focus.  So, with my hard-on already fighting to get at her from behind my trousers, I force myself to break our contact and lower each hand to the swell of her ass, giving both ripe cheeks a loud smack.

“Oww!”  Mia yelps, grinning, and that only drives me to do it again.  “Hey!  You’re a mean guy.”  She pouts.

“Yeah, I am.  But I bet if I checked I’d find that pussy is soaking wet right now.”

She squints at me and pulls those plump lips to the side.  “I cannot confirm or deny, mister.” 

“Don’t need to.  I know what I know.”  I kiss her forehead and bring my hands up her back, caressing every memorized inch, from the indent just above her ass cheeks to the valley between her shoulder-blades.

“Good luck today.”  Mia smiles.  “I never knew what arbitrage was before you. I mean, you basically make money, trading money.”

“That’s basically it.”

“Your mind is a scary place. How it can see those tiny fluctuations in the seconds they exist and then profit off of it.  The focus it must take. I’m still not completely sure how it works.”

“Just how I’m wired.  For example, if there is a three-cent discrepancy between the exchange rate of the Yen and the U.S. dollar and I buy up let’s say a million dollars in Yen, then trade it right back, I’ve just made thirty grand in a matter of a few minutes. Now, the discrepancies can be fractions of a cent as well, but it all adds up.” 

“You make it sound so sexy.” 

“I never knew having a college student in my bed could be so sexy either.” 

She rolls her eyes.  “I already told you, I’m going to be a straight-A student, just wait and see.”

Mia has her first test today in her online classes.  I’ve built up almost enough profit already to take care of the Tensfield tax issue.  Only a few more days and the funds will be accessible, and then we can move on with our lives.  I’ve already started my plans to move my office back here to Tensfield once I’ve paid back my initial investors. 

My mind is sharper than before, somehow more focused.  My sense of purpose is stronger than it’s ever been.

After I pay off these initial investors, I should be fine on my own.  I won’t need to bring anyone here to disrupt our lives.  It will just be us.  Well, not just us.  I’m hoping that soon there will also be a growing family, but that will only drive me harder to secure our future in more ways than one.

As well, I decided during the night that today is going to be special.  Mia doesn’t remember this date, but I do.  It is the very day that, ten years ago, I saw her for the first time.  Fell in love with her in that split second.  We’ve come so far, gone through so much to be here now.  Today has to be a day she will never forget.

“Okay, Crik.  You got this.  I want to know how the test goes, okay?  You text or call me as soon as you’re done.”

“I will.”  Her hair hangs down over her shoulders in clear black waves.

“By Friday I’ll be down at the property tax office and Tensfield will be in the clear, baby.  I promised you I would take care of you and I will.

She licks her bottom lip and folds her arms across her chest.  “I know you will.  Take care of me, that is.”  The little vixen comes out.  “And I’ll be right here.  Waiting with a special surprise for you later.”

Her sultry voice speaks directly to my dick, which reacts with an impatient jerk.

“Maybe I’ve got a surprise for you, too.”

With that, she’s rubbing her palms together in front of her with hopeful eyes and I flash her a grin.

“Bye for now, Cricket.”

She waves and I’m out the bedroom door, ready for one of the best days of our lives to unfold.

WHEN I RETURN TO TENSFIELD around six o’clock, I walk in and the scent of something awful hits my nose like burning rubber.  I’ve talked to Mia on and off all day, but even her warnings didn’t quite prepare me for this.  She’s on cloud nine, feeling she aced her first test, and she’s done all the planning for a special celebration dinner for her success. That was her surprise for me.

We also both feel that little bit of relief that comes with knowing Tensfield’s troubles are nearly behind us. 

All day I’ve been fighting to concentrate, too, knowing how excited she is but also knowing I’ve got a surprise for her.

Work went better than ever.  I made more money today than I have since I’ve been back.  Right now, all that money is tied up in limbo while the final stages push through, but I’ll have access to all the funds I need to put us back in the driving seat by Friday.  Everything is now coming together, and it’s just the cherry on top of the cake I’m about to serve to Mia.

All day, I’ve been consumed with the images of our future life.  Images of her body round with me.  Images of making love to her with her belly ripe, carrying our first child.  It’s had my dick hard all fucking day.  She could be carrying that first child right now, and that’s driving my obsession to make sure we’re safe and financially solid, to make sure our life is as perfect as possible.

I will treat her like a princess and I will always be her king. 

Now and forever, until death do us part.

I sneak up the stairs as quietly as I can, down the hall and rap softly on Nana’s door.

“Come in.  Who the hell is knocking anyway?” 

I enter to see her sitting at the computer, her screen full of pictures of a man nearly twenty years her junior, and I have to stifle a laugh.

“Your newest conquest?”  I kid.

“Hey!  Don’t you mock me, Walker.  Chances of me ever finding someone are so remote anyway, I’ve taken to catfishing these guys.  They are so easy it’s not even funny. Had one proposing to me in less than a week.  Another one ready to hop a plane and come see me after a day.  Might sound amazing, but these guys are so desperate for a smart, horny woman.”

I chuckle as I settle into the upholstered chair by her window.  “You are all that and more,” I say, a smile tugging at my lips.

“Damn straight, I am!”  She spins her wheelchair around and puts her hands in her lap.  “To what do I owe the honor of this visit?”

I decide to cut straight to the point. 

“I love Mia.  Always have, always will.”

“Pssht.  I know it’s true.  I’ve known that for years.”

“Well, I’m going to propose to her today.  There’s nothing you can say that will change that.  But, I want your blessing.  It means something to.  But more than that...I want you to know, I’ll take care of you both. We are a family, the three of us. So, in a way, I guess I’m proposing to you, too.”

She nods, her bright red lips opening into a broad smile.  The years on her facelift a bit and I see in her eyes her answer before she speaks.

“You’re a good man, Walker.  And a good man who loves a woman is a force I am in no position hold back.  You have my complete blessing.  Mia deserves someone that puts her first and, well, I may have had my doubts but even in the short time we’ve been here together, I can see you doing that.  However...” She raises a finger, squints her eye, then continues, “...if I ever notice you doing otherwise, you can bet—alive or dead—I’ll be making your life hell.”

I chuckle and get to my feet, walking over to take her raised hand from the air and kiss the back.

“That’s never going to happen. And I’d expect nothing less.”

She smiles.  “Now go downstairs and see what the hell that horrible smell is.  Girl is going to burn down the house.”

My feet barely touch the floor with each step as I make my way downstairs toward the noise and the smells emanating from the kitchen.

“Baby.”  I enter to the sight of Mia wearing a black sleeveless wrap dress.  She’s barefoot, but I see the pair of black, patent leather Jimmy Choo’s I bought her a few days ago.  She’s been prattling on about wishing she had some heels to wear for me, so what could I do?  What my baby wants, my baby gets, even if she is still learning to walk in them.

“Hi.” She turns, and her face explodes in a smile.  “You’re early.  It’s not ready.”

From the scent filling the kitchen, whatever she’s cooking is more than done.  Way overdone, in fact, but it doesn’t matter.  I have something I need to say.

I’ve agonized over how to do this for the past week, ever since she took her first online class.  Waiting for her to text me that day, to tell me how everything had gone, was agony, and I knew I had to bind her to me not just in my head but in the eyes of the law.  I’ve gone up and down on exactly how to do this, whether there were some special words that I needed to say, but finally what I decided is there was no pomp and circumstance needed.  That’s just not us.

“Come here.”  I reach down to clasp her hand in mine. Its warm softness adds to the knot of anxious tension in my gut. 

She’s so perfect.  Every day I wonder how a fuck like me got so lucky to have a girl like her even look at him.  Let alone love him.

“What’s wrong?”  The flicker of fear in her eyes has me pulling her into my chest and kissing the top of her head.

“Nothing, baby. Not one single thing is wrong.  I just need to ask you something.”

One more kiss on her head, then I place my hands on her hips, inching her back away from me enough to be able to breathe, before swallowing hard and forcing out the words that are stuck in my throat.

“I knew I loved you from the moment I saw you, Mia.”  She starts to speak but I bring a finger up to press it to her lips.  “Just let me get this out, baby.”

She nods and bites her bottom lip.

“Today it’s exactly ten years since that first day I saw you.”  Her eyes light up. “Yes, I’ve kept track of that day.  It was the day something inside of me came alive.  Then, five years ago, I lost you. I’ll never lose you again, Mia, never.  And to make sure of that...”

I reach inside my jacket pocket, retrieve the little antique leather box and pull it up between us. Inside is the ring I bought her the week before I took the roses into her room.  I was in a jewelry store with a friend who was picking out a new Rolex for himself.  The store specialized in estate pieces and one look at that ring in the case, and I knew it belonged on Mia’s finger. I knew someday she would be mine and I bought it on the spot and I’ve held onto it all these years.

Her short gasp, and the way her eyes immediately well with tears have the words banked in my throat.  I’m choking up but I lower my voice to get the fucking question out.  Not that I’m going to take no for an answer anyway, but still.  There’s a way these things are done.

“Mia, I cannot imagine another day of my life without you.”  I flip open the box, revealing the antique two-carat emerald solitaire and diamond ring. “Marry me, Cricket.”

“Seriously?”  Her surprise shocks me and almost makes me laugh.  I was expecting an ‘oh my God, yes!’ or an ‘I thought you’d never ask.’  How could she not know I wanted to marry her?  To make her mine?

“As serious as a heart attack, baby.  I want all of you. Forever.  Just say yes, Mia, before I have a fucking heart attack.”

Smoke is beginning to rise out of the oven, but even if a fire breaks out I’m going to stand here and wait for her to answer me. 

“Yes.”  She releases the simple, sweet word on a breath and I capture it in a kiss.