I loved Mila Knight with every breath I took. Knowing I would be the only man she’d ever be with was an honor I’d never take for granted. She’d asked me to show her what love was, and I’d given her the most honest response I could. I planned to show her every day for the rest of our lives.

Cupping her cheek, I gazed deeply into her eyes, looking for any sign of fear. “There’s no hurry, my love. There never will be. You and I will be together forever, and I plan to savor every moment of it.”

“I don’t want to wait any longer, Decker,” she said, resting her head on my palm. “I want you to wipe away all the bad memories so I know, finally, what it feels like to be with a man who loves me.”

I lifted her into my arms and carried her up the staircase of the house I knew would be our forever home. This would be the place where we raised our family, cherished one another, and grew old together.

When I reached the top of the stairs, I didn’t take her into the bedroom she’d had as a child. I took her to the room we would share from this day forward.

Easing Mila to her feet, I wrapped my arms around her. “Before I show you, I want you to know how much I love you.”

“I love you too, Decker.”

I pulled a small box out of my pocket. I’d planned to pack it with me when I left Texas behind to start a new life with Mila in Boston. Instead, she’d come to me.

Getting down on one knee, I held her left hand in mine. “I’ve known from the first moment our eyes met, that you were my destiny. I knew that somehow the universe put me in your path so I could protect you that day and every day after. It took almost twenty years for us to find our way back to each other.”

Mila’s eyes were full of tears, but her smile was the most beautiful I’d ever seen.

“Marry me, Mila. Be my wife and let me be your husband. Let’s make a life together that’s filled with love, laughter, music, and most of all—unlimited hugs and kisses.”

She laughed. “There isn’t anything I want to do more in life than be with you. Be my husband, Decker, and let me be your wife.”

I opened the box and slid the diamond and emerald ring I’d chosen for her onto her finger. It was a perfect fit.

“It’s so beautiful,” she murmured, looking at the ring and then into my eyes.

I stood and held her face in both of my hands and kissed her. My own eyes filled with tears as hers ran down her cheeks. “I love you so much, Mila.”

“Show me how much, Decker.”

I trailed my hands from her face down the soft skin of her neck to her shoulders. I slowly unfastened the top button of her blouse, paying attention to her breathing and keeping my eyes steadfast on hers before continuing until I’d unbuttoned each one.

Moving my hands back to her shoulders, I eased the blouse off her body and then unfastened her bra, easing that from her body too.

Again, I ran my hands down from her neck, slowly, until they rested on the waistband of her skirt. I eased it over her hips and then did the same with her panties. I knelt in front of her. 

“Step out for me, sweetheart,” I murmured, looking at her sweet bare feet and remembering her blue-painted toes that day in the airport. I leaned forward to kiss the soft swell of her tummy. 

Standing, I took both her hands in mine. “Now me.”

I toed off my boots and then guided Mila as she mimicked my actions, first unfastening my shirt, and then doing the same to my jeans. I let her ease them over my hips, and then breathed in deeply as she knelt in front of me like I had done to her. Instead of kissing my stomach, Mila leaned forward and kissed the tip of my steel-hard cock. Before she could go further, I put my hands under her arms and pulled her so she stood in front of me.

“I don’t want anything between us, Mila. Not ever. Which means that if you’re not on any kind of birth control, there is a chance you and I could make a baby today. How would you feel about that?”

“I’d love it, Decker.”

“There’s something I want you to know.”

She nodded.

“I’ve never been this way with any other woman. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“Yes.”

“Sit for me,” I said, moving her to the end of the bed. “Now lie back.”

When she did as I asked, I knelt before her, easing her legs apart. “I want to be sure you’re ready for me, baby,” I said before bringing my mouth to her sex.

Mila’s hands fisted my hair as I gently laved her folds.

“You taste like honey,” I said, savoring her essence before sliding two fingers inside her. When I felt her clench on them, I stopped and joined her on the bed.

“I’ll be as gentle as I can, my love, but this will hurt at first.”

“Please, Decker,” she pleaded with wide eyes full of lust, not fear.

I rested between her legs and brought the tip of my cock to her core. When I felt her barrier, I brought my lips to her mouth and kissed her. I deepened the kiss as I thrust into her, hard. 

She cried out, and I didn’t move again until I was certain she was ready for more. Slowly, I eased in, giving her body time to adjust. She arched her back, but I held her still, not wanting to go any deeper until I was certain she was ready.

There was nothing like feeling her warmth enshroud my cock, skin on skin, coating me with her wetness. It was almost too much for me to bear without coming.

I licked each of her nipples, going deeper but painstakingly slow—not just for her, but for me too. I couldn’t allow himself to do anything but make sure she came before I did.

“Are you okay, baby?”

When she nodded, I began to move again, pulling back and then easing forward again and again until I felt her walls tighten on my hardness.

“That’s it, sweetheart,” I said, fixing my gaze on her eyes. “I love you, Mila. Come for me.” 

I reached between us to massage her clit, quickened my pace, and thrust in harder. She wrapped her legs around me. Her cheeks and chest were flushed, but she never took her eyes from mine.

“I love you, Decker,” she whispered as I eased her down from her climax.

My movements slowed until I was certain she was ready for more. This time, I didn’t hold back, and as soon as I felt her body clenching me, I let myself go. It was the most powerful climax I’d ever experienced, going on and on as I filled her in a way I never had any other woman.

I slowed, resting my elbows above her shoulders, but didn’t withdraw from her. We kissed again, deeply, passionately, using our mouths to convey our love like we’d used our bodies.

Mila smiled. “I could never have imagined how wonderful it could be, how good being with you would feel, that pleasure like this existed. I didn’t realize it, but I’ve waited for you, Decker. I knew you were the only man I could ever trust, ever love enough to share this with.”

“I hope I didn’t hurt you too much,” I whispered.

“I can’t tell you what that means to me, Mila.”

“Love me again, Decker. Never stop loving me.”