She pouts, and my heart squeezes in this strange way it’s only ever done for her. “But dinner will get cold, baby. I slaved away for you, you know?”
She pouts even further, sending me those puppy eyes she knows I can’t resist. Why does she have to be so cute?
“Ask me,” she orders, and I laugh as I do as I’m told. I drop down to one knee in front of her, my hand reaching into my pocket.
I hold her engagement ring up, the very same one I proposed with the first time. While we never got divorced, Elena made it clear that the papers don’t matter to her. In her opinion, we aren’t married until we hold our ceremony. I’ve been holding onto her ring all this time, waiting for the right moment, giving her the time she asked for—one year.
“Elena, you drive me insane in all the best ways. You light up my days, and you’ve shown me what true happiness looks like. When you walked back into my life, I was half a man. I was incomplete, my heart jaded and shattered. But then there was you. You came crashing into my life, making me question every belief I held onto for so long. Day by day, you stitched my soul back together, and you never even realized you were doing it. You complete me, Elena. You made me believe in things I never thought I’d have. You made me believe in Forever, after all. That’s what I want with you, baby. I want forever, with you. I want to wake up next to you for the rest of our lives. I want you to be the last thing I see before I fall asleep, my arms wrapped around you. I want to grow old with you and raise a family with you. I want it all. I want the arguments, the ups and downs life will throw our way. I want it all, and I want it forever.”
I inhale deeply and look up into her eyes. She’s fighting her tears, but it’s a losing battle. “Will you marry me?”
“Yes,” she says, and I slide the ring onto her finger, my heart racing. A tear drops down Elena’s cheek as I rise to my feet, and I swipe it away with my thumb.
“I love you so much,” Elena says, her voice trembling.
I kiss her, my lips lingering on hers. “I love you more.”
Her hands roam over my body, and I see the need in her eyes. A low chuckle escapes my lips and I smile when she tugs on my tie impatiently. I love everything about her, but this might well be one of the things I love most. The way she wants me so unapologetically.
I lift her into my arms, one hand behind her back, the other underneath her knees, and she smiles as I carry her to our bedroom.
I place her down on our bed carefully and she rises to her knees, her fingers finding their way to the buttons on my shirt.
“You know what this reminds me of, baby?”
She looks up at me, and I smirk.
“Our wedding night. You were just as eager. Just as hungry for my cock. And you still want it, don’t you? Even after all this time, you still want me stretching out your pussy, filling you. I bet you’re wet already.”
Elena looks at me as she tugs my suit jacket and shirt off my shoulder in one go. “You know I am, but just to be sure, you should probably touch me and find out.”
I laugh. This woman…
I join her in bed, both of us tugging at each other’s clothes, until at last, we’re naked, her skin against mine. She gasps when my fingers find their way between her legs.
“So wet and I’ve barely even touched you.”
My fingers slip into her, and I tease her, keeping her right at the edge. The way she looks lying in our bed, her hair spread out on our pillows, her lips slightly ajar. Fuck. She’s everything. I could come just looking at her. She gasps as I touch her, getting her closer and closer.
“Come for me,” I tell her, swiping my thumb over her clit.
She looks at me as her muscles contract around my fingers, my name on her lips.
“Good girl,” I whisper, leaning over her. “Now you’re going to take my cock, aren’t you?”
“Please,” she moans, and I push into her.
I hold myself up on one arm and wrap my other hand around her neck, my thumb resting against her throat. “I’m going to fuck you like this for the rest of our lives, Elena. You will always be mine, you hear me?”
“Yes, Alec. I’m yours. All yours.”
She gasps when I pull back and then thrust back into her. The way she feels around me, the way she whispers my name. I can’t imagine ever getting enough of her.
Elena’s nails mark my back, and her lips find mine. “I love you, Alec,” she murmurs against my lips, her voice husky.
That’s all it takes for me to lose it. I come deep inside her, my forehead dropping to hers. She’s panting as hard as I am, and I smile.
This… this is what real love feels like. Lying here with her is true happiness.
Chapter 67
E lena
“You look beautiful, honey,” Mom says, tears in her eyes. She touches my veil, straightening it for the third time. I grab her shoulders and smile at her, my heart overflowing with happiness.
“So do you, Mom,” I tell her honestly. She looks amazing. It took her almost two years, but she’s walking without a cane now, and she radiates happiness. I was terrified that she’d feel like there was nothing left for her to live for, considering what she woke up to, but that hasn’t been the case at all. She’s thriving, and it’s been amazing to see her rebuild her life.
“Are you ready?” she asks.
I nod at her, my smile so wide that it hurts my face. “More than ever.”
This time, Alec and I tried to do things right. We decided to go with a far more low-key wedding than we initially planned. We’re now having a small outdoors ceremony, with only our loved ones present. No press, no big spectacle, just us.
Alec and I chose to remain engaged for a year, so I could plan our entire wedding and involve my mother. Going dress shopping with her, visiting multiple wedding locations; those are all memories I never thought I’d get to have, but now I do. I’ve loved every part of it, even the endless arguments between my mother and Sofia about the flavor of our cake, and Grandpa’s continuous and totally unhelpful involvement.
Mom takes my arm, and together, we head out of the little cottage we rented. We walk towards the aisle slowly, pausing at the start of it. Everything is just as I wanted it. There are flowers everywhere, and the sun is shining down on us. But most importantly, Alec is at the end of the aisle, looking as impatient and nervous as I expected him to be.
My eyes find his instantly, and my heart starts to race. He smiles at me, looking more emotional than I’ve ever seen him before. Lucian slaps his arm and laughs, but Alec doesn’t take his eyes off me for a second.
I can’t believe this is really happening. I’ve waited so long for this day—though Alec may very well have been even more impatient. He’s been counting down the days for the last six months, driving me completely insane with his daily countdown reminders.
I’m trembling with nerves as Mom and I walk toward him, the train of my dress and my long veil trailing behind me. Alec looks enthralled, and when Mom places my hand in his, he raises it to his lips, kissing my knuckles. “You look beyond beautiful, Elena. Stunning.”
I smile at him, and together we turn toward the priest, my mind drifting back to our first, legal, wedding ceremony. It was swift and impersonal, hardly memorable. Today isn’t anything like that. Today is everything I could’ve ever wished for.
Alec turns to me and smiles, my hands in his. “Elena, every day you help me see the good in life. You brighten my days, you uplift me, and you do it all without even trying. I didn’t know what happiness was until you walked into my life, forcing emotions out of me I thought were long lost. You’ve shown me what true love is, and I vow to return that love tenfold every day, for as long as I shall live. I promise you forever, Buttercup. I promise you all of me, forever.”
I smile up at him, my eyes filling with tears. It still feels surreal to hear him promising me forever, when for so long, he was adamant that it didn’t exist.
“Alec, I was lost before you found me. You were light in a world that was filled with darkness, and you will always be my saving grace. You’re so easy to love, and you don’t even know it. Every single day I look at you, and I count my blessings. When we ran into each other after so many years, I asked you what you’d wish for if you had one single wish. I can honestly tell you I have no wishes left, because you’ve made them all come true. I’m going to spend the rest of my life making sure you have nothing to wish for either. I will love you forever, Alec.”
He blinks, and I’m surprised to find his eyes shimmering with tears. Alec looks away and bites down on his lip, a smile on his face. When he looks back at me, his eyes are filled with wonder, as though he, too, is counting his blessings.