Page 63 of Wishes for August

“Let’s take a walk along the river and we can decide a little later.”

“Good idea,” Caleb said, linking his fingers between mine and pulling me in the direction of the pathway that ran along the bank of the Thames.

I loved this city, and I loved this man. I even loved that goofy mutt waiting for us at home. At our home. The one I had moved into last week. I fingered the keyring in my pocket and couldn’t fight back the smile that played on my lips. I did that a lot now: smiling, laughing. I'd always known that Caleb's award winning smile was contagious.

Pulling my phone out to take a photo of the two of us, I paused when I saw I had a message from Lottie. She had told me again I could call her mum, but I wasn’t quite there yet. I would get there though. She was more of a mother to me than my own one had ever been and I was so grateful to have her in my life.

Butterflies took off in my chest when I opened the photo. It was a shot of all of us, standing on Tower Bridge. We had taken it three weeks ago, shortly after Caleb and I got back together. A tourist had snapped the photo for us, and in it Caleb had his arm around me. Ash, who was here on a work trip at the time, had Hamlet in her arms, and Ronan was looking at Lottie like she was the brightest star he’d ever seen. The message below it read: “Was printing this one to put up on the wall and wasn’t sure if I had sent it to you. I’ve printed a copy for you too.”

Those walls I had once built around my heart were crumbling more each day and now the blooming thing constantly felt like it was going to explode with emotion. This was the perfect family photo. The only family photo I owned.

It occurred to me then, walking along the river, what else I needed to complete the picture. The thought came to me on the wind, out of nowhere and unexpected. I hadn’t even considered it before but my heart beat triumphantly in my chest and I knew what I was about to say was the start of something even greater than what we already had.

I stopped abruptly and Caleb’s steps faltered. He turned to face me, and my pulse skyrocketed. Around us, people passed in all directions - groups, families and couples enjoying the evening. To our right flowed the River Thames, the lights of London throwing a cacophony of colours on its usually dark waters. Boats sailed slowly by and somewhere in the distance, I could hear the strumming of a guitar.

“Marry me,” I rushed out, watching as the words sunk in. His eyes widened and his lips curved upward.

“Say that again,” Caleb asked, stepping in to me and resting his hands on my hips. A breeze blew up off the water, blowing a strand of hair into his eyes. I reached out to move it away, my hand lingering over the side of his face, then moving down until I was cupping his cheek.

“Marry me and make babies with me.” My voice shook with raw emotion. I’d never even considered having a child of my own before, but I wanted it now, with him.

Caleb laughed, his head thrown back with delight. But he didn’t answer me and I dropped my hand and rubbed the back of my neck feeling a sudden wave of apprehension. Eventually, he pulled my face between his hands and gave me his answer.

“Yes sweetheart, of course I’ll marry you.”

“And the babies?” I asked, loving the way his words and his glowing smile stirred a flutter of warmth in me.

“Lots of babies, we’ll fill the house with them.”

Caleb brought his forehead to rest against mine. “Our own little family.”

Laughter sounded around us as a group of teens strolled by, one of them carrying a guitar but they faded away as Caleb’s words sunk in. My heart beat faster, harder, louder at the confirmation that the man in front of me - the love of my life - wanted the same things I did.

“I’m going to take your surname. I want to be August Winters.”

“August Winters… hmmm I like that. It suits you.” Caleb kissed me then. Slow and soft. I hugged him close to me, enjoying the feel of his strong body holding mine. He squeezed me tighter, “I love you,” he said.

“I love you so much baby,” I replied, my vision becoming watery. And I did. I loved him more than I could express but I would show him and tell him every chance I got. For him, my love would be endless. We stayed like that for what felt like hours. Locked in the perfect moment.

Eventually, we broke apart and spent the rest of the night celebrating, buying Champagne in an overpriced bar on the riverbank, and dancing to cheesy eighties hits in a small club before we took a cab home. In the morning, I planned to buy him a ring, make it official. Make sure everyone knew he was mine.

We had barely made it into the house before I had Caleb completely naked and sprawled across our bed. The sight of him there, in the black sheets, his smooth skin on display took my breath away. The thought that I would spend the rest of my life with him was still hard to believe. The boy who had once been so afraid to love, now had the greatest love imaginable.

I dove on top of him, kissing his neck and his shoulders, down his arms, along his spine and over each hip, tracing the few small freckles there with my tongue. Then I kissed his hands and his ass cheeks and down his legs. I cherished every inch of him. My kisses grew rougher, my dick hard and wanting, and my gentle caresses changed to small bites that I peppered over his body. Caleb whined and shook under me, always so ready for me, but I had no plans to rush the evening.

My fiancé could wait.

I rolled him onto his back, kissing over his nipples and down his stomach and over his belly button. I sucked marks into the skin on his right thigh and then moved onto the left.

“Suck me baby, please,” he begged.

“I am sucking you." I grinned as he pouted at me.

“Don’t be a smartass, you know what I meant.”

I pulled back and stripped off my own clothing, watching as he took in deep breaths, his chest rising and falling rapidly with each one.

“You talk too much baby, I think I’ll give you something to keep you quiet”

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