Page 48 of River

She laughed. “I guess I’ll have to wear them more often—maybe even around the house.”

I chuckled as I started to undress her. She was so beautiful,and I loved her more than anything. I’d already decided—I was going to ask her to marry me. But I didn’t want to rush her. “I love you so much, Kat.”

“I love you, too,” she said, pulling my shirt over my head. We stripped each other down as we made our way to the bed. I unzipped her skirt, letting it fall to the floor, eager to see all of her. She was just as eager, tugging at my pants with a playful determination.

We laughed as we tumbled onto the bed, and I pulled her beneath me, kissing her deeply. The laughter gave way to passion as I unclasped her bra and slid her panties off, kissing my way down her body.

I loved hearing those soft sounds escape her lips, knowing exactly what she needed. She ran her fingers through my hair, her breath catching when my tongue touched her, a cry of longing escaping her.

I teased her until she begged for more, my fingers rubbing her gently as I gave her what she wanted. When her body trembled in release, I stripped off the rest of my clothes and entered her, making love to her as the sunset.

When she finally slept, I slipped out of bed to finish cooking dinner. A little while later, she walked into the kitchen, wrapping her arms around me from behind. “I love you,” she whispered. “Not just because you make me have multiple orgasms, but because I’ve loved you for the last two years.”

I smiled and kissed her. “I’ve loved you since the moment I saw you sitting at your desk,” I said, kissing her again. “Now sit—dinner’s ready.”

We sat together at the table, relaxed, enjoying each other's company. We didn’t need to fill the silence with conversation; just being together was enough. As we ate, Ireached into my pocket and pulled out the ring I’d bought three months ago.

“Sweetheart,” I said softly, and she looked up at me with a smile. But when she saw the small box, her eyes filled with tears. I opened it and took the ring out. “Will you give me the honor of becoming my wife? I promise to love you for eternity. I want to spend my life with you, never without you. Please say yes.”

Tears streamed down her face as she nodded. “Yes, yes, yes! I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want eternity with you.” She threw her arms around me, kissing me passionately. “We’re going to have such a beautiful life together.”

I pulled her close, my heart swelling with joy. “You’ve made me the happiest man alive,” I said, kissing her again. She wiped a tear from her cheek.

“And you’ve made me the happiest woman on earth. I can’t wait to marry you.” I grinned, lifting her off the floor and tossing her over my shoulder, carrying her back to bed. We made love all night, lost in each other.

Later, as I lay beside her, I suddenly remembered her doctor’s appointment. “What did the doctor say?”

She smiled and looked into my eyes. “She said I’m pregnant.”

“What?” I stared at her, hardly believing it.

“We’re having a baby,” she said, her voice trembling before she broke into tears. I pulled her into my arms, holding her tight.

“I’ve always wanted to be a father. I’m so happy. Are we allowed to keep making love all the time?” I teased, kissing her face gently.

“Yes,” she chuckled. “We can make love as much as we want.”

“How far along are you?”

“Three months.”

I knew she was thinking about the baby she had lost before. I kissed her forehead gently. “I’m going to make sure you and our baby are taken care of. Nothing will happen to either of you. Let’s get married this weekend.”

Her eyes lit up. “This weekend? I need to call my family! It’s Tuesday—yes, yes, let’s do it!” She bounced excitedly on the bed.

“I’ll call my family tomorrow. My brother Neal is a pastor—he can marry us. I’ll call him tonight. He’ll find someone to cover for him on Sunday. We’re going to be so happy.”

Tears welled up in her eyes again. “Sweetheart, why are you crying?”

“I don’t know,” she whispered. “I keep thinking about how I couldn’t protect Conner. What if I can’t keep this baby safe either?”

I held her face gently. “Kat, listen to me. It wasn’t your fault that your husband and baby died. We don’t always understand why things happen, but we do know one thing: you’re going to be an amazing mother. Our child will be loved so much because you’re her mommy.”

“Her?” she asked, smiling softly. “How do you know it’s a girl?”

“I don’t,” I admitted with a grin. “But I’d love to have a baby girl who looks just like her mommy. Our family is going to be full of love.”

She snuggled into me, her eyes still tinged with sadness, but a new hope blossomed there. She soon drifted off to sleep in my arms.

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