Page 171 of After All This Time

I sit down beside her and pull her feet into my lap, working the tension from the muscles I know are screaming. She winces slightly at the pressure, but when her eyes meet mine, there's a glow in them that I'll never forget.

"Tell me," I say softly, watching her face.

She stares at me for a moment, her lips curving into a slow, almost disbelieving smile. "I think that was one of the best moments of my life."

"You were the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, Mills."

"I saw you," she murmurs. "Before the lights came up, I saw you, and I knew I could do it."

I shake my head gently, still kneading her sore muscles. "You didn't need me out there. That was all you."

"Well, all of me is definitely feeling it now," she says with a laugh, shifting her legs slightly. "My body is aching."

Without another word, I lift her feet off my lap, bend down, and scoop her into my arms. She lets out a surprised laugh, wrapping her arms around my neck as I carry her to the bathroom. Gently, I set her down on the counter before turning to start running her a bath.

"You're very cute," she says with a teasing smile, her eyes watching me with a softness that makes my chest tighten.

"Nah," I reply with a smirk, glancing over my shoulder at her. "Don't mistake 'cute' for my very real need to get you out of these clothes and into this bath."

"Oh, I see. So really, this bath is for you."

"Win-win for both of us, baby."

The tub fills with warm water and lavender-scented bubbles while steam curls softly around us. I grab her coconut shampoo and place it beside the tub, ready to wash her hair. A couple of candles cast golden light across her skin as I undress her slowly, my lips following my hands across every inch of exposed skin. The way she responds, body arching, eyes darkening—it tests my self-control, but this is for her.

Once she's bare, I strip off my own clothes, letting them fall to the floor before lowering myself into the tub and pulling her in with me. She sinks back against my chest, her body warm and soft as I wrap my arms around her.

"Okay, I don't care what your motives are—this is just what I needed," she says, releasing a long, contented sigh as her head rests against my shoulder.

I press my lips against the nape of her neck. She tilts her head, giving me access to her skin, and I take it, trailing slow kisses along her shoulder, and I’m certain this is what heaven feels like.

I reach down, fingers finding the ring in my discarded jacket.

My heart kicks against my ribs like it's trying to break free as I grip it, the weight of forever solid in my palm.

Amelia is still reclined against my body, her head resting on my shoulder, completely unaware of what's about to happen.

"Mills?"

"Mmhmm," she hums lazily, her eyes still closed and entirely at ease in my arms.

"You know how insanely in love with you I am, don't you?"

Her lips curve into a sleepy smile, and she shifts slightly, her body pressing closer. "I do."

Those two words hit me like a punch to the chest, stealing my breath for a second, and god, I can't wait to hear her say them again.

Not just like this—but the way I've been dreaming about and in front of everyone we know. I want to hear them when she's wearing white, when she's promising me forever, and when she's making me the luckiest bastard alive.

"The day you tiptoed into my life was the day everything changed," I murmur, my voice soft yet laced with the kind of raw honesty I can only show her. "I was drowning in my own darkness, and then there you were. One look at you, and I knew my whole world was about to flip upside down in the best way." Amelia shifts slightly, turning her face just enough to look up at me. "You breathed life back into me, Firefly."

"Are you okay, baby?"

I smile down at her, gliding my fingers over her left hand as her body rests against mine. Slowly, I slide the ring onto her finger. It takes her a moment to feel it and realize what's happening. But when her eyes drop to her hand and then snap back to mine, I see everything. A love so deep it hurts, trust that could move mountains, excitement that could light up cities, and maybe a flash of fear. But mostly, I see her.

"Tobias…" Her voice trembles as her lips part.

"I know I'm supposed to ask first," I say, my thumb brushing over the ring as it sits perfectly on her finger, "but look how perfect that is, baby." She stares at it, her lips trembling as tears start to gather. "Since you haven't ripped it off and thrown it at my head, I'm going to assume you want this as much as I do. But just to make it official…"

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