Page 101 of Taming You

One Year Later

Fuck, I’m anxious. I’ve debated about when the best time was to do this for months. Was it at an early morning coaching session because that’s where Zoey and I started spending more time together? Or at one of my games? Did she want her family there, or mine? I don’t think I’ve antagonized over a decision this much ever, but I have to get this right.

We spent Christmas Eve at my parents’ place last night, and we’re heading to Henry and Maggie’s in about an hour. It seems like this is going to be our tradition now. I didn’t sleep well last night at all. I think I got maybe an hour of actual sleep. The rest of the night, I was tossing and turning, and I can’t blame Zoey’s snoring. It actually calmed me a bit.

I can’t stand trying to sleep anymore. I throw the blankets off, and as I throw my legs over the edge of the bed, Zoey asks, “What’s wrong?”

I plaster on a smile and look at her. “Nothing, baby. Just go back to sleep.”

She shakes her head, worry filling her expression. “No, something’s wrong.”

I love that she knows me so well, but I hate it in this instance, because I can’t keep any secrets from her. I let out a breath and drop my head between my shoulders. I feel her shuffle onto her knees and move closer to me. Her hand comes to my back, slowly rubbing it before she runs her fingers through my hair and kisses my shoulder.

“You know you can tell me anything,” she says, and I can’t fight my smile. Zoey is the one person I want to tell everything. The good, the bad, the mundane. She’s who I want to tell.

“I know, Bug.”

“You’re worrying me,” she whispers, and that’s the last fucking thing I want.

“Give me one minute?” I ask, and she nods.

I rush downstairs and grab the present I hid at the very back of the tree under the tree skirt so she wouldn’t see it and take the stairs two at a time on my way back up.

She’s sitting up in bed when I enter the bedroom again. When she spots the box in my hand, her jaw drops and tears start to gather in the corner of her eyes. My girl is smart, and I knew as soon as she saw the box, she’d know exactly what it was. I’ve held onto this for so long, waiting for her to tell me she was ready, and when she told me a few months ago, it took everything in me to not just grab the box and ask her then. I wanted to make this perfect for her. I promised we’d make happy and positive Christmas memories, and I wanted to make this one of them.

“Is that...” Her voice fades as her tears start to fall, and I nod.

She scrambles onto her knees again and rushes to the end of the bed to meet me. “Yes, yes, yes,” she says as her arms wrap around my neck.

“Baby, you didn’t even let me ask.”

She pulls back and wipes at her tears. “You don’t need to. I know my answer will be yes. I love you so much, Matthew. I can’t wait to be your wife.”

I cup her face, my thumb swiping under her eyes. “I had a whole speech planned and everything.”

She sniffles, and it’s the cutest fucking thing. Humour and heat fill her eyes as she smiles at me. “Do you want to say your speech, or do you want to fuck your fiancée?”

I kiss her softly and whisper against her lips, “You’re not my fiancée until you’re wearing my ring.”

She holds eye contact with me as she grabs the box and rips into the wrapping paper. Her eyes widen when she finally looks down at the ring in the box.

“Do you like it?” I ask hesitantly.

“It’s perfect. This is exactly what I would have picked.”

It’s a simple princess-cut stone set on a band lined with diamonds. The size of the main stone isn’t showy, but the light hits all the stones and it shines, just like Zoey. I take the ring out of the box and slowly slide it onto her finger, the small possessive part of me coming out as I get to claim her as mine. She’s going to wear something that tells the world that Zoey Williams is mine.

I lean down and kiss her, my hands coming to her hair as I grab fistfuls of it and devour her. I’m panting when I finally break the kiss, and I press my forehead to hers.

“Do you want me to be your good boy or do you want to be claimed?”

“Claim me, Matthew.”

Fuck me, this woman is everything. I quickly push down my boxer briefs, and she tosses her nightgown to the side, letting me take in every perfect inch of her. She leans back on the bed and pushes herself closer to the headboard.

“Spread your legs for me, baby, I want to see how wet you are for me.”

She grins as she does as she’s told, and I hold back my groan as I see she’s glistening.

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