Page 104 of Marry Me

“Counters can be fun,” Megan said, turning to her.

“Later.”

“Your ambition is my favorite.”

They kissed their way to Megan’s bedroom, stopping for a time on the arm of the couch, then up against a wall in the hallway, before finally finding a bed. As hot as they were together, as always, everything about this time also felt different. There was a reverence to it, an expression of the love they’d recaptured and faced head-on. Each touch was softer, each moment of eye contact that much more intense. When Megan took her to heights of pleasure and brought her down again, there were tears on her cheeks.

Megan tenderly wiped them away and laid her face along Ally’s. “Hey there. Are you okay? Talk to me.”

“I’m more than okay. I’m…home.”

She kissed her. “You are. And you’re never leaving again. Ever. You hear me?”

“And if you get scared, or nervous, or feel the least bit insecure, then—”

“I will scream it from the rooftops, so not only you, but every neighbor we have knows how I’m feeling.”

“We have the same neighbors?”

“Well, yeah. Eventually.” In the dim light of the room, she could see that Megan was nervous. “I’m ready for that now, but listen, we can hold off. Summer is a good time to move, though. You’re off work.”

“Wait a minute.” She placed her hand on Megan’s cheek and turned her face so their gazes connected. “Megan Kinkaid, wedding planner known to many, are you asking me to move in with you? Officially asking?”

“Yes, fourth-grade teacher. Please do. Anytime you want. Today, tomorrow, next year. The offer is there. Or I’ll move in with you. Either way, I want it to happen.”

Allison grinned. “You’d miss this place, and honestly, so would I.”

“As long as I’m with you, I can breathe. Tested the theory. Never want to again.”

This was such a big decision, but she honestly didn’t have to think very long. “Yes. When school’s out. Let’s do it.”

“And a Caribbean vacation. And maybe Italy at Christmastime. Chianti and carols pair perfectly.”

“Your mind is my favorite when you’re naked.” She slid on top and settled her hips between Megan’s legs, watching as her eyes fluttered and darkened.

“I love you,” Megan said. “Do you hear me?”

Allison kissed her in answer.

“I’m gonna say it all the time. You need to be prepared. I plan to tell other people, too.”

“Good.”

Megan smiled. “I love you.”

“What was that?” Allison looked skyward.

“I love you. A lot.”

“I love you, too. Oh, and there’s a lasagna dinner at my parents’ house tomorrow night. You’re coming with me. I already talked to them, and they’re thrilled to meet you.”

“The parents? This is getting serious.”

“You have no idea.”

Those were the last words spoken before she lost herself in Megan, in total expression of her own love and passion. As they lay together after a more than memorable evening, drifting off to sleep beneath a wash of moonlight, happy and sated, Allison reflected on her journeyover the past year, hardly believing any of it was possible. The path had certainly not been an easy one, full of twists, turns, and giant rocks in her way. Hell, toss in an evil gnome or two. A troll under a bridge. But if it led her right back to where she was in this perfect moment, she would go through every damn second of the journey again. It was now part of her and her newfound identity. It was fantastic finding Megan, but even more of an accomplishment to have found herself. And now that she’d opened up to love, as scary as it was, the path ahead looked pretty damn exciting. She wasn’t sure how, but everything in her knew with unshakable certainty that she and Megan were about to live a long and wonderful life together. In fact, the knowledge brought tears to her eyes.

Megan, who she thought had drifted off to sleep, actually hadn’t. “Are you crying?” she asked, gently swiping a tear with her thumb. “Why are you crying?”

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