We laugh silently together and I watch, patiently as every word ticks over in her mind. Waiting for the next hang-up, ready to tell her why saying yes will be the best decision ever.
“I’m not becoming Mrs. Smith.” My smile drops a little with the hope blooming in my stomach. Even though I expected it, it doesn’t stop the little sting from the refusal. It’s not the first time she’s said no, but maybe it’ll be the last. Maybe next time will bea yes. I just hold her tighter to me, determined to win her over next time. “Hey.” She reaches for my face, directing me to look into hers. “That wasn’t a no.”
I rear back, confused, her smile awfully cheeky. “But you said?—”
“I meant I’m not taking your name. I want to stay Rosie Garcia.”
A massive breath of relief leaves my lungs so fast I fall forward, nearly groaning with exhilaration as I crush her against my chest and kiss the ever-loving shit out of mywife.She chuckles, falling into the kiss and keeping a firm grip on the back of my neck before I lightly pull away.
“Rosebud, I don’t give afuckwhat name you take or keep or whatever. I don’t want to marry you so you become Mrs. anything. I just want to call you my wife and wake up to you every morning. To make you pancakes and watch you ruin something as simple as a bowl of cereal. I want to give you a massage after a long day in the office and share a glass of wine on Sundays. I want to build pillow forts in front of our windows with candles and nothing but the city lights. To feel your skin on mine and breathe you in every day. I don’t care about names.”
“Oh…well, that’s…reassuring.” She slowly bobs her head, rolling her lips around before landing on me with a sudden look of nerves.
“And…kids?”
Ahh, I was waiting for this one. I smile at her confidently, because I’ve thought long and hard about this and I realized that kids were never part of my plan, it wasn’t something I grew up dreaming of. Hell, I barely wanted a wife until I met Rosie. Kids are great, sure. Jessie and Casey’s baby, Moira, is adorable, Ava and Matt’s Mia and Ollie, also cute as fuck. But I don’t need any of my own to enjoy my life. And at the same time, if wedidhave kids, I’d be happy then too.
“You’re all the family I need, Rosie. If you want them, great, if you don’t, then also great.”
“You can’t be impassive about kids.” She drops her arms, her face a little serious, but I keep my smile, shrugging at her.
“Says who?”
“Well…everyone.”
“No, people say you need to make a decision, you need to know what you want. And I do. I want you. My decision is that I want to do life with you. If that life involves children? Of course I’m going to make room in my heart for them. I will love them, because they are you and me. And let’s be honest, I’d kill the dad game.” She gives me an almost unimpressed look, but I catch the slow smile spreading across her face. “But if doing life with you is also just you and me, it’ll still be perfect, and it’d still be everything I wanted. Because it’s you and it’s me. Kids would add to my joy, but they don’t make it. You do. It has always been you.” I emphasize with a quick, playful peck to her nose. She chuckles, a little watery as her wet eyes blink a few times. She falls against my chest, holding me tight to her, and I tuck her head comfortably under my chin. I hold her for a quiet moment when she whispers.
“I still don’t know if I want them. I really like our life right now and I don’t know if I’m ready for that to change…or if I ever will be.”
“And you don’t have to know. You don’t ever have to decide if you don’t want to. Just…” I pull her back so I can see her big, beautiful brown eyes. “Just say yes,” I whisper. “Please marry me, Rosie. Make this our home, be my wife, and everything else can come later.”
Ever so slowly, Rosie’s smile beams across her face. “Okay,mi amor.I’ll marry you.”
I think my jaw hits the floor, and for a few moments I stare down at her, not blinking, not wanting to break the spell, andshe chuckles. “Wait…really?”I can feel my heart pounding like a fucking freight train in my chest, and she laughs again. The best sound in the world.
“Yes. Really.” She tucks her fingers in mine, dragging me to the isle—where I was meant to actually propose. I follow limply behind her, still wondering if this is a cruel dream. “Well, some traditions have to stay the same, right? On your knees, pretty boy.” She smirks, gesturing to the ground.
“Fuck, I love it when you say that.” With a flash of filthy images across my mind, I do as I’m told…not just one knee, but both. Pulling out the smooth velvet box and opening it.
“Is that Harry Winston?” She gasps. I know my wife. Only the best for my girl.
“Rosie—”
“Shut up, I already said yes, give me the ring!” she squeaks, waving her hand in my face, and I can’t help but chuckle, sliding the ring onto her finger as she does a little dance, holding it up to her face to examine the oval-shaped diamond framed with tapered baguette side stones.
I go to stand, but she raises a hand to stop me.
“I think we have skipped over a few things,” she says, her voice dropping into a seductive haze that has my smile growing and my pants tightening.
“Oh yeah? What’s that?”
“The part where you beg, on your knees. Like the good boy you are.” I can’t fight the groan that works its way up my throat. Rosie loves to be a submissive in bed, but every now and then she takes control and it’s quite possibly the hottest thing ever.
“You want me to beg, pretty girl?” I unbutton my suit jacket and toss it to the ground.
“I don’t just want you to beg.”She walks back slowly toward the couch, collapsing into the seat as she unbuttons her blouse. “Crawl.” She sighs, spreading her thighs, giving me amouthwatering show of the fact that she apparently went panty-less under her pencil skirt today. I groan and do as I’m told, keeping an eye on my prize as I stalk toward her on my hands and knees. “So sexy when you’re on your knees for me,mi amor.” She bites down on her lip and I reach down to flick the button of my pants, giving the erection suffocating in there some room to move.
When I’m almost at my destination, she raises a heel and presses it against my shoulder.
