Effortless

He lowered himself so the full weight of his body pressed against mine and continued to kiss along my neck and shoulders. I attempted to hook my legs around his waist and inadvertently dislodged his towel.

“Do you like what I’ve done?” I asked, knotting my fingers through his damp hair.

His lips brushed mine, setting off all sorts of tingles and shivers. “Do I like that you’ve gotten me naked? Yes. What do you plan to do with me?”

He kissed me long and slow, running a hand along my curves. My mind drifted into a wonderful, fuzzy oblivion as I traced my fingers down his athletic body, pausing just above the curve of his backside. His kisses became more insistent.

A low groan vibrated in his throat when I pushed the towel to the floor.

“My Lia.” The humid warmth of his breath tickled my skin. “Tell me all about your day.”

“Not much to tell,” I mumbled, stroking his lower back. The lovely kisses came to a halt as he lifted his head. My eyes were slightly more adjusted to the dark and I could see him staring at me. “Why are you stopping?”

“I missed you.”

I laughed. “So you’d rather stare at me than kiss me?”

“Cheeky. No present for you.”

The divine heat of his body disappeared when he pushed himself up off the couch. I watched him wrap the towel around his waist, wishing he’d left it on the floor. Seeming to read my mind, he grinned and draped it over his shoulder instead.

“You mean the one you sent me at work?” I asked, not making an effort to tear my eyes away from his naked body.

“No. I’m up here.”

I flicked my eyes up. “And your point is?”

He folded his arms with a wicked grin. “Give me two minutes and we’ll finish what we’ve started here.”

He flipped on a light before walking to the bedroom. I stared at his bare backside until he disappeared around the corner. I sat up, flustered and turned on and curious as to what he was up to. He reappeared, as promised, two minutes later dressed in boxers and a t-shirt.

“Why are you wearing clothes?” I asked, failing to hide my disappointment.

Fixing a dark stare on me, he flashed a sexy smile, reaching out his hand. “Come here, love.”

Spurred on by his quiet demand, I followed him to the back patio and out into the yard. Goosebumps scattered themselves all over my arms when the brisk September breeze rushed through the night. I tried my best not to shiver.

“Look up.”

I snuck at peek at him first before turning my sights to the skies. A few clouds disrupted the various clusters of stars glittering overhead. I smiled, allowing the serenity of the moment to wash over me. There wasn’t too much light pollution from the city interfering, which was a nice surprise.

“Pick one,” he whispered.

I looked at him, confused. “A star?”

“Yes.”

“Um,” I paused, staring into the heavens. They all winked at me, vying to be the one I chose. A particularly bright star caught my attention. I watched it for a few seconds to make sure it was actually a star and not a planet. Planets don’t twinkle.

“That one,” I said, pointing to the shiny one directly over our heads.

“Are you sure?”

“Yep.”

I felt his body behind me, standing close. He hooked his arms around my waist and rested his chin on my shoulder. “Which one is it again?”

Baffled and extremely amused by this little game we were playing, I pointed again towards the star. “See it?”

Raising his hand next to mine, he pointed with me. “That one?”

“Yes, Holden. It’s ri—”

Something glinted off his index finger. I squeezed my eyes shut and re-opened them to make sure I was actually seeing this. Yep. It was there. Instead of the star winking back at me, a diamond ring sparkled in its place. Were those emeralds in there too?

Oh. My. God.

“I figured it was time we made this official, yes?”

I don’t know if it was the accent, the smile or the way he was looking at me but I couldn’t form a complete thought. My no-relationships-non-dater just out romanced every other guy in the universe.

“I thought we weren’t doing rings.”

He shrugged. “I changed my mind.”

His expression was completely blank but his eyes flickered. I eyed the ring as though it wasn’t real. It looked vintage. The diamond was round and huge and surrounded by a halo of emeralds in a platinum setting. There were even diamonds on the band.

“It’s so beautiful,” I said, reaching up to touch his cheek.

“Lia…I…”

Fiery passion ignited a glow in his eyes that I’d never seen before. Fisting his hand in my hair, he pulled me against his chest, kissing me with such fervor I couldn’t breathe. Gasping, he broke the kiss. “You are my everything.” His gaze, fringed by thick lashes, revealed an overwhelming vulnerability coupled with a never-ending intent to claim me.

Enclosed in his magnetic sphere, I took his hand and placed it over my heart. “Always.”

Swallowing hard, he slid the ring off his own finger and slipped it onto mine.

“Promise you’ll never leave.” His request hovered somewhere between a plea and an order. Knowing how hard it was for him to become emotionally attached to anyone, I ignored the slightly demanding tone.

“You’re stuck with me, chief. You couldn’t get rid of me if you tried.”

I lost myself in his intoxicating scent the second he pressed his forehead to mine. I loved this man so much. From the top of that gorgeous head of dark red hair down to his toes, he was perfection. And right now, surrounded by the sight and scent of him, all I wanted to do was…

His emerald eyes darkened a bit, giving me a rush. “What are you thinking about?”

“If you don’t know the answer to that question by now, then—”

He hovered his mouth over mine, essentially halting me from continuing. So help me, the level of seduction he operated at was out of this world. His come-hither stare and kissable sculpted mouth made my pulse race. He wasn’t even touching me, yet my skin warmed at the mere thought of it.