Hardline (7 page)

  
My eyes fell shut as I gave myself over to it. All my senses tuned in to the way our bodies fit, all the ways this man owned my pleasure.
 

  
* * *

  
We left the privacy of the house and wandered into town. The island buzzed with activity. We wasted the rest of the afternoon perusing shops, trying to avoid the now unavoidable throngs of summer tourists. We talked, but never about work. We laughed, always touching in some way. I needed it, and maybe he did too, because I couldn’t remember a moment when we weren’t connected. Most of the time we were simply together, without words, but in the comfort of being with each other.
 

  
We’d been ravenous for each other lately, some all-consuming hunger that only grew stronger once sated. I needed him. And that need pulsed through me every waking hour. In the background of my days, in the demands of our nights, and in the quiet wordless moments that we shared in between. I’d lost all control over it, and I’d given up trying to harness it. We’d spent too much time apart. I couldn’t deny any fleeting chances to be together.

  
From the day Blake derailed my presentation months ago, he’d captivated something in me. What had grown between us since I could no longer be without. Maybe he felt the same way, and that ever present need—to touch, to hold, to be lost in each other through the long nights—was a manifestation of that nameless emotion between us.

  
Between our afternoon romp, the activities in town, and the fresh air on the island, I was exhausted by the time we pulled up to the house. I shivered when we stepped into the cool air. I much preferred the breezy summer air over the climate control of the indoors. I’d spent too many months cold, yearning for summer. The warm sun was not something to waste.

  
Always so in tune, Blake rubbed my arms, coaxing some warmth into the chill that had worked its way over me.
 

  
“Are you hungry?”

   
“A little, yeah.”

  
“Go relax on the deck. I’ll grab something for us to eat.”

  
I agreed and stepped out onto the deck that gave an unobstructed view of the ocean beyond. I sank into one of the Adirondacks and propped my feet on a stool. I closed my eyes and let the warm breeze dance over my skin as the sun set. The sounds of ocean waves lapping against the sandy shore might have lulled me to sleep if I’d been alone a few minutes longer.
 

  
Blake joined me then, setting a plate with cheeses, crackers, and meats on a table. He poured white wine into two glasses and handed me one.
 

  
“Thank you,” I said.
 

  
His eyes glittering warmly. I met his smile, wondering what had inspired that look since I saw him moments ago.
 
“You’re happy.”

  
He sat back, smirking before taking a drink. “I am very happy. You have that effect on me, you know.”

  
My heart sang. I tipped the glass, and as the fruity liquid hit my tongue, I knew this had been a great idea. Three days of peace and quiet with Blake was already pure heaven. I relaxed into the chair.
 

  
“This is amazing, Blake. I could stay out here forever. It’s so peaceful.”

  
“Careful what you wish for. I’ll have us moved out here by the week’s end.”

  
I laughed. “No kidding. I can’t make a wish without you rushing in to make it come true.”
 

  
His eyes held me steady, serious in their depth. The humor in my words faded away when I thought about what a gift he was to me. I took a breath, suddenly overwhelmed by that truth. What had I done to deserve such an amazing man to call my own?
 

  
“You know there’s no way I can thank you for everything you do for me. I kid, but seriously, how can I ever repay you for all the wonderful things you’ve done?”

  
“I’m sure I’ll think of something.” He nodded to my glass. “Drink up.”

  
I sighed and took a long sip. I nearly spit the liquid out when something hard fell against my lips. I swallowed quickly and looked inside the glass.
 

  
Oh my God.

  
I straightened, planting my feet on the ground, though nothing could ground me for what I was seeing. I stared stupidly into the glass, frozen and vaguely aware that Blake had moved to kneel at my feet. His palms brushed along the sides of my bare thighs up to my shorts.
 

  
“Breathe, baby.”
 

  
I inhaled on command, my eyes unable to shift from the shiny diamond-studded ring that rested in the empty well of my glass. I couldn’t think. I could barely breathe.
 

  
“This hasn’t been a one-way street. You’ve given me just as much as I’ve given you. You’ve loved me at times when I haven’t made it so easy for you to... Erica, honey, look at me.”
 

  
I swallowed over the tight prickle in my throat. Tears burned my eyes as I met his warm gaze. “This is crazy,” I whispered.
 

  
“This might be crazy, but this is our life, and I want to spend it with you, as your husband. I want to come home to you and know you’ll always be there. I want to make love to you every night and wake up with you every morning for the rest of my life.”

  
I shook my head in disbelief, tears falling. I searched for words, but none came.
 

  
He brushed away the wetness on my cheeks and reached for my glass. Tipping it, he retrieved the ring and set the glass away. He grasped my hand gently and looked up at me.
 

  
“Erica, will you marry me?”

  
I stared into his eyes, now green and bright in the fading daylight. Time stood still as the question echoed in my mind, as the enormity of what he was asking me sank in. Could this be real? Could he really mean it?
 

  
“Are you sure?”

  
He smiled. Somehow he’d never looked so gorgeous. “Yes, I’m sure.”
 

  
“Are we rushing into this? That’s what everyone’s going to say.”
 

  
His eyes widened a fraction. “We’ve been through enough to fill a lifetime. I don’t need any more time to know you’re the one I want to be with. And I seriously don’t give a damn what anyone else has to say about it. Neither should you.”
 

  
I looked past him to the steady ebb and flow of the ocean. Our little paradise had become that much more surreal. To be Blake’s wife, to tie our lives together, irrevocably. I’d thought of it, of course. I’d tried not to read into his insinuations about a future of forever. Deep down that was what I wanted too, though. As much as the prospect terrified me when I thought about what it really meant, I did want forever with Blake. He brushed his thumb over the skin above my knuckle, sending a rush to my heart. I loved this man, and I couldn’t believe anything would ever change that.

  
“Okay,” I said quietly.

  
He cocked an eyebrow. “Okay?”

  
I smiled. “Yes.”
 

  
“Are you sure?”

  
I laughed softly. “Yes, I’m sure. I—I want to marry you. I love you, Blake. How could I say anything but yes?”

  
His face split with a smile. He slipped the sparkling band over my knuckle and into place, pressing a kiss where it sat. He stood, bringing me with him and into his arms. We were wrapped together so tightly, I could scarcely take a breath.
 

  
“I love you, Erica. You’ll never understand how much, but I’m going to try like hell to show you.”

  
I held him back and the reality of our promise settled over me, warming me from limb to limb. Our love filled me, until I thought my heart might explode with it.

  
In that moment, I knew I could never love anyone the way I loved Blake.
 

The rest of the weekend flew by. Blake took us out on the water, jetting us to outlying islands where we basked in the sun and listened to the steady rush of the ocean water until we were too tired or hungry to stay longer. We explored every quiet corner of the island. We ate and drank and made love. We talked and made promises. Every minute was like its own little paradise.
 

  
This commitment between us still felt new, like a dream. But so was being on the island, isolated from our real world. Every time my eyes lit on the sparkle of the band on my finger, my heart leapt. It was a brilliant and overwhelming reminder of Blake’s love. Both thrilled and apprehensive of what it meant for our future, I couldn’t help but fantasize about our happily ever after.
 

  
“Do you like the ring?”
 

  
I looked up at Blake, who’d caught me admiring it as our plane approached Boston’s dusky skyline. “I love it. It’s simple.”
 

  
“We can pick out something bigger if you want. I took a risk with it. I wasn’t sure what you’d want.”
 

  
“No, I want this. It’s perfect.”

  
“Good.” He grinned and squeezed my hand gently. “We’ll put another one next to it, and then I’ll know I have you for good.”
 

  
I envisioned its companion, and the meaning struck me.
 

  
“Like the bracelets.”

  
He nodded.
 

  
“You’ll have me cuffed and bound to you forever, Blake. You sure you want that?”
 

  
He leaned in, taking my lips in a gentle kiss. “That’s the idea.”
 

  
My heart twisted. A tiny flutter of nerves hit my belly at the thought of being Blake’s forever. His
wife
.
 

  
As our plane floated toward Logan Airport, I regretted that we were returning so soon. The break had been amazing but short-lived. I was still high on it, but less pleasant realities waited for both of us. Whatever trouble came our way, we’d face it together. I’d made Blake a promise that we always would. No more running and no more trying to be strong on my own. Fighting my own independent nature wasn’t easy, but sharing my life, the good and the bad, was more important now than ever.

  
When we stepped into the apartment, Alli met me with a squeal and tight hug. I laughed and hugged her back. The happiness of having my best friend so close compounded with this news, warming me.
 

  
Heath’s hand slapped Blake’s in a shake. “Congrats, man.”

  
A small smile spread across Blake’s face. “Thanks.”

  
Heath’s focus shifted to me and he pulled me into a tight hug. “Erica, future sister-in-law. You have no idea what you’re getting into with this one, but more power to you.”
 

  
I laughed and pushed him back playfully. The two men wandered into the living room and talked while Alli all but dragged me toward the kitchen so she could inspect the ring. She studied it for several seconds as the light danced off the diamonds. I smiled, thrilled all over again that he’d asked, that I’d agreed. Without even having had the chance to fantasize about what that moment between us might be like, I’d known immediately it was what I wanted.
 

  
Alli ran a thumb over the band, one eyebrow raised. “This is different.”
 

  
I shrugged, not quite sure what to say. I wasn’t about to tell her that the bracelets he’d given me months ago doubled as handcuffs, and this ring held a similar symbolism. “Different, but it’s us. I love it. Plus, how am I supposed to work on a computer all day with some huge rock on my finger?”

  
She leaned back against the counter, her gaze lifting from the ring to my eyes for the first time in several minutes. She studied me then, with almost as much intrigue as she’d studied my diamonds.
 

  
“So if I know you, your mind must be going a million miles an hour with all this.”

  
I laughed. “A little. I’m just...”

  
“What?”

  
I sighed. “I don’t know. I think I’m still in shock that he wants this, you know, to make things permanent.”
 

  
“Blake is crazy about you. You know that.”
 

  
“It was an easy decision to make. Obviously I’m head over heels for him too. Not like he would have taken no for an answer anyway.” I laughed to myself, trying to imagine what lengths he would have gone to get the answer he wanted.
 

  
While my thoughts ran away from me, Alli smiled broadly and bounced a little.
“I’m so happy for you, Erica! I’ve been freaking out all weekend. Heath told me after you left, and I’ve been dying to see you again.”
 

  
“I had no idea,” I said, admiring Blake’s gift, his promise.
 

  
“This can’t have been the first time you’ve talked about marriage.”

  
My eyebrows shot up. “Why, have you?”

  
A flush reddened her cheeks. “I’m not talking about me. I’m talking about you. Usually people talk about marriage before proposing. Test the waters and what not.”