The Bachelor's Perfect Proposal (Bliss Series Book 2) (13 page)

“
V
eronica
.”

Her lips trembled as she locked eyes with me. A gush of wind whipped the hair behind her when she stepped inside. “I came as soon possible. I didn’t check my phone until... how is she?”

“How did you get here?”

“Sandrine sent a car. How is she, Levi? How’s Martina?”

“She’s resting now. Jake said she’ll be fine. You returned for her?”

She captured her bottom lip between her mouth, staring at the floor. “I didn’t want you to be alone. I was worried.”

I would fight the world for this woman, but it seemed she’d fight for me too. I cupped her chin in my hands and slowly lifted her head, urging her to see me, a man broken, a man splintered, who loved her with every fiber of his soul. Agony, fear, loneliness and desperation didn’t hold a candle to what I felt for her.

It was love, pure and simple.

Inhaling her scent, I inched forward, ghosting my lips over hers, feeling the tremor coursing through her body. When I exhaled, she breathed it in. And I knew then that she was my life, and I was hers.

“Levi, I’m so sorry,” she uttered before I pressed my lips on hers, tasting her sweetness once again. It wasn’t a long kiss, but it was full of passion and fervency, creating a sizzle through me. I leaned my forehead against hers, continuing to live in the moment. Her eyes were closed. Her hands riffled through my hair and massaged the nape of my neck. Her heartbeat thrummed against mine, a symphony between us.

I kissed her again, and nibbled at her lip, repeating her name over and over, in whispers, through trembles, “Veronica, my Veronica, there’s nothing you should apologize for. I was the one who was wrong. I shouldn’t have left.”

“I shouldn’t have let you go. I’ve been so stupid. So foolish.” Her hands reached down and held onto mine. I brought them to my lips, afraid to let them go.

“You’re here now. We’re here together. That’s all that matters.”

We stood there for a while, leaning against each other for strength and support.

“I’d like to see her.”

“Of course.” With my lips, I smoothed the worry lines on her forehead. I wrapped my arms around her, squeezing her against me, before I led her up the stairs. Alex was nowhere to be found, though Jake and Sandrine stood at the end of the hall. Veronica waved at them, and they waved back before retreating to their room.

We entered Martina’s bedroom as quietly as we could. She hadn’t changed position. The machine kept its rhythm. My phone buzzed in my pocket, but I ignored it. I was aware that it could very well be the concierge from the hotel, fulfilling his promise.

“Her blood pressure spiked, and she fainted, but it wasn’t another stroke.” I spoke in a calm manner. There was no need to scare Veronica.

“That’s good to know. Jake said all she needed was a good night’s sleep?” I nodded, even though Veronica kept staring at Martina.

“You’ll see her in the morning. She’d be glad to see you’re back...You are back, aren’t you, my darling?”

She nodded. “Let’s let her rest.” Veronica approached Martina’s bed and leaned over to kiss her forehead. “See you in the morning, Onna.”

“Where’d you learn that word?”

“She asked me to call her that. I’ve been too shy to say it until now.” Simple words, yet they spoke volumes.

Veronica reached out for my hand, led us out of the room and towards the east wing of the mansion, where our bedroom awaited.

* * *

T
he door clicked closed
, and we were engulfed in darkness. My pulse thudded in my ears. My hands shook.

When the light switched on, Veronica stood by the bed, picking up a small brown box. She placed a hand over her parted lips.

“What is it?” I sauntered to her. She lifted the box and presented it to me, urging me silently to open it.

“Open it,” she encouraged.

I ripped the indistinct wrapping off, and pulled apart the flap of the small box. Inside it was a much more elegantly wrapped box with silver paper and a red bow. The tag read, “With love, Veronica”. I glanced up at her with a mixture surprise and question in my eyes. “For me?”

S
he nodded
, and approached me, placing a hand over mine, which held the gift. I pulled out my present, a watch. A hiccup choked in my throat, as I stared at it. “Happy Birthday, my love,” Veronica said before she kissed one corner of my lips.

“You got a me a present?”

“Yes. Do you like it?”

“I...” My legs felt weak. I let myself fall on the bed, sitting on the edge, with the opened box held in one hand before me. “I’ve never received a present before.”

“What do you mean never?” Veronica was careful not to touch me, but she pinned me with the fervent look in her eyes. “Never?”

“Yeah. No one has ever given me anything for my birthday. My parents often forgot it. It wasn’t anything my brothers and I got used to.”

I was certain Veronica had other questions she wanted to ask, but those were forgotten for the moment. Her eyes welled up. She lifted the box from my hand and took out the watch. “It has an inscription on the back.” She turned over and let me read it.

“With you I feel whole.”

She flipped the watch over and waited until I raised my arm to her. Then she clasped it on my wrist. “Those were your words the night you told me you love me. ‘I am far from perfect, but with you I feel whole.’“ Once she was done, she fluttered kisses on the knuckles of my hands.

Veronica tugged and I stood. With as much tenderness as I could muster, I whispered a hand over her face, pushing tendrils of her hair behind her ears.

The night sky had cleared and the bright moonlight shone into the room. It didn’t quite reach Veronica but to me she was luminescent. Her chest raised and lowered as she breathed steadily, running her fingers over my shirt. She thumbed the lapels of my jacket, pushing it off my chest and letting it drop to the floor. One by one, she worked at my buttons. I wondered if she could she how heavily my heart thudded in my chest. The warmth of her fingertips seared my skin as she drew lines and circles over my chest and all the way down past my navel.

The rest of my clothes joined the pile on the floor. I stayed standing in a state of undress, letting her take it all in-- scars, imperfections, flaws–to see what she wanted to see as she stepped back. She raised her eyes and held my gaze. And I waited.

Her dress pooled by her feet as she unzipped it and let it slide down her body. There she was, my Veronica, my goddess, with the moonlight trying to reach the silhouette of her curves.

I offered my hands for her to take and she accepted. The same hands stroked up her arms and caused a sizzle between us. I kept the watch on and its ticking was drowned out by the rapid tattoo of my heart. Unhurriedly, I invited Veronica into the bed, laying her head on the cool, silk sheets.

I basked in her sweet warmth.

As though I was starved, I kissed her. I kissed her lips, her cheeks, the coil of her ears. I kissed the tips of her fingers, the pulse on her wrists, the soft skin inside her elbows. I kissed the column of her neck, the dip of her throat, the smoothness between her breasts. All the while, my hands ghosted over the curve of the edge of her ribs down the bend of her waist and to the arc of her hips.

My Veronica. I placed my ear on her chest, and listened to the whispers of her heart. I gazed up at her eyes and swam in the pools of desire. Between my lips, I captured her cupid’s bow, and inhaled the sigh of her breath. I filled her with everything I had, memorized the sensation of her around me, and embraced her body as she bowed underneath me.

We moved as one, as though we were united beyond any physicality, where her skin didn’t end but continued with mine. She dug her fingers on my back as I pushed, taking her with me to where all emotions gathered. The only soundtrack we had were the symphony of our exhales, the gasps of our inhales, the mewl from her lips, and the moan from my mouth.

And when we were at the precipice, she whispered my name, “Levi”. I stared into her eyes and took us both over the edge, answering her with her own, “Veronica.”

I loved this woman. And I knew she loved me, scars, cuts, bruises and all. She had accepted me, cleared off the webs from my past and made way to a better future. She had cleansed me of my sorrows and delighted with me in the heat of our love. She is my goddess, my sweet, my all.

Releasing her slowly, I lay on my side. She curved towards me, fitting into the crevice of my body, crossing my legs with hers as I wrapped an arm around her. Veronica lowered her head and rested it against my chest. Her jagged breath fluttered and warmed my skin. “I love you,” she whispered.

“And I love you,” I said back. Our hands intertwined between our thumping hearts.

I closed my eyes and dreamt of a future with my Veronica who had shown me in many ways that I was completed. I was whole. I was loved.

“
W
ill you marry me
?”

I tested the words under my breath. My heart thundered in my chest. A lump had formed in my throat. As I cleared it, Veronica wriggled beside me, peacefully asleep.

Her eyes didn’t flutter open, and I was relieved. It wasn’t because I was not ready, but what if... I had to get a grip. The past couple of times I’d planned to do this had turned into disasters. I looked around the brightly-lit bedroom. No signs of imminent danger here. Just a perfect opportunity.

One of my arms was stuck under her, and when Veronica slept, she was an unmovable rock. I had to reach for the bedside table without waking her up. Every time I moved an inch, she snuggled closer. A bit more and I was almost there. I might have suffered a strain on my shoulder but I needed to retrieve the box from the drawer. It slammed shut, and my eyes darted back to Veronica to make sure the noise didn’t wake her.

I placed the box over my chest, feeling the thrum of my heartbeat underneath it. I opened it and pulled out the ring. The diamond caught the light and glistened. A prism of colors danced around us.

* * *

A
fter the third kiss
, she opened her eyes into slits. She made that cute little sound with her pursed lips--almost a purr. Veronica wriggled her nose and smiled before she opened her eyes.

“Crap, my contacts!” She blinked furiously, lifted her hands to rub her eyes, but she stopped before she could do any damage to her corneas.

“Good morning to you too,” I said with a chuckle, kissing the tip of her nose.

“Mornin’, babe.” Veronica pressed one side of her head to the pillows, with a Cheshire cat-like grin, her hair a dark contrast to the white sheets. She kept her eyes closed. “I should take them off now.”

“Sweetheart, can you just open your eyes for a moment?” And see me presenting her with a ring...

“No, babe, hold on,” she tilted her head up, squinting. “I’ll be quick.”

She moved to get up, which was a bad idea since I had a tray of breakfast beside her. The tray jostled, the cup of hot chai latté I had prepared for her tipped and spilled all over the bed, and onto my lap.

“Oh!” Veronica jumped off the bed, set the tray aside and began patting my hot—and not in a good way—crotch, while I hopped on one foot. “Why didn’t you tell me there was hot food on the bed?”

“I was trying to surprise you.” I hoped to God my bits weren’t singed. In retrospect, hot latté on the bed was a terrible idea. “I thought it would be romantic.”

Veronica giggled. She was on her knees now, continuing to pat my soaked trousers with her hands, which had other effects than keeping the heat off my skin. “This is not working. Just take off your pants.” She didn’t have to tell me twice.

Before Veronica lifted herself off the floor, she grabbed the shirt I had discarded last night. I loved it when she wore my shirt. It looked sexier on her.

As I reached for the button of my trousers, she pointed at the box in my hand. I’d picked it up to save it from the latté explosion.

“What’s that?”

Her round eyes pulled me in. I opened my mouth to speak.

It wasn’t how I pictured doing this. I ignored the heat spreading on my legs, and went for it.

I got down on one knee and clasped her hand into mine. I had a long preamble prepared for this exact moment, but that all went out the window when the tray tipped. And I was left only with the most important words. “Veronica, will you marry me?”

Pure and simple. It was always going to be like this.

Veronica’s eyes welled up, as she pressed a hand on her lips. She nodded and whispered, “Yes.”

A smile spread on my face. I picked the ring out and placed it on her... “Wrong hand,” I muttered, shaking my head and laughing at myself. Veronica joined in with the laughter and offered her trembling left hand. The ring slipped onto her finger. Perfect.

“Levi, it’s beautiful.” Her eyes glistened like the diamond in the sunshine.

As I stood, I let my hands wander over her legs, her hips, her waist, and ended up cupped behind her neck. “
Je t’aime pour toujours
. I will always love you.” They were more than words. They were a promise.

“
Je t’aime à fond
,” Veronica whispered before I crushed my lips on hers.

It didn’t matter how I asked her. No grand gestures were required. Not a private spot between the Redwoods, or a picnic in the vineyard. All I needed was a spot with her in it. Although I was sure she’d have a blast once I told her stories of my failed attempts.

After that long, searing kiss, Veronica sighed against my lips. “Levi...”

“Yeah?” I kept her wrapped in my arms, listening to the thrum of our heartbeats.

“When we tell people, can we say...”

“I know, skip the spilled latté and burnt crotch.”

She snickered against my lips. “No, I’d like to tell them every perfect moment, down to the soaked pants, and my lack of underwear.” Veronica laughed again, a sweet easy sound. “Okay, maybe not the lack of underwear part.”

Why wouldn’t we? This was our story to tell.

* * *

W
e sorted ourselves out
, ensured that my sensitive bits didn’t need first aid and were still functional. I had checked in on Martina before bringing Veronica breakfast in bed, so I knew that my Onna would be waiting for the good news.

Sandrine and Jake in the gardens had joined her when Veronica and I stepped out. Kisses and embraces were exchanged, as well as the expected words of congratulations.

Alex came back, after having attended a final meeting with the family’s solicitors. With Veronica beside me, I extended an olive branch, inviting my brother to visit California once he was done helping out Martina. Our grandmother was pleased with this progress, and I had to say, so was I.

Veronica’s phone rang. She had sent an email to Chase and her family about our engagement, and promised a Skype call in the afternoon. I guessed someone couldn’t wait any longer. I could tell by her short replies that my dear love was on the phone with her best friend. She rang off almost too quickly.

“Everything okay?” I asked, leaned in for a kiss while I wrapped her hand in mine.

“Chase.”

“Hmmm.” Chase was an enigma, but one thing for sure—she cared for Veronica. Whether her attitude toward me would change or not, now that Veronica and I were engaged, was anyone’s guess.

Martina’s butler came out with champagne and we all toasted a new beginning. I turned to my bride-to-be and felt my heart skip a beat. Only she could do that to me. Only Veronica, my sweet, my goddess, my forever after.