“Mmhm.” I moved over to the bedside table to grab a bottle of lube. When I returned, he’d pulled his knees back, already knowing what I wanted.
I felt for his entrance with slick fingers. “Tell me if I do it wrong,” I said in a low voice. “Want you to feel good.”
The look on his face was tender and affectionate. “I love you.”
They were the last words spoken for a long time as I played with him and learned what he liked. When he was finally ready for me, I moved between his legs and slicked myself up before pressing against his hole. His body was strong and firm, and his muscles gripped me tighter than I’d ever felt before despite the prep I’d done.
“Oh god. Jules,” I choked, glancing down at the skin of his hole stretched around my shaft. It looked painful but also hot as fuck. I’d never tried anal sex with a woman before, and even though I’d taken Julian’s thicker cock, it still seemed an impossible fit. “Does it… are you okay?”
“Yes,” he half moaned, half laughed. “Very okay. Keep going.”
I pushed farther in until it suddenly became easier. Julian’s hands came up to cup my face and bring it close enough to his to kiss. We kissed hungrily while I pulsed in and out of him, slowly enjoying the tug and press of our connection.
“Love you,” I breathed against his lips. “Feel so good.”
“Mine,” he said on a groan. “Mine forever. Just like this.”
I pressed my forehead to his, drinking in the vows we were making. “Yes, yours forever. Always.”
His hands continued to hold my face as we stared at each other. There would never be anything better than this for me. I knew it without reservation.
Which was why I’d spent yesterday afternoon planning a bunch of surprises, and our dinner date had only been the first of those.
When we came within moments of each other, I felt like staying inside of him as long as I could. Eventually, it became impossible, so we both moved off the bed to clean up in the shower.
Even though it was early, we got dressed to head down to the palapa restaurant for breakfast. Before we left the room, I grabbed the purchases I’d made at the hotel store the day before and snuck them into my pockets.
Except I wasn’t as sneaky as I thought.
“You think you might need a pen?” Jules asked in amusement, catching the last item before I could hide it. “Just in case there are any downhill skiing fangirls hanging out at the omelet station in the hopes of getting your autograph?”
“I didn’t choose this life of endless fame, baby. I just try to be prepared,” I said solemnly, and Julian’s face creased with laughter.
As we rounded a bend in the path, the sun was coming up over the water, shooting warm pinks and oranges across the palm trees and pool deck.
The restaurant was still setting up the breakfast buffet, but they gave us coffee and suggested a stroll on the beach for a few more minutes before returning to eat.
“This place is gorgeous,” Julian admitted into his mug of coffee. “You picked a good honeymoon spot.”
I looked away from the peaceful surf long enough to laugh at him. “You picked it.”
“Me?”
I nodded. “You don’t remember? I asked you to describe your ideal place for a honeymoon. You said a place with a beach, no kids, good food and drink, luxurious rooms, gorgeous views, and a spa.”
“Lots of places have that,” he said.
“I guess so, but when I was searching through options one night, you pointed to this one and said it was extra perfect because it also offered kitesurfing.”
“Oh, right. That’s ringing a bell. You’ve always wanted to try it.”
He knew me better than anyone. “Yep. That’s why I booked this place.”
“Are you going to try it?” he asked, looking out at the water. “This afternoon, maybe?”
Nerves jangled in my stomach, and I knew the time had come. “No. I had something else in mind for today.” I reached over and took his mug from him before setting both mugs down on a nearby stone wall.
Then I took his hands and sank to one knee in the warm sand.
“Julian,” I began.
The look of shock on his face would stay with me for the rest of my life. I pulled his hands up to my mouth for a quick kiss.
“I was going to make you a prom-posal poster and tell you all the punny ways that I après-ski-ate you and want to look into your lovely blue ice forever. But apparently, ‘all-inclusive’ doesn’t include posterboard and colorful markers. Go figure.”
I took a breath. “So I will say it simply. I am yours. Forever. I would consider myself the luckiest person in the world to get to share the rest of my days with you.” I swallowed. “I know that this may not be the right place, or even the right time, but I need you to know—to feel—that I am in love with you and completely committed to you. In my heart, we are together forever. Will you consider making it official by marrying me?”
Once upon a time, I hadn’t imagined myself getting married. And even with Erin, it hadn’t felt quite right. Now, with Jules, I couldn’t imagine anything better.
His eyes filled with tears as he nodded. “Yes, but—”
“But?” I asked with a huff of laughter. Leave it to Jules to have conditions.
He pulled me up and into his arms, wrapping me up in a tight hold. “But you need to be sure. Because I want it to be you and me forever, but we said that once before, and… things got confused. I’m not going to let you out of it once we’re married. No take backs.”
I shook my head and grinned. “This is what I get for falling in love with a lawyer. Fortunately, I anticipated this.” I withdrew a tiny notebook from my pocket, along with the ballpoint pen Jules had seen earlier, and opened the cover to the first page. “As you can see, I’ve amended our earlier contract,” I said in my best lawyerly voice.
“You and me. In love. Always,” Julian read in a hushed voice. “Oh. My. God. Parker Ellis, you are the cheesiest, sappiest—” He clapped a hand to his mouth to stifle his half sob as that beautiful blush stole over his features, and his hand gripped the notebook tightly.
“No take backs. Not a shred of doubt or hesitation. Nobody else involved, ever. I’m sure.” I brandished the pen and signed the paper right below the words I’d written. Then I offered him the pen.
He shook his head and took it, grinning while tears formed in his eyes.
I pulled back enough to get a hand into my pocket so I could pull out the ring I’d found yesterday when I’d come up with the idea.
Julian’s eyes widened comically. “You got me a ring, too? Parker.”
“It’s a silicone ring that’s meant for sports. It’s all they had in the hotel shops that wasn’t super-cheesy, but we can get something nicer-mpppff!”
His lips crashed against mine even though his mouth was moving. “Yes. Fuck yes, yes.” He pulled back and scribbled his name below mine on the paper with a trembling hand.
I imagined this paper framed, right beside the other, in our house in Aster Valley. A testament to the way our love had changed and grown but had never faltered… and never would.
I laughed and kissed and held him until I realized his hand holding the ring was crushed between us. “Put it on,” I urged. “I want to see my ring on your finger.”