“I want to kiss you every single day.”
I get in and turn to him after he gets in the car. “I want to kiss you also, every single day.” I nod as he puts his hands around my shoulder, bringing me close to him as we look outside and see the sights as we drive all the way to the end of the Strip where Mandalay Bay is. We get out and follow the signs to the aquarium as we walk through people, our hands always linked. We stop at the entrance where it is written closed for the day.
“I thought you said we had this for an hour?”
He shrugs his shoulders. “I didn’t want to rush.” He nods at the guy as he gives his name and I watch as the man moves aside and we take the escalator up and walk down the hallway that looks like stone.
“It looks like real rock,” I say as I touch it. “It is real rock.” I turn as he watches me. “It sounds like we are going into a jungle,” I say to him as I look up at the trees hanging from the ceiling. I look down and jump when I see what looks like a crocodile. “Oh my God.” I hide behind him as he stands there looking at him, pointing out little things about him, but I see nothing but the crocodile. We walk through another hallway, this one darker, with ponds at the bottom, but the dry rock on the top, and I see a snake. “Seriously you said aquarium not fucking jungle rock.”
He laughs as he puts his hand around my shoulders. “I’ll never let anything hurt you, angel.”
I lean back, looking at him, seeing that in his eyes. His lips come down to mine softly. We continue walking down the path, looking at the tropical fish, some turtles. Till we get to a circular pillar in a dark room that has jellyfish floating in the water. “This is so cool,” I say as I place my hand on the tank as the jellyfish float all around the tank as I watch Max watch them.
We continue walking as we enter a tunnel. The side and all the way to the top is all glass as we see sharks swimming above us. I stop in the middle, turning around as I watch all the fish just swim around. “I always wondered if sharks could be tamed,” I ask as I look around.
“Do you know for them to mate the male has to bite the head, or the gill?”
I throw my head back laughing, shaking my head. “Of course you would know how they have sex.” I look at him as he puts his head back and laughs also, crossing his arms over his chest. The muscles in his arms make his tattoos look huge, making his sleeves of his shirt stretch. I walk to him, the sleeves covering half my hand as I reach for his face. “I would like you to bite my head to mate with me.”
Smiling up, he leans down and kisses my lips. “Marry me,” he says and my hands drop.
“Wha—” I say as I step back, not sure I heard him. My hand goes to my mouth as I take in Max, who is now bending down on one knee as he holds my left hand.
“I have no idea what I’m doing right now,” he says with a nervous laugh, and continues, his voice soft, “but this morning, when you said we should get this bed for home it made me feel complete, like all the pieces in my puzzle are finally all in place. You’re my home. Wherever you are is my home.” He shakes his head now as I see the lone tear come down his face. “You, Allison Grant, are my home.” I smile as he says this as tears are now running down my cheeks. “I’ve done despicable things, and I’m not the nicest person out there, but with you I feel like I’m worthy. With you I feel like everything I did just led me to you. You make me want to be that better person.” He shakes his head again, looking down and then up. “It’s crazy, right? We just met, we just started dating. Fuck, your family doesn’t even know about us, but I don’t give a shit because I want you as my wife. I want to build a home with you, I want to come home to you, I want our kids. Fuck, I want kids with you. This has to be the most unromantic proposal of all time. But I love you, heart, body, and soul. It’s yours, angel. Forever. Marry me. Be my home. Let me be your home. Till my last dying breath I promise to be your home.”