"You should think about doing home renovation," Alex said two nights before she was to graduate. "You did such an amazing job with this place and there are tons of homes that need updates and overhauls. This neighborhood alone would give you enough business to keep you hopping for the next five years!"
"I'll have to consider that," I said as I poured her a glass of wine and handed it to her. I raised my glass and toasted, “Here’s to you and your nursing degree!"
"It's hard to believe it's over," she said as she sipped her wine. "But it's nice that I'll be working at General in the ER. I like it there."
"I like having you there, and I'd like to have you here, too," I said as I looked at her. I reached into my pocket and pulled out a small box that I'd been saving for the right moment, and this felt like it was it. I dropped to one knee next to her chair opening the box and said, "Alexandra Pierce, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
"Cam?" she said, completely caught off guard. "What? Oh my God! Yes!"
"Hmmm, interesting response. Not exactly the one I was expecting, but the affirmative will work." I laughed as I pulled the ring out of the box and placed it on her finger. It fit perfectly, and she stared at it for a moment before she threw her arms around me and kissed me.
I pulled her to me and kissed her deeply. It had been a long time since we'd had sex even though the doctor had cleared me for it a month before. We were both a little scared of what might happen.
Alex pulled back and looked at me expectantly, and I nodded. Taking her hand, I led her to the bedroom where I slowly removed her clothing stopping to kiss every inch of bare skin that I exposed. When I finally pulled her lacy panties down to her ankles, I looked up at her in wonder. This beautiful woman had agreed to marry me, and I wanted to show her just how happy I could make her.
I gently pushed her back onto the bed and spread her legs as my fingers traced a path around her nipple down to the warmth between her legs. She moaned softly and pushed her hips up as I teased her outer lips before sinking my fingers between them and stroking a path from top to bottom.
"Cam..." she moaned as I found the center of her pleasure and pressed on it before letting up and circling it over and over. "Oh my God..."
"Mmm, feels good, doesn't it?" I whispered as I leaned down and kissed her lips while my fingers dove deeper and stroked her inner walls. Alex lifted her hips and moved to the rhythm of my long lazy strokes while I used my other hand to unzip my own pants. I let them drop to the floor as I pulled my fingers out, much to Alex's chagrin.
"Don't stop," she whispered as I moved on top of her and slid my swollen shaft up and down coating it in her slick warm wetness. And then, in one swift thrust, I was inside her, feeling the tightness and heat encircling me as I slowly pulled back and then thrust forward again.
Alex moaned more insistently as she gripped my shoulders and pushed her hips up to meet my thrusts. I could feel her naked skin sliding against mine as we climbed higher and higher searching for the release we'd been aching for. I braced myself as I felt a twinge, and when Alex saw the brief wave of pain cross my face, she pushed me sideways and rolled me onto my back so that she could straddle me.
I held my breath as I watched her move on top of me. She looked so beautiful rising above me like a nymph as she moved her hips back and forth. I held my breath as I tried to stave off the inevitable climax, but it had been too long to wait, and in an instant I felt it all come crashing down on me as I came, crying out her name. Alex kept moving as she raced toward the same conclusion. She leaned forward and ground herself against me as she found her own orgasm. I watched as she fell forward burying her face in my neck as our bodies jerked and moved in the throes of intensity neither one of us could deny.
I held on to her tightly as we waited for our breathing to return to normal and felt like I was the luckiest man in the whole world.
Chapter Forty-Four
Epilogue
"No, no, no! Do not pull the doggy's tail, Cassidy!" I said as I moved across the patio to where the two-year-old with sticky hands and face was yanking on Tesla's thick tail. The big, yellow lab turned and began licking her face as she screamed with delighted laughter. I couldn't help but stand back and laugh as the two of them enjoyed each other's company.
"Cam, are you keeping an eye on those burgers?" I yelled through the open door as I smelled the scent of burning meat wafting from the other side of the patio.
"I'm on it!" he shouted as he barged through the door carrying a tub of beer. "We still need ice, though."
"I called Leo and let him know," I said as I grabbed the small person who had pulled off her shirt and was now running toward the yard, ostensibly to roll in the grass just like her buddy, Tesla, was doing. I looked down at the curly haired little angel and said, "What are you doing, missy?"
"Esla!" she shrieked as she ran toward her four-legged playmate. "Doggy!"
"Yes, she is a doggy." I laughed. Cassidy was the spitting image of her father with the curly red locks and bright green eyes that flashed with mischievousness more often than I liked to acknowledge.
"What are you doing, Peanut?" Cam asked in a deep booming voice that never failed to send her into shrieking laughter. We stood and watched as the two friends rolled on the lawn enjoying the coolness of the grass on a warm summer evening.
We were celebrating our fifth wedding anniversary with a barbecue for all of the friends who had been in our wedding party, and a few other people who'd become integral to our life. The memory of our special day was on display all over the house, and Cam had built small replica of the gazebo we'd stood on when we'd said our vows. The wedding had been a small affair because we hadn't wanted to draw a lot of attention to ourselves and because I was in the middle of starting my new nursing job.
Cam had promised that we'd make the celebration of our anniversary a yearly event, and so far he'd made good on his promise. I looked over at my husband who was laughing loudly as he watched our two-year-old rolling on the lawn with his beloved dog, and I wondered how I could have ever doubted his sincerity and love.
He'd retired from the fire department not long after I'd graduated from nursing school. He'd said it no longer made sense to him to spend his time running into burning buildings when he could be at home
with me. I knew his reasons ran much deeper than that, but I never pushed him for them. After all, I'd been there that fateful day, and I knew the price he'd paid for coming to my rescue. I was just glad we'd all survived it.
"Hey there, minion!" a familiar voice called to Cassidy. "What are you doing?"
"Tee Tee Izzy!" Cassidy yelled as she popped up off of the lawn and went running on chubby legs toward her favorite aunt, Liz. Liz met her halfway and swept her up into a big hug as she kissed every inch of the baby's face, making her laugh wildly before setting her down so she could run back to where Tesla lay in the grass.