“Oh my god! Yes, you could say that, baby. This is a beautiful, magnificent gift. I’ll cherish it always.” I carefully opened the cover and held it up to one of the garden lamps to see. “There’s an inscription. ‘For my Marianne. Always, your Darius. June 1837.’ ” I brought a hand up to my neck and looked over at Ethan. “It was a lover’s gift. Darius loved Marianne, and gave her the book.”

“As I love you,” he said softly.

“Oh, Ethan. You’re going to make me cry again if you keep doing things like this.”

“Well, I don’t mind your tears, really. I never have. And especially when they’re not sad ones. You can cry happy anytime you want, baby.” He leaned down to touch his forehead to mine. “I adore the taste of your tears,” he said before pulling back.

I touched his cheek and whispered, “I love you too. And you give me far too expensive gifts.”

“Never, baby. I’d give you the world if I could. You never ask for anything. You’re so generous with yourself and you humble me with your spirit. I’m in awe of you most of the time. It’s true.” He nodded to emphasize his words. “I’m not lying.”

“Now it’s my turn to ask you if you’re real.”

His eyes roamed over me as he nodded again. “I think I became real when I met you.”

My heart dropped down to the cobblestones beneath my feet when Ethan got up from the bench and knelt in front of me. He took my hands in his.

“I know I’m a bit rough around the edges and I know I’ve trampled my way into your life, but I do love you with all my heart. Never doubt that. You’re my girl, and I want you and I need you with me forever. I would have wanted a future with you regardless. The baby coming is just more of a sign that this is right. We’re right, my beauty. We’re so right together.”

I couldn’t speak, but I agreed with him. We were so right together.

All I could do was look into his beautiful eyes and fall more in love with everything that was Ethan Blackstone. My amazing man.

The paths we take in life are never clear, and nobody can predict the future, but the night I laid eyes on Ethan, I knew there was something special about him. When I went to his flat that first time to be with him, I knew. I knew the decision would be life-changing too. For me it had been. He was everything I could have ever dreamed of in a partner, and even more about him that I never could have possibly imagined. Timing is always off. You deal with what comes, when it comes into your life.

Ethan was simply . . . the one for me. I squeezed his hands with mine. It was the only response I could give, considering my heart was beating so fast I felt sure I would float away if he wasn’t holding on to me.

“Brynne Elizabeth Bennett, will you make me the happiest man alive and marry me? Be my wife and the mother of our children.” He tilted his head and whispered the rest. “Make me real. Only you can do that, baby. Only you . . .”

“Yes.” I nodded fast.

I don’t know how I managed to even respond with that one little word. I heard myself speak it aloud, but all I could really do was look at him. Look down at him kneeling before me and feel the love he was pouring out back to me. There was so much more I could have said, but I didn’t. I wanted to just be in the moment and remember how I felt when Ethan asked me to make him real.

I understood what he meant when he said that to me. I understood it because I shared the same feelings about him. He’d brought me out from the dark and into the light. Ethan had given me back my life.

Something cold and heavy slipped onto my finger. When I looked down to see what it was, the most gorgeous ring was perched on the fourth finger of my left hand. Antique ornate and huge—a hexagonal, deep-purple amethyst, set in platinum with diamonds, glittered up at me. I held it in the glow of the garden light so I could really get a good look. It was magnificent, beautiful and far too extravagant for me, but I loved it mostly because Ethan had chosen it. My hand shook and the tears started. I couldn’t have stopped them for anything. It was a good thing he’d just said he didn’t mind my tears because they would be dripping all over him in another moment.

These were definitely of the joyful variety, though.

“I-I want to m-marry you. I d-do. I love you so much, Ethan.” My words came out on a sob. I just was so overcome by him I could hardly absorb everything, and I’m sure my state of hyper-hormonal didn’t help either.

Ethan picked up my hand and kissed it, the familiar brush of his goatee paired with his warm lips comforted me in a way that I couldn’t describe with words. He just made me feel cherished, and he always had. I belonged to him now, and I was embracing the realization with open arms. It had taken me a bit of time to make it, but I’d gotten there. I had accepted Ethan’s love and offered to him my whole self in return. Finally.

I never knew it was possible to be so happy in life.

 Whiskers teased my flesh. A hot tongue flicked over my nipple, swirling it into a tight, tingly bud. I arched into his mouth and moaned a luxurious sound of pleasure, which only seemed to spur him on. Somebody was wide awake and intent upon making me come before breakfast. The very best way to start my day.

My eyes fluttered open and locked onto his, my waking like a signal light giving the go-ahead to drive on through. I loved waking up to Ethan like this. His weight pressing me down, his hips settled in tight between my legs, his hands pinning mine to the bed. He flared his eyes as his c**k filled me up with a determined slide. I voiced my pleasure and arched up to meet as much of him as possible. He just took my mouth with his tongue and found another part of my body to claim.

It was good to be claimed by Ethan. So good.

He moved slow and steady, building the rhythm up with deep thrusts that ended with a little grind each time he swiveled his hips. I squeezed my inner muscles hard around him, knowing it would help him along and get me to my release that much faster. I was greedy for it these days.

“Not yet, baby. You gotta wait this time,” he rasped down at me, “I’m coming with you, and I’ll tell you when.”

I felt him roll us quickly, settling me on top, but he wasn’t content for me to ride him like that. Ethan hefted himself up to sitting position and clutched me hard at the hips so he could maneuver me over his cock, bringing me down very deep with each plunge, our faces within inches of each other’s as our bodies connected. He could see everything written in my eyes; how much I loved him, how much I needed him, how much I wanted him.