I moved my lips up against her ear and whispered, “How did that feel?”

“Oh. My. God,” she said between breaths. “I. Can’t. Catch. My. Breath. Amazing…I still feel…I still feel my body coming down.”

I smiled as I moved more on top of her, and then I slowly buried myself into her body.

“Oh…oh god, no! Scott…”

“Again, baby?” I said as I began moving faster.

“Yes! Harder…Scott, harder.”

I went as fast and as hard as I could before I couldn’t hold off any longer. “Baby, I’m going to come.”

She pulled on the restraints, and I quickly reached up and pulled it loose. She grabbed on to my ass and called out my name as I poured myself into her. She was moving her hips and keeping right up with me until I collapsed onto her body. I kept my weight off of her by lying on my elbows. I tried to catch my breath as I pulled up and looked into her eyes. What was filled with passion just seconds ago was now replaced with pure love.

“I love you so much,” I whispered. “I’ll always love you.”

The single tear rolling down her face caught my attention. I leaned in and kissed it away. I moved my lips to hers.

She whispered, “To the moon and back…forever.”

I tried to catch my breath as Scott lay on top of me after what was probably the most intense, mind-blowing, toe-curling, sexiest moment of my life. Scott began kissing me gently, and the love pouring from his body brought me to tears.

He rubbed his lips against mine. “I love you so much. I’ll always love you.”

I felt a tear sliding down my cheek, and I saw him look at it. When he leaned in and kissed it, my heart stopped for a moment before I was able to say, “To the moon and back…forever.”

He rolled off of me and pulled me into his body. “Holy shit…I’m exhausted,” he said.

I laughed. It felt like I had just run a marathon. “So am I. I’m so sleepy. I can’t keep my eyes open.” I snuggled into his chest.

“Go to sleep, baby.”

At some point, Scott had turned on the radio, but I just noticed the music. When Blake Shelton’s “God Gave Me You” started playing, I smiled. Scott and I both pulled back and looked at each other for what seemed like forever.

Scott closed his eyes and whispered, “Thank you.”

My heart began beating faster as I watched the expression on his face. He opened his eyes, and they were filled with tears.

“What are you thanking me for?” I asked.

He gave me the sweetest smile. “I wasn’t thanking you, baby. I was thanking God for you and Lauren.”

I immediately began crying as he rolled me over to my back. He gently began kissing away the tears as he slowly made love to me.

I stood on the balcony and felt the sun shining on my face. My whole body felt amazing. I couldn’t believe how wonderful I felt, especially since I had gotten only about two hours of sleep. I smiled as I thought about him waking me up with kisses and then picking me up and carrying me into the bathroom. When he’d placed me into the hot bubble bath, I’d let out a long sigh. It had felt like heaven. Then, he’d crawled in and washed every inch of my body before he’d made love to me again.

“Feel good?” Scott asked as he wrapped his arms around my body and pulled me to him.

“Mmm,” was all I could get out.

He kissed the top of my head. “Are you ready to leave?”

I shook my head. “I want to stay here forever and do what we did last night every day.” I let out a small laugh.

“Baby, we can do that anywhere, anytime.”

I turned, put my head on his chest, and took in a deep breath. He smelled like heaven.

“I miss Lauren so much, but at the same time, I just want to stay here with you. I just want to do nothing but lie in bed with you and touch you anytime I want.”

“How does making love on the beach sound to you?” he asked.

I looked up at him and raised my eyebrows. “That sounds…amazing. With a fire?”

He nodded and pushed a piece of hair behind my ear. “If you want a fire, I’ll build you a fire.”

I nodded my head. “I want a fire.”

“Then, a fire you will get.”

He grabbed my hand and walked us back into the bedroom. I stopped at the end of the bed and watched as he got our suitcases and took them to the door.

I reached over and pinched my arm. Nope…I’m not dreaming.

He turned, looked at me, and smiled.

“Do you know how long I’ve loved you?” I asked.

He walked up to me. “For the same amount of time I’ve loved you.”

I laughed. “How do you know that?”

“Because the first time I ever saw you…I knew I was going to love you for the rest of my life.”

I let out a small laugh and nodded my head. Yep. That was the same thing for me. I knew the moment I first saw him, I would love him forever.

He held out his hand, and I placed my hand in his.

“Mrs. Reynolds, are you ready to spend the rest of your life with me?”

I put my finger up to my chin, looking like I was contemplating his question. I took a deep breath and let it out. “I don’t know, Mr. Reynolds. Do you promise to always love Lauren and me? Oh! And always make me my favorite meal?”

He laughed. “Fettuccine alfredo?”

I nodded my head. “Yep. If you promise to always love both Lauren and me, make me your fettuccine at least twice a month, and tie me up at least once a week, then you’ve got yourself a deal.”

He slowly shook his head. “I think we’re going to get a late start to the coast.”

“Why?” I purposely licked my lips…very slowly.

“Because I’m tying your ass up again.”

I pulled my T-shirt up and over my head and began to take my jeans off as I watched him strip out of his clothes.

“I think this arrangement is going to work out just fine,” I said.

I giggled as he pushed me down on the bed and began tickling me.

“So do I,” he said. He kissed me and then pulled away quickly as he looked deep into my eyes and repeated, “So. Do. I.”

Ten Years Later

I watched as Alex, Grace, Libby, and Lauren went running by.

“Where are you girls running to?” Ellie called out.

Alex stopped, turned around, and screamed, “Mom! Luke and Will have lizards, and they’re trying to put them down our shirts!” She quickly turned and took off running again.