Her head rests on my chest. And I feel her smile before she whispers, “Tell me something about you. Something no one else knows.”
I look at the ceiling. And call forth my deepest, darkest secret.
“I have Justin Bieber on my iPod.”
She giggles, “Really?”
“Yep. That ‘As Long as You Love Me’ song. And if you ever tell the guys, I’ll deny it till the day I die.”
She traces my abs with her fingers. Then I say, “Now you. Tell me something I don’t know yet.”
She kisses my chest slowly as she thinks. Then she looks up into my eyes. “Nothing. You know absolutely everything there is to know about me.”
“All right. Then…if you had three wishes, what would you wish for?”
I once told Kate I wanted to make all her dreams come true. And I didn’t think it was possible at the time, but she means even more to me now than the night I told her that. So if there’s something she wants, something she needs? Heaven and hell better watch their backs—cause I’ll knock both on their asses to get it for her.
She thinks some more. And when she speaks, her voice is hushed with surprise and gratitude. “I wouldn’t wish for anything.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, at this moment, I have everything I want. My mother’s happy; I love my work. And anything more I ever would’ve wished for…is right here in front of me.”
I swallow hard. Hearing that answer? That’s better than a whole sack full of sex toys.
Okay—maybe not the riding crop.
But it’s definitely close.
I frame her face with my hands and kiss her.
Life’s funny, you know? I mean, did you really think a year ago—when Kate and I were going at it, falling through my front door—that we’d ever end up here? At the time, I figured it would be just another one-nighter. Amazing—no question—but still just a fantastic scratch for my long-suffering itch.
And yet here I am.
Committed.
Monogamous.
Completely, disgustingly infatuated.
And I couldn’t be happier.
And this is just year one. Not to go all Notebook on you, but Kate and I have a hell of a lot more years ahead of us. A lifetime’s worth.
And I plan on making the most of every f**king one of them.