Always His | (Book 3) 18+

twenty seven

"Cookies... chip... chocolate... chocolate chip cookies!" I smirked. "You can't beat me! I've mastered your language."

"Oh yeah?" He challenged.

"Yeah."

Lucian glanced at me, then shook his head to himself with a smile. He put the pans on the stove and turned the oven off, then carefully added the cookies to one giant plate with a pair of tongs.

"Why'd you suddenly want to make cookies?" I asked, watching him.

Lucian shrugged. "I've been having these dreams—or memories, should I call them—of things that happened between us when we were kids. I had one during a nap on the plane of when you used to always ask me when we were younger but I always said no because I was so caught in with school. I just wanted to finally do it with you."

My cheeks warmed up and I smiled widely, cupping his cheeks and kissing him gently. Lucian returned the kiss almost immediately and put the tongs down so he could pull me closer. He traced up my side and gripped my neck with one hand, tilting my head back for him to reach my lips better.

"Don't kiss me like that," I whispered breathlessly.

"Like what?"

"Like you're about to bend me over the counter." He chuckled but obliged, pulling away. "Grab your mug."

After I grabbed the plate and my mug, we decided to sit on the couch in front of the fireplace while he taught me more Italian. I would be honest, I was getting better at understanding it. However, there were still some sentences that made my brain feel like it lost every brain cell it had from how weird it was. Lucian was patient though and helped—he's a great teacher.

Lucian would give me small sentences or words and if I didn't know what it meant, he would hand it to me on a small slip of paper he made up. It would get harder and harder the more I got right into there was no paper left.

"Alright," I said, sipping my drink and setting it beside me. "Give me another sentence."

Lucian thought for a while before turning his attention completely to me. "Alright. You ready?"

I grinned, nodding.

Lucian smiled back and leaned in closer to me. "Sposami."

"Sposami?" I repeated, watching his smile widen. "I've never heard that one before." I paused, trying to think of what it could be. "I give up. What does it mean?"

Lucian handed me the small folded slip of paper and I opened it up.

Marry me.

My eyes grew twice their original size and I looked up to find Lucian already on his knee in front of me, a closed velvet box in his hand. I could see through the glow of the fireplace his forehead beginning to sweat, and he smiled nervously up at me.

"I... um..." he breathed out slowly and rubbed his sweaty hand against his sweatpants. "I, uh, bought this two years ago after you refused to see me in hopes that one day, when I saw you again and showed you that I've changed, that you'd eventually take me back.

"You remember how, when we were kids—maybe 12 and 14—, you would always ask to play pretend?" When I nodded, still in shock from what's happening, Lucian continued. "Well... I remember when you wanted me to pretend that-that we were getting married. You didn't want something big and flashy like most women; you've always enjoyed the simple things that held a lot more meaning than its price.

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting to do this," he laughed nervously, making me smile widely through the tears I could feel gathering in my eyes. "You're the only woman for me, Amelia Black. The only one I'll ever need. You make me a better person and I know I don't deserve the amount of love you have in your heart but I'd be a fucking idiot if I ever let you give that love to another man..."

Lucian trailed off and looked down at the box in his shaking hand, clearing his throat. "This is the worst time of our lives for me to be asking this question but I've waited years to ask this and... I've never been good with doing things at the right time but hell if I care because I've been ready to ask you this since we were kids."

When Lucian opened the box, I covered my mouth almost like seeing the ring was proof that this wasn't a dream—this was real. The ring didn't have large diamonds and jewels on it; it was a simple design that held tiny diamonds along the entire ring. At the top there were three slightly larger diamonds but they weren't so obnoxious and in-your-face—everything about it was perfect

"Oh my God..." I choked out, covering my mouth. I hiccuped, hearing myself laugh before I realized.

"Amelia Harper Giovanni-Black," Lucian said slowly, his lips curling up in amusement when I already began nodding my head. "Will you marry me?"

I nodded my head faster than I already had it moving, watching the nervous smile on his lips grow until it stretched across his entire face. He grabbed my left hand and slipped the ring on my finger effortlessly, kissing it. Lucian looked back up at me and smiled, getting up and kissing me slowly. I had to force myself not to start bawling my eyes out as I returned it immediately, cupping his cheeks as the cold unfamiliarity of the ring pressed to my flesh.

"I'm the luckiest fucking man on the planet to have you," he whispered, pressing his forehead to mine. "I love you so fucking much."

I choked out a laugh and kissed him again, then wrapped my arms around him and buried my face in his neck. "I love you more. Always."

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WORD COUNT: 2089