Forever In My LIFE (Book 4) 2nd Alternate

Part 52

This time, I am not surprised when we travel the familiar route to the Vineyard. I am also not surprised when all signs of the dinner, just a short while before, has been erased. Now, the only items on the table looks to be possibly a dessert of some sort, judging from the two smaller plates and the nearby covered dish. I frown wondering if it is, why it wasn't served when we were all present. Prince doesn't even hesitate as he leads me past the table.

Since it's dark now, the twinkle lights have been turned on, and I smile as I take in the area that has become almost like a second home to us. Prince remains silent, watching me with an amused interest. As my eyes pan across to our chaise, I see the most subtle sideways smile appear on his lips, we both know why we're here. In anticipation of the night's chilly air, a small fire pit now sits near the area of the chaise. The thought of having a small fire burning while we make love seems even more romantic. When I turn back to Prince he looks sheepish, "I'm sorry, Sugar, I didn't realize it would be so chilly tonight, we had to improvise."

When I cock my head in confusion, he strides over to the fire pit and removes the lid, revealing a single Duraflame log. "Oh," I chuckle, then grin, "That will work just fine." Prince starts to return the lid, as if he's embarrassed by the makeshift fire.

"We should light it," I suggest.

I get the really? look, so I nod excitedly, it's not crackling wood fire, but it's the thought that counts, plus, it will help warm the area. It's obvious that Prince has never lit one of these before as lifts the lighter and studies the paper wrapped log. I step up to flip the package over, "Light the seam," I say softly. He flashes those big, innocent eyes at me, the look that shows just a hint of apprehension about doing something he's not familiar with or uncomfortable doing for the first time. When the paper starts to burn away, he smiles in satisfaction, before he leads me over to sit on the chaise.

He examines my face in silence, just as I do his. I can tell he has something heartfelt he wants say, but he's hesitating long enough to get his words together. His eyes shift to our intertwined hands, "You know I don't like to count time," he starts. His eyes meet mine as I nod, "But this year," he pauses to chuckle, "has turned out to be more amazing than I had ever hoped it would be." My eyes fill with tears as I listen, but my smile stays, "Everything you have promised me, you've fulfilled," he whispers.

I feel my brows dip for just a fraction of a second, promised him? I think. "I couldn't have done any of it without you," I say quickly, since I'm assume he's referring to Ramiel.

"And I couldn't have done it without you," his voice is sincere and his eyes radiate love. I reach up, brushing my fingers across his cheek, which he presses into, letting his eyes drift close. When his eyes reopen, they're now filled with desire, "But let's not celebrate the passing of a year," he takes my hand and kisses my palm, "let's celebrate our future."

"To our future, then," I whisper as his hands palm my cheeks, pulling me in for a soft kiss.

With our quaint little fire, the twinkle lights and the night sounds as our music, Prince prepares to do what he does best when he's not making music, and that's making love. Every kiss to my skin, and every caress with his fingertips, his eyes stay fixated on mine as he sets out to start yet another fire. When he starts to ease my dress from my body, I look away, not out of embarrassment so much, but with the need to break this spell he has cast over me with that hypnotic stare. His long index finger on my chin gently returns my focus and attention back to him, his eyes search mine, I can tell from the look in his eyes that he had misread my reaction. "Sugar, you've got to get past this," he says gently.

I shake my head slowly, " It's not that, you can be..." I stumble for the correct word, "too intense, sometimes... when you watch me so closely," I breathe.

His eyes soften. "I just want you to know how much I love you," he whispers.

"I know you love me, as much as I love you." No more is said as I'm given a reprieve from his piercing stare. His mouth now moves along my jawline, then downward to my neck. Everywhere the warmth of his mouth touches, it's left with a tingling sensation as he travels. When he slips his arm around me to remove my bra, he grins at my gooseflesh, "Are you cold, Sugar?" I can tell by the sparkle in his eyes that he knows that I am not cold, even before I can deny it. "Good. Do you mind if I take my time?" he asks in that smooth as honey voice that makes me melt. I close my eyes, bite my lip and we both chuckle at the same time. Again, I'm amazed at how he can make me feel like I've never been touched before, even though we have been together more times than I can count.

He does what he promises and explores every inch of me right there on that chaise. With is feathery kisses, soft teasing licks and those expert fingers, I have managed to forget absolutely everything except the sensations of what he's doing to me. Even after bringing me several times, with him still fully clothed, he shows no signs of stopping. With my body writhing and bucking under his skilled techniques, I finally beg him, "Prince, I need you."

As always, he aims to please, and his clothes are quickly shed. When I move to sit up on the chaise, he shakes his head and eases me back down. I know who's running this show and I comply without a complaint. Again he starts with the eyes, staring at me the whole time he claims me, filling me completely and looking smug when I can barely keep my eyes from closing. "You feel like heaven," he whispers before his lips come crushing down onto mine and his hips begin to move ever so slowly. I try to increase the pace, but he stops, "I said I wanted to take my time, don't you?" as he asks a playful smile covers his face.

He brings me several more times in this slow, torturous manner, making me beg for his release, for us both to be completely satisfied. Only then does he pick up his pace, his eyes locked on mine until the moment he finally succumbs to his own pleasure. I hold him as he lays on top of me, caressing up and down his back as we catch our breath.

After a moment he lifts his head from my shoulder and grins at me, "Are you ready for dessert?"

"This wasn't?" I laugh.

He pretends to think before smiles as he lifts off of me, breaking our connection, "Maybe we had dessert first then." He starts to pull on his pants and I follow suit, retrieving my panties first, "You don't have to get dressed."

"I'm not eating naked," I joke as we finish getting our clothes back on and he leads me over to the table.

When Prince lifts the lid on the covered serving dish, my hand comes to my mouth and my eyes fill with tears. Now I know why this wasn't served at our little dinner, I think as I look down at the perfectly preserved top layer of our wedding cake. "You saved it?"

"Of course, it's tradition," he wiggles his eyebrows at me, "I had the vineyard keep it frozen for us."

I kiss him, "This is the sweetest thing ever, I don't know what to say."

"Don't say anything, then," he laughs as he hands me the knife so I can cut the cake.

We take our time enjoying the cake as much as we had just enjoyed each other, savoring every morsel. I expected it not to taste as good as it did on our wedding day, but I was pleasantly surprised when it did. After we have both had a small piece, Prince looks at me with an expression I can't read.

"What?" I ask, still feeling sated from our lovemaking and now slightly dowsey after the cake.

"I don't want this night to end, but..." he looks torn, "Do you miss Ramiel as much as I do?"

"Yes," I nod animatedly with a laugh. Now that we're not occupied, a part of us feels like it's missing.

"Are you ready?" he asks, it's obvious that he is. When I nod, he tells me to grab the rest of the cake so we can drop off the remainder with Angel when we go to pick up Ramiel.

We put the lid on the firepit to extinguish the log, and somehow Prince manages to still have the energy to jog over to the barn to flip off the twinkle lights. I laugh from the passenger's seat, while I hold the remaining cake on my lap, as he rushes back to the car. Hopping into the driver's seat, he flashes another big grin, "Let's go get our baby."

"Please," I say as he already has the car in motion. I shake my head, we are so hopelessly in love with our little man.