“I heard you were looking for me.” I grinned nervously.
He grabbed me and pulled me inside. Our mouths smashed into each other as our tongues danced with happiness. His hands were firmly planted on each side of my face as our kiss was never ending.
“Thank God, you’re safe.” He smiled as he kept kissing my lips.
“Of course I’m safe. I’m a seasoned traveler.”
He chuckled and held me tight. “Where have you been? I’ve been trying to search the city for you. You didn’t check into any hotels.”
“I didn’t get into Boston until a couple of hours ago.”
“What?” he asked as he broke our embrace.
“You idiot!” I lightly smacked his chest. “I wasn’t coming to Boston. I went to Venice Beach. I was only going to stay there for a couple of days to think and then I missed your dumb ass too much and after a couple of hours I went home.”
“Oh. But you left without your phone.”
“Yeah. I forgot it in my mad dash to leave the house. And speaking of phones, I’ve been trying since yesterday to call you.”
“I turned it off to let it charge and I left it on the plane because I was trying to get to your gate to catch you before you left the airport.”
“Sorry, but I wasn’t there. I was back in California!”
“The only thing that matters is you’re here and you’re safe.” He pulled me back into a tight embrace.
“Alex, I’m so sorry for everything I said. I didn’t mean any of it.”
He placed his hand on my cheek. “Don’t. I’m the one who’s sorry. I should have told you that night. My God, Em, I love you so much and I never want you to doubt that.”
“I know, and I love you too, and I don’t doubt it. I never did. I was just being a bitch.”
“You’re not a bitch, sweetheart. You’re the love of my life and the only woman I want to spend the rest of my life with.” He smiled. “Are you hungry? I was just about to order breakfast.”
“I am, but we can eat after we have the best make-up sex on the planet.” I smiled.
“That’s exactly what I was thinking.” He picked me up and carried me to the bedroom.
****
Alex
She blew my mind. I didn’t think sex with her could get any better than it already was and I was dead wrong. We lay there, trying to catch our breath and smiling at each other. As we both climbed out of bed, we slipped on our robes and I ordered us breakfast.
“We need to talk, baby. I need to tell you about why Bella was at my office that day,” I spoke as I took her hand and led her to the couch.
“I know and I’m ready to talk about it.”
A smile crossed my lips as I kissed her. “Shortly after she left for New York, she found out she was pregnant and I was the father. Instead of telling me, she went and had an abortion.”
“Oh my God, Alex.” She placed her hand on my cheek. “I don’t know what to say except I’m sorry.”
“She told me she had been ridden with guilt for the past five years and she said that she needed to tell me with the hopes that I would forgive her because she couldn’t forgive herself.”
“Did you forgive her?”
“Yes. I was angry at first that she would do something like that without talking to me. But after we talked a bit and I could see how upset she was, I forgave her. I suppose she suffered in silence enough over the past five years. That’s when you must have seen us hugging. It meant nothing, Emerson. It was a friendly hug goodbye.”
“I feel so stupid, Alex. I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. I understand why you felt the way you did because if I saw you hugging one of your exes, I would have jumped to the same conclusions. I should have come right home and told you, but I didn’t want to upset you or ruin our evening at the club. I swear I was going to tell you that next morning.”
“You don’t need to explain anything else to me.” She leaned over and kissed my lips.
There was a knock at the door and room service had arrived. I got up and answered it and we sat and talked some more while we ate breakfast. After making love in bed and in the shower, we got dressed and headed out to explore Boston. But before heading out, I left her standing in the lobby while I had to quickly do something.
Chapter 44
Emerson
Alex and I spent a wonderful day together in Boston. We visited a couple museums, Fenway Park, the aquarium, and we did some shopping. He was spoiling me and I wasn’t complaining.
“We should get back to the hotel and change for dinner,” he spoke.
“Good idea. I’m getting hungry.”
He hooked his arm around me and kissed the side of my head. “I love you, Emerson James.”
“I love you too, Alex Parker.”
When we arrived back at the hotel, Alex opened the door and I stepped in first. I gasped as I looked around the room. Rose petals were scattered all over the floor and across the dining table where two beautifully lit candles flickered.
“What’s all this?” I smiled as I looked at him.
“I thought we could have a romantic dinner in the room tonight.”
“This is beautiful. Thank you.” I kissed him.
“You’re welcome. Now let’s sit down and eat.”
He took hold of my hand, led me to the table, and pulled out my chair.
“When did you arrange all this?” I asked.
“This morning before we left.”
“You’re such a romantic.”
“Only for you.” He winked.
I lifted the elegantly designed silver top off the tray and lying there, on a small crystal plate, was the most beautiful ring I’d ever seen in my life. I threw my hands over my mouth as I looked at Alex with tears in my eyes.
Smiling at me, he got up from his seat, took the ring from the plate, and got down on one knee, taking hold of my left hand.
“Emerson, I have never loved anyone in my lifetime until you came along and took my breath away. You have given me so much and you’ve taught me things I would have never known if I hadn’t met you. You’ve given my life meaning and purpose. I can’t ever imagine my life without you in it and I never want to. You complete me as a man and I will love you to the moon and back for the rest of my life. You’re my queen and I want to be your king. Will you marry me, Emerson?”
I was shaking and I couldn’t control the tears that were falling in front of this beautiful man. A man who had changed me and my way of life. A man who had given himself completely to me and I to him. Life without Alex wouldn’t be possible.
“Yes. Of course I’ll marry you!”
He let out a breath and placed the ring on my finger. “I love you more than life, Emerson.”
“I love you more than life, Alex.” I smiled as we both stood up and hugged each other tightly.
****
The next morning, we headed back to California. I couldn’t wait to tell Adam the good news. As we were sitting on the couch on the plane, sipping champagne, I held out my hand and looked at my stunning two-carat princess cut, diamond-encased ring.
“Do you like it?” Alex asked.
“I love it. You have amazing taste.”
“The moment I saw it, I knew it would look gorgeous on you.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t take it back after my bitch act that day.”
He chuckled. “I would never have taken it back. I love you too much, smart mouth, bitchiness and all.” He kissed my lips.
“So how about we set a date right now?” I spoke.
“Really?” He smiled. “If I could have married you in Boston, I would have.”
“Let’s go to Vegas and get married instead of going back to Cali.”
“Nah. You stripped there.”
“True.” I smirked.
“What kind of wedding do you want?” he asked as he stroked my cheek with his finger.
“I don’t care. As long as we say ‘I do,’ it doesn’t matter.”
“Haven’t you always dreamed of a beautiful wedding?”
“Yeah. I have.”
“Then a beautiful wedding is what you’re getting. No expense will be spared. How about we get married on the beach.”