“I think we need to talk.”

He smiled and with a nod said, “Yeah.”

When neither one of them said anything, Piper laughed nervously as she looked at her baby. Knowing that she needed to know what their future held, not only for her but for Dimitri, too, she started the conversation. “Are you coming home with us tomorrow?”

Looking up she saw Erik nod. “I want to.”

“For how long?” she asked, as her heart started to beat louder than a drum.

“Forever if you let me,” he said softly.

Her heart stopped as she looked deep into his eyes. “Really?”

He nodded. “You know what I was thinking yesterday, during the wedding?”

She paused, expecting him to tell her he loved her and never wanted to go anywhere else again, but like always, he never said what she thought he would.

“What?”

“I was thinking that I want that. I want to stand in front of all our friends and let them know how much you mean to me, how I never want to be with anyone but you.” He looked her deep in the eyes, and down at their son, Dimitri. “How my life wouldn’t be complete without you and Dimitri in it.”

Her eyes started to cloud as she asked, “You were?”

He shot her a devilish grin. “Yeah, and I was also thinking about how hot you looked.”

She giggled. “All that, huh?”

“But most of all, I thought about how much I love you.”

Her lip wobbled as a tear escaped down her cheek. Choking back a sob, she asked, “You do?”

“God yes, baby. I love you so much it hurts and I can’t go another day without you. Hold this guy for me, real quick,” he said, handing her Dimitri as he got off the bed.

Taking him in her arms, she glanced down and saw that nestled in Dimitri’s small hand was a beautiful, platinum ring with a large round diamond surrounded with little diamonds. She took in a sharp breath and brought a hand up to cover her mouth. Swallowing in her sob, she glanced over at Erik to see he was on his knees looking up at her. His eyes were filling with what she swore were tears.

Erik Titov did not cry.

“Erik?” she asked, her heart pounding against her chest, her eyes holding his gaze.

His lip curved up to the side and he said, “I want to take the right steps to make everything right between us, and since I did this the wrong way last time, I think it’s time for me to do it the right way.”

Piper couldn’t breathe as she watched his every move.

“No prenup, no lawyers, I just want you,” he said, and then he cocked his head toward Dimitri and said, “and that guy.”

Piper was speechless. Slowly, Erik brought his eyes back up to Piper’s and smiled.

“I want to wake up every day to see your beautiful smile,” he said softly. “I want feel you laugh when I hold you and read with you every night. I want to be there when you decide to change careers and I want to support you when no one else will. I want to be the person to listen to all your ideas and to kiss away the doubts that I know could keep you from succeeding. I want to be the man you deserve, and I want to be the only person to ever hold that sweet body for the rest of your life, which basically means I want to make love to you every single day. Multiple times, probably every hour on the hour.”

She giggled as her emotions took over. Erik then touched her cheek saying, “I don’t ever cry, and I have never told anyone I love them, but you, you’ve changed everything, Piper. You’ve made me realize that I can love, that I can be a great father. I couldn’t have done this without you and I don’t know if I can go on without knowing that you are with anyone else but me.”

“It won’t be easy,” he went on, smiling up at her. “I’m hard to love but when I mess up, I promise I’ll do everything to make it better because I want you. Only you. For the rest of my life. I love you, Piper Titov, and you are mine. Marry me … again, and know that I will love only you for the rest of my existence.”

Piper closed her eyes. She had waited for this day since the very first moment she set eyes on this man. As she opened them she knew there was only one thing she could say.

“Yes, Mr. Titov, because you are the only man I want to give my heart to.”

Grinning, Erik stood up, pressing his lips to hers. Her hand came up, holding his face as she deepened the kiss. She knew she would never get enough of his kisses and would love this man forever. Drawing her face back from his, she grinned just as Dimitri stirred in her arms.

Erik looked down at Dimitri and said, “Hear that, bud? Momma said yes!”

Dimitri was looking up at them with wide, innocent eyes. Piper laughed along with Erik and then watched as Erik took the ring from Dimitri’s fist and reached for her hand.

Taking her other ring off, he said, “I know you don’t like flashy stuff but I want the whole world to know how much I love you.”

Piper cried happy tears as he slid her new ring on her finger and slid the other one in beside it. Erik leaned over, kissing her mouth again and pressed his forehead against hers.

Piper whispered, “I’m sorry I gave up and didn’t give you the love you needed when it mattered most.”

“We learn from our mistakes and the main thing was that we weren’t broken, Piper, we were just bent. We still have so much learning to do, but together we can do it. I love you and nothing will ever change that,” he said, rubbing his nose along hers.