But this was not small progress.

This was huge progress.

So I didn’t push it.

“Some stories have twists and turns, Chris. It could be that those twists and turns will lead to Hans winning Loretta. It could be he thinks she’s the maiden he desires but yet another is on the horizon and it will be her he seeks to win, and does. As with any good story, we just have to watch it play out and see.”

“She’s the maiden he desires,” Chris informed me authoritatively. “I heard him tell Remi he thinks she’s very pretty.”

“I’m glad to know that,” I replied softly.

“So she needs to stop being so stubborn,” he asserted.

“Well, hopefully I gave her a few things to think about in regards to Hans,” I shared.

“Hopefully you did,” he agreed.

At that, I let myself smile and said quietly, “But we’ll just watch it play out, shall we?”

He was looking at my smile. His eyes shifted up and he nodded.

“Now, do you want me to find your father and ask him to come and tuck you in, or are you good?” I queried.

His head (the only thing I could see around the jamb) lifted up two inches before he stated, “I can tuck myself in.”

“Of course,” I murmured. Then louder, I said, “Now you sleep tight, sweetheart.”

Something moved over his face at the endearment. Something I couldn’t quite catch before he called, “You sleep tight too.”

And without further ado, his head disappeared and he closed the door.

I turned swiftly, catching myself from twirling with glee.

I waved to Lund and Gaston as I rushed down the hall, catching myself from skipping.

I threw open the door and saw Apollo sitting in a chair in my room, tugging off his boot. His head came up, his face got soft when he saw me, I liked that a whole lot, and I closed the door behind me.

“Lock that, poppy,” he ordered.

I didn’t lock it.

I let myself skip across the room to him, watching him watch me as he dropped his boot and straightened in the chair.

When I arrived at him, I let myself twirl and I ended my twirl falling into his lap.

His arms instantly closed around me.

I instantly lifted my hands and slapped them against his chest.

“Guess what?” I asked.

He was grinning down at me as he asked back, “What?”

I pushed closer and when we were nearly nose-to-nose, I shared, “Chris just caught me in the hall and instigated a conversation with me.”

His eyes flared, his arms convulsed and his lips curled deeper.

“Good,” he murmured and I shot backward, away from him.

“Good?” I asked before I slapped my hands on his chest and leaned in again. “Great!”

“Yes, dove, it is great,” he agreed, his arms closing tighter around me, bringing me closer, his jade eyes dancing with amusement. The dancing stopped and warmth settled in before he whispered, “Happy?”

He wanted very badly for that answer to be yes.

He’d worked hard at making that answer yes.

So it was with deep gratification that I slid my hand up his chest to curl it around his neck and whispered back, “Very.”

He dipped his head so his lips were a breath away from mine.

“Now, let us see if I can make you happier.”

His words. His tone. The warmth that had heated in his eyes.

I squirmed.

“Okay,” I breathed.

“Go lock the door, my dove. But when you join me in bed, I want just you and not your clothes joining me.”

I could so do that.

So, without a second’s hesitation, I did.

* * * * *

God, he was killing me.

“Lo,” I breathed.

Apollo and I were under the covers, facing each other on the bed. We were naked. He had my leg draped over his hip, his thigh hitched between my legs, and his fingers were toying there as they had been for a long time.

A very long time.

“Look at me, Maddie.”

I lifted my gaze from an unfocused study of his throat, pressed my h*ps into his hand, and caught his eyes even as his fingers whispered away.

“Lo,” I breathed again, this time it was a plea.

His mouth came to mine, his eyes held mine, and his lips whispered, “Marry me.”

All my breath left me.

Okay.

Now that…

That was a marriage proposal.

His fingers whispered back before they again slithered away.

“Marry me, Maddie,” he repeated.

Oh God.

“Apollo,” I said his name softly but said no more.

I couldn’t. His fingers came back, gliding over my cl*t then shifting back, one catching at the entrance to the core of me.

“Say you’ll marry me,” he ordered gently.

I bit my lip.

His finger circled.

I whimpered.

“Say it, poppy.”

“I’ll marry you, baby.”

His finger filled me.

I closed my eyes, pressed my h*ps down and arched my back.

Apollo moved his mouth to my neck as he slid his finger out.

On the inward glide, he asked, “You’ll spend the rest of your life with me?”

“Yes.”

His finger went out then in.

“Content at my side.”

“Yes, Lo.”

Out then in.

“On my arm.”

“Yes, honey.”

Out, in and then gently circling.

Yes.

God.

Killing me.

And I loved it.

“Always with me,” he went on.

“Absolutely.”

“Will you try and make a baby with me?”

My body bucked and my hands at his chest pressed deep.

But my answer to his question was, “Please.”

The second he got it, he lifted his head, caught my mouth in a deep, wet, searing kiss as his finger slid out and he pressed his big body into mine.

I fell to my back, Apollo covered me and his h*ps fell between my legs. He broke the kiss and braced on a forearm, his other hand going between us. I felt the head of his c**k gliding where his fingers had been.

But not coming inside.

I lifted my head and shoved my face in his neck.

“Lo, please.”

He traced my ear with his nose before he did the same with his tongue as he rubbed the tip of his c**k against my clit.

I gasped.

“Do you love me?” he whispered in my ear.

“Yes,” I whispered against his skin.

“Say it.”

“I love you, baby.”

He slid his c**k back and it caught right where it needed to be.