She smiles sweetly in relief and I lean over to kiss her, wrapping a hand in her long, soft hair. She pulls back and whispers, “Open the album.”

There are pages and pages of her, in the sexiest lingerie I’ve ever seen, wrapped up in a sheet, stark-ass naked, all in different poses. All sexy as hell.

I close the album and scoot my chair back and then pull her into my arms, her ass resting in my lap, and kiss the shit out of her. I run my fingers down her soft face, and over her breast, feeling the nipple harden as I play with it between my fingers. With a soft moan she stands, hikes her skirt up around her hips and straddles me.

“Right now, fast and hard, ace.” Her blue eyes are on fire with lust, and who the fuck am I to say no? She’s my every fantasy.

I rip her underwear in two and throw them on the floor as she smirks.

“I’ll buy you more next week.”

“Yes, you will.”

She unfastens my pants and I yank them down around my thighs, and suddenly she’s on her knees, my dick in her sweet little hands and her pink mouth is wrapped around it, sucking hard.

“Fuck, baby,” I gently grab her hair and guide her head up and down as she jacks me off with her fist. My balls tighten, and before she can make me come in her hot mouth, I yank her up by the shoulders and she straddles me again, guiding me inside her and all conscious thought evaporates.  All I can think about is pounding in and out of that sweet pussy.

“Oh, Nate, yes.” She throws her head back and I kiss her neck as she rides me, thrusting up into her wet softness.

“Christ, you’re so wet, honey.”

“Mmm…” she moans, and her muscles tense around my shaft, and I can feel the orgasm building in her. She’s going to take me with her, and I start to move faster, cupping her ass in my hands and bringing her down on me harder.

“Oh, Nate, I’m gonna come, babe.”

God, I love hearing my name come out of her like that when I’m inside her. I look down to watch her, to watch us and see her red tattoo, and I’ll be damned if it doesn’t make me even hotter.

“Come for me, my love,” I whisper to her and watch in awe as she bites her bottom lip, clenches her eyes shut, and grips onto my hair as she explodes around me, grinding down so hard on me that it almost hurts, and I feel my own climax take me as I still, pushed all the way inside her heat, and spill myself inside of her.

She collapses onto me, her arms wrapped around my shoulders and face buried in my neck, breathing hard.

“Happy birthday,” she murmurs and I laugh.

“God, honey, you’re amazing.”

She’s so fucking amazing.

“I take it you like the pictures?” She leans back and grins down at me.

“I love them. Natalie?”

“Yeah, Nat took them.”

“Remind me to thank her too.”

“I hope you just send her a thank you card or something, rather than thank her this way.”

“Um, yeah, that sounds like a good plan.” I brush her hair off her cheek and pull her down for another kiss. “I have something else for you,” I whisper against her lips.

“You do?”

“Yes, come on.” I lift her off me and tuck my dick back in my pants while she shimmies her shirt back down and open the back door.

“I’m not wearing any shoes.”

“Here,” I lift her easily and she wraps her arms around my neck and kisses my cheek.

“Thanks.”

“Anytime.”

When we get down to the gazebo, I nod my head in satisfaction. It’s decorated exactly the way it was the first time I brought her here, when I gave her Mom’s necklace.

“Oh, Nate, this is beautiful.”

“I’m glad you like it.” I pour her another glass of champagne from the bottle the catering company left down here, and we settle on the plush couch.

“Julianne,” I take her hand in mine, and the nerves are back. Fuck. I take a long pull off the champagne. She’s looking at me curiously, her head cocked to the side.

“Nate, it’s okay.”

My eyes dart to hers, and my stomach immediately settles. That song she loves, I Won’t Give Up starts to play through the speakers, and I know. This is my moment.

I clear my throat and look down at our linked hands, and then back up into her perfectly blue eyes, searching for the words I’d practiced every day in my head for the past two months.

“I love you, Julianne. I’ve loved you for a long time. You and I are a team, in every way. You amaze me with your strength, with your kindness, and the love you show everyone around you, including me.” Tears leak out the side of her eyes and I reach over to catch them with my fingertips.

“Don’t cry, baby,” I whisper.  I can’t stand it when she cries.  “Jules, we were meant to be. I knew it the minute I first saw you.” I kneel before her and pull the red Cartier box out of my pocket and open it so she can see the vintage-style diamond engagement ring I picked out for her a month ago. More tears fall out of her wide eyes as she stares down at it and then back up at me in awe and surprise and love, and I don’t need to search for the words anymore.

“Marry me, Julianne. Share my life with me. Be mine for the rest of my life.” Her lips tremble before they spread into a wide smile and she launches herself into my arms, holding me tightly around the neck, her face buried against me. “Honey, I need to hear the words,” I murmur with a chuckle.