Make Me Yours(77)

“You’re strong and fierce and loving.” He leans closer to whisper in my ear. “I especially love that sound you make when I kiss your pussy…”

“Remi!” I whisper, pushing his arm.

He only grins bigger, heat burning in his eyes. “I love that you’re passionate about art and music and your work. Your dad was wrong—you’re a strong woman. You’re amazing. You’re everything I want.”

With that he steps back and reaches into his jacket pocket. Then he carefully lowers onto one knee. “You can’t be Lillie’s nanny anymore, because I want you to be my wife. I want to marry you. Will you marry me, Ruby?”

Blinking hard, I see he’s holding the most beautiful blue-velvet sapphire ring up to me. It’s set in white gold with small pear-shaped diamonds on each side. My heart is in my throat, and I don’t know how I’m still standing on two feet. Or maybe I’m floating off the ground.

Taking the ring, I slide it on my finger as he slowly rises to standing. “Is that a yes?” He’s holding my hand. “I couldn’t ask your father, because he’s no longer with us. But I stopped by the church this morning and talked to your mom. She thinks it’s a good idea.”

My eyes go wide. “You talked to my mom?”

“It’s the traditional thing to do.” He does a shrug.

“And she thinks it’s a good idea?” Her speech about him not being one of us is in my head, not that it makes one bit of difference. I’m a total goner for this man.

“She says we’re a good match.”

“Oh, Remi.” I jump forward, putting my arm around his neck. “You want to make me yours?”

He laughs, lifting me off the ground, holding me under my butt as my legs wrap around his waist. “More than anything. Be my wife, Ruby. Be my lover for life. Help me take care of Lillie. I can’t stand another minute of my life without you in it.”

Hugging my arms around his neck, I study the gorgeous ring on my finger. “Yes… I will. Yes.” I’m hugging him so close. His warm lips press against my neck, rising higher to my chin, igniting my panties, and before I lose all ability to reason, I quickly add, “In a year.”

Remi draws back, frowning. “A year?”

His arms relax, and my feet slide to the floor as I try to explain. “We’ve only known each other a month, Remington. I can’t just marry you like that. We have to at least be engaged a little while to be sure.”

His brow lowers, and determination glows in his eyes. “I’m more sure of this than I’ve been of anything in a long, long time.” His words are heat and warmth, and lightning in my veins. “But if it makes you happy, we can be engaged for a little while.” His thumb is on my chin and his eyes focus hot on my lips. “As long as I get to kiss you.”

“Definitely.” Leaning forward, I peck his soft mouth. “Lots of kissing.”

He presses my back to the wall as he cups my face in his hands. “I intend to kiss you everywhere, any time I want.”

His mouth covers mine, moving my lips apart, and when our tongues meet, I ignite. My hands go around his neck, pulling him closer. His hands go to my waist, sliding beneath my crop top, over the bare skin of my back, pulling me even closer.

Everything is forgotten as I’m lost in the heaven of his arms, the love on his lips, the strength of his words, the satisfaction of his love. Lifting my head, our eyes meet in a moment so heavy with promise.

“I love you, Remington Key.” He grins, and I know he’s the love of my life.

I almost jump out of my skin when the hall erupts into cheers of teachers, children, and Lillie running to hug our legs, Buddy snug under her arm. Not even Serena North’s sour-grapes face can rain on this parade.

I’m in the arms of my family, and even in a messy bun and sweat pants, it doesn’t get any better than this.



The End.





Epilogue





Remi


Ruby didn’t actually make me wait a whole year to get married.

I have my daughter and her best friend to thank for speeding up the timeline. After three months, she started looking at dresses. At four months, when she completed her art therapy licensure and returned to working at the clinic with Drew, I convinced her to let her small rental house go and move back into the McMansion with Lillie and me.

By six months, we were talking locations. I wanted a destination wedding, something like renting all of Cuixmala for a weekend and taking our family and closest friends.

Ruby decided that would be a better honeymoon destination, just the two of us. I couldn’t even begin to argue.

Eleanor was a situation Ruby insisted she had to resolve.

After we were engaged, the two of them went to lunch. They returned to the house afterwards and continued an on-again, off-again heated conversation. Until, by the end of the day, they had become allies.

I was skeptical, but their friendship remains strong. Ruby said it took all her training as a therapist, but basically it amounted to Eleanor’s fear that once Ruby became my wife, she would be out of Lillie’s life for good.

“I never wanted that,” Ruby says, wrapped in my arms in the large, whirlpool bathtub in my master suite. “She said once we were married, there would be no place for her. Ma would be your mother-in-law, and she would be nothing.”