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"I don't either." He stood with his bowl and I followed. "What's your favorite flower?"
I grinned. "Oh, I love them all."
He glared. "You're not going to give me a straight answer are you?"
"Well, I love them all." I whined. "But I especially love dahlias, peonies and lilies. I've always wanted a garden filled with them." I sighed, staring dreamily off into space. When I came back to reality, Jace was staring at me with a serious look on his face. His blue eyes were so intense I shivered.
"What are your views on marriage?" He asked quietly after a long moment of silence.
I tensed and he noticed. "I've never believed in marriage, Jace. My parents ruined it for me."
He nodded. "Do you think we'd be different?"
Holy potatoes! He wasn't! "Are you asking?"
"No." He shook his head and I breathed out a sigh of release. That was close. But…what would I have said? My beliefs on marriage aside - I knew I wanted to spend my life with this man. He was the only one I'd ever loved enough to consider the idea of forever with. Why not do forever in marriage? Instantly, I scolded myself for the thought. "I want to know what you think marriage to me would be like?"
"Why?"
He looked wounded. "Because my parents had a shitty marriage too and I am a lot like my father. I want to know what you think marriage would be like to me."
Oh dear lord almighty! He was nothing like his father. I knew this for a fact. Jace loathed the man. How could he think he was anything like him? From what I'd picked up over the course of my time with Jace, I knew his father had been anything but good. He needed to know he was nothing like him.
I took in a deep breath and closed my eyes as I began to speak. "I think marriage with you would be a bittersweet heaven. I love you, so in that it would be perfect. I believe with my whole heart you would protect me and provide for me, not just tangibly, but emotionally. Not only do I see you caving to my desires, but I also see my need to succeed on my own clashing with your need to both do things for me and make decisions that concern me without first considering my feelings and desires. You need control, Jace," I opened my eyes to see his were moist but no tears had fallen. He truly was a ruined man. "I will fight you to the end when you try to control me and my life. In the bedroom I can submit, but outside I simply can't. But I would be willing to fight with you for control for the rest of my life." I smiled and he pulled me into his arms. He weaved them around my waist tightly, holding me stiffly to him.
"I love you, Olivia." He said against my hair. Tears filled my eyes as happiness flooded through my entire body at his declaration. His entire body shook with what I knew was fear and I wanted to chase it away. My strong, capable, dominant man was shattered and broken open by love. Within, his demons rested and I vowed to fight them till the end. He deserved it. He deserved me and I deserved him. I knew with certainty, our love could withstand anything the world threw at us.
Jace pulled away, but he didn't release me. His hands remained on my hips, holding tightly onto me. I rested my hands on his shoulders, fighting the urge to kiss him as he stared down at me with a look of wonderment on his face. "Tell me you love me, Olivia."
I smiled gently. "I love you, Jace. I love you so much."
He smiled. "Enough to marry me?"
My breath caught. "Jace,"
"Marry me, Olivia." It wasn't a proposal. It was a command. My heart thundered in my chest as I stared into his eyes. They were so blue, so clear and so - hopeful. I realized then that I wanted to marry him. I did. And, I would. His hands tightened on my hips and he pulled me closer to him so our fronts were molded together. "Marry me. Say you will."
"I will." I said on a breath of wonder. My eyes widened as I realized what I just said and I laughed. "Yes," I breathed as reality settled in. "Are you sure?"
He didn't answer. His lips crashed against mine as his hands moved to the back of my thighs. He lifted me and I spread my legs around his hips, clutching tightly to him. I knew he was taking me to the bedroom when he started walking and my stomach tightened with need for him. God, I loved this man. I adored him with every fiber of my being and I had just agreed despite my irrational fear of marriage to spend the rest of my life with him, bound to Jace through wedlock by a legal certificate. What was I thinking? Oh, it didn't matter. I was in love and this felt right.
Jace climbed the stairs with me in his arms. Somehow, we made it to the top alive despite the fact we hadn't raised our heads from kissing to look where we were going. He moved fluidly, through the hallway toward the bedroom. He set me down at the foot of the bed and instantly pulled at the fabric of my dress. He slid it from my body and dropped it to the floor before quickly stripping me of my bra and panties. His hands started at the thigh-highs I wore, pulling them down. When I was naked, he led me to the bed and laid me down. I was still wearing the butt plug and a sharp burst of desire bloomed in my stomach as I made contact with the bed. Wetness pooled between my legs and I moaned for him as I stared up at the man I was so willing to give my life over to without question or concern. It should have sent a warning shattering through me - but it didn't.
