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The toast pops, and I pull them from the toaster and toss them along with the eggs onto two plates.
“I enjoy taking care of you,” I say, my voice soft as I grate a little parmesan, sprinkle some pepper, and place one plate in front of her, along with utensils. I lean my elbows against the counter opposite her, and watch as she takes a bite.
She grins up at me, looking shy. “You’re staring at me,” she says, taking a sip of her orange juice. I shrug.
“I can’t help it, Sophia. You’re beautiful.” I slide the plate of butter toward her.“Does it bother you?”
“Oddly. No. I like having your eyes on me.” She gives me a sweet smile as she smears butter on her toast. My eyes travel over her luscious form, and I catch the hint of cleavage and the creamy swells of her breasts at the unbuttoned neck of the shirt.
“Good. Because Ilovelooking at you,” I growl, leaning in for a kiss, tasting mint on her tongue.She brushed her teeth before breakfast.I slip my hand down the front of her shirt, unable to handle being so close to her with so many clothes on, and cup her breast, thumbing a nipple. She hums.
“Jackson.” She pulls back, her voice full of mirth. “At this rate, we’ll never make it through our Christmas breakfast.” She leans her head back, however, as I kiss my way down her creamy throat, my hands dropping to the waist of the boxers.
With a giggle, she gently swats my hands away.
“I’m looking forward to eating my eggs and toast while they’re still hot.” She smiles as I lean away, feigning disappointment as she picks up her fork.
“I’m looking forward to licking jelly off you,” I retort, and she lets out a full-bellied laugh, while her arm reaches out to gently tousle my hair before she rakes her fingers down my beard. The gesture, so innocent and nonchalant, is shockingly intimate to me. Watching her sit there, wearing my clothes, laughing and playing with my hair, sends a thrill up my spine and suddenly, I find it hard to breathe.
“Marry me,” I blurt, and her laughter cuts off, and her the hand holding the fork she was using to eat her eggs stills. She blinks.
“What did you just say?” she asks, a little hesitantly, slowly setting the fork and the uneaten bite of egg back on her plate.
“Marry me, Sophia,” I repeat, my heart hammering in my chest as I move to stand before her. She turns in her chair, facing me.
“Marry you?” Her mouth drops open a little, and she blinks at me a couple of times.
Fuck it, I have to do this right.I drop to my knee, my eyes never leaving hers, and her hands fly up to clutch the base of her throat.
“Jackson,” she breathes. “Are you serious?”
“I am. Listen to me, sugar,” I whisper urgently as she clamps her mouth shut.“My mother always promised me that the minute I met the girl I wanted to spend my life with, I’d know. And she was right. I did know it. I knew it the minute you looked up at me in that diner. I knew it when you leaned into me outside Kelly’s. I knew it when I kissed you, and you touched your fingertips to your lips like you wanted to hold my kiss there forever. I knew it the minute you told me I was the first man you’d ever kissed. And I definitely knew it when you took me deep inside you this morning. I knew that I wanted to spend every morning like this morning, waking you up with my mouth on you and going to bed every night, exhausted from fucking you. I want to plant my babies in you, Sophia. I want us to spend the rest of our lives together. So marry me, because I’m never letting you go.”
She sits there, stunned, her eyes a little unfocused as she just stares back at me.
“Sophia?” I rise, a little uncertain now, wary of her lack of reaction.Shit.“Sophia? Are you—”
“Of course I’ll marry you,” she cries, launching herself at me and grabbing my face, peppering kisses all over my jaw, my cheeks, and lips. “Yes, Jackson. Yes. I want your babies. I want to grow old with you. I want to make love to you over and over again. I want to fall asleep in your arms every night and wake up in them every morning. I want to be your wife, Jackson. I love you.”
“Oh, thank God. I know this came out of left field, and I don’t have a ring. But I’ll buy you one—”
“I don’t care about that, Jackson. I just want you.”
I grin. “You’ve got me, honey. But I’m still buying you a ring. I need all those other men out there to know that you’re mine, all mine.”
“I was born yours, Jackson.” She wraps her arms around my neck and all but jumps into my arms. I laugh and place my hands under her round ass, lifting her up until her legs are wrapped around my waist.
“Yeah, you were.” She brings my mouth down for another kiss, and as I carry her out, our breakfast forgotten, Idecide it’s time to consummate this Christmas engagement on the rug in front of the fire with the backdrop of the Christmas tree and the snowfall outside.
SOPHIA
“You look happy, Sophia!” Mom smiles at me from my phone screen, and I can’t help but smile back. “I’ve been so worried about you spending Christmas all alone in a big city. Actually…” She leans in closer to the screen and squints as she’s obviously taking notice of my surroundings. “Whereareyou? That’s not your apartment.”
It’s a couple of hours later, after Jackson and I celebrated our engagement on the floor, this couch, and once again in the bedroom—where he let me take charge, mind you, teaching me things I’d never even dreamed of.
“No, it’s not,” I say, blushing as I try to fight my smile and lose. “I’m, uh, at Jackson’s.”
“Jackson’s?” She looks to the side, then I notice her surroundings changing as she moves to another room and lowers her voice. “Who the hell is Jackson?”
