Beautiful Dreams (The Beautiful Series) (35 page)

“I won’t be able to look at that counter again without a picture of you and your sweet ass entering my mind.”

My mouth dropped open at his bluntness. I lifted my hand up and gently smacked him square in the chest.

“What? It’s true!” He chortled. “Best fantasy come to life and on my birthday, too,” he added before pulling me into his arms and kissing me senseless.

We resumed our original plan of eating breakfast. A smile broke free as the memories flooded my mind. I loved the way he could not keep his hands off me.

Luckily, the food was still warm. Kyle pulled out plates and glasses for two and set the table while I removed the biscuits from the oven and placed them into a large bowl. I grabbed the bowl, and I walked over to the table to set them down.

“So, you really don’t plan on leaving all weekend, huh?” I asked. I wanted to make sure he had been serious about our Sharpie Weekend and had no surprises planned.

“Yep, I haven’t stayed home for two days straight in forever. I’m looking forward to every minute of it.” He winked at me as we both sat down in our chairs.

“Anything special you want to do?” I questioned as we filled our plates.

“We’re doing it,” Kyle answered while reaching for a handful of biscuits. The look in his eyes said he was going to eat them all, too.

“Would you like some gravy with all those biscuits?” I teased lightly.

“Oh, don’t worry, I’m on that next.” He grinned before lifting the spoon from the skillet and pouring gravy all over his biscuits. His plate was almost overflowing.

I rolled my eyes, snickering quietly. I had no idea where he stored all of that food with that gorgeous body of his. If our whole weekend continued at this calorie rate, I’d have to start running way more.

After his first bite, he asked, “So, do I get to open my present after we finish eating?”

“One of them,” I answered while debating which one to let him open first.

Confusion and amusement flittered across his eyes. “There’s more than one?” he questioned.

“Yep.” I grinned. “I have them all planned out.”

“You’re spoiling me.” He smiled affectionately at me.

After breakfast, I quickly cleaned up around the kitchen as Kyle went into the bedroom to shower and dress for the day. While he was putting on a pair of jeans, I walked past him and into our closet. I bent down to dig behind my garment bags and pulled out his first set of gifts. I strode back to the bedroom as he slipped his shirt over his head, and I placed the three boxes on the bed. Then, I patted the box next to me.

“What are all those?” he asked with a perplexed expression.

“Presents,” I corrected.

He smiled as he approached me, glancing between the gifts and me. I handed him the first one.

“Happy birthday.” I beamed.

He sank down on the bed next to me and opened the wrapping paper. A broad smile spread across his features as he pulled out the trunks and sandals. The second box he opened was full of shorts and T-shirts.

“They’re for our honeymoon,” I added.

“Eight days and counting,” he said while admiring the clothing. “Thank you. I don’t have many summer clothes. Most of mine are dress clothes for work.”

“I noticed that, so I decided to expand your wardrobe.” I chortled.

“That was great thinking. I probably would have looked funny wearing jeans on the beach,” he chortled.

“Good point.” I laughed as I handed him his next gift.

He opened it to see the
Mr.
and
Mrs.
towels. They had been folded precisely, so he could read them.

“I thought these would fit my theme perfectly, so I couldn’t resist,” I added coyly.

“Very fitting,” Kyle agreed. “And only
seven
days until you’re officially my wife,” he added while smiling at them. He leaned forward on his palms and kissed me sweetly. “Thank you, Lily. I really like all of it,” he breathed against my lips.

I smiled happily. “And for your next gift…” I paused, watching enthusiasm rise in his eyes. “We are going to the garage—after I get dressed,” I added, realizing I still needed to change.

“The garage?” he asked in a surprised tone, excitement spreading across his face.

“Yep.” I winked before swiftly kissing him once more.

“You definitely have me intrigued now,” he said. “Where are we going?”

“You’ll just have to wait and find out,” I said, rising from the bed to make my way to the closet.

I threw on a pair of old jeans and a Columbia zip-up sweatshirt. I dug in my closet again for Kyle’s next gift. I was hoping to find the perfect spot to give it to him after his next surprise. I zipped it up snug in my pocket and strode back into the bedroom.

“I’m ready,” I said to him.

Kyle leaped off the bed and followed me out of the bedroom, hot on my heels. I grabbed a hair tie off my wrist and pulled my hair up into a sloppy bun.

We strolled to the mudroom, and I opened the door to the garage. I passed the first three spaces of the vehicles and then pivoted to face him.

“Now, I hope this doesn’t break our Sharpie Weekend rule, but if it does, we’ll need to readjust.”

Kyle stepped closer while keeping his eyes on me. He wrapped his arms around my waist and tugged me close. “Depends on what you have in mind.”

“I was thinking we never had the chance to ride together with just you and me.” I shrugged at him before enclosing my hands around his nape. “So, I thought we could have a four-wheeler date as your next present?” I asked, hoping he would feel the same way.

A grin broke free across his face. “Of course. I’ll get muddy with you any day of the week, beautiful.”

He hesitated, and I could see the moment an idea popped into his mind.

“Although…I do have one request.”

Uh-oh.
I blinked up at him. “What’s that?” I asked warily, feeling nervous.

I tried to guess what he was thinking. I never knew what the man was going to say. He always caught me off guard.

Kyle tipped his head, gesturing toward his four-wheeler, with a wicked grin. “I want you to ride with me,” he replied while looking at me with those big brownish-green eyes.

“Um…I don’t know about that,” I murmured.

“Why not?” he countered.

“Three male cousins and traumatizing experiences, you know. I learned at a young age not to sit bitch anymore,” I responded truthfully.

His eyebrows rose at my honest reference to sitting in the back. I was about to laugh, but then his arms tightened around me in a possessive but reassuring gesture.

“Lily, I would never take a risk that could hurt you,” he said with absolute certainty.

“Okay,” I sighed, knowing the truth of his words. I wanted today to be special for him. My nerves rapidly dissipated. “But if you dump me off, birthday or not, I’m gonna kick your ass,” I threatened, half serious. I was trying extremely hard not to laugh.

Kyle tipped his head back, chuckling. “Deal,” he said before tugging on my hand to lead me toward his four-wheeler.

Within minutes, we were outside and making our way through his backyard. Holding on, I squeezed my hands tightly around his waist, feeling his taut abs beneath, as I pressed my thighs along his.

Kyle veered left toward the wide-open field. The only trees I could see were far off to the right. I closed my eyes briefly and let the wind beat against my face. The fresh air felt heavenly.

He maneuvered us over to a wild prairie trail I had not been on before. It was much smoother than the one we had taken last time, and it was a good thing, too, because I only had a mere seven inches of the seat for my behind. There was no room for bumps or error. I snuggled in closer, thinking I could get used to being a passenger as long as I was pressed against his body. I laid my cheek on his back, reveling in the feeling of him and this moment.

After about fifteen miles of cruising along, he tilted his head back at me. “We are going to cut across the brush, so hold on tight,” he demanded.

Uh-oh…here we go.

I clutched him with more force as he slowed down to take the turn. We veered right in between a narrow path of pine trees.

He downshifted gears and then rotated a fraction in my direction. “Lean forward with me,” he said as he pointed to the upcoming hill. “We’re goin’ up.”

My eyes darted to the incline in front of us. I pitched my weight forward, bracing myself against him, as he hit the gas. The four-wheeler’s engine roared, shooting us forward, as I let out a squeal.

I breathed a sigh of relief when we reached the top. I dropped my forehead against the center of his back as I laughed. It was such an adrenaline rush to let someone else control a machine that I was riding, and it was so much fun. I trusted Kyle to use good judgment. I knew he would never endanger us. I had ridden on much steeper hills by myself.

When I lifted my head, my laughter came to an abrupt stop. The sight before me was magnificent. Tall pines surrounded us at our backs.

Kyle turned off the four-wheeler. I lifted up to place my knees on the seat in an effort to get a better view of the area. I wrapped my arms around his neck and rested my chin on his shoulder. His hands enclosed over mine while we took in the scenery around us.

Directly in front of us, a slight drop-off revealed a vibrant blue skyline with only a few visible white scattered clouds. The fresh air mixed with the smell of the pine trees filled my senses. Birds chirped around us while a few flew between the tree branches. It was truly nature at its finest. The innate beauty was part of what I loved so much about the outdoors.

“Wow,” I said in awe. “It’s so pretty up here.”

“It is,” Kyle answered. “This is my favorite place to be when I have the time. No phone calls, no emails, no work—it’s just a chance to clear my mind and appreciate the view.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” I breathed before repositioning my head to kiss his cheek tenderly.

This was my moment to seize the opportunity, not wanting it to pass by. I stood and then pivoted to slide around him, placing one leg on either side of his. Kyle realized my intentions and helped me sit astride his lap at the front of his four-wheeler. His hand rested on my thigh while the other delicately gripped my hip to hold me in place. He looked at me with such soft eyes that my pulse sped up uncontrollably.

“So…” I whispered while trying to gather my wits. “I have another gift for you.”

“You do?” he asked in wonder as a smile filled his expression.

“I do.” I nodded. “This one is technically a week early.”

“Oh,” Kyle said, intrigued. His smile broadened.

I unzipped my pocket and pulled out the tiny box. He silently took the small wrapped package, his eyes never leaving mine. My heart was pounding so hard. I almost wanted to take it back and hide it in my pocket again.

He gazed down and pulled the wrapper off in record time. Then, he inhaled sharply as his eyes danced between the box and me. “Lily…” he said with a voice full of emotion.

“I know it’s not our wedding yet, but I wanted this moment to be between just the two of us.”

He pulled out his wedding band, and I lifted my hands, placing them on top of his. I tilted the band, so he could read the inscription,
Yours Forever, Lily.

“I wanted our wedding band engravings to match since I feel the same way about you.” I breathed unevenly while awaiting his response.

His wedding ring was a thick platinum band. The center had an eye-catching darker metal making a solid strip around the entire band. It had a strikingly dominant edge to its design.

“As soon as I saw it, I knew it was for you,” I added.

His eyes, full of emotion, flitted to mine. “It fits me perfectly,” he said after he placed it on his finger.

It looked just as I had imagined on his ring finger, but I wanted to clarify that I didn’t expect him to have it before our vows. “You don’t have to wear it until the wedding,” I said softly.

“You already gave it to me, beautiful.” He shook his head with certainty. “There’s no way I’m going to let you have it back for a whole week,” he said with a possessive tone and a light smirk.

“Okay,” I replied, laughing inwardly at his stubbornness. I should have known better than to expect him to only look at it.

His face suddenly went serious again. “Thank you,” he breathed before capturing my lips.

I melted against him. I was relieved that he liked it, and I was happy beyond words.

We sat on his four-wheeler, surrounded by pine trees and the open sky, for what felt like endless time, kissing one another with love and affection here and there. The thought of him being my husband in one short week sent my heart soaring.

Coming up for air, he lowered his forehead against mine. “You know, this is the exact spot where I originally planned to propose to you.” He smiled fondly as he paused. “I wanted it to be romantic with me getting down on one knee and giving you this whole speech on why I wanted you to be my wife forever, but when you woke me up that night, I just had to ask you. I could not go another minute without making you mine,” he said while the soft breeze blew around us.

I lifted my hands and placed them on either side of his jaw, caressing his skin. “I love that you couldn’t wait to ask me. It was romantic…and steamy.” I grinned. “I would not change any part of it.”