Restoration & Forgiveness (Renovate Book 2) (14 page)

"What else do you see?"

"Your love line is very strong. There are no breaks whatsoever. That means you are very attractive to the opposite sex. You have many admirers."

My cheeks heat at his words. I look away, clearing my throat, so he doesn't see how he's affecting me.

"See, this stuff is the real deal." He sexily smirks.

"Is there more you see?" I ask.

"So much more, Aimee. I'm just getting warmed up."

"Is that so? Please continue, then."

"I can see a lot of branches coming from this line. Dozens? Wow."

I can't remember any of this, and I'm convinced he brushed up on some of this.

"Is it bad?"

He brushes his other thumb along my cheek. "Just the opposite, it means you will be blessed with many children, but that's not the most interesting thing I see."

I cross my free arm over the one he's holding to take a big gulp of champagne, because this is getting intense. Keegan eyes me curiously.

"Tell me, what is so interesting?" My palm is sweating.

"Relax, nothing here is bad." He looks at me hard, and for a moment I think he's never going to tell me.

"It's very deep, your love line. That's very good; it means you will have a very successful marriage with your spouse, many years. But look, here it meets with your life line at about six years old." He winks at me, putting a happy smile across my face.

"What does that mean?" I whisper, leaning in closer to him.

"That's when you met your soul mate. A dark-haired boy, who fell hopelessly in love with you but was just too stupid to realize it at the time."

"That boy who was so stupid, if he was here now what do you think he would say?"

"He would say that you were made for him, for each other, and even though years separated you from him, he never let you out of his heart. The thing about finding the one so early, is that they stay with you here." He pats his chest where his heart is, and mine pounds wildly.

"What else would he say, Keegan?"

"He would say that his world doesn't mean anything without her in it, with him, every day, for eternity. That if she knew how much he pined for her, she might rethink being with him, but he would just chase her anyways. He also would say that he was sorry, for so many things, and she would forgive him, because she loved him as much as he loved her."

"To the stars?"

"Farther." He laughs, amused.

My heart drops and I actually start to shake, because he stands and drops to one knee. He's still holding my sweaty hand; he turns it over and takes my other, less damp one in his other hand.

"I've waited what feels like my entire life to ask you this. Aimee Brennan, the most smart, sweet, beautiful, and sexy woman I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Will you do me the honor of agreeing to spend the rest of your life with me?"

Poetry, simple, sweet, and truthful is his proposal. There is no doubt in my mind what my answer is going to be, because he's said everything that matters, and so much more.

"Yes," I whisper, as the tears fall. I tried holding them back, but all of this is well, lovely, and so perfect.

"Yes? Did I hear you correctly?"

"Y-E-S," I shout at him, and he grabs my finger and like magic there is a platinum ring with a familiar princess-cut diamond on my finger.

"How? When?" I know when. Now I know what they were so secretive about.

"Your dad gave it to me."

"Seriously, you asked him…"

"Of course."

I throw myself at him, wrapping my arms around him. He loses his balance and we fall to the floor. I kiss him hard and long, and his excitement is evident under me. I love knowing I do this to him, that I get to do this for the rest of our lives.

Keegan breaks our kiss, and I complain when our lips separate. He tucks a piece of my hair behind my ear.

"I know that this may look as if things are moving fast, and I wasn't even positive you would say yes. You know, with everything going on. But I didn't want to spend another day without putting that ring on your finger. If you have a shadow of a doubt, I won't push for more," he tells me sincerely.

"I'm sure. As sure as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west."

"Are you as sure as there are stars in the sky?"

"I am."

He's showing me his vulnerability; this is a glimpse of him I don't often see. It means more to me than he will ever know.

I smile down at him, running my fingers through his silky locks.

"To the stars."

His lips assault mine and he rolls me over, and now we have switched positions. I'm sure if we keep this up we will be christening this room like the master suite, but I have a feeling that rolling all over the floor isn't his intention.

This time I break the kiss. While this was the most wonderful proposal in the history of proposals, I don't want to make love to him on the floor, no matter how much I want him in this moment.

"You have made me the happiest man in the universe." He stands, pulling me up with him.

That makes my smile widen, and I think my face is going to freeze permanently like that.

He hands me my glass of champagne, and tops off both of our glasses. The candles are flickering around us, reflecting a soft glow.

"To us." He lifts his glass.

"To forever." I clink my glass to his, sealing our engagement.

Dreams, fairy tales, everything I've ever fantasized about are coming to fruition. Almost everything. I know things are great now, and that may not last, but I want this, him. He's the other piece of my soul. I look down at the ring on my finger, sparkling in the firelight. I'll never let it ever leave my finger.

We spend the evening cuddled on the terrace under blankets, staring up at the stars. When I start to doze off in strong arms and into dreams of this perfect night, I'm lifted and carried inside. The candles have all been extinguished.

Keegan carries me to what will be our bedroom. I'm surprised to see a four-poster bed, exactly as I imagined when he described the room to me. A white down comforter covers the bed, and there are pillows, so many pillows of all different shapes and sizes. Red rose petals cover the bed, and candles flicker throughout the room. I close my eyes tightly, almost not able to believe what I'm seeing. I want to ask how. Why?

"Pinch me," I tell him.

When he smiles, I feel like I've been carried all the way to heaven.

"You're not dreaming, Aimee," he tells me, laying me down on the bed.

"Are you sure? This just is too good to be true, us."

He doesn't answer, instead kissing down my neck, proving to me through every sensuous touch that this is all real and true.

He scoots us in the middle of the bed. If I'm in heaven then this is what lying on a cloud must feel like. The comfort of this bed is one I never want to leave. I tear my eyes from his, glancing at the ceiling where I see stars, tiny light strands above us. He's thought of everything. Of course he has, he's my perfect.

My eyes fall back on him and he's looking at me. There are promises in his eyes. I hope he sees the same in mine.

I run my fingers lightly down his arms and feel goose bumps form. My hands move under his shirt, lightly stroking, caressing. He's still looking at me, and I'm sure our hearts are binding tightly.

I pull his shirt over his head, and his chest glows in the candlelight, just like a Greek god. He pulls mine off as well and unfastens my bra. The chill is quickly replaced with his hot chest, sending a blast of need right through me.

I unfasten his pants and pull them off, with his underwear, socks, and shoes, in world-record time. A few moments later mine are missing as well, and I'm so glad we are on the same page.

We both spend an eternity exploring one another's bodies with our hands and lips. I'm determined to memorize every inch of him; we are melding together in this nest of love.

With every breath and touch I begin to feel it to my core. Keegan brushes his finger along my folds, and we moan in a musical duet. I arch my back and he pulls me up with him into a sitting position. We are so close, our bodies mashed together. I grab on to his shoulders to brace myself; he's centered at my entrance and the slightest move on both of our parts will have him buried deep inside of me. Keegan stares down at me.

"To the stars," he recites.

Then he buries himself deep inside of me, and I feel pleasure unlike any other. It's indescribable, and gets better with every slow and steady thrust. My legs are wrapped tightly around his hips, and we are one, eyes locked together as we look into one another's souls.

I begin to tremble as the scent of rose petals and sex rises around us. It's the most delicious scent, and it adds to my impending orgasm. I close my eyes, concentrating on all of him, and what he's giving me. I scream out his name as if it's the only word I'll ever speak again as I release around his cock.

Keegan lets out a groan of ecstasy as he spasms and ejaculates inside of me.

Our breathing is labored as we hold each other tight; at this moment of pure bliss I don't know where we begin or end.

After an eternity, we separate and lie together on top of the covers. The heat between us is still sizzling. I drape my arm around him and nuzzle his neck. I can't not be touching him. My nerve endings are going haywire; when he rubs slow circles with his fingers on my skin, I may just jump out of my skin, and right into him.

"I don't think I can ever move my body again," I tell him.

"Me too. That was..."

"Out of this world," I finish for him.

"Better." He tugs me even closer.

We are both sleepy, and as we slowly drift to sleep, the starry lights from above cast a shimmery shadow down on us.

Chapter Fourteen

I wake to a trail of featherlight kisses on my back, and the scratch of Keegan's day-old stubble. It feels amazing, and the memories from the night before invade my mind. I'm exhausted from last night. I woke in the middle of the night and we made love several more times.

I fake sleep for a few minutes; I love what he's doing to me right now. If I could wake up like this for the rest of my life, you would get no complaints from me.

"I know you're awake. Your breathing has changed, and you have stopped snoring," he whispers in my ear.

I let out a groan, and start to stretch, feeling the ache in every muscle.

"I don't snore," I say sleepily.

"I think they heard you all the way in town," he jokes.

I laugh, grabbing one of the many pillows on the bed and hitting him with it. He immediately attacks me with his warm fingers, pinning me down.

"No, you don't snore, but you do mumble things in your sleep." He smiles down on me.

He's right about that one. He's known that since we were little, but this is the first time he's mentioned it, and I wonder what I may have said.

"Can we stay in bed all day?" I pout. "Please?"

I let out a little scream when he switches positions and pulls me on top of him in one swift motion. I'm light-headed, but I'm not sure if it's because of the action, or his effect on me.

"We could, but Reese and Kaleb are expecting us later, and the last thing I need is your best friend even more pissed at me."

What is he talking about? She was all team Keegan the last we talked, trying to persuade me to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"She's not mad at you. In fact, she wanted me to give you the benefit of the doubt."

He cocks his head to the side. "Interesting."

"Why's that?" I ask curiously.

"She practically barricaded the door to prevent me from coming here. She scares me, maybe even more than your dad."

That is strange, and I wonder what could have happened between then and when I talked to her.

"Can we at least bring this bed? It's like sleeping on a cloud."

"You like our bed, do you?"

When he says the word "our" it sends a thrill through me.

"So much." I nestle deeper into the mattress with a smile.

Keegan lets out a growl, and in a matter of seconds he's claiming me again in our bed.

***

After leaving the house, which I have dubbed Jastle—combining his last name and castle seemed perfect—we spend some time with my dad, who, when he sees my grandmother's ring on my finger, pulls me into the biggest and tightest hug I've ever received. I'm sad to leave, but it's time to go back to the city, and my life.

When we enter the city I feel a little nervous that he's going to want to head directly to his place. I'd rather stay away from there for a little while. I worry that things are going to be the same, and Gretchen is going to walk around like she owns the place. I know I made the right decision; I want nothing more than to marry Keegan. But it may have been a mistake not to talk about her and how we were going to approach our engagement. It would be nice to come back and be able to stay in this blissful state, and be Keegan and Aimee, newly engaged, happy, and in love.

Thankfully, we don't go to his place, but mine. We most likely won't be alone, but I'm looking forward to seeing my best friend.

It's quiet when we walk in, and the television is on. Kaleb and Reese are curled up in a ball on our couch. His hand is lying protectively on her stomach. They look perfect cuddled up together, and I'm not sure why I haven't thought about this. We are both engaged, and we get to plan our weddings together. I'm obviously not in any rush to get married, but I assume that Kaleb and Reese will want to tie the knot before the baby is born.

Keegan puts his finger to his lips, telling me to be quiet. He has a devious smirk on his face. He tiptoes over to the couch and bends down to where Kaleb is sleeping. He sticks his finger in his mouth, and gives his brother a wet willy. Kaleb wakes up in surprise, arms flailing to hit his attacker. Keegan backs away, and I can't stop laughing at this scene; it's exactly how I remember these two. I used to have to hide Keegan in my room because of something he did to his older brother. I never gave him up though; during those times I liked being the one doing the protecting.