“I’ve always loved you, Brandon.” S

“I’ve always loved you, Brandon.” She looked at me with passionate eyes. “That’s why I got a job at a company I knew you were buying.”

“The day you applied to Marathon Corporation was the day that my life turned back to color. I was so excited. I knew that this was the moment I had been waiting for. But I knew that I had to be more careful this time. I couldn’t just welcome you into my open and waiting arms. I had to test you, Katie. I didn't want to hurt you, but I couldn't let you back into our son's life without knowing that you weren't going to run again. I needed to know that you were strong enough to go through hell and still come back to me. This isn't a game, Katie. This is for real. This is for love. This is for our life. I needed to know that you were mature enough to deal with a family. A real family. You've already broken my heart once and it killed me. I can't have you breaking our son's heart as well."

“I would never do anything to break his heart.” She whispered softly.

“If you come into our lives and leave again, it would break me and it would break him. He’s already forming a bond with you.” I took a deep breath. “I didn’t mean to push you so hard. I didn’t mean to hurt you, but I had to know that you would stay, no matter how much I pushed you.”

“Oh, Brandon. I’m not going anywhere.” She leaned toward me and kissed me. “Please don’t test me anymore. I’m sorry I lied about being eighteen.”

“Katie, I want you to remember one thing.” I took her hand and held it to my heart. “It wasn’t that you lied about being eighteen. I can live with a lie. You were young and it happens. It was that you had so many opportunities to tell me the truth and you didn’t. Even to that last day, you told me you were going to a business lunch. I knew there was no business, Katie. I just wanted you to tell me the truth. I wanted you to prove to me that, despite your age, you were an adult.”

“You knew?” Her eyes widened and I nodded slowly.

“I always knew,” I whispered in her ear. “Remember when I talked about being eighteen and first loves? Remember when I told you I was going to be a guest lecturer? Remember when I told you we could get through everything if we were just honest with each other? I gave you so many opportunities to tell me the truth. I so badly wanted you to tell me so that we could live our lives. But it wasn’t to be at that time. You had to grow up.”

“I can’t believe you knew.” She shook her head and I pressed my lips against hers softly. Her fingers ran through my hair and she kissed me back passionately. We fell back onto the bed, our hands exploring each other hungrily. I ran my hands down her back and under her top so that I could feel her skin. My fingers burned as they touched her and I felt a heat rising through me as she bit down on my shoulder.

“Wait just a second.” I jumped off of the bed, ignoring the groans of my body as I walked to my closet and pulled out a small box. I walked back to the bed slowly, and Katie stared up at me with wide eyes.

“Katie.” I got down on my knees and pulled her up so that she was sitting up and not lying down.

“Oh my God.” Her hand flew to her mouth and I smiled.

“This isn’t exactly how I had this planned,” I laughed gently. “I thought we would be on a picnic somewhere and Harry would bring me the ring and stand behind me. I never wanted to do this in the bedroom or in the throes of passion. But I can’t hold back. I don’t want to hold back. I’ve never felt that a moment has been as right as this one is right now.”

“Brandon.” Her eyes glittered with unshed tears and I shook my head and smiled.

“I’m doing the talking now.” I grinned as she rolled her eyes at me. “I knew I loved you from the first moment I saw you outside of Doug’s, a place, by the way, we will never let our underage daughters go.”

“We would never have met if I hadn’t gone.” She grinned at me and I gave her a quick kiss before pulling back.

“The day you came into my life with your gorgeous smile and your trusting eyes was the best day of my life. And our relationship was perfect. You were perfect for me. I was perfect for you. We were perfect for each other. I knew that in my heart. I always knew that. But I didn’t want to capture a caterpillar in a jar and keep a butterfly hostage. I needed you to metamorphosize and come back to me. I needed to know that the beautiful butterfly had seen the world and knew that I was the one. And you came back to me, my sweet, Katie. You came back to me, and all I want to do is hold you tight and never let go. I can’t lose you again. I told you once that we were forever, that you were mine. I didn’t mean that I owned you, Katie. I meant that you owned my heart. You were mine and I was forever yours. I love you. I’ve always loved you. Being without you for seven years has aged me more that you’ll ever know. Marry me, my darling. Marry me and make me the happiest man in the world.” I opened the box and slowly took out the ring I had bought for her all those years ago. “Will you marry me, Katie?”

“Yes, oh yes. Oh, Brandon,” she gasped as I slowly slid the ring onto her finger, love emanating from my every pore. I pulled her into my arms and kissed her all over, feeling like I had finally won. Everything had finally come together and I was finally going to live the rest of my life with the woman I loved with all my heart.

“Can I to you?” I asked her softly, running my hands through her silky hair.

Her eyes laughed at me as she ran her fingers over my eyebrows. “Now you ask?”

“Well, I didn’t want to be rude.” I grinned back at her. “Now sit up so I can take off your top.”

“I haven’t said yes yet.” She shook her head and lifted her arms up.

“You can’t say no to me.” I unclasped her bra and through it to the ground, before staring at her bre**asts. They were so perfect and they fit in my hands like they were made for my palms to squeeze and caress.

“You wanna bet?” She pulled away from me and I grabbed her quickly and pushed her down.

“I wonder how big they will get when you’re pregnant again?” I murmured against her lips as my fingers gently pinched her nipp**les.

“What?” She gasped against my lips and I kissed her softly.

“When I get you pregnant again, I wonder how big your bre**asts will be.” I laughed at the look in her eyes. “You do know we’re going to have more babies right?”