With Me (32 page)

“She fell asleep yesterday at her work station too, right at the table,” Josephina informs me. “She was even drooling,” she adds, laughing again, making me smile as I imagining the scene in my mind.

I don’t have to imagine too long because Josephina holds up her iPad to show me a picture. Sure enough, there on the screen is a sleeping Kasey, head to the side resting on her worktable, mouth slightly open as she sleeps.

Wanting her to be more comfortable, I scoop Kasey up in my arms to walk her to our bedroom. When I reach our bed I lay her gently down, pulling the light blanket she keeps at the end of the bed over her to cover her up, giving her a kiss on her temple while she curls her legs up, snuggling into the bed.

Standing above her to take her completely in, I start to wonder why she’s been so tired. She’s been getting enough rest lately, coming to bed early every night, so that can’t be the reason. Still pondering the thought, it suddenly occurs to me: my eyes going wide in shock when I take in the thought. She hasn’t said anything to me, though. Looking over her body, I take her in one more time, from head to toe, observing how she doesn’t look any different. I quickly shake my head trying hard not to get my hopes up. The last thing I want is to get excited for nothing.

WANTING TO SPEND the evening alone with Kasey, I asked Michael if he and his wife would watch Josephina for the night. They didn’t hesitate to say yes, especially when I told them my plans. As much as I love my little girl, I needed to be alone with Kasey tonight if I was going to make this work. I didn’t want to take any chances of screwing this up a second time.

Being that Michael’s wife, Missy, and Kasey have become close friends over the last several months, I knew Kasey wouldn’t mind Josephina staying the night with them. Missy now works with Kasey in her studio, so she feels more part of the family with all the time she spends here. Missy had also been helpful in helping Kasey’s transition to San Diego, which I was grateful for. I was scared Kasey would regret leaving Wisconsin behind.

Tonight Kasey was at Yoga, something she’d discovered upon moving here; she needed it to help her relax. It gave me time to prepare everything I needed, making it as perfect as I had hoped it would be in my mind. I made sure to cook her favorite dinner, set up the room perfectly, and double-checked everything was in place because I wanted tonight to be special. I wasn’t holding anything back.

When I hear the rattling of the keys being inserted into the door announcing Kasey is finally home, I grow excited, quickly shutting the double doors to our bedroom. Walking to the foyer where she’ll be coming in, I see her walk in, and I instantly smile seeing her beautiful face. Meeting her halfway, I scoop her up in my arms, giving her a big kiss on the lips.

Pulling away, she looks at me with a puzzled expression. “What was that for?” she asks, a wide smile across her face.

“Just because I love you,” I tell her, giving her another quick kiss.

“I love you too,” she answers back before looking around the room, probably searching for Josephina, who would normally already be meeting her as she walks in the door. She grows confused as she takes in the dining room set up with an elegant dinner, candlelight included.

“What’s going on?” she asks with a shy smile. “I’m pretty sure it’s not my birthday,” she adds, with her eyebrow raised. “And, being that we haven’t been together too long, it’s definitely not our anniversary.” Her response makes me laugh, because she knows I would be the one expected to remember something that important, not Kasey.

“I know it’s not your birthday, silly, but I can’t wait to celebrate our anniversary when it comes. I wanted to cook a special dinner for you tonight,” I tell her, shrugging my shoulder as she suspiciously looks at me. “What? I can’t cook my girlfriend dinner?” I ask her, trying not to sound too suspicious.

Her eyes turn down, the sadness taking over. “I’m really hoping you’re not going to break some really bad news to me,” she says, her lips going flat as her expression matches her eyes.

Since Kasey moved here, one of her biggest worries has been that I’m going to get shipped back oversees. I tried reassuring her it most likely wouldn’t be for a while since I recently got back, but she hated knowing it’s possible. It’s part of my job after all, but I kept reminding her we have to enjoy the days we had together in case it
ever
happened.

Deeply sighing, I lead her over to the dining area, carrying her limp body as I usually do. “Kasey, please, just let me feed you. I cooked dinner for you. For the both of us,” I tell her.

Nodding her head, she looks around the room, this time most likely still looking for Josephina. “Josephina is staying the night with Michael and Missy. I wanted the house just to ourselves,” I tell her, placing a kiss on her temple before I put her down to pull out her chair, allowing her to take a seat.

She sits down without any further protest, allowing me to push her chair against the table. I jog back over to the kitchen to pull out the plates I have warming in the oven, bringing the plates back to the table. She takes one look at them, her eyes growing wide with excitement.

“You cooked my favorite,” she says, in a whisper of amazement.

Giving her a simple nod I take a seat across from her, immediately saying grace, something I now do for Kasey. An hour later we’re both completely stuffed and when I look over at Kasey’s plate I can’t help but smile. It’s completely empty, not a crumb left on the plate, another point that hadn’t crossed my mind until now. She’s had quiet an appetite lately, too.

I’m about to get up and start clearing the table when she offers to clear the dishes and load them in the dishwasher. I was hoping she’d do so, allowing me to escape to make the finishing touches needed in the bedroom.

Excusing myself, telling her I need to use the bathroom, I’m already rushing to our room to prepare the last of the details. When done, I take in one last view of the room, thinking it looks perfect. She’s going to love it.

Walking back to the kitchen, I see her loading the last of the dishes, allowing me to come up behind her, wrapping my arms tightly around her body to pull her back against my chest. I nuzzle at her neck as she leans her head back to rest on my shoulder, allowing me to kiss her below her ear. My favorite spot, it makes her body shiver every single time. She moans as she pushes the curve of her ass to tease me, awakening my cock. I have to force myself to breathe and get myself under control or else I might take her right here on the kitchen counter, which is not what I have planned for tonight. Pushing her body from mine, she turns to face me, a scowl on her face. I can only chuckle down at her. I know what she wants and I plan on giving it to her, just not yet.

Taking her arms to wrap them around my neck, I kiss her, making her disappointment disappear as I carry her towards our bedroom. I reach our double doors, turning to push them with my back, allowing her to see the room as I walk backwards into it. I shut both the doors, blocking out the light from the rest of the house, allowing the glow of the candles I have lit around the room to be the only light. Kasey’s eyes go wide when we enter the room, a small gasp of surprise escaping her O shaped lips.

“Joseph, what’s going on?” she asks as I allow her body to slowly slide down to the ground.

Taking her face in my palms I kiss her; I kiss her like the hungry man I am for her, as if it were the first time I’ve ever kissed her.

I lose my earlier control, stripping her of her clothing, wanting to feel her soft skin against my bare hands. Just as quickly, she does the same with mine, leaving us both naked. I scoop up her naked body, taking her to the bed, pulling back the covers to gently lie her down like the precious item she is to me.

Climbing into bed with her, I cover her body with mine, still fiercely kissing her. She opens her legs wide for me, allowing my body to sink down into hers, her moan vibrating in our mouths as I enter her. Lifting her hips with my hand, I pull back, plunging into her body again, knowing she likes it this way. Her moans become louder, her hips lifting, wanting more, but I force myself to stop, remembering what I
really
meant to do tonight.

She grumbles as I’ve stopped, lifting her hips, demanding I keep going, but I ignore her request as I look down into her. “Kasey, I love you,” I whisper down at her. “I think I fell in love with you the first night you gave yourself to me. That night I didn’t know I would be giving my heart to the one person I’d want to spend the rest of my life with,
but I did
. You gave yourself to me knowing I was the one, but I didn’t listen to my heart, or say anything in return, a mistake I’ve regretted since that night. Instead I walked away, living with that regret until the day I found you again,” I admit, placing a kiss on her lips. “Kasey, I love you more than life itself and I can’t imagine living the rest of my life without you. I want to raise our children together. I want to spend the rest of my life...with you. I want to grow old with you; until the very last breathe I take. Kasey Wilson, will you do me the honor of being my wife?” I nervously whisper the last words down to her, holding my breath for her answer.

With the candlelight from around the room, I watch for her reaction, her eyes going wide, and I fear she’s going to reject me again. A single tear slowly slides down the side of her face. I catch it with my thumb, still holding my breath, waiting for her answer.

Slowly she nods her head, letting out a sniffle, giving a wide smile. “Yes Joseph, I’ll marry you,” she exclaims, pulling me down to kiss her. The breath I was holding escapes me as I kiss her back.

I slowly start to rock my body inside of her again, thrusting into her, robbing a pleasured moan from her lips. I make sure to take my time bringing her to her peak before I finish. Running my hand up the silky smooth skin of her body, I need to feel as much of her as I can before I have her screaming my name, but when I’m granted my wish, I quickly follow her over the edge.

I’m still above her, both of us trying to catch our breath as I continue trailing kisses down her skin. Looking down at her as I push her hair from her face, I tell her again, “I love you, Kasey. I will always love you.”

Her hand comes up to my cheek to caress it as she smiles back at me. “I love you too, Joseph,” she replies, her eyes already starting to flutter shut as they usually do when we finish.

Rolling off her, I pull her body with mine to drape her across me, needing to have her close. I run my hand across her skin, feeling every curve of her body with my hand.

“Kasey, is there something that you’ve been meaning to tell me?”

She snuggles her body up to mine, entangling her limbs with my legs, getting herself comfortable, but I shake her body to keep her attention, something she hates that I do.

“No,” her sleepy answer making me chuckle.

She’s already answered every suspicion why she hasn’t told me. She doesn’t even know herself. She can be so clueless sometimes. I already feel her starting to drift off to sleep, but I’m persistent.

“Are you sure?”

Grumbling, she opens her eyes, her eyebrows drawn down in irritation. “Joseph, if there’s something I’m supposed to be telling you, then please enlighten me,” she snaps, clearly irritated because I’m not letting her sleep.

I run my hand down across her hip, my hand stopping on her stomach, spanning my opened palm on it. “When was the last time you had your period, Kasey?” I ask her.

She looks at me confused, sighing in irritation as she considers my question. I see her thinking as her eyes go up and then suddenly go wide, taking in a gasp as her hand comes to rest over mine. “Joseph,” she merely says, making me smile. “You don’t think I’m finally pregnant do you?”

We haven’t been using protection since the time we made love in the shower. At first I blamed the rush of wanting to be inside of her as my excuse, but all the other times I didn’t think about it. I knew we were taking a huge risk of her getting pregnant, but deep down inside I had hoped she would. It just didn’t happen until now.

This time I let out a loud laugh, throwing my head back. “Baby, if the signs are not clues enough, then I bought a test just in case,” I say to her, rolling my body above hers. “But I’m pretty sure even without you taking the test, I could tell you’re pregnant. You’ve been tired all the time and eating more than usual,” I tell her, giving her a kiss as I trail my lips down her chin.

She mumbles, lifting her head further back so I can continue kissing my way down her neck. My lips continue kissing a trail down her collarbone. Her hands shove me up off her body, allowing me to look at her. She looks irritated now. “Is that the
only
reason why you asked me to marry you? Because you think I’m pregnant?”

N
ow I’m irritated
as I shake my head at her. “No, it’s not the reason I asked you to marry me. If I recall, I asked you once before and you flat out denied me. I loved you the first time I asked you and I still love you, so it’s why I asked you again,” I inform her, placing a kiss below her ear to distract her, trailing my lips across her neck, nipping on her skin along the way. When I reach her lips, I make sure to distract her completely.