He's kissing her neck, nipping the tender flesh beneath her ear. She's hooking her fingers into the knot of his tie, trying to get it undone. She works slowly, almost languidly, pulling the wide end up through the loop and down again while he grinds himself against her thigh, impatient.

'Don't worry about the goddamned tie, Mac,' he grumbles, drawing the flesh of her earlobe between his teeth. 'Just pull it off.'

'This is the only tie that looks good with your cream shirt, Billy. I'm not going to ruin it just because you want to get laid.'

Huffing in protest, he tugs the straps of her teddy down, bites his way down her neck and takes an erect nipple in his mouth, sucking hard enough to make her gasp. That lights a fire under her ass and within 30 seconds she's got the tie free and is tossing it over the side of the bed. She grabs his head and pulls his face up to kiss him hard, moving her hands to his lapels as he thrusts his tongue in her mouth.

'You don't need this shirt, though,' she grunts against his teeth, gasping as he presses his palm against her panties and curves a finger beneath the elastic. 'You've got two more just like it.' She fists one shirt panel in each hand and yanks hard, sending buttons flying across the room. Satisfied, she pulls what's left of the shirt off his shoulders, crumples it into a ball and chucks it over his head. He makes quick work of his t-shirt and pants, tossing them in the growing pile of clothes on the floor.

He sits her up and pulls the teddy over her head, leaving her just in her panties and as they kiss he tugs them down over her hips and flings them across the room.

'Better,' he grunts, and moves to cover her with his body. She reaches up to caress his face but when her engagement and wedding rings catch the afternoon sunlight she's suddenly reminded all over again of just how improbable this situation is. She's got his rings on her finger and he's making love to her and they're married. Married. Legally joined in holy matrimony. How is that possible?

'Wait –' she says, gripping his shoulders.

He stops kissing her, perplexed.

'Is everything okay?'

'Yes – I – it's just - I keep having these flashes…' she trails off, not knowing quite how to explain the neon 'What the fuck is happening' signs that keep flashing before her eyes. She runs her fingers through his hair to let him know she's still with him, that even though she's obviously crazy there's nothing's wrong with them.

'Of?'

'Disbelief?' she offers, shrugging.

He looks at her, eyebrows raised.

'I mean, it was only a month ago that I was trying to pretend I wasn't in love with you and now you're my husband, Will. My husband.I just can't believe it.' She shakes her head. 'How is it even possible?'

He nods because he knows exactly how she feels.

'I keep getting those flashes too, Mac.'

'You do?'

He nods and lowers himself to lie on her side, propping himself up on one elbow to rest his head in his palm.

'Every few minutes. I keep looking at you and wondering what the hell just happened.'

'That's lovely, Will. You should be writing for greeting card companies.'

'I didn't mean it like that. I meant I keep thinking 'how have we come so far so fast'? But you know what?' he says, eyes as wide as saucers, as if he's just made the most amazing discovery.

'What?' she says, trying not to roll her eyes.

'We may have jumped off a cliff today but we did it together and it feels absolutely, one thousand percent right – like everything's finally how it's supposed to be, you know?'

Ah, that. Sweet. She guesses she can overlook that other thing he said.

'I do know,' she agrees, swinging a leg over his thigh and pulling him closer. 'Do you have any idea how much I love you, you marvelous, gorgeous man?' she asks, biting his lip before pulling back to look into his liquid blue eyes. 'It's bloody frightening.'

'It is for me, too,' he says.

'How much I love you?'

'No, MacKenzie,' he says seriously. 'How much I love you. It's terrifying.'

She nods. 'I suppose we'll just have to muddle through,' she smiles. 'But maybe you can show me? How much you love me, I mean?'

'I guess,' he shrugs noncommittally. In retaliation, she digs her nails into his ass and pulls him tightly against her.

'I'll get you for that,' he mutters. He teases her with his erection, giving her just enough to drive her crazy but pulling back before she can force him inside, using his hand as a barrier. He takes pity on her when she starts to whine so he reaches between her legs to massage the bundle of nerves in her center. Then he's rolling her onto her back and spreading her legs so he can get between them to taste her and as he works her legs splay wider and wider and soon she's bucking her hips into his face, keening with pleasure. God, she loves this man. No one has ever made her feel the things he does and she can't believe she's spent the last four years without this.

'Please, Billy,' she says raggedly. 'Inside me.'

He ignores her, continuing to drive her inexorably towards the point of no return and it's then that it occurs to her (for some idiotic reason) that in some places (times?) an unconsummated marriage isn't legal. Fuck. She grabs his shoulders hard, trying to drag him up her body.

'Goddamnit, Billy, I need you. Make me your wife.'

He doesn't think he's ever heard a more intoxicating sentence so within seconds he's moved himself up, supporting himself with both arms while she tries desperately to position him at her entrance. She spreads her legs as wide as she can, arching up to meet him as he slides home, wrapping her legs around his waist and digging her nails into his ass.

'I love you,' he says hoarsely, his words rough and jagged as she moans with pleasure. His cock is hitting her in all the right places and she loves him so much, is so overwhelmed at their connection that it doesn't take long before she's coming, sobbing his name.

He feels her break apart around him and when he looks down at her face, beaded with sweat, it feels like his very survival depends on her. She has to know that, has to know that she's everything to him and he has to be everything to her or he will not survive.

'You're my wife, MacKenzie. Mine.' he grunts as his own orgasm approaches. 'You belong to me. Say it,' he cries out. 'Oh God, say it.'

Her eyes widen in surprise but the truth is, she's always loved possessive Will so it does nothing to reduce her ardor.

'I belong to you, Billy,' she breathes. 'Only to you.' Then she grabs the back of his head and smashes their mouths together.

He fucks her desperately, punctuating every thrust with 'I love you' until he deposits his seed directly into her womb. 'God, I love you.'

She strokes his hair, listening to his ragged breathing as he comes down, feeling his heart pounding against her chest. She reaches down to pull the blankets over them while he revels in the sensation of resting his head on her breast, of still being inside her. He wants to see her face but lifting his head up will only put more pressure on her body so he supports himself with both arms and gently withdraws from her, rolling onto his side and gathering her to him while he stares into her eyes.

'Feeling possessive, Billy?' she teases, stroking his hair back from his forehead.

'You know I am,' he replies, kissing her gently. 'But it works both ways.'

'Does it? Then I hereby amend your contract: starting today and in perpetuity I own you 24 hours a day, including weekends, statutory and civil holidays.'

'Whatever you say, Kenz. You're the boss.'

He grins at her then, a surge of joy bubbling in his chest.

'Jesus, I can't stop smiling. You're my wife,' he says, tracing her lips with his finger in wonder. 'My wife. Can you believe it? We're married.' He shakes his head. 'This is the best day of my life and you are – by far – the best thing that has ever happened to me.'

She nods, too moved to speak. She can't help feeling a twinge (a stab, really) of regret over all the time they've wasted, especially because it was mostly her fault. She tries to push it away but she feels the tears prick at her eyes anyway.

He sees her eyes glisten and he wraps her tightly in his arms. 'Hey, that was supposed to make you happy – not sad.'

'It does – it's just – all that time – wasted – and it's all my fault.' She sniffs, trying to master her emotions.

'No, Kenz. It was not all your fault. You lit the match but I was the one who refused to put out the fire. I held on to my pride and pain – even though I knew better.'

'But you said you didn't know you were still in love with me until I got shot,' she protests.

'I didn't – not consciously. But I knew I was still dreaming about you - almost every night for four years.'

'You dreamed about me nearly every night?'

'Yes - it was always the same dream – I'd be running, trying to find you and when I finally did you wouldn't talk to me.'

'Oh, Billy,' she cries. 'I'm so sorry – '

'No, Kenz. It's not your fault. I was the one who refused to see, who refused to let you back in even though I knew my subconscious was trying to tell me something. We can't change the past – we can just be grateful for the present. And I am - so much. I love you, MacKenzie.'

She snuggles into him and whispers, 'I love you, too. Here's to the rest of our lives.'