Hello Lovelies,

Thank you so much for the incredible messages and reviews I've received in response to the last chapter. I'm so glad you liked it! It was an utter joy to write and edit.

I hope you enjoy this chapter too. More coming soon!

Much Love,

Chelsea x

SuzB – Thank you, my lovely! I'm glad you liked it. I hope you like this one too. Much Love x

DoloresDeeHowe – Thank you! I'm really glad you liked it. There is definitely more coming, don't worry! Much Love x

Paula White – Thank you! Happy New Year to you too. I hope you like this chapter. Much Love x

Luvdisney2007 – Thank you! I'm so glad you had that kind of reaction. I cried too! I really hope you like this chapter. Much Love x

Reds77 – Thank you, hun! Christian sure knows how to dish out the romance, doesn't he? I love him so much. I hope you like this chapter! Much Love x

iamdbomangmail – Thank you! I'm glad you liked it! I hope you like this one too. Much Love x

I shifted onto my side and curled into Christian's chest, hooking my leg over his and nestling it between his thighs. There was a single cotton sheet draped over us, crinkled from hours of fervent lovemaking. The mattress was like a marshmallow, the perfect balance of suppleness, lightly cradling us while the boat swayed along with the gentle waves.

I had never felt so happy.

So alive.

"You know, I never even realised there was a bedroom on here," I chuckled quietly. My hand crept across Christian's moistened torso, my fingertips toying with the dark hairs scattered between his defined pectorals. "If I'd known that on our first date, I would have dragged you in here."

"I wanted to fuck you so bad that night," he snorted. He traced the backs of his fingers up and down the length of my arm. "But I didn't want to spoil it."

"Spoil what?"

"Our first real date," he said. "I wanted it to be real. Right."

"And that means no sex?"

"Exactly," he hummed. "No putting out on the first date. Isn't that the general consensus?"

"In that case, it's a good job we'd already slept together well before then," I smirked. "We were sleeping together long before we actually started dating."

"We were," he nodded. He stretched his free arm up high, before tucking his hand under his head. "We did things a little different to other couples. Nothing about our relationship has been conventional."

"I prefer our way of doing things," I muttered.

"Me too, baby. Me too."

He dipped and planted a firm kiss to the middle of my forehead.

I slowly traced the scars speckled across his torso. He didn't mind me touching them. I was probably the only person in the world he would happily allow to touch his scars.

The only person he trusted enough.

My gaze shifted from his scars to my engagement ring, the light catching the diamonds and drawing my focus back to it.

It felt alien to even call it that. An engagement ring.

I'm engaged.

Engaged!

How is any of this real? When am I going to wake up from this incredible dream?

My heart leapt into my throat each time I looked at the ring, my finger starting to become accustomed to its position there. The platinum was still cold and unfamiliar but, in a way, it looked as if that ring should have always sat there, on that finger. It seemed right, somehow.

"If you don't like it, we can pick out another one," he said, out of the blue.

I jerked my head up.

"The ring," he clarified, though I knew perfectly what he was referring to. He had a gift for knowing exactly what I was thinking. "You can pick something else, if you want."

"Are you kidding?" I shook my head. "It's beautiful! I love it."

"Are you sure?" he checked. "I want you to be happy with it and –"

"I am happy," I grinned. I leaned up onto him and brought my mouth to his. "I love it, and I love you. This ring is staying on my finger. It's never coming off. Never."

"That's good to hear," he sighed, his lips curling into a light smile. "I'm relieved you like it. I actually helped design it."

"You did? Seriously?"

He nodded, pride swimming through his eyes. He caught my hand in his and admired the ring for himself.

"I spoke to a designer at Cartier and we worked on a couple designs," he explained. "I told him what I was looking for and he showed me some ideas. This is the one I liked the best. As soon as I saw the mock-up, I knew it would suit you."

"I'm surprised you didn't opt for a bigger diamond," I snorted. "I'm glad you didn't, before you get any ideas. It'd be weighing me down, otherwise!"

"Trust me, I was tempted!" he grinned back at me. "I knew you would like something understated. You don't like extravagance, so I compromised by adding the other diamonds. It's still flashy but elegant… at least that's what I was aiming for."

"It's perfect. When did you get it?"

"The same time I picked up your necklace," he said, gesturing to the heart pendant around my neck. "I got them at the same time."

"You got it in New York?" I frowned. "You've had it since then?"

He smirked.

"You've been thinking about this for a little while, then?" I checked. "It wasn't some kind of spur of the moment thing?"

"God, no," he chuckled, shaking his head. "I've been planning this for months."

"Months!?"

My stomach flipped.

I had no idea he was planning this.

I knew deep down I shouldn't be surprised, but I didn't expect this now. Not today. Not this week. Maybe not even this year. I didn't see any signs. I always thought I would know when this moment is coming, but tonight he caught me off guard. I was well and truly stumped.

A part of me knew this day would come eventually - our connection has always been intense and raw, so it was inevitable really – but I hadn't given myself room to think about marriage and settling down. I didn't want to get ahead of myself. For so long, I didn't know if I would meet someone who could ignite that spark in me, like Christian did the moment we met. And then when it happened, I was wary of letting my thoughts spiral out of control.

I was scared to think about having more with Christian. Because I was half-expecting something to intervene and prevent us from reaching our happy ever after.

After all, a few people have tried to break us along the way…

"You had no inclination I was going to propose?"

"None," I shook my head. "I had absolutely no idea."

He blew a long sigh of relief. "I was freaking out," he admitted. "I was so sure I'd give it away. Or worse, that someone else would let it slip!"

"Someone else?"

He nodded.

"You told people you were planning this?"

"My entire family knows," he said, smirking again. "I warned all of them. I had to force Mia to keep it a secret… and don't even get me started on Grace! She'll be tearing her hair out, wondering if I've asked you yet."

"I bet they've already got big ideas for the wedding," I giggled. "I think we've got ready made wedding planners in them!"

"Don't forget Gran," he rolled his eyes. "She's been plotting away with Grace and Mia since I told her and Grandpa."

"You told your grandparents too?"

"I told them at my birthday dinner. I'd already spoken to Dad, but I hadn't got the chance to tell Mom, Mia and Elliot yet. I told them directly after. I think it was when Grandpa was talking to you. He was keeping you occupied."

I hesitated a moment, a lightbulb going off in my mind.

"Wait – that's why they decided to stick around after your birthday, isn't it?" I asked. He nodded once. "They wanted to wait for the announcement?"

"I promised them it would be soon," he added. "Taylor and Mrs Jones know too. So does Flynn and Rhian."

"And Kate?"

"She knows," he smiled. "I showed her the ring when I picked it up and she cried. Then she hugged me and almost deafened me by screaming down my ear… I think it's safe to assume we're friends now."

I laughed at the thought of them becoming best buds. An unlikely duo. I never thought I'd see the day.

"Oh, and Ray knows. He was the first person to find out," Christian revealed. My brows shot up in surprise. "Come on, you didn't think I'd leave him out, did you? I had to ask for his blessing first."

"What?"

"I told him I was going to propose and I wanted his blessing," he explained. "I wanted him to be okay with it, knowing how much his opinion means to you."

"What did he say?"

"He made me promise to keep you safe and always put you first," he revealed. "And then he said he'd never seen you so happy, in spite of what you'd been through. He patted me on the back and said he'd be proud to have a son like me."

I rolled my lips inward, trying to ward off the trembling in my chin.

"I asked Ray the last time we went to Portland," he said. "You went upstairs and I took the opportunity to ask him. It was a now or never moment."

"Were you nervous?"

"I was fucking shitting myself!" he snorted. "I've never felt so nervous in my life."

"I bet Ray was loving it," I laughed. "Did he make you wait for an answer and stare you down?"

"It felt like forever!" he nodded. "I genuinely thought he was going to say no."

"Ray loves you," I shook my head. "He's loved you ever since I introduced you to him. He was as smitten with you as I was."

"What can I say, I'm a hit with the ladies and gentleman," he winked at me.

He shuffled to face me head on and then carefully rolled on top me, settling between my parted thighs. His body was warm and soft, nestling into the grooves of mine perfectly.

He buried his head into the crook of my neck, dropping his entire weight onto me.

"I wish we could stay here forever," I sighed. I tucked my legs around the back of his, pinning him to me. "I don't want this night to end."

"Well, I'm in no rush to leave," he whispered. He sucked hard at the base of my ear, the act drawing a deep groan from my chest. "I can't believe I get you for the rest of my life… I'm one lucky bastard."

He pressed kisses across my chest, following the hollows of my collarbones, his lips lightly dancing over my flushed, tingling skin. As he raised his head to seek out my mouth, his hand slid down my body until it came between his pelvis and mine.

His fingers tracked the length of my seam, spreading the slickness he had left before.

I tilted my hips up as he pushed two fingers into me. He curled them towards the ceiling and stroked that sweet spot he knew so well. The pleasure was instant.

"There," I moaned, squeezing my eyes shut as my toes began to curl. "Yes… Just there."

"You like that, baby?"

"Yes…"

"Do you want me deeper?"

"Yes… just keep going… don't stop. Please, don't stop."

"Never," he hummed.

He lowered his voice to a deep gruff, his lips resting against mine. We couldn't be closer, literally or emotionally.

"I'll never stop loving you, baby."

His promise was my undoing.