Mercedes stared at Sam. "What?"
Sam swallowed. "I love you, and I have always loved you. Mercedes, you are the first thing I think about when I wake up and the last thing I think about before I go to bed. You are everything to me, and I handled this whole situation so bad. I shouldn't have pushed you away. Or ignore you. I should have talked to you; I should have told you everything."
Sam took a deep breath and stood, bringing Mercedes to the blanket and sitting down with her. "For as long as I could remember, I have always felt you could do better than me. It's one of the reasons I never told you about my feelings. I always felt like why would someone like you want someone like me. I'm not smart, not like you; I have no real skills. I get paid to do different voices. It's a skill but not one like the skills you have. Why would you want me on your arm? But when you kissed me, I didn't care anymore, or at least I thought I didn't. I really hoped we could be together for real. And in that cottage, you telling me that you loved me too, it filled me with so much love and happiness. And when you said that you didn't want to be with me or that's what it sounded like, my heart started to break."
He looked down to his hand in hers. "When I took that walk, I really just wanted to find the words to convince you to be with me. I didn't intend on coming back angrier. But I ran into Will and some other guy. They were talking about us. Me in particular. Will said he didn't need to sink your promotion because the moment I showed up to an event on your arms and people got a look at the hick model boy, they wouldn't take you seriously. That other guy said that people would assume you paid me to be on your arm. They basically said everything I had been thinking. And when I came back into the room, and you were trying so hard to tell me that you wanted me, I couldn't let you."
"Sam? Why didn't you say something?"
"The accident happened. And then we made love again, and I held you in my arms as you slept. You were perfect. And I was just me. So I made up my mind that I was going to walk away from you. I didn't want to mess up your life. But not talking to you for those few days was torture, not being in your life after I had you. Well, I never wanted to lose you again. I am sorry so very sorry for everything. I mean it. I will do anything to make it up to you; just please be with me."
"Sam, why did you fly us back to Lima? Why didn't you just ask me on the roof?"
"Because you deserve more than that, you deserve to see my whole heart, and here in this waterfall, I had my first glimpse of the future we could have together. And I had us flown here so that I could get my things and come back with you, should you say yes."
"And you would do that? Fly to New York. give up your life here?"
"I would do anything to be with you, Merce."
"What I still don't get is how you did all this? My job is not one you can scam."
"I had help from Kurt; he and his dad agreed to this as long as I convince you to stay in New York."
Mercedes laughed. "Of course. But what if I want to move to Lima with you?"
"I wouldn't let you, even if you say no. I wouldn't let you give up what you have worked so hard on. You have worked your ass off to be a partner. Plus, with the way Will was acting and the things he said. I want you to be his boss and fire him."
Mercedes laughed, wiping her tears. "So you really want to do this? To marry me?"
"More than anything in the world." Sam moved closer to her. "Here."
He pulls out a small dirty box and hands it to her. She looks at him. "What is this?"
"Do you remember when we wrote down what our perfect proposal and wedding was when you swore you were gonna marry Omarion or Usher? And I had to tell them how you wanted to be proposed too?"
"And you were going to marry Jasmine Sullavan?"
"I have a type." Sam joked.
Mercedes took out one of the old dirty letters and opened it. "My dream proposal doesn't matter; as long as she says yes, I will be happy, but my dream bride isn't Jasmine Sullivan; it's Mercedes Jones." She looked at Sam. "Sam, we did this before I left for College."
"I know, and I knew back then you were the one for me. Go ahead and read yours."
She took the other letter out. "My dream proposal would have to be memorable. He would have to take me somewhere meaningful, confess his love and sing Brian Mcknight to me. Brian is non-negotiable."
Mercedes looked at Sam and sees he has his guitar. He started to play "Back at One," and Mercedes felt her eyes water. "Sam…"
"It's undeniable. That we should be together. It's unbelievable, how I used to say, that I'd fall never. The basis is need to know If you don't know just how I feel. Then let me show you now that I'm, for real, if all things in time, time will reveal."
He leaned closer to her. "One, you're like a dream come true. Two just wanna be with you.
Three, girl, It's plain to see that you're the only one for me, and four, repeat steps one through three. Five, make you fall in love with me. If ever I believe my work is done, then I'll start back at one. It's so incredible the way things work themselves out. And all emotional once you know what it's all about. And undesirable for us to be apart. Never would've made it very far. 'Cause you know, you've got the keys to my heart, 'cause one, you're like a dream come true. Two just wanna be with you, three, girl; it's plain to see that you're the only one for me, and four, repeat steps one through three. Five, make you fall in love with me. If ever I believe my work is done. Then I'll start back at one."
Mercedes wiped her eyes, humming along with Sam.
"Say farewell to the dark of night I see the comin' of the sun. I feel like a little child whose life has just begun. You came and breathed new life into this lonely heart of mine. You threw out the lifeline just in the nick of time. One, you're like a dream come true two, I just wanna be with you. Three, girl, It's plain to see that you're the only one for me, and four, repeat steps one through three. Five, make you fall in love with me. If ever I believe my work is done. Then I'll start back at one."
Mercedes moved and pulled Sam close to her, kissing him deeply as he put down the guitar. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down to the pillows. Sam smirked, looking at her. "Is this a yes or a very sexy no?"
"Yes, Sam, yes, I will marry you! I will also kill you if you ever hurt me again; I know how to bury a body."
Sam smiled. "I never want to see that sadness on your face again, baby. I love you."
Sam pulled her closer to him and kissed her desperately. His hand ran through her hair as she moved him on top of her.
"Sam, are we really about to do this here?"
Sam smiled, kissing a trail down her neck. "We are gonna do something here. We are celebrating."
Mercedes giggled as his hand ran up her thighs. "Sam…"
He kissed down to the valley of her breast, removing her front clasp bra. His hand traced down her stomach as his mouth found her right nipple. Mercedes moaned out, arching up to his mouth.
"Mercy, I have wanted to explore your body for years."
"Years?"
Sam looked up at her. "Jr. Year when we all went on the Jr. beach trip, and I saw you in that swimsuit."
He bit her nipple and stared at her. He swirled his tongue around it. "You looked amazing. All I wanted to do was lay you down. Run my hands up and down your body."
He moved his hands up her body and back down it. "Then I wanted to nibble every inch of you, making you beg for me, scream for me. Making you need all of me."
Sam proved his point by kissing and nipping every inch of her body, causing her to whimper, before settling himself between her thighs. "Then I wanted to taste you."
Sam gave her his signature lopsided grin and took a long slow lick up her slit. Mercedes shivered at his actions and moaned out. Sam smiled and continued to work his tongue around her clit as he added a finger. Mercedes squirmed beneath him, arching up into his mouth letting her hands find his hair.
"Sam, Sam, I am so close." She moaned out.
Sam continued to lick and finger her until she came hard, her scream echoing across the walls. He didn't give her time to rest; in one swift motion, he pushed himself inside of her, and Mercedes came again, squeezing Sam almost to the point of no return.
"Damn, Merce. Give a guy a warning."
"Excuse you, you can't make me cum, then stuff me to the brim with your big ass cock and expect me not to cum again." She whimpered, trying to move her hips.
Sam lifted her leg around his body, pushing deep inside of her and slowly pulling all the way out to the tip.
"So tight, so warm. I was mesmerized last week when I finally got a taste; now I can enjoy it." He said as he went back to work, slowly torturing her.
Mercedes linked her hands with his, and he kissed her deeply, gripping both thighs as she screamed out again. Sam went harder, and Mercedes clawed at his back, feeling herself about to cum all over again. As she came, Sam moved faster, chasing his own high.
The moment they were both spent, Sam laid in Mercedes's arms, and she caressed his head that was against her chest.
"Sam, I think I want to stay in New York."
"You do?"
She sighed, still caressing his head. "I worked so hard to get to where I want to be, and yes, I would be making more money, but I have clients that are relying on me. I earned everything here, and if I stay in Lima, I think I would get complacent."
Sam nodded silently. And Mercedes exhaled. "Does that change anything?"
Lifting his head, Sam shook his head no. "Never. I am with you, wherever you go. I will follow. Just say the word. I meant everything I said. And I am not letting you fly back without me. How about we fly back, enjoy the next few days, then this weekend we come back here and tell our families again, we are engaged?"
"Yeah, I should probably tell mom I am not taking her job. Besides, that offer will always be there. If things don't work out, at least I have a fallback."
Sam kissed her softly. "Come on, I only have the pilot for a few more hours."
"I still can't believe you rented a helicopter."
"Well, I have no other option. I needed to win back my woman."
Mercedes smiled, holding him close. "And you sure did. Now let's get going; we do have a wedding to plan.
.