Chapter 21:
"Do you even know how to pick up a phone and call somebody, Chloe? Let me show you how it's done," he took his cell phone out of his pocket and held it up for her to see, suddenly changing his voice to that usually reserved for three year olds. "See these little numbers here, you just---"
"Knock it off, Brady!"
"Too complicated for you!?" His tone was harsh once again. "Okay try this, next time your phone rings, answer it! It's really simple, Chloe and- "
"I love you!"
"It keeps [i]me[/i] from worrying sick about [i]you[/i], and.What?" Had he heard her right?
"I. Love. You," she punctuated each word with deliberate slowness, a slow smile adorning her face. "I'm in love with you. Okay? So shut up."
"But." he swallowed audibly, shaking his head in disbelief. All was silent for quite awhile. The only sound was a rumbling thunder that could be heard in the distance. Chloe couldn't believe how easy it was to say it; Brady couldn't believe he'd even heard right. "Am I dreaming?" A light rain began to fall from an ever-darkening sky.
"No," she whispered, smiling. Saying those words to him was like a weight lifting off of her shoulders. She'd never said anything truer or purer in her entire life. "No you're not dreaming. I love you. you big dope."
He chuckled, still not believing this was happening, wanting to touch her and make it real. "I love you too, Chloe." He awkwardly pulled her body to him. "This is weird."
"I know," she ran a hand over his cheek and through his hair. "But nothing has ever felt so right." Belle was right: there was nothing so wonderful as giving yourself to the right person. She leaned up and brought her lips to his, brushing from side to side, feeling Brady shudder under her caress and the lightly falling rain covering their bodies.
Brady moaned. She'd initiated these soft, gentle kisses that were about to be the death of him. The scent of her and the smell of the fresh rain pounding lightly on the concrete intoxicated him. Her words, her kisses, her touch encouraged him. So he deepened the kiss, demanding more from her mouth with his. He was desperate for her; he'd gone without her for far too long.
Chloe's knees buckled as the rain picked up, the drops falling harder and faster. But she couldn't think, couldn't see, couldn't breathe. All she could do was feel, feel Brady's arms wrapped securely around her body, his mouth moving urgently over hers, his tongue working magic in her mouth and the simple way his hands grazed up and down the nape of her neck. She felt as if she was floating; her skin tingled, her toes curled, her heart swelled. "Brady," she breathed, panting slightly, trying to catch her breath. His mouth moved to her neck, causing Chloe to moan and wonder if she'd ever be able to think clearly again. "Brady, please," she begged.
He pulled away from her, keeping his arms around her waist. "What? What is it," he leaned his forehead against hers and closed his eyes, trying to hear her out and override the desire pumping through his veins.
"Brady, make love to me please. Make love to me," she whispered, tightening her hold on him.
"Now?"
"Yes," running her hands through his hair.
"But we're outside," he teased, pulling back slightly to look at her.
"You know what I mean," she said seriously, gesturing to the apartments behind them.
"I do," he nodded, taking off his black jacket and tossing it over his shoulder.
"What are you doing?" She smiled at him as he began walking backwards and whistling 'Singing in the Rain,' the rain drenching them both.
Brady grinned. "Come here." She obliged and he pulled her flush against him. Laying his jacket over her shoulders, he held her and swayed with her, dancing to some imaginary melody apparently only he could hear.
"You're crazy," she looked at him in wonder.
"'Bout you." He leaned down and kissed her nose.
She chuckled softly. "That's nice to know." Thunder rumbled in the distance.
"Shhhhhh." Brady brought his finger to her lips. "Hear that?"
"No," Chloe beamed, kissing the pad of his finger that rested lightly on her lips.
Brady pretended to strain to hear something. "It's. it's God."
"Wh-what?" Chloe laughed lightly.
"Yes, God and do you know what he's saying?"
"What is he saying, Brady," Chloe smiled, shaking her head.
"He says." Brady leaned in closer. "Last one to your apartment is a rotten egg." He turned around and ran wildly towards her place, causing Chloe to erupt in hysterical laughter.
She watched him run off in the rain for a few moments more before joining him in pursuit. "Brady," she shouted over the pouring rain as lightning flashed, streaking across the sky in a brilliant purple color.
They made it to her door, Brady first but both out of breath. They were silent, both knowing what was going to happen tonight as Chloe began digging into her purse for her keys. Never feeling emotionally closer to anyone in his life, Brady felt the strongest urge to get as physically close to her as possible as well. It was the strangest, most frustrating and most wonderful thing in the world. Burying his face into her hair, he nuzzled her neck as he waited for her to find her keys. "Does this mean I get to sleep in your bed now?"
"No way." She unlocked and swung her door open.
"What?" Brady laughed.
"Brady," she pulled him inside and into a soft kiss. "The last thing we'll be doing is sleeping," the corners of her mouth turning into a seductive smile.
Brady chuckled. "Oh we'll see about that, Chloe. You see I plan on doing this right the first time around."
"Oh do you now," she teased.
"Yes, I do I." he trailed off, something over her shoulder catching his eye. "The dinner," he walked further into her home, gesturing to the table set up for two.
"Oh, Brady, tell me you're not actually hungry for food." She ran a hand through her hair and followed him to the table.
"No," he chuckled. "No, it's just. Chloe, you planned this for me. For us." He couldn't take his eyes off of the table, feeling incredibly special and wanted. Is that why Marlena had winked at him earlier this evening? Had everyone known about this but him? Had everyone let him think he had lost Chloe just so the two of them could have tonight? He was flattered, strangely enough.
"Yes," she sighed, wrapping her arms around a stunned Brady's waist. "That's what tonight was all about, I." she blew out a breath, laying her head against his body. "I had it all planned out. We were supposed to have a candlelight dinner. And I was finally going to tell you I love you, like I've wanted to do for so long. longer than I even remember." She smiled against Brady's chest as he shook his head disbelievingly. "But then I get this call from the fire department that my shop's on fire but it's 'under control,' ma'am,'" she mocked the fireman. "So I leave and [i]forget[/i] my cell phone," she glared at him. He blushed. "And I come back home to change my dress to see you being hauled away by the cops."
"Are you okay?" He asked as he smoothed her hair back, the light coming in the kitchen giving him the first good view of her face streaked with soot.
"Yes," she barely got out, overwhelmed by the look in his eyes. He gazed at her with eyes so full of concern and caring and love that she hadn't even noticed until he had professed his love for her in front of the Basic Black elevators only a week ago. And then it was like a door flying open. And suddenly she could feel his love and see it and think back to all of the times he'd looked at her the way he was looking at her now.
"Sweet Bar. Is it okay?"
"Yes," she pulled away from him, feeling a little besieged. "Just a small kitchen fire. Everything is fine." Chloe paused thoughtfully. "Well. not everything." she glanced at him. "I lost the ring, Brady. When I was showering that afternoon you'd given it back to me, it slipped off of my fingers and down the drain. I cried for hours."
"Why didn't you tell me?" He soothingly stroked her face with the back of the hand.
"I was scared... about a lot of things," she finally admitted. "I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to love you like you deserved, that somehow our happiness would disappear. like the ring."
"And are you scared now?" He searched her face, never faltering from his light caresses to her soft skin.
"No, not anymore," she gave him a small smile. "I wanted to find it though, just the same." She grabbed his hand and placed a delicate kiss on his palm. "Did you know that I spent two days scouring the streets of Salem, looking for that damned ring?"
"Oh so it's a damned ring now?" Brady teased her.
She rolled her eyes. "Anyway, I couldn't find it. There's not another ring in Salem like it. Not one."
"It was special, unique, Chloe, just like you. But it is replaceable. You, on the other hand, are not." Brady took in Chloe's appearance and thought about tonight and what she'd told him, all that'd they been through just to find their way to each other; and he couldn't help but fall into a soft laughter.
"What is so funny," she crossed her arms across her chest defensively, trying to be mad at him, but loving the sound of his contagious laughter in the house again. She had missed him.
"Nothing it's just." he trailed off, unable to look at her without laughing. She looked like she had crawled out of some hole in the ground, with the way that soot had smudged onto parts of her face.
"What!?"
He was never very good at saying how he felt when it came to romantic things like love and forever and he hated that about himself. Chloe deserved poems and flowers and declarations of love and devotion. But hell, actions spoke louder than words anyway right? He would make her feel his love. Without another word, he picked up a white, cloth napkin from the table and dipped it's corner into one of the goblets of water, before bringing it up to her face. Holding her chin tenderly in his hands, he lightly ran the napkin along her face, steadily wiping off the soot that had caked onto her cheek. For minutes, they stood there, Brady continually dipping the napkin back into the cool water and wiping away the dirt on her face. This simple action was everything to Chloe. It was as if it represented his love for her. The soot on her face had been the condition her heart was in before Brady had come and in and easily wiped all the hurt and pain away. At some point, she didn't know when, tears began to course down her raw cheeks. Brady merely wiped those away too with the pads of his thumbs. "Okay?" He asked her.
She nodded silently and watched as he leaned in and his lips descended on hers. Their kiss was gentle and soothing as his mouth moved slowly over hers. Chloe thought she might go insane if he didn't stop torturing her with these soft, understated kisses. Pressing herself against him and deepening the kiss, Chloe kicked off her shoes. Brady lifted Chloe into his arms, her legs wrapping around his waist in one swift motion. Taking it as his cue and never removing his lips from her body, he made his way over to the bedroom, where they made love, each hoping never to forget this night, each knowing they never would.
**********************
Chloe stirred in her sleep, the sound of something coming from outside of her bedroom waking her up. She'd noticed Brady's warm body was absent from their bed; it was their bed now. "Three am," she muttered as she glanced at the clock. Pulling her pink, silk robe around her body, she padded to the kitchen. "Hey," she watched as Brady pulled a bowl of the wild rice she'd cooked yesterday from the microwave.
"Hey." He pulled her close to him and took in a spoonful of rice. "I got hungry."
"You're always hungry," she chuckled and wrapped her arms around his waist.
"But you wouldn't have me any other way," he nuzzled her neck and placed a soft kiss behind her ear before pulling back to take in another spoonful of rice. "Here," he held a spoonful up to her lips.
"Brady." she tried to pull away.
"Chloe, I want to feed you. Please?" He pouted.
She suddenly got an idea, remembering the ring she'd hidden in the truffles yesterday. "Only if you let me feed you dessert."
"Deal." He eased the spoon into her open mouth and watched in fascination as she chewed and savored the taste of the seasoned rice. The sight of her mouth moving and her tongue peeking out of her mouth to lick her lips did him in. "Chloe," he moaned and crushed his lips to hers, dropping the bowl of rice onto the kitchen counter.
"Hey," she protested, tearing her lips away. "You tell Brady Jr. to relax for a few seconds." She patted the crotch of his boxers. "You need dessert." She brought each of the first three truffles to his waiting mouth and watched as he gobbled each of them down. Taking the forth and final truffle between her fingers, Chloe grinned, knowing this was [b]the[/b] one. She'd decorated the top a little different to be sure. She nearly squealed when she saw him take it into his mouth and chew, clearing his throat a bit as he swallowed. "Well?" She looked up at him, expecting him to pull the ring from his mouth.
"They were delicious." He kissed her. "You're delicious."
"Brady!" She pushed him away a bit.
"What?"
She couldn't believe it. He'd eaten it. Was he even aware of the concept of chewing food? "I put a ring in that last truffle for you, a gold band, and you ate it."
"A gold. But." It dawned on him. "You were going to ask me to marry you?"
"Yes, but because you inhale any and all food you come in contact with, your ring is now sitting in there," she poked his stomach and pulled away from him.
"Oops," he smiled uneasily and leaned against the counter, feeling awful for ruining the moment. "What is it about us and rings?" He joked as he watched her sink into a chair at the kitchen table. "Hey look on the bright side: at least we know where this ring is headed." Chloe only groaned, letting her forehead fall to the kitchen table. Something in the kitchen cabinet caught Brady's eye. "Hmm."
Hearing him rummaging through the cabinet, she lifted her head from the table. "Brady, what are you doing?" Her eyes widened as he emptied a large bag of CrackerJacks onto her kitchen table. "Brady! You're making a mess."
"Just relax Chloe." He sifted through the caramelized popcorn some more and finally pulled out a small plastic package, ripping it open and removing a blue object. "This is all for a good cause," he kneeled before her, taking her left hand in his.
"Oh my God, yes," she breathed out, realizing what he was doing.
"Chloe, I haven't even asked yet." He chuckled.
"Well, Brady what are you waiting for?" She brought her other hand to the side of his head, burying her fingers in his hair.
"For the right words," he gave her a small smile. "Did you know that yesterday was our anniversary?"
"It was?" Her brow furrowed.
"In a way, yes. I met you six, long years ago at Belle and Shawn's wedding reception. It's crazy because I barely remembering meeting you at all." He traced her lips with his finger, marveling at the feel of them under his touch.
"Same here," Chloe smiled and kissed the pad of his finger as it ran along her lips.
"So okay, we didn't exactly have the most memorable start. And we didn't exactly like each other when we met up again a few months ago."
"You can say that again."
He chuckled. "So we're not exactly the most traditional love story ever told. So what?" He slid the plastic, blue ring onto her finger.
"So what," Chloe repeated him and felt her eyes fill up with happy tears.
He smoothed her hair back and placed a delicate kiss on her nose. "Chloe, I love you. Will you marry me?"
"Yes, Brady," she flung herself into his arms and cried into his chest, pushing him to the ground. "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes." She sat up, straddling him and running her hands over his hair, melting at the sight of him smiling up at her innocently.
"That ring is only temporary, you know?"
"I don't know. I kinda like it," Chloe smiled admiring the plastic ring on her finger.
"Okay, well we won't bother going ring shopping later today then. Good, that'll save me at least a few thousand dollars."
"Brady!" She lightly punched his stomach.
"Diva, I'm kidding." He ran his hands along the outside of her thighs.
She began tracing small circles along his chest. "Guess what I'm going to make you?"
"Ummm. chocolate, chocolate chip cookies?" He grinned up at her.
"If you like," she leaned down and kissed his lips softly.
"I do like," he deepened the kiss, grasping the nape of her neck and pulling her closer. "Ohhh.Chloe, Chloe, Chloe, Chloe." he moaned as she began placing soft, wet kisses down the length of his chest. "You've just got it."
"What have I got Brady? Besides your heart?" She gave him a bright smile, wondering what he was babbling about.
"The touch, Chloe. The chocolate touch."
The End! :p
"Do you even know how to pick up a phone and call somebody, Chloe? Let me show you how it's done," he took his cell phone out of his pocket and held it up for her to see, suddenly changing his voice to that usually reserved for three year olds. "See these little numbers here, you just---"
"Knock it off, Brady!"
"Too complicated for you!?" His tone was harsh once again. "Okay try this, next time your phone rings, answer it! It's really simple, Chloe and- "
"I love you!"
"It keeps [i]me[/i] from worrying sick about [i]you[/i], and.What?" Had he heard her right?
"I. Love. You," she punctuated each word with deliberate slowness, a slow smile adorning her face. "I'm in love with you. Okay? So shut up."
"But." he swallowed audibly, shaking his head in disbelief. All was silent for quite awhile. The only sound was a rumbling thunder that could be heard in the distance. Chloe couldn't believe how easy it was to say it; Brady couldn't believe he'd even heard right. "Am I dreaming?" A light rain began to fall from an ever-darkening sky.
"No," she whispered, smiling. Saying those words to him was like a weight lifting off of her shoulders. She'd never said anything truer or purer in her entire life. "No you're not dreaming. I love you. you big dope."
He chuckled, still not believing this was happening, wanting to touch her and make it real. "I love you too, Chloe." He awkwardly pulled her body to him. "This is weird."
"I know," she ran a hand over his cheek and through his hair. "But nothing has ever felt so right." Belle was right: there was nothing so wonderful as giving yourself to the right person. She leaned up and brought her lips to his, brushing from side to side, feeling Brady shudder under her caress and the lightly falling rain covering their bodies.
Brady moaned. She'd initiated these soft, gentle kisses that were about to be the death of him. The scent of her and the smell of the fresh rain pounding lightly on the concrete intoxicated him. Her words, her kisses, her touch encouraged him. So he deepened the kiss, demanding more from her mouth with his. He was desperate for her; he'd gone without her for far too long.
Chloe's knees buckled as the rain picked up, the drops falling harder and faster. But she couldn't think, couldn't see, couldn't breathe. All she could do was feel, feel Brady's arms wrapped securely around her body, his mouth moving urgently over hers, his tongue working magic in her mouth and the simple way his hands grazed up and down the nape of her neck. She felt as if she was floating; her skin tingled, her toes curled, her heart swelled. "Brady," she breathed, panting slightly, trying to catch her breath. His mouth moved to her neck, causing Chloe to moan and wonder if she'd ever be able to think clearly again. "Brady, please," she begged.
He pulled away from her, keeping his arms around her waist. "What? What is it," he leaned his forehead against hers and closed his eyes, trying to hear her out and override the desire pumping through his veins.
"Brady, make love to me please. Make love to me," she whispered, tightening her hold on him.
"Now?"
"Yes," running her hands through his hair.
"But we're outside," he teased, pulling back slightly to look at her.
"You know what I mean," she said seriously, gesturing to the apartments behind them.
"I do," he nodded, taking off his black jacket and tossing it over his shoulder.
"What are you doing?" She smiled at him as he began walking backwards and whistling 'Singing in the Rain,' the rain drenching them both.
Brady grinned. "Come here." She obliged and he pulled her flush against him. Laying his jacket over her shoulders, he held her and swayed with her, dancing to some imaginary melody apparently only he could hear.
"You're crazy," she looked at him in wonder.
"'Bout you." He leaned down and kissed her nose.
She chuckled softly. "That's nice to know." Thunder rumbled in the distance.
"Shhhhhh." Brady brought his finger to her lips. "Hear that?"
"No," Chloe beamed, kissing the pad of his finger that rested lightly on her lips.
Brady pretended to strain to hear something. "It's. it's God."
"Wh-what?" Chloe laughed lightly.
"Yes, God and do you know what he's saying?"
"What is he saying, Brady," Chloe smiled, shaking her head.
"He says." Brady leaned in closer. "Last one to your apartment is a rotten egg." He turned around and ran wildly towards her place, causing Chloe to erupt in hysterical laughter.
She watched him run off in the rain for a few moments more before joining him in pursuit. "Brady," she shouted over the pouring rain as lightning flashed, streaking across the sky in a brilliant purple color.
They made it to her door, Brady first but both out of breath. They were silent, both knowing what was going to happen tonight as Chloe began digging into her purse for her keys. Never feeling emotionally closer to anyone in his life, Brady felt the strongest urge to get as physically close to her as possible as well. It was the strangest, most frustrating and most wonderful thing in the world. Burying his face into her hair, he nuzzled her neck as he waited for her to find her keys. "Does this mean I get to sleep in your bed now?"
"No way." She unlocked and swung her door open.
"What?" Brady laughed.
"Brady," she pulled him inside and into a soft kiss. "The last thing we'll be doing is sleeping," the corners of her mouth turning into a seductive smile.
Brady chuckled. "Oh we'll see about that, Chloe. You see I plan on doing this right the first time around."
"Oh do you now," she teased.
"Yes, I do I." he trailed off, something over her shoulder catching his eye. "The dinner," he walked further into her home, gesturing to the table set up for two.
"Oh, Brady, tell me you're not actually hungry for food." She ran a hand through her hair and followed him to the table.
"No," he chuckled. "No, it's just. Chloe, you planned this for me. For us." He couldn't take his eyes off of the table, feeling incredibly special and wanted. Is that why Marlena had winked at him earlier this evening? Had everyone known about this but him? Had everyone let him think he had lost Chloe just so the two of them could have tonight? He was flattered, strangely enough.
"Yes," she sighed, wrapping her arms around a stunned Brady's waist. "That's what tonight was all about, I." she blew out a breath, laying her head against his body. "I had it all planned out. We were supposed to have a candlelight dinner. And I was finally going to tell you I love you, like I've wanted to do for so long. longer than I even remember." She smiled against Brady's chest as he shook his head disbelievingly. "But then I get this call from the fire department that my shop's on fire but it's 'under control,' ma'am,'" she mocked the fireman. "So I leave and [i]forget[/i] my cell phone," she glared at him. He blushed. "And I come back home to change my dress to see you being hauled away by the cops."
"Are you okay?" He asked as he smoothed her hair back, the light coming in the kitchen giving him the first good view of her face streaked with soot.
"Yes," she barely got out, overwhelmed by the look in his eyes. He gazed at her with eyes so full of concern and caring and love that she hadn't even noticed until he had professed his love for her in front of the Basic Black elevators only a week ago. And then it was like a door flying open. And suddenly she could feel his love and see it and think back to all of the times he'd looked at her the way he was looking at her now.
"Sweet Bar. Is it okay?"
"Yes," she pulled away from him, feeling a little besieged. "Just a small kitchen fire. Everything is fine." Chloe paused thoughtfully. "Well. not everything." she glanced at him. "I lost the ring, Brady. When I was showering that afternoon you'd given it back to me, it slipped off of my fingers and down the drain. I cried for hours."
"Why didn't you tell me?" He soothingly stroked her face with the back of the hand.
"I was scared... about a lot of things," she finally admitted. "I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to love you like you deserved, that somehow our happiness would disappear. like the ring."
"And are you scared now?" He searched her face, never faltering from his light caresses to her soft skin.
"No, not anymore," she gave him a small smile. "I wanted to find it though, just the same." She grabbed his hand and placed a delicate kiss on his palm. "Did you know that I spent two days scouring the streets of Salem, looking for that damned ring?"
"Oh so it's a damned ring now?" Brady teased her.
She rolled her eyes. "Anyway, I couldn't find it. There's not another ring in Salem like it. Not one."
"It was special, unique, Chloe, just like you. But it is replaceable. You, on the other hand, are not." Brady took in Chloe's appearance and thought about tonight and what she'd told him, all that'd they been through just to find their way to each other; and he couldn't help but fall into a soft laughter.
"What is so funny," she crossed her arms across her chest defensively, trying to be mad at him, but loving the sound of his contagious laughter in the house again. She had missed him.
"Nothing it's just." he trailed off, unable to look at her without laughing. She looked like she had crawled out of some hole in the ground, with the way that soot had smudged onto parts of her face.
"What!?"
He was never very good at saying how he felt when it came to romantic things like love and forever and he hated that about himself. Chloe deserved poems and flowers and declarations of love and devotion. But hell, actions spoke louder than words anyway right? He would make her feel his love. Without another word, he picked up a white, cloth napkin from the table and dipped it's corner into one of the goblets of water, before bringing it up to her face. Holding her chin tenderly in his hands, he lightly ran the napkin along her face, steadily wiping off the soot that had caked onto her cheek. For minutes, they stood there, Brady continually dipping the napkin back into the cool water and wiping away the dirt on her face. This simple action was everything to Chloe. It was as if it represented his love for her. The soot on her face had been the condition her heart was in before Brady had come and in and easily wiped all the hurt and pain away. At some point, she didn't know when, tears began to course down her raw cheeks. Brady merely wiped those away too with the pads of his thumbs. "Okay?" He asked her.
She nodded silently and watched as he leaned in and his lips descended on hers. Their kiss was gentle and soothing as his mouth moved slowly over hers. Chloe thought she might go insane if he didn't stop torturing her with these soft, understated kisses. Pressing herself against him and deepening the kiss, Chloe kicked off her shoes. Brady lifted Chloe into his arms, her legs wrapping around his waist in one swift motion. Taking it as his cue and never removing his lips from her body, he made his way over to the bedroom, where they made love, each hoping never to forget this night, each knowing they never would.
**********************
Chloe stirred in her sleep, the sound of something coming from outside of her bedroom waking her up. She'd noticed Brady's warm body was absent from their bed; it was their bed now. "Three am," she muttered as she glanced at the clock. Pulling her pink, silk robe around her body, she padded to the kitchen. "Hey," she watched as Brady pulled a bowl of the wild rice she'd cooked yesterday from the microwave.
"Hey." He pulled her close to him and took in a spoonful of rice. "I got hungry."
"You're always hungry," she chuckled and wrapped her arms around his waist.
"But you wouldn't have me any other way," he nuzzled her neck and placed a soft kiss behind her ear before pulling back to take in another spoonful of rice. "Here," he held a spoonful up to her lips.
"Brady." she tried to pull away.
"Chloe, I want to feed you. Please?" He pouted.
She suddenly got an idea, remembering the ring she'd hidden in the truffles yesterday. "Only if you let me feed you dessert."
"Deal." He eased the spoon into her open mouth and watched in fascination as she chewed and savored the taste of the seasoned rice. The sight of her mouth moving and her tongue peeking out of her mouth to lick her lips did him in. "Chloe," he moaned and crushed his lips to hers, dropping the bowl of rice onto the kitchen counter.
"Hey," she protested, tearing her lips away. "You tell Brady Jr. to relax for a few seconds." She patted the crotch of his boxers. "You need dessert." She brought each of the first three truffles to his waiting mouth and watched as he gobbled each of them down. Taking the forth and final truffle between her fingers, Chloe grinned, knowing this was [b]the[/b] one. She'd decorated the top a little different to be sure. She nearly squealed when she saw him take it into his mouth and chew, clearing his throat a bit as he swallowed. "Well?" She looked up at him, expecting him to pull the ring from his mouth.
"They were delicious." He kissed her. "You're delicious."
"Brady!" She pushed him away a bit.
"What?"
She couldn't believe it. He'd eaten it. Was he even aware of the concept of chewing food? "I put a ring in that last truffle for you, a gold band, and you ate it."
"A gold. But." It dawned on him. "You were going to ask me to marry you?"
"Yes, but because you inhale any and all food you come in contact with, your ring is now sitting in there," she poked his stomach and pulled away from him.
"Oops," he smiled uneasily and leaned against the counter, feeling awful for ruining the moment. "What is it about us and rings?" He joked as he watched her sink into a chair at the kitchen table. "Hey look on the bright side: at least we know where this ring is headed." Chloe only groaned, letting her forehead fall to the kitchen table. Something in the kitchen cabinet caught Brady's eye. "Hmm."
Hearing him rummaging through the cabinet, she lifted her head from the table. "Brady, what are you doing?" Her eyes widened as he emptied a large bag of CrackerJacks onto her kitchen table. "Brady! You're making a mess."
"Just relax Chloe." He sifted through the caramelized popcorn some more and finally pulled out a small plastic package, ripping it open and removing a blue object. "This is all for a good cause," he kneeled before her, taking her left hand in his.
"Oh my God, yes," she breathed out, realizing what he was doing.
"Chloe, I haven't even asked yet." He chuckled.
"Well, Brady what are you waiting for?" She brought her other hand to the side of his head, burying her fingers in his hair.
"For the right words," he gave her a small smile. "Did you know that yesterday was our anniversary?"
"It was?" Her brow furrowed.
"In a way, yes. I met you six, long years ago at Belle and Shawn's wedding reception. It's crazy because I barely remembering meeting you at all." He traced her lips with his finger, marveling at the feel of them under his touch.
"Same here," Chloe smiled and kissed the pad of his finger as it ran along her lips.
"So okay, we didn't exactly have the most memorable start. And we didn't exactly like each other when we met up again a few months ago."
"You can say that again."
He chuckled. "So we're not exactly the most traditional love story ever told. So what?" He slid the plastic, blue ring onto her finger.
"So what," Chloe repeated him and felt her eyes fill up with happy tears.
He smoothed her hair back and placed a delicate kiss on her nose. "Chloe, I love you. Will you marry me?"
"Yes, Brady," she flung herself into his arms and cried into his chest, pushing him to the ground. "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes." She sat up, straddling him and running her hands over his hair, melting at the sight of him smiling up at her innocently.
"That ring is only temporary, you know?"
"I don't know. I kinda like it," Chloe smiled admiring the plastic ring on her finger.
"Okay, well we won't bother going ring shopping later today then. Good, that'll save me at least a few thousand dollars."
"Brady!" She lightly punched his stomach.
"Diva, I'm kidding." He ran his hands along the outside of her thighs.
She began tracing small circles along his chest. "Guess what I'm going to make you?"
"Ummm. chocolate, chocolate chip cookies?" He grinned up at her.
"If you like," she leaned down and kissed his lips softly.
"I do like," he deepened the kiss, grasping the nape of her neck and pulling her closer. "Ohhh.Chloe, Chloe, Chloe, Chloe." he moaned as she began placing soft, wet kisses down the length of his chest. "You've just got it."
"What have I got Brady? Besides your heart?" She gave him a bright smile, wondering what he was babbling about.
"The touch, Chloe. The chocolate touch."
The End! :p