Author's Note: Okay, here's the romantic fluff I've been promising you. It's a definite R-rating towards the end. Please read at your own discretion and don't forget to review!
* * * * *
The taxi dropped them off outside of Trattoria di Nardi. Vaughn took Sydney's hand as they crossed the street and she could see through the large plate-glass picture windows that the restaurant was packed with a noisy, boisterous crowd. It was mostly families with children of all ages but there were a few couples scattered about the room. As they reached the doorway, the sounds of lively chatter and raucous laughter hit their ears.
Sydney smiled to herself. It was nice to see people talking and laughing and enjoying some good food, especially after being subjected to the torture that was every mealtime with Irina and Sark for the past few weeks. Her eyes grew wide as she caught glimpses of what the waiters were carrying on their serving trays as they came out of the kitchen. Everything she saw looked mouthwateringly delicious and she suddenly realized she was starving. They hadn't had anything to eat since they'd met with Sark earlier that morning.
The restaurant was housed in a two-story building, sandwiched between an upscale-looking delicatessen and a bookstore. Vaughn had told her that there were dining areas on both floors with a more family-style downstairs and a slightly more sedate one upstairs. Not that Sydney didn't enjoy listening to all the conversations going on around her, but she wanted to be able to actually hear herself speak during their first romantic dinner together, so she hoped Vaughn had made their reservations for the quieter room.
The mustachioed maître d' greeted Vaughn with a companionable shaking of hands as if they were old friends. Sydney stood off to the side as Vaughn had a brief conversation with the man, who nodded profusely and then invited them to follow him up the stairs.
The second floor was in direct contrast to the first. Whereas downstairs the décor was homey and comfortable with its hardwood floors, bench-style seating and Chianti-bottle candles, the upstairs was stylish and tasteful. The walls were painted a pale apricot, which created a muted backdrop for the picturesque pastels that were hung about the room. The lighting was softer and more romantic. Each table was graced by two high-backed chairs covered in an apricot moiré, the fabric on the chairs matching perfectly with the silk tablecloths. Sydney noted with delight that all of the tables held a small vase of fresh flowers and two apricot-colored tapered candles in gleaming silver candlesticks. The effect was lovely and tranquil.
Sydney was eager to sit down, but apparently the maître d' had other ideas. He headed for another staircase and Vaughn, who was holding her hand, followed him. She had no choice but to go along, although not without a bit of trepidation. She had seen from the outside that it was only a two-story building. The only place left for them to go was the roof.
The maître d' opened the door at the top of the staircase and stepped outside. Abnormally cautious in all aspects of her life, Sydney felt a little apprehensive as she climbed the second stairway, but of course, she knew that Vaughn would never do anything that would put her in harm's way. If they were headed for the roof, there must be a good reason for it.
"Michael, why are we going to the roof?" She whispered to him.
He turned his head and grinned down at her. "You'll see." He said mysteriously.
Okay, so that was a totally unsatisfactory answer, she thought to herself. Then she reached the top step and her mouth dropped open in awe. It was as if she had been transported into a fantasy world.
The ground was scattered with pink rose petals, their sweet fragrance mingling with the scent of orange blossoms in the air. English ivy intertwined with bright magenta bougainvillea trailed along the aged gray brick low walls, softening the glow emanating from the colorful Japanese rice paper lanterns that had been hung at various intervals around the perimeter of the roof. Sydney loved the candles, fat beeswax pillars in all shapes and sizes that sat atop three black wrought iron candle stands, each placed strategically around a single table that had been decked out most beautifully with a mauve silk tablecloth, gleaming white china, crystal goblets and sterling silver place settings. Italian love songs were playing softly through the hidden stereo speakers and the moon was high and full above their heads. It was the perfect romantic setting.
Vaughn looked entirely too pleased with himself, but in this instance, it was justified. "Sydney, what do you think?" He gave her a broad smile.
"Oh, Michael!" Sydney murmured, her eyes filling up with tears. She threw herself into his arms.
She felt his laughter rumble deep within his chest. "I swear, Syd, you cry at the drop of a hat." He teased her, his arms holding her tight.
"These are happy tears, Michael." Sydney said haughtily and then giggled as she wiped at her eyes. "This is so beautiful. How did you ever manage it?"
"Well, let's sit down and I'll tell you." Vaughn led her over to the table and pulled out her chair. The maître d' had discreetly slipped back downstairs after fixing their pre-dinner cocktails, so they were all alone.
"So spill it." Sydney ordered him, taking a sip of her Mimosa. The bubbles from the champagne tickled her nose, but she didn't care because it tasted heavenly.
"It's not such a big deal." He shrugged modestly.
"Oh, please, Michael." She scolded him mildly, not buying his humble act for a moment. "Is this set-up always up here or did they put it together just for you?" She asked curiously.
"Well, as much as I'd like to say that I would rate such special treatment, to be honest, it's actually a permanent fixture of the restaurant." He told her. "It all came about after Gianni proposed to his girlfriend up here."
"Gianni?"
"The maître d." Vaughn replied. "It's kind of a long story, but the gist of it is that when he was planning to propose, he wanted to do it in a really unique way. So he came up with the idea for a romantic midnight supper at his favorite restaurant. The chef prepared an elaborate meal and Gianni had this entire rooftop decked out with hundreds of lilacs, which was his girlfriend's favorite flower."
"Very sweet." Sydney murmured.
"Of course she said yes and when they came back from their honeymoon, Gianni's wife came up with the idea that other couples might like to re-create the scene for themselves." Vaughn met Sydney's gaze with an indescribable look in his eyes. "Ever since then, it's become a rather popular spot for marriage proposals. At least one a week."
Sydney felt the urge to blush. Why was he bringing that up again? She hurriedly sought to change the subject. "Wouldn't a reservation up here be booked months in advance? How did you manage to get one with only a few days notice?" She asked, a bit incredulously.
"You're impressed, aren't you?" Vaughn grinned at her. "Actually, the real story is that my mom and I got to know the owners pretty well because we used to come here a lot on vacation when we lived in France."
"When did you live in France?" She asked, surprised that she was only finding this out about him now.
"After my dad died, my mom took me back to France to live for three years. I guess she wanted to leave behind all the bad memories." He confided. "During that time we would travel around Europe when I wasn't in school and since Italy is right next to France, it was easy to get to by train. We'd always come to Rome and when we did, we always came here."
"Of course, we always ate in the family restaurant downstairs, but I knew they had this place up here because Emilio, one of the owners, brought us up here once."
"Was Emilio downstairs when we came in?"
"He was probably in the kitchen. Emilio's the chef." Vaughn replied. "Gianni is his partner and also his brother-in-law."
"Oh." Sydney nodded and then marveled once again at their surroundings. "So you remembered this from when you were a little kid, huh?"
"Yeah." He smiled at her. "I never thought I would actually bring someone here, though." He looked a bit shy.
"Little boys don't think about things like girls and romance, do they?" She teased him.
"Oh, God, no!" Vaughn screwed up his face distastefully and Sydney caught a glimpse of what he must have looked like as a kid. "Of course, now that I've gotten older, I've come to realize the error of my ways." He gave her a sexy grin.
"Oh, so we're not so bad to have around, after all, are we?" Her lips curved into a seductive smile.
"I think I'll keep you." He nodded with a straight face. Then he raised his glass to her. "Let's make a toast."
"To what?" Sydney asked, raising her glass.
Vaughn looked thoughtful. "A night to remember." He finally said.
They clinked glasses. "I like that." Sydney said softly.
Vaughn had already discussed the menu with Emilio and they had decided on the chef's very best dishes. Fresh crusty bread was brought out for dipping in little dishes of flavorful olive oil. Risotto with porcini mushrooms came next followed by fettucine with basil pesto and crab-stuffed ravioli in a white wine cream sauce. Their main courses were shrimp scampi for Sydney and bistecca (steak) for Vaughn. Wine flowed throughout the meal, although well within moderation. A luscious cannoli cake with chocolate gelato topped off the sumptuously rich feast.
"I swear I will never eat another bite as long as I live." Sydney sat back in her chair, feeling stuffed but happy. "Why did you let me eat so much?"
"As if I could have stopped you." Vaughn retorted, an amused look on his face. "I hope food isn't the only thing for which you have an insatiable appetite."
Sydney hid a smirk. "That one is too easy, Agent Vaughn, so I'm letting it pass."
"Damn, maybe I should keep my innuendoes to myself." He grinned and then stood up. "Come on, Syd, let's work off some of those calories we consumed tonight." Vaughn held out his hand to her.
"Are you going to make me do stomach crunches in this dress?" She lifted a skeptical eyebrow.
"I was thinking more along the lines of a dance." Vaughn corrected her.
Sydney's lips curved into a smile. "Would this be our first?" She placed her hand in his and stood up.
"I believe it would be." He placed a hand on her bare back and she pressed her body against his.
For a brief moment in time, everything else ceased to exist. They forgot about Irina and Sark and the mission and simply concentrated on the one thing in the world that was most important to them.
Each other.
* * * * *
When they left the restaurant, it was still full to capacity with people even though it was going on eleven-thirty at night. After showering Emilio and Gianni with effusive praise and thanks, Sydney and Vaughn started down the sidewalk, not really knowing where they were going to go next.
Vaughn had suggested they go to the swankiest, most exclusive hotel in Rome where they could be pampered with sunken tubs and satin sheets and little mints on their pillows, but Sydney didn't want that. As she had been saying all along, she wanted their first time together to be magical and special and unique and going to some cookie-cutter chain hotel was not going to cut it.
"Sydney, you know we can't walk the streets of Rome all night." Vaughn pointed out to her. "It's already pretty late as it is to expect a room for the night and you know people are going to be looking at us funny, anyway, when they see we don't have any bags with us."
"Just a few more blocks, Michael." Sydney said cajolingly. "Emilio said there were a couple of bed & breakfast inns down this street."
Vaughn gave in as she knew he would. As they were passing by a house-turned-B&B, Sydney caught a glimpse of the sign posted above the doorway. The words were in Italian, hand-painted in a fancy black script, and she couldn't believe her eyes when she figured out the translation.
"Michael, what do you think of that?" She pointed triumphantly as they stood outside of a neatly painted ochre yellow building with white trim. There were two lovely stained glass windows on either side of a heavy walnut door with an etched-glass inset, whose design was in the shape of a rose in full bloom.
Vaughn looked up and read the sign with an incredulous expression on his face. "Does that say what I think it says?"
"'The Inn of the Red-Haired Lady.'" Sydney read aloud. "If that isn't a sign, I don't know what is."
"It is sort of prophetic, given our history." He admitted. "Although I doubt the red hair in question will be the same color as Bozo's."
Sydney rolled her eyes at him. "The lights are still on." She gestured. "Let's give it a shot." She walked up to the door and gave a sharp tap. They waited for a few moments until they finally heard someone coming to the door.
The woman who answered the door did not have red hair, much to their disappointment. On the contrary, hers was a combination of black threaded with strands of gray and held back in a bun. Her figure was buxom and voluptuous, her skin tanned to a light copper color. The face that looked back at them was broad with a wide mouth and strong features. She might have appeared stern if it weren't for the smile lines that crinkled around her eyes.
"Buon notte, I am Nicoletta Bertolucci." The woman said in a rapid-fire Italian. "Can I help you?"
"Buon notte, Signora Bertolucci. I realize it is late, but we were wondering if you had a room available." Sydney spoke in her most polite fashion.
Signora Bertolucci cast a sweeping glance at the young couple who stood before her. She was quick to note that they did not have anything with them but the clothes on their backs and that fact dismayed her a little. She ran a reputable establishment; her B&B was not a rent-by-the-hour den of iniquity.
But then she saw the looks on their faces. The lovely young woman was absolutely radiant with a high color in her cheeks as she gave her young man a ridiculously happy grin. The handsome man was smiling back at her, an adoring expression in his eyes. Her heart went out to them. Such a beautiful couple and so much in love. They reminded her very much of herself and her beloved Carlo, God rest his soul.
"Si, I have several rooms available." Signora Bertolucci opened the door a little wider. "Please come in."
The foyer was set up as a lobby with a high counter, a computer and various office supplies littering the desk. To the right was the dining room and to the left was the parlor. The kitchen looked to be down the hallway towards the back. Tossing around a few casual glances, Sydney could see that the decorating scheme leaned towards being simple yet elegant.
The main focal point of the foyer was the painting that hung above the check-in desk. It was a portrait of a strikingly beautiful woman in a white lace dress, her most arresting feature being a luxuriant cascade of glorious red hair. Of course, it looked nothing like Sydney's version of Bozo red, but instead was a mass of auburn curls framing a heart-shaped face, emerald eyes and full, sensuous lips.
"Is that the woman for which the inn is named?" Sydney asked.
Signora Bertolucci smiled. "Si, my great-grandmother, Maria Concetta Cabrini. She is beautiful, no?"
"She's stunning." Vaughn couldn't help but stare. Sydney would have felt a little put-out if it had been a real woman, but a portrait she could deal with. She settled for lightly kicking him in the shin with the toe of her high-heeled shoe, which seemed to snap him out of his trance. "Oh, right, you said you had a room available?" He went up to the counter, taking his wallet out of his pocket.
"Si, how long do you plan on staying?" The proprietress asked as she went behind the counter. It was then that she noticed the gold band on the young man's left hand. That made her feel a little better. Perhaps they were newlyweds who had simply decided to act on a crazy impulse to spend a night away from their ritzy but staid honeymoon suite in one of those big, impersonal hotels that catered to the turistas.
"Just one night." Vaughn replied and then lowered his voice. "Would you happen to have a really special room available? Something like a honeymoon suite?"
Signora Bertolucci smiled, pleased that she had guessed correctly. "I have a room that will be perfect for you, Signor--?" She ended her statement questioningly.
"Vaughn." He said without thinking. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sydney freeze in place where she was standing. Luckily, Signora Bertolucci was filling out his receipt, so she didn't see the slightly panicked look on his face. He shot Sydney a sideways glance and gave her an Oops!-look.
"First name?" Signora Bertolucci asked.
Vaughn hesitated almost a second too long before Sydney stepped in. "Michael." She replied briskly. "Michael and Sydney Vaughn." As soon as she uttered those words, it hit her that it was the first time she had ever strung those names together as a combined entity. Girls always did weird things like that with their boyfriend's names, wondering how their first name would look with his last name if they ever got married. She herself had spent an entire hour trying to decide if she wanted to be known as "Sydney Hecht" or "Sydney Bristow Hecht" when she and Danny had gotten engaged. Hyphen? No hyphen? Should she just scrap it all and keep her maiden name?
Unhappily for her, Sydney never got the chance to make any of those decisions and so she hadn't played her silly name game again until just that moment. Sydney Vaughn. Sydney Bristow Vaughn. Mrs. Michael Vaughn. She had to admit that they all sounded like the sweetest thing on earth.
Vaughn shot her a nervous look and Sydney wondered if he thought she was sending him a gigantic hint that she wanted him to propose. After that whole ruckus with Irina's fake engagement ring, what if he was thinking that she now had marriage on the brain? Not that the thought had never crossed her mind, but she certainly didn't want him to feel pressured into asking her.
Signora Bertolucci quoted the price of the room to Vaughn and after he paid in cash (using up a good chunk of the money Irina had given them for miscellaneous expenses), she went upstairs to prepare the room for guests. When they were alone, Vaughn went over to Sydney.
"Sydney, I'm sorry, I blew it." He looked agitated. "It's just that tonight has all been about you and me, not two made-up French people named François and Amélie. I guess I just had a brain freeze."
She laid a comforting hand on his arm. "Michael, it's all right. In a way, I'm kind of glad you slipped up because it means that everything that happens tonight belongs to Michael and Sydney. It's real and it's ours and no one can ever take the memories away from us." She gave him a tender smile.
The hard line of Vaughn's jaw softened and he kissed her. "So you're not mad I screwed up?"
Sydney suddenly had an epiphany. "Is that why you looked so anxious?" She asked. "Because you thought I'd be mad at you?"
"Well…"
She let out a nervous giggle. "Oh, Michael, I thought you were freaking out when I said my name was Sydney Vaughn."
"Why would I be freaked out about that?" Vaughn raised an inquisitive eyebrow at her. "I kind of like the way that sounds." He smiled.
Sydney always melted when he said sweet things like that. "Me too."
Sydney looked so kissable at that moment, he had to act on it. They were still lip-locked when Signora Bertolucci came back downstairs.
"Scusi, but your room is ready now." The older woman tried to hold back a smile.
They followed her up to the third floor. Signora Bertolucci led them to a closed wooden door at the end of the hallway and then handed Vaughn the key.
"The bed has fresh linens and there are clean towels in the bathroom." She said to them. "You are my only guests at the moment and I get up early, so if you would like breakfast in the morning, the kitchen will be available between six and ten."
"Grazie, Signora Bertolucci." Vaughn smiled at her. "You've been very kind."
Signora Bertolucci thought she was too old to be swayed by a young man's charms, but she was surprised to feel a fluttering in her chest. Signora Vaughn is a very lucky woman, she thought to herself with some amusement as she went downstairs to lock up for the night.
"So are you ready to see what we've gotten ourselves into?" Vaughn asked, waggling the key in front of her face.
Sydney blushed. "Michael, don't tease me." She scolded him.
"Well, come on now, Syd, we don't know what's behind this door." His green eyes twinkled. "It could be all black Goth or sickly-sweet pastels or done up in a hideous mustard yellow and magenta color scheme." He pretended to look horrified.
"If you continue to make fun of me, maybe all we'll do in there is sleep!" She said, mock-threateningly. "If our eyes are closed, we won't have to look at the walls or the furniture or the rugs." She made a face at him.
Vaughn regarded her drolly. "We'll turn out the lights if we have to, but we are going to do something else besides sleep in there." He said with a lascivious leer and then inserted the key into the lock.
Signora Bertolucci had thoughtfully lit the candles that had been placed on the mantelpiece and coffee table and in other spots throughout the room, so they were not in complete darkness when Vaughn opened the door. He flipped the light switch and Sydney let out an audible gasp when she stepped across the threshold.
It was exactly as she had hoped. The paper on the walls was a cream moiré print with a walnut chair rail to complement the antique chairs, which were covered in a pale green tapestry design. Moonlight filtered in through the sheer organdy curtains that billowed softly at the open floor-to-ceiling windows, the sage green velvet draperies still held in place by matching tiebacks. The ceilings were high with a gorgeously beaded chandelier hanging in the middle of the room, its light giving off a soft radiance. Sydney loved the dark wood of the fireplace with its brass fire screen fanned out like peacock feathers and almost wished it were cold enough so that they could build a roaring fire by which to warm themselves.
The highlight of the room, of course, was the beautifully appointed four-poster bed, which was scattered with pretty little throw pillows on top of a fluffy goosedown duvet. Sydney's eyes lit up at the sight of the romantic silk canopy over the bed. The cream-colored cloth was draped along each side like parade bunting in order to hide the wooden framework of the bed. At all four corners, a long swath of fabric fell from the ceiling to the floor, loosely gathered at each bedpost by a white tassel.
Sydney turned around to look at Vaughn, who had a silly grin on his face. He pretty much liked the way it looked himself.
"Oh, Michael, it's gorgeous!" Sydney started to tear up again. Had she ever been this happy before in her life?
"Syd, you're doing it again." He chuckled softly as he kissed away the tear that fell onto her cheek.
"I know, and I don't know why I'm getting all weepy these days." She touched his face with a gentle caress. "I guess it's because I know I have found the love of my life and every moment we get to spend together is so precious to me."
He gave her a tender look. "We both have experienced a great deal of loss in our lives, Sydney." Vaughn said soberly, taking her hand away from his face to kiss it. "But we've been able to bounce back from it stronger and wiser and with a keener sense of awareness of what it means to live every day of your life to the fullest because we know better than anyone that it could all be taken away in an instant."
He suddenly gave her an embarrassed grin. "I don't mean to be putting out a depressing vibe here, but I'm just trying to tell you what the past few weeks have meant to me." Vaughn gazed deeply into her eyes. "Syd, I don't know what lies in store for us tomorrow or next week or next year, but I do know one thing."
"I will always love you and I will treasure every second that we are able to spend together." He tipped her chin up with his finger and kissed her, marveling for the millionth time that this ravishing, glorious creature loved him.
Some time later, while Sydney went into the bathroom to splash some cool water on her face to get rid of her teary eyes, Vaughn took the time to set up the room to his liking. He extinguished the chandelier as well as a few of the candles but decided to leave the drapes alone because he liked the way the moonlight hit the bed with a silvery incandescence. Luckily, the building across the way was dark and he hoped the blinds would remain drawn.
Next he went over to the bed to remove some of the pillows and turn down the covers. Vaughn noted the luxurious silk sheets with approval and also perked up when he noticed the bottle of champagne chilling in a silver ice bucket on the nightstand.
The bathroom door opened behind him and he turned around. The room was bathed in a glow halfway between light and shadow as Sydney slipped out of her strappy high heels, holding onto the doorframe for support. She was barefoot as she walked over to him and while he had to admit the heels were sexy, there was just something about the way she moved with a quiet catlike grace that got to him.
"I like what you did with the room." Sydney dropped her shoes on the floor with a dull thud.
"It has a certain ambiance." Vaughn agreed as he handed her a single red rose.
She smiled as she accepted his offering. "Where did you get this from?"
"It was in the vase by the bed next to the bottle of champagne."
Sydney cut her eyes over his shoulder for a moment and then met his gaze again, her eyes all lit up. "Did you ask Signora Bertolucci to do all this?" She looked touched.
"Actually, I think it comes with the honeymoon suite." Vaughn was ecstatic that Sydney was so obviously delighted.
"Oh, Michael," She slipped her arms around his neck and kissed him. As their kiss grew deeper and their longing for each other intensified, the rose fluttered heedlessly from her fingertips. Sydney moaned as she felt his hands gently slipping her dress off her shoulders, the wispy material falling to the floor as quietly as an autumn leaf fell from a tree. Her bare skin felt cool and hot at the same time and even through her lust-filled haze, Sydney became aware that Vaughn was still wearing way too many items of clothing. She responded by removing him from the constraints of his jacket, allowing her fingers to dance along the solid muscle of his arms beneath his shirt. As Vaughn's lips trailed down her neck, Sydney could no longer stand it and she hurriedly tore at the buttons on his shirt. Then her hand reached for his belt buckle.
Within a few brief moments, they were both undressed. Hands explored and lips caressed. Vaughn found her mouth again and covered it with his own. Every nerve ending in her body felt as if it were on fire at the merest touch of skin against skin. Sydney felt herself being lifted into his strong arms as he carried her over to the bed, placing her gently onto the silken sheets. Vaughn gazed down at her body, which alternated between silver in the moonlight and gold in the candlelight, all rounded curves and long limbs and soft skin. Desire coursed through his veins as he watched Sydney reach up with outstretched arms to invite him into her body. They came together with an exquisite frenzy of ecstasy and passion intermingled with a deep feeling of love and tenderness.
Afterwards, they laid together in each other's arms, feeling utterly blissful and contented. What had just transpired between them had been worth all the months of waiting and every minute of their mutual frustration over wanting to consummate their relationship.
"In case I didn't say it earlier, Michael, I wanted to thank you for tonight." Sydney murmured. Her head was resting on the crook of his shoulder, her arm curled possessively around his waist.
"Hey, I'm all for giving props where props are due, but I have to admit I wasn't performing a selfless act of kindness here." She wasn't looking at him, but she could tell that he was grinning by the sound of his voice. "I received quite a bit of enjoyment from our…activities myself."
"I'm not talking about that!" Sydney swatted at his
stomach in a playful gesture. "I was talking about the entire evening, starting
with that amazing dinner you put together in the most gorgeous setting
imaginable." She gave a sigh.
"I was right about the food, wasn't I?" Vaughn sounded a bit smug.
Just like a man to insist on being told he was dead-on about something, Sydney stifled a grin. Oh, well, it wouldn't hurt to agree just this once. "The food was to die for." She praised him dutifully. "And then you found us this beautiful room. It is everything I could have hoped for and I'm so glad that our first time together was exactly how we wanted it to be."
"Well, I can't take all the credit for that." He said modestly. "You're the one who found the inn."
"Okay, so it was a joint effort." She amended. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm happy we made it just about us, Michael. We didn't let any outside forces intrude upon what is probably the single most important moment in any committed relationship."
"I know how much tonight meant to you, Sydney, and I wanted it to be as perfect as I could make it." He kissed the top of her head.
"That's why I love you so much." Sydney snuggled next to him. "You make all of my dreams come true."
Vaughn smiled to himself. Everything he had ever wanted was right here in his arms. Sydney was a strong, capable and intelligent woman, who just happened to have the ability to kick the ass of any person who dared to cross her. If he added in the fact that she was beautiful and sweet and unbelievably sexy with the cutest dimples he had ever seen…well, he just might have thought he'd found the perfect woman. And if that was the case, then it made him the luckiest man alive.
"Sydney?" He uttered her name softly, his fingers wandering idly down her bare back just because they could.
"Yes, Michael?" The gentle caress of his hand was relaxing her to the point of drowsiness.
"Do you remember how I told you earlier today that I've never proposed to anyone before?" Vaughn wondered if she could feel how hard his heart was pounding in his chest.
Sydney's own heart skipped a beat as she lifted her head to look at him. "I remember." She whispered, suddenly wide awake.
His beautiful green eyes gazed deeply into her brown ones. "What would you say if I said I wanted to end my thirty-three-year-old streak of Never-Having-Made-a-Marriage-Proposal?"
She found herself speechless for a few moments. "Well, if you're thinking about asking someone who's not in this room, I don't think I'd like that idea very much." She finally found her voice, but the only thing she could do was make a joke.
Vaughn gave her a grin. "Not only is she in this room, but she's also in this bed."
Sydney's face broke out into a tremulous little smile. "Think you can narrow it down a little more?"
"Well, you are the only woman in this bed." He pointed out with a teasing look and then grew serious. "Sydney Bristow, I love you more than I ever thought I could love another person and I would be honored if you would agree to become my wife."
My wife. Were there any two sweeter words ever spoken? Sydney's heart grew full as she felt a rush of love for this wonderful man lying next to her. "Yes, Michael Vaughn, I will marry you."
To be continued…