"Huh?" Her face was the picture of confusion.

For a second Sam faltered. Maybe she hadn't heard him clearly. He still had a chance to take his words back! But did he want to? He'd only wanted to tell her how he felt, not commit to actually marry her!

And yet… Now that the words were out of his mouth he actually did want it! He'd never in his life considered having things that other people had like a wife and a home. His life had been unorthodox and he'd expected it to remain that way until it ended all too soon, the common occupational hazard of his line of work. And yet in the last few seconds it had all fallen into place so clearly. When he looked into Mercedes' eyes he saw his future, a future more amazing than he could ever have dreamed of.

And he determined to reach for it with both hands.

"I think you heard me Mercedes." She opened her mouth but no sound came out so he continued, "I know that according to your Plan you said when we reached the Sea, you'd stay and I could go and do what I want. The thing is, my plans changed along the way. If by the Sea is where you want to be then that's where I want to be too!"

She frowned at him and looked confused. "Like Ruth and Naomi?"

He had no idea who Ruth and Naomi were and didn't want to take the conversation off onto a tangent so he ignored the words and continued regardless. "I know I said I wanted to stay with you for a while to help you get settled because of what I promised your dad... But that wasn't the whole truth. I- I want to stay for me too."

Her confusion seemed to be turning into shock but thankfully she allowed him to continue without interruption. "Right now, my favorite things to do are to go to sleep in your arms and wake up in your arms. I know that might sound crazy to you and maybe even a little creepy but I really do mean it. However stressed we may get with each other during the day, we always end the night together. The sleeping bag is neutral territory and I love it there. The thought of having to say goodbye to you tomorrow or the next day and having to wake up alone makes my chest hurt. The pain is severe and I can barely breathe through it. I don't want to break our habit Mercedes. I don't want this to end. I want to be able to go to sleep with you every night and wake up with you every morning for as long as we both shall live!"

He heard her gasp at his words but he knew he had her full attention and looked straight in her eyes, those dark sticky syrupy eyes that he knew would be the death of him one day if he wasn't careful. That day was probably going to be today because he was so mesmerized by her, the same way he'd been that fateful night in the diner, and yet again, all thoughts of rational behavior and speech left his head. Something about her left him with nothing but a naked honesty and a feeling that he had to risk putting his heart on the line or risk losing everything for good and live out the rest of his days with the regret of not speaking up when he had the chance.

Taking both of her hands in his he sucked in a deep breath. "I know I have no right to ask you this because I'm a villain of the worst kind. I've taken lives in cold blood and there's nothing in my power that can undo that. I don't deserve redemption, I don't deserve happiness, I especially don't deserve love and up until a couple of months ago I'd accepted that as my fate. My life was flat and gray and meaningless. Then you burst on the scene and when I look at you I see a kaleidoscope. You're so many things all mashed up together, crazy, witty, infuriating, intelligent, frustrating, loving, caring, annoying, kind, generous... the list goes on. You talk too much, you never leave me in peace, then when you don't talk to me I get mad because I miss you like crazy. You constantly quote the bible at me so much that sometimes I feel like I've read a chunk of it already! You are the wittiest most intelligent woman I've ever come across in my entire life. You know so much about so many things yet sometimes you ask the most inane questions, and the worst part of all, the part that frustrates me the most, is that you've not been able to work me out well enough to see just how much I'min love with you!"

She gasped when he said that and went to say something but he didn't give her the chance. If he didn't say it all right now, it would never be said and the lifetime of regret would begin.

"So when I asked about it being real, I meant us. I meant marriage. You know who I am and you know what I am but you've still taken me in, trusted me and cared for me over and over again." Keeping her hands in his he slipped down onto one knee. "Mercedes, I know I have nothing to offer you but the clothes on my back because I sure as hell know you don't want the money in my pocket. Right now I don't even have a ring to put on your finger and I know that someone as amazing as you will get offers from men who are worth a thousand times more than me in quality, and who are a million times more deserving, but I promise that if you do give me the chance, I'll love you with everything that I am and with everything that I will be. I'll love you as the man you want me to be and the man I want to be. I nearly lost you twice on this journey and I can't bear to think that I would lose you for good after coming this far."

He was crying. At some point during that speech his emotions had got the better of him but he didn't care. He was begging, his pride long since cast aside. She was everything to him and he loved her so much it hurt. He begged for her the same way a man with a gun pointed at his head begged for his life. Too overcome to speak anymore he bent his head to hide his tears.

Mercedes fell down to her knees in front of him, brushing his hair from his face and stroking his beard. "Oh, Sam! I've been in love with you for ages! I feel the way you hold me at night, I feel you stare when you think I'm not looking, I know you draw pictures of my face when my back is turned. I just needed to hear you say it. I just needed to hear that you lov-"

Sam could do one better than that, pulling her body against him and his lips finding hers in the kiss he'd been so desperately seeking for so long, his chapped lips rough against her softer ones, telling her everything she needed to hear without words. He expected some kind of hesitation from her but there was none as her body melted against his in a way that felt even better than in his fantasies. By some miracle he found the restraint to be gentle and led her along with him as he slowly worked his way through this first kiss. He still remembered her inexperienced attempt from their first meeting and patiently guided them through.

Unlike the women from his Sector Mercedes had full lips, and they were a match made in heaven in the way that they were able to blissfully move against his own. But this kiss was also different in another more important way. He was a twenty-seven year old man. He'd kissed and done far more with many women. But none of those encounters had given him the swelling feeling in his chest that this one simple kiss did. That this unique girl did. And the way that her hands started to play at the nape of his neck drove him crazy.

Much as he didn't want to break the kiss, he knew that he had to. Firstly, because they needed to actually breathe, and secondly, because he needed clarification on one little thing. "So… just so I'm clear on exactly what's just happened here, you did just agree to marry me, didn't you?"

"Yes." She kissed him once softly. "Yes." She kissed him again. "And just in case you weren't sure, definitely YES!" The third kiss was her bravest one yet.

Sam smiled against her lips. She'd said that she loved him back and agreed to marry him! Everything made perfect sense now. She wasn't being moody with him all this time, she was trying to deal with her own feelings. And as for the weirdness between them, it was just unacknowledged attraction which had built into sexual tension. Tension that he was dying to relieve them both of! He pulled her down to the ground with him as she relaxed into the kiss but as he pushed her back she pulled away. "My hair!" He rolled them so that she was on top. Mercedes and her hair! She protected it at all cost. He laughed and reached for a braid which had fallen out from the tie that held it back. She instinctively pulled away but looked regretful at the action, quickly tucking it behind her ear with a sigh, keeping it out of reach.

"Okay Mercedes, now that we've reached this point in our relationship, are you ever going to tell me what the deal is with your hair and why I'm not allowed to touch it?"

This time the blush on her cheeks was very evident and she took a deep breath. "In my Sector, a woman's hair is sacred. It's her glory and it's an intimate part of her. No man outside of a woman's immediate family is allowed to touch a woman's hair unless… well unless he's her husband. To let you touch my hair would be like letting you touch me naked!"

"But haven't we just agreed we're going to do the whole marriage thing for real?"

She nodded, shyly. "Yeah, we have. But we're not actually married yet so…"

"So no touching your hair."

"Exactly. No touching my hair."

Then it started to dawn on him. "And I guess by extension that means nothing naked…"

She blushed furiously and simply nodded.

Fuck!

He banged his head against the sand with a sigh. "I'm not going to lie. I won't pretend that I'm happy about that little rule from your Sector…" She looked at him with a pleading expression in her eyes but this was hard for him. "But you're not in your Sector anymore Mercedes!"

"I know. But I carry it in my heart Sam. I may not have fitted in there, but I'm not a rule breaker. Once we enter the Sea Sector, we can marry. But until then I have to stay chaste." She caressed his cheek, "It's important to me."

Sam knew his face had involuntarily formed a pout but he couldn't help it. So near and yet so far…

She looked at him sympathetically. "If you want we can pack our things and go in the morning."

He wouldn't be able to wish for the morning to come fast enough. "But I can still hold you tonight?"

"You can still hold me tonight Sam. I'd really like that."

"Okay. Let's go pack." He stood and offered his hand for her to stand, not even giving them a chance to brush themselves down before dipping his head and tasting her lips once more. Kissing Mercedes was going to be more addictive than any substance he'd seen bought and sold by the Transit Sector Dealers. Again she reached up and touched his face, brushing his hair aside which was something he loved her doing. Now that he thought about it she did often find innocent ways to touch him. It was just the not so innocent ones that she was always careful about.

Holding her in his arms and kissing her as the sun set on the beach was the most beautiful thing he'd experience but there was one thing that could make the moment truly perfect. "Mercedes, I believe I interrupted you earlier before you got to say something really important."

She frowned, "You did?"

"Uh huh. I was so desperate to kiss you I never allowed you to properly express how you feel about me."

"You did?" Her expression turned coy and he realized she knew exactly what he was talking about.

"Yep. Three little words."

Her eyes turned down right mischievous. "Three little words?"

"To sum up what you're feeling."

"What I'm feeling?"

"Are you going to repeat everything I say?"

"Nope. I'm just thinking of what three little words to say."

"There's nothing to think about! I'll go first. My three little words are I…" He ghosted a kiss against her jaw, "Love…" He ghosted a kiss on the other side of her jaw, making her release an involuntary sigh of pleasure which made him hard as a rock, "YOU!" He pretended to peck a kiss on her nose then found her lips for a kiss deep kiss that left them both breathless.

"Now it's your turn."

"Mine?" She was staring at him with dilated eyes so full of love it was like she was already screaming the words back at him. But as he watched the eyes started to again twinkle with mischief and he knew she was up to something. "Three words you say?"

"Three little words. To sum up how you're feeling right now. Just like I did."

"That's simple!" She pretended to think once more, "My three words are… Let's… Go… EAT!"

For a second Sam was so stunned he was unable to more or respond and Mercedes used that moment to make a break for it.

"Hey!" Within a second he was after her and after just a few short strides was able to grab her by the waist and swing her around, glad to finally be able to spontaneously touch her in a more intimate way without risking causing offense. She giggled and didn't resist being caught. "Try again Mercedes! Say it or I'll…"

"Or you'll what, tickle me until I tell you that I love you?"

He shrugged and pinched her middle just the same, knowing how much it made her laugh. "I could, but you just said the words anyway so I still win!"

She chuckled. "I guess you do. But I win too!" Turning serious she wriggled out of his arms until she was facing him and rested her hands on his shoulders. "I love you Sam. You're the first and only man outside my family that I'll ever get to say that to."

Sam was bowled over by the words and responded in the only way he could, with another kiss, which led to several others before she finally pulled away. "Sam, I meant my other three words too!"

"Other three words?"

"I'm hungry and we have a major day ahead of us tomorrow. Let's go eat!"

This time when she led, he followed before grabbing her hand as was their custom.

"Mercedes, one question."

"Yes?"

"What's the deal with the whole Ruth to your Naomi thing you mentioned earlier?"

"They're from the bible."

He rolled his eyes. "I should have guessed."

"You said something which was almost word for word what Ruth said to Naomi. When it was time for them to part ways, Ruth decided that she wanted to stay with Naomi. I'd tell you more but I really want to start packing. Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of our lives Sam. I'll tell you more about them after we're married."

He let go of her hand so that he could walk with his arm around her shoulder instead. "After we're married... I like that phrase. I like that phrase a lot!"