by E. E. Marino
They’d decided to stop using condoms only a month ago because they didn’t want anything coming between them when they made love. They had almost lost each other, so now they wanted to feel each other every second of every day.
They lay there, panting and whispering I love yous and peppering each other with kisses. Keela sighed and carefully sat up to straddle him. Aaron stared up at her and decided that she was never more beautiful to him than she was after they made love. When her hair was a tousled mess and her lips were red and swollen, she was a goddess to him.
His dog tags lay proudly between her breasts, filling him with male pride. When he had given them to her, he was nervous she’d be offended that he was trying to claim her, but to his delight, she had loved them and promptly put them on.
“See, baby, now everyone will see who I belong to,” she had said. That was when he knew.
*
Keela returned Aaron’s smile as she lazily traced the lines of his pecs. A year ago, Aaron would have been a one-night conquest, who she wouldn’t have given a second look at for fear of her heart being hurt again. But this beautiful, stubborn, warm man between her thighs was proof of how silly she had been. Aaron had broken through every single one of her walls with ease, and she had never been happier in her life.
“I love you, Aaron. I’m so happy you’re finally making your dream come true and opening this shop. I am so crazy proud of you, love.” She leaned down and kissed him as he moaned into the kiss.
“Yup, all of my dreams are coming true.” Aaron smiled at her. “What are your plans today since we’re off? You heading home?”
“Yes, but first I need to go grocery shopping. Need anything?” Keela returned his smile as her finger found his hair and proceeded to play with it.
* * * *
Since they’d been cleared to leave the hospital, the two had been living together, and both agreed it was the best feeling in the world. While any new living situation was difficult, the two had managed to overlook each other’s slightly annoying quirks. Aaron never made a fuss about Keela’s habit of eating the peanut butter right out of the jar and walking barefoot to the mailbox. Likewise, Keela never said a word about Aaron’s towel being a constant fixture on their bedroom floor or his habit of leaving empty beer bottles on the table. It didn’t matter. They were alive and had each other. For Aaron, it had been sad to leave his brother alone in the house, but Gavin was slowly becoming a permanent feature at their place, hanging with Nicky and Aaron often to watch whatever game they could find on.
And, of course, thought Aaron as he stared at the laughter in Keela’s eyes, the best part is going to bed with Keela in my arms and waking up to her beautiful face.
“Actually I do need something, but not from the store,” Aaron said as she tilted her head at him in confusion. “There’s still one more thing I need your help with before you leave.”
She smiled and carefully got off him. “And what would that be?”
“Well, get dressed, and I’ll fill you all in on it.” Aaron could see the confusion and anxiety in Keela’s face, and for a moment he felt bad, but it was too fun to tease this girl.
After sorting through the trail of clothes to finally get themselves dressed, Aaron led her to the back office door.
“Aaron?” she asked.
“Oh, I just have something in there I need your opinion on, and it can’t wait till tomorrow.” Aaron watched as she grinned and put her hands on her delicious hips.
“Jeez, what did you put off this time?” she teased, shaking her head. “I swear, Samuels, you’d be lost without m—”
*
She stopped short at the sight before her.
Candles were lit all over the room, and dozens of pictures taken of them from the past five months hung everywhere. And finally the sign for the new shop leaned against the wall, which read, Keela’s Kustoms. “Aaron, what in the—”
When she turned around to face her boyfriend, Keela gasped and dropped her keys from her hands. Aaron kneeled before her with a ring in his hand and a look of hope in his eyes. Tears begin to well up in her eyes as Aaron cleared his throat.
“Keela Harper, the day I first saw you I knew you were something amazing, but I had no idea just how amazing you were. Getting to be with you the past five months has proved that theory and then some. Every day I get to be with you, kiss your face, and hug your body is the best day of my life. No other woman holds a candle to you. You, my feisty, strong, mouth full of sass but kiss like a lady Long Island girl, have exceeded every possible vision of my dream girl.”
*
Aaron paused to see her hand over her mouth, as she was now sobbing tears. Aaron smiled at her, knowing that each tear was filled with complete love for him. “Keela Harper, I named my business after you because everything I do is for you. You are my muse, my inspiration, and the love of my life. My success is your success. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you. Will you please be my wife? Will you please become Keela Samuels?”
Aaron was suddenly engulfed in a large hug that threw off his balance and landed him flat on his back with the girl he loved above him.
“Oh, Aaron. Yes, yes, yes. I would love to be your wife. I love you so much.”
Aaron pulled her down for a hard kiss and rolled so he was hovering above her. He pulled out the ring and placed it on her finger. She gasped at the beautiful ring. “It took me weeks to pick the most perfect one for my girl. No regular ring would do. It had to be as special and unique as the woman who would be wearing it the rest of her life.”
She was speechless, seemingly in awe of the ring. A Le Vian ring from Kay with a morganite stone in the middle surrounded by chocolate diamonds. It was gorgeous but had an edge, just like her. She lifted her head up to give him a passionate kiss, which left Aaron breathless like always.
When she pulled away, she touched her forehead to his. “I’ll love you forever, Mr. Samuels.”
Aaron smiled and held her tighter, never intending on letting her go. “Not like I’ll love you, Mrs. Samuels.”
The End
Publisher’s Note
Please help this author’s career by posting an honest review wherever you purchased this book.
About E. E. Marino
At thirty-one years old, E. E. Marino is a new writer who hails from the shores of Long Island, New York, where she lives with her husband, Andrew, and their two fat cats, Pudgy and Linus. A long-time lover of romance novels, Marino lists Jane Austen, Cora Seton, and Nicholas Sparks as some of her favorite writers. When she’s not reading or writing her novels, Marino spends her time traveling with her husband and gardening in her yard. This is Marino’s first book, and she hopes for further success in the future.
Table of Contents
Love On the Rocks
Blurb
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Epilogue
