by Golden Angel
"I choose to think of that as a good thing," Lexie said, grinning. "Even if he has played in the club with other women."
"He hasn't done that since you started working there." Olivia gave Lexie a conspiratorial wink. "You'll get through his thick head eventually."
"I thought he was going to blow a gasket when he saw you talking to that other Dom," Hilary said. She wasn't sure if she should encourage Lexie flirting with other men, especially at Stronghold, but given that description of Patrick's preferences it sounded like the two were perfect for each other. Olivia gave Hilary a sidelong look of amusement, although most of the group had gotten so used to her use of old sayings that they barely even noticed anymore, Olivia seemed to find it a source of endless amusement.
"That was actually an accident," Lexie said, although she didn't sound particularly repentant about it. "Mac's new and it was nice to flirt with someone who didn't look at me like I have a 'No Trespassing' sign hung around my neck."
"Mmm." Hilary didn't quite know what to say to that, because that was exactly what it seemed like Patrick and the other guys had done to Lexie. On the other hand, it did seem like a good sign that Patrick didn't want anyone else sniffing around her, but he needed to get his act together and actually stake a claim.
Men.
"He's gotten complacent," Olivia said, contemplatively. "You should do something to shock him. Something a little more than pink glitter."
"Well I was hoping that would at least get me a spanking," said Lexie, pouting a little. Then a wicked smile flashed across her face, making her look like a little devil instead of the sweet little pixie she often resembled. "But I'm working on something."
Of course, both Hilary and Olivia wanted to know what, but Lexie refused to give up any details. The conversation eventually devolved, focusing on each of their friends in turn and ending with speculating about what Jared should do about Marisa. Which then immediately led to a discussion about which of the currently single Stronghold submissives they should introduce him to once he was a free man. Normally it would make Hilary feel uncomfortable to be talking like that when a guy was in a relationship, but from everything she'd seen, Jared really would be better off without his current girlfriend.
Sometimes she worried that sometimes she and Liam were discussed like this, but it always reassured her that no one said anything behind anyone's back that they didn't say to their face. Jared knew that none of his friends liked his girlfriend, they didn't exactly go to any lengths to hide it. They were polite to her, but if she didn't realize that she was disliked then she was as delusional as she was manipulative.
Hilary thought he deserved better.
As Olivia and Lexie debated what kind of submissive Jared really needed, Hilary couldn't help thinking about Liam and how he was the kind of dominant she'd ended up really needing. Sure, they bickered now and then, but he was willing to admit when he was in the wrong. Lately he'd been hiding something from her, because it was stressing him out, and she hoped he'd tell her eventually, but she knew from experience that he was more comfortable doing the strong, silent thing for a while. Eventually he'd talk to her about it though, he always did.
Chapter 7
Hilary came home from work on Friday to be greeted by the most amazing smell. She didn't even have to open her door, she could smell the chocolate from the hallway, and it only intensified the closer she got to her and Liam's apartment.
"Please be my apartment, please be my apartment," she murmured under her breath as she fumbled with the key. Because if that amazing aroma wasn't coming from her apartment, then she was going to go crazy until she got some chocolate. She moaned when she pushed open the door and the decadent scent intensified, wafting out into the hallway, practically wrapping around her and drawing her in. "Oh my god, that smells amazing."
"Don't come in here!"
She froze, just inside the doorway. "What? Why?"
"The kitchen, don't come in the kitchen," Liam said, sounding slightly panicked. "Shit, I lost track of time... um..."
A little smile played across Hilary's face as she listened to her boyfriend's obvious distress. Man he was cute sometimes. She dropped down her purse and keys, standing in the middle of their main room and listening to the hurried clank and clatter of various cooking utensils.
"What's going on, Liam?" she asked, amusement filling her voice. Although she wasn't going to stay amused if he kept her from all the chocolate.
"Um... I've got a surprise for you. But it's not ready yet." He came out of the kitchen looking rather sheepish, flustered and utterly adorable. His red hair was ruffled, like he'd been running his hand through it multiple times, and he was actually wearing an apron. Which was probably a good thing, since the apron was spattered with various stains and fingermarks from where he'd wiped off his hands. "Hi."
"Hi." Hilary bounded up to him and kissed him hello, tucking her fingers through the belt loops of his jeans as they kissed. Mmmm. He tasted like chocolate. Careful not to lean into him while he was wearing the dirty apron, she kept their mouths fused together. Her tongue chased his, enjoying the taste of Liam and dessert, until he gently pushed her away, his hands on her hips. Undeterred, she grinned impishly up at him. "So what's my surprise?"
"It's a night of surprises," he said, kissing the tip of her nose and then turning to push her past him towards the bedroom, keeping his own body between her the kitchen. She pouted at him and pretended to try to look over his shoulder, earning herself a sharp smack to her bottom. "Go take a shower and relax, I've got dinner taken care of."
"Dessert too, by the smell of it."
"Yup. Now go." The look that he gave her was all Dom and it her insides quiver as she turned to obey. Okay, so yeah, she wanted to tease him and know what was going on, but she really liked it when he got all hot and authoritative like that.
Besides, she did want a shower.
******
Dinner was good, but nothing special. Still, while she was in the shower and putting on a pretty sundress covered in bright pink flowers, Liam had cleared off their dining room table, set it, and lit candles. He'd also turned on the tv in the other room and put it to the smooth jazz channel, further setting the mood.
It was nice. So much more relaxed than the restaurant dates they'd been going on, and twice as special because he'd taken so much time and care with it. Not just making the dinner, but also setting up the romantic atmosphere within their own apartment. If Liam thought she needed more romance, she definitely preferred this over going out. Less expensive, less people and less tension on his part. So what if they had to do the dishes afterwards?
They flirted and talked, and Liam was looking at her with that special little glow in his eye that he had sometimes lately. The one that she was not reading anything into anymore. She was just enjoying it, rather than thinking that it meant anything beyond how much he loved her. Which was more than enough for her anyway.
But that wasn't the end of the surprises. After dinner, Liam put the dishes that hadn't already been done in the sink, letting them soak, while he grabbed a picnic basket off of the counter. Leaning against the door frame, Hilary raised her eyebrows. "We just had dinner and now we're going on a picnic?"
"Sort of," Liam said with a rakish grin. "At least, we are if you want dessert."
Hilary scowled and pointed her finger at him in warning. "You'd better not be trying to deprive me of my chocolate."
"Definitely not."
Coming up to her, picnic basket tucked under his arm, Liam snaked his other arm around her waist and pulled her in for a kiss. A really, really thorough, toe-curling, knee-weakening kiss.
"You know, we could always have a picnic in the bedroom," she said, rather breathlessly when he released her.
"Don't tempt me," he said.
Bemused, Hilary followed him out the door. There was already a blanket in the back of his car, which is what he placed the basket down next to.
"So where are we going?" she aske
d. The sky was already dark, because they'd lingered over dinner. She'd never had a night-time picnic before, but she was intrigued. Fortunately it was a pretty nice night, not too muggy and there was a bit of a breeze going, even in the street.
"Do I need to explain the concept of a surprise to you?" he teased, reaching out to clasp her hand in his.
She sighed. "Fine," she said, drawing out the word and making it clear that she wasn't actually fine, she was impatient. Liam just chuckled and squeezed her hand.
Scooting over as far as she could with her seatbelt on, Hilary leaned her head against his shoulder, watching the street signs go past as they went... wherever they were going. She didn't know what was prompting Liam to do all these dates, but she was enjoying it. Part of her wondered if she should bring it up, but she didn't want him to think that she didn't like or appreciate all the effort he was putting into having romantic evenings with her. Maybe if it got out of hand... but right now she was just enjoying it.
Why look a gift horse in the mouth, after all?
They drove for about twenty minutes, every road taking them further away from the city. She looked up at the sky through the windshield. It was a nice clear night, and on these roads she could clearly see the stars.
"You know, there's a meteor shower tonight," she said. "Not a big one, but a decent sized one... I think I mentioned it to you a few weeks ago."
"Oh really?" Liam asked, his voice so full of innocence that Hilary sat up straight and looked at him, her eyes brightening and she squealed with excitement, clutching at his arm while he laughed at her.
"We're going star gazing? To see the meteor shower?"
"Maaaaaaaybe."
"Shut up, we are! I know we are! Thank you!" Hilary threw her arms around his shoulders, making Liam scold her as the car weaved slightly.
Trust him to remember an offhand remark and to make it into a romantic evening for her. It wasn't just a picnic, it was a picnic under the stars to see a meteor shower. Not only that, but he'd obviously taken the time to scout out an area where they'd be able to see the sky better and there would be less light pollution. It was so like him to plan down to every last detail. Hopefully he'd enjoy himself and then next month they could watch the Perseids, which was a much larger shower for this area.
Even though he was driving, Hilary wrapped herself around him as much as she could, to show her appreciation for his thoughtfulness. He paid attention to the little things, and that was one of his best qualities.
The spot that he'd found was a bit of a surprise. It was actually a large field with three radio towers in it. There was surprisingly little light and the night sky looked like it had diamonds scattered through it, the stars were glowing so brightly. Or maybe they were just that bright in comparison to where their apartment was, but Hilary didn't care either way, she only cared that she could see them. The Milky Way was a dusting of lighter swirls in a band that stretched across the sky over the field, the first time in far too long that she'd actually been able to see its distinctive luminescence.
"This is perfect," she murmured, staring up at the sky as Liam laid out the blanket.
"Good, I'm glad you like it. It wasn't that easy to find a place that would be good for star gazing without having to drive almost an hour," he said, although he didn’t sound put out about the effort. Mostly he just sounded smug.
She turned to look down at him, beaming with happiness, as he settled onto the blanket, patting the spot beside him. Immediately she dropped down where he'd indicated. It was too hot to snuggle up to him, but their legs pressed together as he began to dig into the picnic basket, coming up with a bottle of wine.
"Ooo, classy," she said when he handed it to her, along with a wine key.
"Damn straight."
Hilary giggled as she began to twist the corkscrew into the cork. She glanced over to see Liam very gently taking out something wrapped in a small towel, which were revealed to be a pair of wine glasses. Her jaw dropped a bit.
"You brought wine glasses?"
He gave her an arch look, pretending to be snobbish. His silver eyes glinted with mischief in the moonlight. "What, you thought we were going to drink out of the bottle?"
"I guess I should have known better," Hilary said, accepting the wine glass that he proffered to her and pouring herself a glass. "You're such a boy scout."
"Always be prepared." Taking the wine bottle from her, Liam poured himself a glass and set the bottle down beside the blanket, making sure that it wasn't going to tip over before he let it go. Hilary could only shake her head, amused. She would have been completely content to drink from the bottle, but she loved him for bringing the glasses. It was so Liam, and that one small detail was somehow ridiculously impressive.
Leaning back on one hand, Hilary looked up at the sky, reflecting on how perfectly happy she was at this moment. So far no signs of any shooting stars, but she had wine and her man and the night couldn't be any more perfect. Oh, wait, yes it could.
Tilting her head to the side, she gave Liam a look. "Alright Mister, you're holding out on me, where's the chocolate?"
Chuckling, Liam set down his wine glass next to the bottle, reaching into the picnic basket again and pulling out a tin that used to hold butter cookies her mother had given them for Christmas. Now re-filled with something much better. Mmmm. Dessert under the stars.
Eager with anticipation, she completely missed the anxious look Liam gave her as he passed over the tin. She popped open the top and froze.
There were cookies inside, ones that she recognized from Lexie's Cookie Dough Cooking Book, the ones that Hilary had said she most wanted to try. They were chocolate chip cookie sandwiches, with chocolate chip cookie dough as the filling, and they'd been dipped in chocolate so that half of each cookie had a chocolate coating. But that wasn't what made her heart stutter to a stop. Nope.
What did that was the glinting, shining, ring that had been stuck in the center of the cookie in the very center of the cookie tin. A ring that sparkled even in the moonlight, princess cut, with smaller emerald cut stones on either side. An engagement ring.
"Li-am," she said, her voice breaking, because she couldn't think of anything else to say. It was like her mind had gone completely blank, filled with a noiseless rushing sound that drowned out the rest of the world.
Her head jerked up and she realized he was now facing her, watching her, with eyes filled with love, and warmth, and hope.
******
The look on Hilary's face was something he would remember for the rest of his life. Disbelief. Shock. Awe.
Joy.
Shifting slightly on his knees, Liam cleared his throat.
"Hilary Bryant, I know that by some people's standards, our relationship has moved pretty fast." His honey-girl's eyes were already filling up with tears - of happiness, he was pretty sure - and she choked a bit on a laugh as he said that. "But I don't care. You're it for me. I love you. I love living with you, and going to bed beside you every night and waking up beside you every morning. I know that's what I want for the rest of my life. Honey-girl, will you marry me?"
There were other things he'd wanted to say, but somehow, now that the moment was here, they'd all gone out of his head. It didn't matter though. He'd said everything that he really needed to, and she already knew how beautiful and perfect and wonderful he thought she was. Plus, she was already nodding as tears started to slide down her cheeks and he couldn't stand taking one more moment to pull her into his arms.
The tin clattered as she dropped it, lunging for him, her lips pressing against his for the wettest, saltiest, most wonderful kiss of his life.
Unadulterated joy was bursting in his chest, making it feel like his rib cage was too small for his heart. His honey-girl was pressed up against him, making little crying sounds, and for once he didn't mind at all that she was in tears. Although, it occurred to him that she had yet to answer the question. It was obvious what her answer was, but he still wanted to hear her say
it.
Pulling away slightly, he grinned at her. "So I take it that's a yes?"
"YES! Oh my god, yes Liam... I love you too, I love you so much." More tears filled her eyes, making her cheeks glisten in the moonlight. He didn't think he'd ever seen her look so happy.
Picking up the tin where she'd dropped it, he pulled the ring out of the cookie and quickly sucked off the chocolate that clung to the band. Pressing her hands to her mouth, Hilary giggled, a little hysterically, as she watched him. It was probably not his slickest moment, but he'd forgotten to bring something to clean the ring off. So much for always being prepared; but he knew she didn't mind.
Sliding the ring onto her finger was something he would always remember. There weren't too many moments in life that really felt like something straight out of the movies, but he could swear that every noise in the world stopped right then, as if the entirety of the universe focused in on this moment, in this field, with just the two of them at its center. Hilary had her hand pressed to her chest as she watched him slide it on, and it wasn't until the ring (perfectly fitted) was securely on her finger that he realized both of them had been holding their breath.
"It fits perfectly," she said, breathlessly, staring at it like she couldn't tear her eyes away.
"Jessica helped me with that." Liam was aware that he was grinning like a loon, grinning so hard that his cheeks hurt actually, but he couldn't help it.
Hilary's eyes went round with shock as she jerked her head up to look at him, although he noticed that she kept her hand outstretched to continue showing the ring to its best advantage. "She knew? That bitch!"
Laughter bubbled up out of Liam's chest as Hilary clapped her hands over her mouth. He loved it when she forgot herself enough to curse.
