Stay With Me (32 page)

Chuckling, I took her hand in mine as we slowly made our way higher as the rest of the buckets were filled with people. When we got near the top, her jaw fell open and she gasped.

“Thano. It’s beautiful. Look at all the lights.”

I looked out over Dallas and nodded in agreement. “Was it worth the plane ride?”

She turned and looked at me. “This night has been beyond amazing. I don’t think you could do anything else to make it any better.”

Swallowing hard, I looked into her eyes. “I’m hoping I can.”

Her green eyes filled with desire. She opened her mouth to talk when the ride started, causing her to let out a small yelp.

We both laughed as she looked out at everything. “This is amazing. I never really knew they were so tall.”

“You’ve never seen the one up at Pikes Peak?”

She shook her head. “Nope!”

“Well, when it opens, I’ll take you. Talk about views.”

Kilyn smiled as she settled into my side. We went around two more times when I finally built up the courage to do it. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out the blue box.

I cleared my throat and took a deep breath. “Ladybug?”

“Mmm?”

“I need to ask you something.”

She moved away some and looked me directly in the eyes. “Anything,” she said with a slight smile.

I’d never felt this way before. Not even with Savannah. There was something so profoundly different about this moment with Kilyn. Licking my lips to help with my dry mouth, I smiled and spoke with a wavering voice. “I love you so much.”

Her face softened and warmth radiated throughout my body from the smile she gave me.

“I love you too, so very much. I’m sorry I freaked out earlier.”

“None of that matters. All that matters is you’re here with me right now.” Looking into her eyes, I let out a breath and whispered, “You’re so beautiful, Kilyn.”

With a flush on her cheeks, she peered down at her hands.

Opening the box, I took a deep breath and slowly blew it out as I got ready to speak from my heart.

“You’re truly the only woman I’ve ever felt my heart stop for. The thought of not having you in my life is one I never want to ever have again. You are my life. My future.”

I held up the velvet box that held the princess-cut diamond. Kilyn covered her mouth with her hands and tried to hold back a sob.

“Kilyn O’Kelly, would you do me the honor of marrying me?”

Her eyes filled with tears and her hands dropped to her lap. Her chin trembled as she looked at the diamond and then back up into my eyes. “Is this really happening? Is this for real?”

Smiling, I nodded.

With a smile as big as the Texas sky, she exclaimed, “Yes! Yes, I will marry you!”

My hand laced through her hair while I grabbed her neck and pulled her lips to mine. There was nothing about this moment I would ever forget.

Not even when the ride stopped moving and we sat stuck at the very top for over an hour before they finally got the damn thing running again.

It was the best night of my life.

I
WAS FLYING
high as Thano and I walked into the lobby of the Warwick Melrose Hotel. My eyes bounced all over as I took in the beauty of it all.

Reaching for my hand, he laced his fingers with mine as we walked to the front desk.

When we stopped, the young girl’s eyes lit up at the sight of Thano. I was used to it now. The gawks and looks from women. Some even had the nerve to flirt with him right in front of me. At first it pissed me off, but in the end I was the one going home with him, so what did it matter.

“Good evening, welcome to the Warwick Melrose.”

We both smiled as Thano replied, “Hey there. Reservations for Thano Drivas.”

The girl quickly began typing. Her face lit up as she looked between the two of us.

“Yes, Mr. Drivas, I see we have you in our presidential suite.”

My head whipped over to look at Thano. He chuckled and said, “No, I think you have that wrong. I only booked a king suite.”

She glanced down at her computer again. Shaking her head, she replied, “No. No, I have here you are to be put in the presidential suite. You originally booked the king suite, but someone called and changed it. It also appears your two-night stay with us has been prepaid.”

I was positive my jaw was on the ground.

“Does it say who called and changed it?” Thano asked.

She searched on her computer. “Looks like it was a Mr. Dimitris Drivas.”

“Pateras,” Thano whispered.

Scrunching my nose up, I thought for a moment. I was almost positive that meant father.

The young girl smiled. “So, here is your key, and you also have access to the private entrance around the side of the hotel if you would like to use it.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Thano responded with a small chuckle.

After giving us the key and a map of the hotel and surrounding area, she grinned from ear to ear. “Are y’all here celebrating anything?”

I almost said no before I remembered the ring on my finger. Holding it up, I felt my heart quicken. “Thano asked me to marry him this evening.”

“Congratulations! How exciting. Well, I hope we are able to make your engagement that much more special.”

Thano looked at me and wiggled his eyebrows. “Oh, I think we have that covered.”

The moment we walked into the room, we both let out a gasp. I spun around and laughed. “This is bigger than your apartment!”

The living area was huge and had enough seating for Thano’s entire family. Okay . . . maybe not all of them.

The kitchen was a full size kitchen that led to a dining room that seated ten people.

“We’re totally having sex on that table,” Thano said in a seductive voice.

Nodding in agreement, we made our way to the bedroom. My hands immediately came up to my mouth as I took in the sight before me.

The room was absolutely the most beautiful room I’d ever seen. “Look at the fabrics and colors they used in here,” I gasped. The use of the cream and blue colors was beyond breathtaking.

Thano let out a chuckle. “Only you would notice the fabric and not the flowers.”

In that moment, I was overcome with the smell of flowers. There were vases of daisies everywhere. Every color and every size.

“I can’t believe your dad did this!”

Taking me in his arms, Thano captured my eyes with his. “My father had nothing to do with the flowers. I asked for that to be done.”

My heart melted on the spot and my stomach fluttered.

“I love it. It’s very romantic.”

His lips moved gently along my jaw line as my body erupted in goose bumps and my breath stalled.

“You haven’t even begun to see romantic yet, ladybug.”

“Yes, please.”

Pressing his lips to mine, I got lost in the kiss like I always did.

What was I even thinking earlier when I tried to leave? My life would never be the same without Thano. He was the very air I needed to breathe.

He whispered against my lips, causing a shiver to run down my back. “Love me, forever.”

“Forever,” I softly replied.

Thano slowly began to lift my shirt over my head while he continued to speak.

“Never doubt my love for you.”

With a lazy shake of my head, I whispered back, “Never.”

Reaching behind my back, he expertly unclasped my bra and removed it. His mouth was on my nipple as his hand played with the other, building my desire.

“Thano,” I gasped as he moved his lips down my stomach while dropping to his knees.

Unbuttoning my jeans, he peered up and smiled at me. The same one that showed his dimples, and absolutely made my heart soar.

My jeans and panties were quickly pulled down while I stepped out of them and kicked them to the side. With a quickening heartbeat, I pulled Thano up and started to undress him, and not in the slow romantic way he undressed me. It was frantic and rushed. I needed to feel him up against my bare skin.

He engulfed me in an embrace, eliciting a moan from each of us.

“You feel so good,” he said, lifting me up while I wrapped my legs around him.

Walking us over to the bed, he gently laid me down. Every nerve ending in my body was on fire.

“Slide up the bed, ladybug.”

I quickly did as he asked. I wasn’t sure how Thano seemed to make every time we made love feel like our first time, but he did.

His hands moved up my legs as my body trembled from his touch. No one could ever love me like Thano. He released my deepest desires.

My back arched as he took a nipple in his mouth and pushed his fingers inside of me, pulling a long deep moan from my mouth.

“You’re mine, Kilyn.”

Thrashing my head back and forth, I gripped the satin bedspread. My body ached from the need to release what was building. “Yours, forever yours.”

His lips moved up and across my neck as I felt my orgasm beginning to grow.

Thano’s lips pressed against mine while he pushed my legs open with his knee and slowly slid into my body. I was so worked up, I knew the moment he moved I’d come. I needed it. I longed for it more than I ever had.

Pulling his lips from mine, he began to move agonizingly slow in and out of me while placing his mouth against my ear. His hot breath caused my eyes to practically roll to the back of my head. I swear, when he made love to me it was my high. My rush. The drug I longed for with every single breath I took.

Sucking in a breath, Thano slowly released it. “I can’t wait to make you my wife,” he whispered in my ear.

My chest fluttered with his whispered words as my orgasm rushed across my entire body as we cried out each other’s name.

My arms wrapped around his neck while his lips crashed to mine.

We came together. In one of the most beautiful rooms I’d ever been in. Our whispered names against each other’s lips sounded as if they were echoing in the room.

It was the most intimate, beautiful, romantic, and unbelievable moment of my life.

I wasn’t sure how long we had lain there as my fingers moved lazily over his back.

“Do we have to leave this hotel room?” Thano asked, breaking the silence.

With a giggle, I responded, “I wish we could stay here forever!”

Looking into my eyes, his expression turned serious. “Kilyn?”