9:30 the next morning, AJ closed the suite door as quietly as possible after tipping room service. He took the tray over to the table by the balcony window. He made sure that everything was just right, then went to the bedroom to wake Jessica. He paused in the doorway, watching her sleep.
He knew in his heart that if he didn’t ask this morning, he never would. He had bought the silver & blue topaz solitaire ring after he left the airport in July. He had even had it in his pocket when he had gone to see her a few months earlier, but had told himself it wasn’t the right time. The only one who knew about his plan was Howie; he knew the others would have thought he had lost his mind & would even try to talk him out of it. Howie had kept his promise by not telling the others, but just hoped that AJ knew what he was doing.
Gathering his courage, he walked over & sat on the side of the bed, leaned over and gently kissed her awake. She put her arms around his neck, as the kiss deepened. AJ gently broke the kiss, smiling down at her. "Good morning, Beautiful.”
“Good morning, Handsome,” she smiled up at him.
“As much as I would love to keep you in this bed for most of the day, our breakfast won’t taste very good cold,” he laughed.
She pulled on her robe & followed him into the front room where he had set up a table with the large bouquet of lilies from last night and their breakfast. He pulled out her chair, bowing dramatically, “Your chair, milady.”
After she was seated, he sat across from her and they ate in companionable silence for about 15 minutes.
“Are you ok, Alex?” she asked.
“Why do you say that?” he looked up at her with a strained smile.
“Cause, you are normally talking a mile a minute. You haven’t spoken since we sat down.” He saw panic in her eyes, and heard it in her voice.
He got up from his seat, walked over to her chair, kneeling down & took her hands in his. “Baby, I’m sorry if I worried you; there’s just a lot going through my head. I wanted to tell you at the airport before you left, and when I came to see you a couple months ago, there just wasn’t time,” he rambled. “Dammit, Baby, what I’m trying to say is I love you. I love you with my whole being and I want you in my life, forever.” He took the ring out of his jeans pocket, placing it on her finger. “Jessie, please tell me you’ll marry me?”
She was so surprised by his proposal, she was completely speechless. He was scared when he saw her tears, but then he saw her smile. “Yes, Alex, I’ll marry you. I love you so much,” she answered, softly.
“You have just made AJ a very happy boy!” he laughed, picking her up in his arms and kissing her til they were both out of breath.
He carried her to the bedroom and laid her across the bed, pinning her beneath him. He kissed his way down her body, hearing her soft moans of pleasure, at the same time struggling to get his jeans unfastened.
The ringing telephone was a very rude interruption.
He grabbed the phone, “This better be important, dammit!” he growled, his breath ragged.
“I was just calling to check if you were up, Bone,” was Nick’s cheery greeting.
“Yeah, you could say that,” he said, groaning softly as Jessie sat up & began to kiss his neck. “Now, if there is no life threatening emergency, I’d like to finish taking care of some personal business.” It immediately became very difficult to think, much less talk, as he felt Jessie succeed in unfastening his jeans & pushing them down over his hips.
He leaned forward to kiss her, “Gotta go, Nick, talk later.” He hung the phone up, then unplugged it from the wall.
He pushed her back on the bed, slipped easily into her & kissed her hungrily. She wrapped her legs around him, pulling him deeper and holding him close. He fought to control his thrusts, not wanting it to end too quickly; but when he felt her arch against him and dig her nails into his shoulders, he couldn’t hold back. Hearing her gasps & moans of ecstasy, he began to increase the rhythm of his hips.
As the passion overtook their senses, they both cried out in release. They held onto each other, trembling from their powerful climax.
AJ whispered in her ear, “You have made me a very happy man, Jessie. I love you.”
