Page 134 of House of Lies
I lean in for a kiss, returning his smile. My eyelids flutter as my orgasm washes over me like a wave of electricity. I feel his eyes on me the entire time, and his smile grows wider when I come with his name on my lips. His heart is my sanctuary, and I place my palm on top of it, savoring the sounds he makes as he comes inside me. Kaz cups my face, his tongue intertwining with mine as we both collapse, exhausted, on the bed. He wanted to go away three weeks after my return, and I couldn’t blame him. I want him all for myself as well.
Once we return, I’ll meet with Cosima. Kaz believes things in New York are stable enough for her to know the truth, and I can’t wait to see my sister. While my husband has kept me updated, it’s not enough. She’s the only person I miss from my old life, and I hope she can forgive me for vanishing and make her believe I was dead. It was all to keep her safe.
“I think we should extend our stay.”
We’re at the end of our holiday in the Maldives, and I don’t feel like returning. I turn my head, gazing at the crystal-clear water stretching endlessly toward the horizon—the turquoise shades shimmer under the tropical sun, with a small island barely visible in the distance.
“I think we should.” I agree with him. “How urgent is your business back home?”
“Now that you’re back and I don’t have to worry about others stealing from me, I think we can stay here for at least six months,” he replies.
I laugh, placing another kiss on his lips.
As the sun begins to set, painting the sky in hues of purple, pink, and streaks of orange and red, we decide it’s time to grab a bite to eat.
“In a minute,” I say, burying my face in his neck and savoring his intoxicating scent.
“Are you all right?” Kaz rubs my neck, his fingers tangling in my hair.
“I am. I can’t believe this is real,” I admit.
“I told you it was all real,” he reminds me.
I struggled to believe it before, but I’m done fighting against Kaz and my feelings. I left behind the book of my past when I returned, and now we’re ready to write a new one together.
Tonight, we’re having dinner on the beach. Kaz wears shorts and a loose shirt. His hair is tousled. A gleam in his eyes and a permanent smile on his lips have become his signature lately.
“I love you,” I tell him as he pours me another glass of wine.
“I hope you do. Otherwise, this might get awkward fast,” he teases.
I want to ask him what he is talking about, but he sets the bottle down on the sand, retrieves something from his pocket, and gracefully gets down on one knee in front of me. Our eyes lock, my heart races, and my thoughts become a blissful haze.
“Marry me, Caelia,” he says, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he opens the box. I glance down, noticing the two rings I returned to him—the engagement ring and the wedding band I couldn’t bear to let go of. And there’s a new ring adorned with white stones and a sparkling white diamond at its center.
“But I’m already married to you.”
“Will you marry me again, Caelia?” Kaz tries again, not taken aback by my confusion.
When I returned, I had asked him to marry me, unaware that he had never divorced me in the first place. However, I never expected a proposal from him.
“Yes! I will marry you!” I exclaim, blinking away the tears that threaten to spill.
Kaz takes my hand, slipping the rings onto my finger. He pauses, admiring all three for a moment. I cup his face, pressing my lips against his. His eyes light up, and he grabs my waist, pulling me on top of him as we tumble onto the sand.
“You didn’t have to do this,” I whisper against his lips.
“I want to give you the life you deserve, starting with the wedding. The only tears I want to see from you are tears of happiness or when you’re choking on my dick,” he teases with a laugh.
“Always a gentleman.”
“You bring out the best in me.”
“Now, give me a poisonous lie, Kaz,” I say, realizing that I no longer need to decipher if we’re lying to each other. This is the beginning of something new, and I won’t let the heartbreak of the past taint it.
“I don’t want to fuck you right here for everyone to see how beautiful you look with your pussy throbbing around my cock,” he says, playing my game. “And what’s your lie, Wildfire?”
“My favorite feeling in the world isn’t when you’re inside me,” I challenge.