Page 122 of Tame Me

‘I love you, Talia.’

He’s opened up and it’s heaven. My bruised heart bursts open too and then it just grows like an unstoppable wave made of wonder and warmth and joy. I hold him—half crying, half laughing—admitting all my deep-held, deep-hidden truths too—all the things I adore about him. All the ways he pleases me. I hold nothing back. We’re aligned in absolute honesty. It’s always been fun, always joyous between us. But there’s an essential facet that’s been revealed—a foundation firmly cemented between us, within us. I believe in him and he believes in me. And it isawesome. I’m shaking and breathless and when he finally, fully claims his place inside me we both moan. It’s exquisite and it’s everything. We’re together, as close as any two people can be.

‘There’s a lot to be said for slow.’ I sigh as the gorgeous sensations stream through me.

He looks at me with nothing but love in his eyes. ‘There’s even more to be said for always.’

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

One yearlater

Talia

‘WHATIFWEmade another movie?’

Startled, I glance up at Dain and feel my skin heating. ‘Are you serious?’ I squeak.

We still have that movie we inadvertently made in the pool house that time and, yep, we might’ve watched it together a few more times in the last year. It’s always fire. Always.

‘Absolutely,’ he says, not taking his gaze from me.

‘Now?’ I glance out of the window and see Lukas and the nanny making castles in the sandpit Dain had installed a while back.

‘Well, you might want a little time to get your outfit sorted first.’

‘Outfit?’ I’m a little stunned butdefinitelyintrigued. ‘You want to dress up?’

‘Oh, yeah, definitely.’ His eyes smoulder as he stares at me. ‘I’d love to see you in a—’

‘Don’t you dare say maid’s outfit.’ But my mouth has gone dry because I’m down a rabbit hole of exciting outfits I’d quite like to see Dain in.

He chuckles and steps close. ‘I was thinking more the sort of movie we can share with others,’ he whispers. ‘Bore them with, actually. But we can make another later if you like.’

I frown, confused and totally distracted by how close he suddenly is. ‘You want other people in our personal movie?’

‘Ava would like to be involved, I’m sure.’ He brushes back a strand of hair from my face and his tenderness muddles my mind even more. ‘Lukas will definitely need to be there.’

‘What?’ I’m hopelessly confused, and the way Dain’s laughing isn’t helping. But I can’t resist leaning closer because I want to kiss him. The light in his gaze morphs into tenderness and he suddenly drops to one knee before me.

I stare and it slowly dawns. Is the movie he’s talking about making aweddingfilm?

‘Dain?’ I’m so breathless I feel as though I’m about to faint. But I see the sudden vulnerability in his eyes and realise the full importance of this moment. ‘You don’t have to...’ I whisper. ‘We don’t have to...’

He doesn’t believe in marriage and I get why. He suffered so much in his parents’ divorce. We don’t need it. I have faith in him—in us—regardless. I know we’ll be together always. ‘I know—’

He puts his finger over my lips. ‘I love you. I want to commit to you and promise that I’ll be here for you always. I want to share my life, my bed, everything I am and have with you as my wife.’ He breathes in. ‘Will you please marry me?’

I stare at him and my eyes prickle with tears. There’s no camera here now but it’s so intimate and special the memory will be seared on my heart.

‘I want to take that leap of faith with you,’ he adds. ‘Not for anyone else. Just for ourselves.’

He believes in me. Inus. And there’s only one answer I can give. ‘Oh,yes!’

His smile explodes. So does my heart. He pulls me to the floor with him and we’re a tangle of limbs and heat until he traps me beneath him and suddenly pauses.

‘I haven’t got you a ring yet... I wanted you to help choose. But I have something for now.’ He pulls something from his pocket. ‘I know you think things don’t last, but these are diamonds. And they will.’

I gasp at the gleaming rope of jewels he dangles above me. Given their size and number I’d have thought they were fake, but this is Dain so I know they’re not. ‘Dain—’