Chapter 58

58

M y stomach rudely interrupts our kiss, and Henry's lips curl against mine as he pulls away.

"Does somebody have a little rumbly in their tumbly?" He grins, tickling my belly. I clench my jaw, refusing to give in to laughter. I finally break when he moves to my sides, digging his fingers into my ribs, demanding surrender. I shriek, twisting away from him, nearly falling off the bed. "We better get washed up and eat. You need keep your energy up for later," he says, grabbing my ankle just in time.

Later?

LATER?

How many times can this man get it on before he needs a break? I take his hand and let him help me out of bed, trailing him to the bathroom. I follow him into the bathtub, and he turns me away from him, pulling me down between his legs. His hand flattens over my stomach as I lean back against his chest, my body pleasantly humming. He lathers body wash in his hands and runs them over my limbs and torso as the tub fills, rinsing the soap away before using just water to clean between my legs.

"Tilt your head back, love." His fingers press against my chin, guiding my head back until it’s resting against his chest. He takes a cup from the side of the tub and carefully pours water over my hair, then he squirts shampoo into his palm and works it into my scalp.

"Thank you, Isla," he murmurs, the moment somehow turning even more intimate as he rinses the soap from my hair.

"For what?" I ask, opening my eyes, tilting my head back, and looking up at him. The only thing I can see is the underside of his chin and the way his throat bobs as he swallows.

"For being you. For letting me fuck your face like a lunatic." A hint of remorse in his voice puts me on my guard.

"No, we're not doing this," I say, turning to face him. "I liked it. I liked it a whole fucking lot. You don't need to say thank you. You don’t need to feel bad. If you ever ask me to do something that I don't like, I'll tell you, Henry. Scout ’ s honor."

He breaks out into a smile so big it takes my breath away. "Honest?"

"Honest. I mean it when I tell you I want everything you have to give me." I stand, holding my hands out to him to help him up. "Let's eat before my stomach decides to revolt and consume itself."

The pizza is cold, but it's fucking delicious. I don't think I've ever been this hungry in my entire life. Three-day-old bread would taste like a gourmet meal at this point.

"What did you have in mind for dessert?" I ask, swallowing the last bite of my fourth piece of pizza.

"We used to do something called campfire cones when I was younger. I brought a portable grill we can set up on the shore. They'll only take about ten minutes once the charcoal has burned down a little." He pops the top off another bottle of champagne and fills my empty glass before trekking back to the car to grab the grill and charcoal. I join him with the intention to help but quickly realize I'll only be in the way. Instead, I sit on the dock with my feet hanging over, nursing my glass of bubbly and getting shivers every time I think about what we just did .

"Are you cold?" Henry asks, coming up behind me and rubbing my shoulders.

"No, I just keep getting flashbacks."

"Of what?"

"Your cock down my throat."

He coughs, then clears his throat, blushing. "Oh."

The sun is just starting to dip below the horizon when he pops two foil-wrapped packages on the grill, sets a timer on his phone, and sits beside me, the champagne bottle in hand.

"I really enjoy spending time with you, Isla. I know that seems stupid to say at this point, but I mean it. There's always been a level of anxiety in other relationships. I'm scared I'll do something wrong or won't be enough somehow. Not with you."

He keeps talking, but all I can concentrate on is how his hand squeezes around the neck of the bottle, making his veins pop. I look over at him from beneath my lashes, biting my lip. "You need to be careful saying things like that."

"Why?" he asks, his eyes darkening.

"Because it makes me want to do dirty things to that magnificent body of yours."

"Nobody is stopping you, Isla."

Fuckkk.

"Is that so?" I ask, swinging my leg over his hips and straddling him. He lies down, hands behind his head, staring up at me like I'm the most beautiful thing he's ever seen.

"Never stop looking at me like that," I whisper.

"I couldn't even if I tried."

"Even when I'm old and gray, and my boobs are hanging down past my belly button?"

"Especially then." He smiles up at me, his eyes crinkling. "I love you, Isla MacLeod."

"I love you, too." I melt into his body, snuggling against his chest, breathing him in. Just as the scent of charred sugar starts drifting over to us, Henry's alarm goes off. We hop up, and he flings the little packets from the grill onto the rocks, instructing me to let them cool down before I try to open them. God, he knows me well. The smell is almost impossible to resist. When they're finally cool enough to pick up, I shake the debris from the outer layer of tinfoil and unwrap the first layer, discarding it before I start on the second layer. Inside is a waffle cone coated in melty peanut butter, stuffed with bananas and chocolate chips. It's the most delicious-looking creation I've ever seen.

"Whoever invented this is a goddamn genius," I mumble around a giant bite, scalding my tongue and not even caring.

"It's good, isn't it?" Henry asks, blowing on his before taking a bite.

"It's freaking amazing."

"Someday, we'll be making these with our kids," he says, looking up at me, eyes sparkling.

"Someday." I smile, loving the thought of a little Henry running around. "But for now, I want to enjoy the four of us before we bring a baby into the world."

"Totally agree. I'm going to be selfish with your time for a long while. I already feel like I don't see you enough."

"After this weekend, we'll all be sleeping in the same bed, right?" I ask, licking chocolate from my finger.

"If that's what you want, yes."

"Is that what you guys want?"

"I'm not going to speak for Dylan and Theo, but that's what I'd prefer, yes," Henry says, raking his hair out of his face.

"So, how is that going to work? With Charlie, it's easy because the guys are in relationships too, so everyone is cuddling."

"We'll just have to rotate," he says, shrugging. "We could keep a schedule if it's easier, or we just fall asleep how we fall asleep, and that's that."

"We’ll all have to sit down and hammer out the details."

"Speaking of that, are we going to push two beds into one room? I don't think four of us would fit on any of the beds you have in the house right now."

I take another bite, giving myself time to think. "I thought maybe we could move back to my old bedroom at the castle if the three of you are willing to try that. It's in a different wing from Charlie's room, so we'd be pretty much on our own, and it's plenty big enough for the size bed we need. Plus, I'll be there to help Charlie when she needs it. And then with the brewery–"

"You can stop there," he says, chuckling. "You don't need to convince me. Who would say no to living in a castle? We can ask Theo and Dylan what they think when we get back." He takes my hand, threading his fingers through mine. "What will you do with the Manor House and the cottage?"

"If I can't convince Lorna to move, then probably just rent them out."

"Do you think she would?" he asks, bringing my hand to his mouth and pressing his lips to my fingers.

"If we make it easy for her, maybe."

"What does that mean, exactly?"

"Setting up a part of the farm for her. Making her flowerbeds, putting in irrigation, figuring out what else she needs without her knowing what we're doing."

"You want to surprise her?" he asks, eyebrows jumping up his forehead.

I shiver as he drags his lips over the back of his hand, struggling to keep my thoughts on topic. "I think that's the only way I'll get her to say yes. If she has too long to think about it, anxiety will get in the way. If we can make it as seamless as possible, there won't be a reason for her to say no."

"All the kids will be able to grow up together, too," Henry adds, his face softening.

"True. That may be the best selling point when it comes down to it."

"We'll start planning when we get back. I'm sure between the eight of us, we can come up with something."

"You'd really help me with that?" I ask, blinking back a sudden onslaught of tears.

"If you asked me to get you the moon, I would figure out a way." His blue gaze collides with mine as he sweeps a strand of hair behind my ear, his thumb gently sweeping over my cheek. "You're my entire world, Isla." Overwhelmed by emotion, I flop on my back, staring up at the darkening sky, not quite able to believe this is my life. He kisses my forehead before lying next to me, interlocking our fingers as we watch the stars slowly appear.

"I have something for you," he says suddenly, sitting up and reaching into his pocket. "Hold up your hair." I lift my hair from my neck, unable to see what he has in his hands. "There." I feel around on my chest, lifting the necklace toward my face. I nearly drop it when I see the brilliant diamond shining back at me.

He pulls me to my feet and then takes my hand, getting down on one knee. "Marry me, Isla. Be my wife. My best friend. My forever."

I sniffle, hastily wiping at the tears streaming down my cheeks. "Yes, Henry. I'll marry you." I would marry this man over and over again if I could. I've never felt so treasured in my life.

"Thank fuck," he breathes, pressing his hand to his chest. "I chose a necklace because it's closest to your heart, but if you'd like it made into a ring, we can do that, too."

"No!" I say, holding tight to the pendant. "It's beyond perfect."

Getting back to his feet, he looks down at me, eyes shining. "I was hoping you would say that." He cups my chin and lowers his lips to mine, leaving me breathless. "Do you know what I haven't been able to stop thinking about?"

"What?" I breathe, toying with the hair at the base of his neck.

"How that diamond will glitter against your skin while I'm eating you out."