Heaven and Hale

" F-f-fudge. S-sheep."

Heaven couldn't stop laughing at the way her usually intimidating boss ended up sounding like a young boy doing his best not to swear in front of his parents. The look on his gorgeous face was just as priceless, with Hale visibly struggling to stay still as Mr. Plato and Mr. Aristotle crawled up his arms until they each occupied a shoulder to themselves.

"There's nothing to freak out about."

"I am not freaking out," he bit out.

"You look like it though."

"Well, you're looking at it the wrong way."

"But—-"

"If I wanted your fucking opinion," he said pleasantly, "I'd have told you, Ms. Gaines."

The words were already out when he realized what he had just said...and how he had said it.

You fucking idiot!

Hale took a deep breath. He had promised himself he wouldn't do anything to jeopardize what he now had with her. But here he was, doing exactly that, and all because he wasn't man enough to handle a pair of hamsters.

Apologize, you bastard, and beg if you have to.

He turned to Heaven, but as soon as their gazes met, she burst into laughter instead.

"Eleven minutes," she told him.

What the hell did that mean?

Was she saying she would give eleven minutes to get the hell out—-

"I was wondering how long it would take before you started swearing again," she explained with a smile.

Well, fuck.

"And eleven minutes is a lot longer than I expected, so...yay!"

Hale could only stare at her.

Because right now, he just had no fucking words.

All he knew was that he was the luckiest man on earth to have her—-

"I just can't believe we're okay now."

—-and that he didn't deserve someone as sweet as her, with the way she even had stars in her eyes as she gazed at him.

Hale suddenly found himself able to conquer his unmanly fear of hamsters by gently taking each one by hand.

"Oh wow."

Hale knew he still had a lot to make up with Heaven, but did she really have to sound that shocked?

He returned the furballs to their respective cages before turning to Haven. "I think you've just damned me with faint praise."

Heaven blinked at him in genuine confusion. "When?"

"When you said we're okay ."

"B-But aren't we—-"

Heaven could no longer speak, with the rest of her words disappearing in his kiss.

Oh, Hale.

Her body sang out a now-familiar melody as it came into contact with the powerful hardness of his frame. He was strong where she was soft, his every angle complementing her every curve. It was as if their flesh was meant to make music together, and oh, when she thought of how much more beautiful it would be, the moment they were one...

Hale, oh my Hale.

Just imagining this had her breath catching, and then she could barely breathe at all, with Hale now undressing her.

His expertise in getting a woman out of her clothes was slightly unnerving, but she forgot all about that as he unclipped the front clasp of her bra.

He then took a step back to take a good look at her, and Heaven felt herself turn pink as his burning gaze devoured her flesh.

She tried to cover herself, but he caught her wrists and gently lowered her arms back to her sides.

"Let me look my fill of you, baby."

The words had her biting back a whimper, and even though she tried—-she really did try her best to stay still for him—- it was just impossible!

"I can't," she choked out.

She heard him chuckle even as embarrassment made her wish the ground would swallow her up. But when she made another attempt to cross her arms over her chest, he was just as swift to put a stop to this, and aaaaah!

He suddenly had her up in his arms, and her legs involuntarily locked around his waist as he had her back against the wall.

What in the world is he going—-aaah!

She had her answer the moment his lips closed over one nipple.

Hale, oh my Hale.

It was so excruciatingly good to have him suckle her nipple like a babe.

Gently at first.

Then harder and harder.

Until the lines between pain and pleasure blurred into one, and all she could do was grip his head as he moved to its twin, and it started all over again.

Yeeeees.

Her inhibitions were no match against the flaming need of her flesh, and she could only sob out as she found herself pushing her nipple deeper into his mouth.

"Please."

She didn't think she could bear another moment of this.

But she also knew she would die if he were to stop.

"Please, Hale—- "

He wrenched his head away, and she cried out in protest.

No, please no!

His mouth covered hers in a kiss, but just when she was thinking she was too greedy to think that a mere kiss wasn't enough—-

"Haaaale..."

It truly wasn't.

And Hale knew this, too, with the way he was now sucking on her tongue—-her tongue!—- while his fingers began plucking her nipple.

Pluck! Suck! Pluck! Suck! Pluck! Suck!

Her sanity was no match—-just no match at all!—-against the carnal rhythm, and in mere moments, her arms had automatically tightened around his neck, and so did her legs around his waist.

Here it comes, she thought dazedly.

Every inch of her body tightened for one moment.

And then she was coming for the second time.

And it was even more beautiful than the last time.

So, so beautiful.

And just like before—-

Time slipped out of her grasp, and she was no longer able to count the minutes.

All she knew was how good she felt.

So, so good.

When she opened her eyes again, and she saw him staring down at her with emotions that she was finally able to identify—-

Fear.

Desire.

But most of all—-

Love.

Tears burned her eyes even as she started to wriggle out of his hold, and Hale eventually set her down on her feet.

He loved her.

She had a feeling he didn't know this yet.

But she knew it to be true.

He loved her.

And so, of course, there was one thing left to do.

Hale stiffened when Heaven suddenly reached up to cup his face.

"Thank you, Hale," she whispered.

"For what?"

"Because I know how much it cost you to stop hating me."

Fuck.

All he could do was stare at her.

Why, dammit?

Why did she have to be so unpredictably and terrifyingly... different?

"I don't deserve you, Heaven."

"I don't deserve you either."

A humorless laugh escaped him.

"Damn right, you don't."

Dismay flashed in her eyes. "I didn't mean it that way—-"

"I know."

And he truly did.

She was different, after all.

"But it doesn't make my words any less true," he said grimly.

"Oh, Hale—-"

"I hurt you too many damn times—-"

"Because you were hurting —-"

"And you weren't?"

Tears shimmered in her eyes. "Not as much as you."

Fuck.

"Don't fucking take pity on—-"

"I'm not," she denied in a rush. "I swear I'm not! But..."

She suddenly took a step back, and his whole body turned cold when he saw her reach for her clothes.

Fuck.

Was she leaving him?

"There's something I have to tell you," Heaven was saying as she hurriedly tugged the cups of her bra over her breasts. "But it won't feel right to say it when I'm naked."

A shudder of relief rocked his body.

She wasn't leaving.

Whatever it was she had to say—-

He was fine with it.

As long as she stayed.

Heaven glanced back at him when she was finally dressed, and the smile on her lips was so damn sweet it had him clenching his fists against the urge to haul her back into his arms and have his way with her again.

"Are you ready to hear what I have to say?"

"Why do I feel like I'm suddenly in one of your Animal Week presentations?"

Her blue eyes sparkled in mischief. "Who says you're not? But the question is, hmm..."

He watched her adopt a posture of introspection as she thoughtfully tapped her chin, and he had to swiftly press his lips together to keep himself from smiling.

"Are you my audience or exhibit?"

He couldn't remember having this fun with anyone.

That was the fucking truth.

And while this terrified him as well—-

"Neither," he drawled.

That didn't mean he'd let Heaven have her way all the time.

She looked at him, startled. "Neither?"

"Yes, neither."

Because if it did, where would be the fun in that?

"Then you'd be—-"

"The billionaire who owns this place—-"

Heaven choked back a laugh.

"And this close to firing your ass," he drawls, "if you don't get to the point and tell me—-"

"I love you."

"WHAT THE FUCK?"

She burst into laughter.

Hale remained unsmiling.

But this only made her laugh all the more even as the look in his eyes made her heart ache.

Oh, Hale.

Had no one ever told him how expressive his eyes were?

"And that's why it didn't feel right to say the words while I was naked," she said primly. "I was afraid you wouldn't take me seriously."

"I still don't," he rejected flatly. "I think you've lost your mind."

"Um, you got it wrong. It's my heart I lost—-"

Hale looked like he wanted to strangle her now.

"To you," she added helpfully.

Hale took a threatening step towards her, and Heaven quickly jumped a step back even as she was unable to keep herself from giggling.

"This isn't fucking funny, damn you."

"But it is—-"

"Godda—-"

Hale caught himself in time when he saw the way Heaven looked at him with hurt.

"I'm sorry," he said tautly. "I'll...try to stop swearing."

"Please don't do it for me."

"I want to."

She took a step closer. "But you mustn't," she said gently. "You could choose to do it for yourself, or better yet, you could choose to do it for God, but please don't do it for me. Because you could end up resenting me later on."

"I won't."

"But you could. "

"I'm not going to win this one, am I?"

"We both win if we make the effort to always remember we're not each other's enemies. We can disagree and have misunderstandings, but one thing we can't ever be are enemies."

It was the wisest thing he had heard in years, and this...

This just made him feel like it was only a matter of time before he fucked things up between them.

"Are you sure you didn't lie in your CV?"

"I never—-"

"Because you sound more like you're ninety than twenty-two."

"Oh, Hale."

Hale crossed his arms. "I know what you're doing. You're saying it like that—-"

Heaven couldn't stop laughing at the way he perfectly mimicked her tone when saying his name.

"—-to distract me from guessing you're real age."

"Oh, Hale!"

"Not buying—-"

He stopped speaking as she threw herself into his arms...and pain sliced into him when she started crying against his chest.

"You're not the only one who's scared."

Ah.

"I'm scared, too," she confided shakily. "I'm so, so scared I won't be able to handle it if you were to break my heart."

Fuck.

"But what scares me the most is to not trust His choice."

She looked up at him, and his chest tightened upon seeing the tears trailing down her cheeks.

"Because I know God chose you for me, Hale."

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

"It's why I love you..."

Fuck. No. Fuck.

"And why—-"

"I want to marry you," he heard himself interrupt her.

Heaven stared at him in shock.

"Will you?"

"Hale—-"

"If you meant what you said—-"

"I d-did, but—-"

"Then you'll marry me."

Heaven couldn't believe this was truly happening. She had known he might think it was too fast, for her to confess her feelings when it was only a few hours ago that he had stopped hating her.

But this.

This was insane .

Wasn't it?

"Look at me, Heaven."

The command in his tone spoke to her soul.

And so she did what he asked.

She looked into his eyes.

And what she saw made her want to weep.

Oh, Hale.

"Will you marry me?"

"Yes."

After what she saw in his eyes—-

"Yes, I'll marry you."