Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty-Two

Maple

I wake up slowly. My whole body hurts and the activities of the night before come crashing back to me. I have no regrets though. None.

I wouldn't have had it be anyone else but Caspian. It was… perfect and I was so needy and ready for him. He had made sure I was more than prepared. Even though he did, as soon as I roll to my back, I can feel muscles that have been incognito on me before last night start to ache and protest and…

Something catches my eye as I go to throw back the covers. I hold my hand up to take a better look as my mind shuts down. When I look up from the ring, I see Caspian leaning against the door looking at me.

"Did… I miss something last night?"

He purses his lips and shakes his head slowly with an innocent look on his face. "Nope. I don't think so."

I'm not buying the innocent act. I turn my hand around to show him the ring, a cold feeling coming over me. Did he… give me this ring as… a gift for…? "I don't understand."

"It's easy, baby girl." My heart stutters at his choice of words. "I'm not asking, so you don't have a choice of telling me no."

"Asking. Asking what?" Is there a formality to becoming a sugar baby? Papers I have to sign? What the hell have I done and who have I trusted?

"For you to marry me." He stands straight and starts to walk over to the bed. "I'm not asking you if you will. Not after last night. Not after I filled your little pussy full. We can talk about stuff, work things out, hell maybe even argue about it back and forth, but I'm not letting you go and I'm not taking no for an answer."

The feeling that washes over me is almost like…relief. "You…you want to…get married? To me?"

"I do." He lifts my hand with his and brings it to his lips to lay a kiss on the palm of my hand. "This ring belonged to my grandmother, Ruth."

My eyes go to the ring again. It's a beautiful ring, but…, "I can't… I'll fuck it up. I'll lose it. What if I drop it or…? Why do you want to marry me? Why…? Is it because everyone around you is getting married?"

He laughs but doesn't let my hand go. "I can barely go a day without seeing you. And I'm a man who knows himself, after I've made love to you it's only going to be worse, that feeling of dying if I don't have you with me. Not just sex, baby, but actually just being around you, hearing your voice, looking at your smile, catching your scent in my house and around my things. I realized I wouldn't be able to let you go."

"You didn't have a problem when you left that second time. You only came back… because I fell?"

"Don't get mad."

My shoulders slump, "Anytime someone says ‘don't get mad' that means it's something to be mad about. What did you do?"

"I was watching you."

I try to follow his words, but they don't make sense to me. "I don't understand."

"When you moved into the guest house, I put cameras up so I could watch you when I couldn't be with you."

"Cameras?" My eyes widen. "Everywhere?"

"Not the bathroom. I was pretty sure you wouldn't be happy with me if I put them in the bathroom."

"But the bedroom?" He nods. "That's how you knew about me not sleeping in my bed. And when I wasn't in the guesthouse that night, you realized something was wrong. And you came to me. You drove a long way... to be with me."

He nods.

"I wanted to give you time to get to know me, time to find out I wasn't some rich douche who thought you were a plaything. I wanted to give you some space, but I couldn't… just leave you alone, I had to have you with me even if it was just checking in on you to make sure you were alright, that you ate, that you were being taken care of."

"That's…"

"Sick, obsessed. I know, okay. It was the only way I could do it without throwing you over my shoulder and tying you to my bed, Sweets."

"Really sweet. I… I've never had someone watch out for me. Well, until you and Eddie."

"So, we're getting married. I want you to have my last name and I want to make a life with you where I can come home to you every night and we can be there for each other. I am obsessed with you but…I also love you."

"You… you love me?" That's even more shocking than him wanting to marry me.

"I knew as soon as I found the right one, I would want to be with them every waking hour, that I would put all this…focus I've had all during my careers, hell, all my life, towards loving that person. Loving you."

I give him a smile and scoot closer to him. "I…I love you too."

I whisper it too afraid this is a fever dream to say it any louder, but he hears me.

"I was in the city for so long because I was looking to take some time off… so I can be with you. To try to streamline things so I wouldn't have to work long hours and be away from you. And I am damn sure not going to travel without you. I can't do it, Sweets."

"You really love me."

"Hell yes, I do! I wouldn't put that ring on just anybody's finger, sweets. And I'm certain you love me."

"You are?"

"You wouldn't just give anyone this sweet body."

He's right. I wouldn't feel comfortable with someone I wasn't in love with. The realization is profound. "Caspian, I want to marry you. If you ask me, I'll say yes."

"Then I'll ask. Will you marry me, Maple? Will you make me complete? Will you go through this life with me and all its ups and downs and be mine forever?"

I scoot closer to him and wrap my hands around his cheeks, "Caspian, I already am yours, but yes, I'll marry you."

He starts kissing me as both of us fall backward ready to celebrate when the door downstairs opens and Maria's happy voice rings out through the house.

"Kids! We're home! Eddie's with me! They let him out today and we wanted to surprise you."

Caspian grins against my lips, "Wait until they find out our surprise for them, Sweets."

He runs to catch them before they can start looking for us, so I have time to grab a shower and actually wear clothes for all these surprises. I can't help but smile as I think, just weeks ago I didn't have any family at all and now, I have a man who wants to be my husband, a grandfather who wants me to be in the family, and a friend that treats me like a daughter. The old saying about blood being thicker than water might be true but for us - for all of us - love is Thicker Than Blood every time, no relation needed.