Reed #2
I reach into my pocket, pulling out the small velvet box I’ve been carrying for weeks, through bar shifts, nights in bed with her head on my chest, and every moment I wanted to tell her how much I love her.
With careful fingers, I flip it open, and she gasps. The ring isn’t flashy; it’s gold, carved with tiny sunflowers all around the band, with an oval diamond sitting on top.
The carved sunflowers are just like the ones she plants by our porch; the same ones I grew for her when I didn’t know how else to show love.
“Layla,” I begin, voice low and trembling, “I used to believe the fire took everything I had. My home, my purpose, my family. I looked in the mirror every day and saw a man too broken to deserve anything good again. But then you walked in here years ago, smiling, glowing, proposing this idea to flim here, and I swear, sunshine, you turned my whole world upside down.”
Tears fall down her cheeks, catching on her trembling lips.
“You didn’t just walk in here,” I continue, “you walked right into my heart. Into the quiet I’d been drowning in.
You made me laugh again. You made me want again.
You took all the pieces of me that were burned, scarred, and treated them like they were still worth somethin’.
And now…” I swallow hard, caressing the backs of her legs.
“Now I can’t imagine breathin’ without you beside me. ”
I look up at her, my eyes watering. “Marry me, Layla. Let me spend the rest of my life making sure you never doubt what love feels like. Let me be your home.”
She’s crying before I even finish, her knees hitting the ground as she drops in front of me.
Her fingers cradle my face, her thumbs brushing away my tears, though hers are falling faster.
“Reed Hayes,” she whispers, voice trembling yet steady, “you have been my home since the moment you opened that damn bar door for me. You were the first man who didn’t want to change me.
You saw all of me—the broken parts, the scared parts, the pieces that still shake at night—and you never looked away. ”
Her breath catches. “You make me feel safe. You make me feel seen. You remind me every day that even wrecked things can still be beautiful. You’re my light, my safe place, my best friend. And yes, I’ll marry you. I’d marry you a thousand times over.”
The box trembles in my hand as I slide the ring onto her finger. It fits perfectly, because it was made for her.
She gazes at it, then looks up at me through wet lashes, laughing breathlessly. “Reed,” she murmurs, “you didn’t have to get me sunflowers.”
I smile, brushing my thumb over her cheek. “Sunshine, you’re the reason they grow.”
She laughs as she leans in and kisses me.
It’s slow at first, filled with salt, warmth, and years of pain melting into something new.
Her hands tangle in my hair as mine press into her back, holding her close as the kiss deepens.
We finally part, her forehead rests against mine, breaths mingling in the dim light.
“This place started it all,” she whispers.
“Yeah,” I murmur, glancing around the quiet bar. “Guess it’s only right we promise forever where we found it.”
Her smile breaks through her tears. “Forever sounds good.”
“Forever’s already yours.”
She’s beaming, that radiant smile lighting up my truck, and I can’t stop stealing glances at her, my fiancé, the woman who has my soul wrapped around her little finger.
We barely make it through the door of our home before I’m on her, kicking it shut with my heel, our bodies colliding in the entryway.
She’s pressed against the wall, my hands framing her face as I kiss her deeply, savoring it, our tongues sliding together in a rhythm full of promise and heat.
“Layla,” I whisper against her lips, my voice thick with emotion. “You’re everything. Say yes again.”
She laughs softly, her arms wrapping around my neck. “Yes, Reed. A thousand times, yes.”
I scoop her up, her legs instinctively wrapping around my waist, and carry her to our bedroom, our mouths never breaking contact.
Our room is dimly lit by the bedside lamp, casting warm shadows over the rumpled sheets where we’ve made so many memories.
I gently lower her onto the bed, following her down, our bodies perfectly aligned as I hover above her, gazing into her eyes.
She’s flushed, her lips parted as I trace the line of her jaw with my thumb, gliding it down her neck, feeling her pulse flutter beneath my touch.
“Let me show you how much I love you,” I whisper, planting kisses along her collarbone as my fingers lift the hem of her tank top, pulling it over her head.
Her bra comes off next, unclasped with a flick. I peel it away to reveal her breasts as her nipples pebble in the cool air.
I cup it gently, my thumb brushing the tip, then lean in to take it into my mouth, sucking softly as my tongue swirls around the hardened bud.
She arches beneath me, a soft moan escaping as her hands slide into my hair, holding me there.
I move to the other side with the same care, nipping lightly, drawing out her sighs, and her body responds with subtle shifts and tremors.
My mouth moves lower, kissing her ribs and stomach, while her hands skillfully unbutton her jeans, sliding them down her hips, along with her panties.
She’s bare now, her legs parting as I settle between them, my breath ghosting over her clit. Her pussy is already slick and glistening, and I part them with my fingers.
“Such a pretty pussy, baby,” I breathe, dipping my head as my tongue flicks out to taste her.
She gasps, her hips lifting, and I steady her with my hand on her thigh while the other spreads her wider.
I lick her slowly, long strokes from her entrance to her clit, savoring her tangy sweetness as I focus on her sensitive clit, circling it with the flat of my tongue.
Her thighs quiver around my ears, her moans growing breathier as I suck gently, alternating with flicks that make her buck.
“Reed, shit!”
I hum against her, the vibration drawing a whimper as I slide two fingers inside her, curling them to stroke that inner spot while my mouth works her clit relentlessly.
She’s clenching around me, pulling me deeper as her arousal coats my hand.
I build her up slowly, moving my fingers in a gentle rhythm, tongue lapping faster now until she’s trembling on the edge. “Come for me, baby, give me one.”
She does, crying out my name, her pussy pulsing around my fingers, her juices flooding my palm as waves of pleasure crash through her. I soothe her through it, licking softly as her thighs twitch in my grasp.
As I rise, I strip off my shirt and pants, my hard cock springing free, its tip leaking pre-cum at the sight of her.
She reaches for me, her eyes dark with need, and I climb back over her, settling between her legs.
Our gazes lock as I run the head of my cock along her slit, coating myself with her wetness, notching at her entrance. “I love you,” I say, pushing in slowly, inch by inch, feeling her stretch around me.
She bites her lip, nodding as her hands rest on my shoulders. “God, Reed, I love you so much.”
I begin moving with deep, unhurried thrusts that rub against her clit with each pass. “You think I don’t know every sound you make, every shiver? I’ve memorized ‘em all.”
She moans in response, wrapping her legs around my waist and pulling me closer.
I kiss her deeply, swallowing her gasps, while my hand tangles in her hair and the other caresses her breast, pinching her nipple just enough to ignite more heat.
The pace I set remains tender yet intense, each plunge drawing out her wetness, the wet sounds of us joining filling the room.
Her walls flutter, building again, and I angle my hips to go deeper, brushing that sweet spot.
“That’s my good girl, takin’ me so well.”
She clings tighter as her nails graze my back, our breaths mingling as we chase the peak together.
Her orgasm hits first, her pussy clamping down and milking my cock in rhythmic squeezes.
I follow seconds later, thrusting deep and spilling inside her, filling her as I groan her name.
We stay close together, my weight a comforting blanket over her, as we press our foreheads together, hearts beating in sync. I kiss her softly, before rolling us onto our sides, remaining buried inside as my hand finds hers, my fingers lacing over her new ring.
Mine.