Chapter 11
ELEVEN
MELISSA
Today is an amazing day. I'm serving some lemonade to pass around while the men from the fire department and some volunteers are laying down the foundation for my new house. It's the place where Aspen and I will make our home.
Aspen was suspended for a while and made to take classes and exams and more training, but he's back as a rookie firefighter and hopefully soon a full firefighter.
He no longer grumbles and complains when given assignments that are not related to firefighting, but more for the welfare of the community.
I pass around the glasses and am greeted with smiles. I've gotten to know the men from Aspen's unit pretty well and their wives and girlfriends. They've welcomed me into their group and I seem to fit in with them.
They help me calm down when I start freaking out about Aspen's line of work. And they share their stories of raising a family while married to a man that has a dangerous job. They've become sisters of a kind and I enjoy spending time with them.
I find Aspen and hand him the cool drink I have in my hand. He gives me a warm smile and drinks it up in a couple of gulps.
"Wow, I guess I got that drink to you just in time."
"It's scorching hot today, kitten. Thank you."
He's looking especially handsome today and I lick my lips without meaning to. That's always my way of telling him I'm in a romantic mood. He seems surprised at the gesture and his gaze grows heated.
"Maybe I can take a break."
"Maybe you should."
He leaves my side briefly to tell someone he's taking a break and then gently grabs my arms and leads me into the forest. He only stops to get something from his truck and then we move along the trees, deeper into the mountain.
We walk for about ten minutes, just to make sure we're not in hearing distance from the people working on the house. We find a nice spot and I finally see what he got from the truck. It's a blanket, and he arranges it on the floor.
I start to get down but he holds me upright. I'm not sure what's happening, but he starts nervously pacing in front of me.
"I've been waiting for the right time, but now it's just burning a hole in my pocket."
I'm not sure I understand what he's saying until he brings out a little velvet box and shows it to me. My knees go wobbly and I think I'm going to pass out. He grabs my hand and keeps it in his while he kneels in front of me.
"Shit, I know this is not the perfect proposal you deserve, but we've always done things differently than others, haven't we?"
I nod my head because I'm definitely in agreement that we have our weird and wacky ways. My hand is shaking, heck my entire body is one big trembling mess, but I have to hold it together. I mean, I want him to pop the question!
"My sweet Mel, you came into my life like a wrecking ball. You made a huge Mel sized hole in my heart and my life changed completely since then. It's only been a month, but it has felt right since the first week. I had this made by an artist in town as soon as I came out of the clinic."
I gasp. I didn't know the ring was custom made or that he made the decision so long ago. He opens the box and I see a beautiful ring with a butterfly on it and two small diamonds in its body. The ring matches the design on my mother's necklace and tears start to flow down my face.
"Oh god, Mel, don't cry."
I give him a smile and squeeze the hand that's holding mine so that he knows he can continue. Meanwhile I'm speechless and I don't have anything to dry up my tears so I'd rather just keep crying silently with joy.
"You are strong, beautiful and capable. You are kind to others and help the community whenever you can. You light up my life with every action you take. I want that light forever and that's why today I'm asking you to be my wife. Will you marry me, Melissa?"
I'm silent for the longest time and he starts to frown. I'm still speechless and don't know how to tell him this is the most perfect proposal of my life. Finally, I take pity on him and clear my throat. I'm not sure what's going to come out, but it better be something resembling 'yes' or 'I do'.
"I was so angry that day you came into my life.
Not because you tore down my door, though that was a big part of it, but because I felt out of control once again.
Life had taken my choices and trampled them right in front of me.
You saw I was in distress, and you came in like the hero you are and got me to safety. "
He's still holding up the ring box with the beautiful ring on it, as he looks up at me probably wondering what I'm doing instead of just answering with a yes.
"Oh god, I don't know how to say the million things I want to say to you right now, Aspen."
"All I need is one word."
He's right, of course, so I go down on my knees in front of him and squeeze his hand.
"Yes, Aspen Brooks. I will marry you."
He gives a huge sigh of relief and places the ring on my finger. It fits perfectly and I let my heart explode with happiness. Aspen kisses me hungrily and I immediately know how we're going to celebrate our engagement. Thank goodness for the blanket!
The kiss is hot, passionate and thankfully never ending.
I could kiss this man for hours and sometimes in the weekends during our free time we do just that.
Most of the time we have to hide at the back of restaurants or somewhere in the mountain where no one can see us because we still didn't have a home.
The fire department has been quick to repair most of the homes that were damaged during the fires, and this week is our turn. I'm very thankful of the community and for a moment my mind goes off track.
"Hey, kitten, where did you go?"
"I was just thinking of how lucky I am to not only have you, but a home as well."
"Come back to me. I need reassurance that you want to be Mrs. Aspen Brooks."
"I do."
He gives me a bright smile at that answer and places kisses all over my face. His hands are busy undoing the buttons on my shirt and before I know it my shirt is off and he's working the button on my jeans. I let him undress me as I watch his handsome face.
My handsome devil. He's gentle with me and pretty soon I'm naked in his arms. His strong, capable hands caress my body as if I'm the most precious thing in his life. I say this to him in wonderment and he's quick to reply.
"Of course you are precious to me, kitten. There's only one of you in this world and I love you more than life itself."
His words make my body heat up and suddenly there's nothing more I want than to have him naked with me.
I pull at his t-shirt and then his jeans.
I trace the scar on his shoulder tenderly and look into his eyes.
They look darker with his excitement and it makes me feel a little possessive of him.
I don't want any other woman to see him like this, ever.
"What is it, Mel?"
"You're mine. Forever and ever, you hear?"
"I am, but you belong to me as well."
"I do."
"Wow, three times in one day. I should go and find a preacher to marry us right now."
"Stop it I'm being serious."
"So am I. I can't wait to make you mine."
"Isn't that what you're doing right now."
"In front of God, our families and friends and the community."
The words make a shiver run through me and I pull him close so that our bodies can touch. My nipples, hard as diamonds, brush against his golden chest, making my insides melt. I can feel my arousal between my legs getting ready for his delicious cock.
Said cock is trapped between us, but our urgency starts to turn into something more serious. As if this moment is a new beginning in our lives and every caress feels like it is bonding us. We kiss and let our hands roam each other's bodies.
His body is strong and toned and mine is the complete opposite, soft and curvy. Aspen loves all my curves and it fills my heart with joy. We lie down and I throw myself on top of his chest like a wanton woman. I guess I am one when it comes to him.
We kiss again and again, touching each other and sharing this tender moment until my hand brushes his hard cock and feels the precum at the tip. I wipe it with my thumb and bring it to my lips and lick it off. Aspen's gaze intensifies and he growls at me.
This just makes me giggle and we start wrestling and kissing and messing around until Aspen finds his way between my legs. He uses his strong thighs to open me up as far as he can. So much that it hurts a little making me feel possessed by him.
"You're mine, kitten. Now and forever."
That's all he says to me before he impales himself inside me. I'm still not used to his girth, but I'm so slick that a moan comes out of my mouth. He puts his hand over my mouth so that I don't make too much noise, but I bite it, because this moment is special and I'll scream as much as I want.
"Okay, kitten. Have it your way. Should I keep moving?"
"I never told you to stop."
He laughs and the sound combined with being filled up with him, makes me moan again. He doesn't make the same mistake again and instead does the smart thing and kisses me once more. Our lovemaking is hurried –-what if we're interrupted?-– but there's always a loving feeling to our movements.
"Oh god, Aspen. I love you so much."
I'm saying this as I'm peaking at the edge of the precipice. I hold him as tight as I can and he knows my body so well by now he knows what to do. He reaches between our sweaty bodies and starts playing with my clit.
It doesn't take long until I burst into a million little pieces, screaming Aspen's name for all to hear. His pleasure follows mine by just a few seconds and he groans as his hot cum spurts deep into my channel. A piece of me wonders if we've made a baby today.
That's too much to think about so I focus on the fantastic feeling of having him on top of me.
"Don't go. Stay with me like this forever."
"I'm going to crush you, kitten."
He's still covering me with his body when I hear rustling near where we are. Aspen doesn't move as someone yells at us.
"Brooks you need to come back and help us. This is going to be your house after all. Stop fooling around."
It's his friend Bastian and we relax into each other's arms because he has his back to us.
"We just got engaged!" I yell.
"Okay then, maybe he can have a few more minutes, but we're waiting on him."
I hear more rustling as he leaves us.
"I guess everybody heard us."
"That's what happens when you live in such a tight knit community. Oh, and by the way…"
"What?"
"I love you too kitten. It's forever for us."
"Forever, Aspen."