Chapter 21
"Let whatever has to come, come, but let it come with you.
Let whatever has to happen, happen, but let it happen with you.
Let whatever has to kill me, kill me, but let it kill us together."
— Joseph Kapone
William
Christmas was just a few days away, and I felt I had never been so excited about this holiday before.
Since Alba had returned, we had the freedom to go out at night with the peace of mind that Aurora was under her care.
Alba hadn’t been surprised by our relationship and upcoming wedding, but she was very happy about it.
According to her, from the moment she saw us, she knew we were made for each other, and she predicted a very happy life together for us, which I didn’t doubt.
That night I had invited Devon to dinner because I wanted to give her the engagement ring. I hadn’t done it before because it was my mother’s ring and I had sent it to the jeweler to have it adjusted.
“Aurora is already asleep,” Devon said, appearing at my office door. “I’m going to change for dinner. Are you ready?”
“I am, my love, more ready than ever,” I said, with a double meaning, because I wanted her to understand that I was also more than ready for the step we were about to take. “While you get ready, I’ll finish looking at some company documents.”
“Perfect,” she said, blowing me a kiss with a beautiful smile before leaving.
I felt like following her and joining her in the shower, but I had made a reservation at a restaurant and didn’t want to be late, which would happen if I followed her.
Besides, we had the whole night to ourselves—actually, we had our whole lives.
Since we’d been living together, I could say my life was wonderful.
I never would have imagined that living as a couple could make me so happy.
My only examples were my parents and my own marriage to Cristina, and both had been disastrous.
My parents’ marriage hadn’t been an affectionate one, and they divorced when I was 8 years old, and I didn’t even want to remember my marriage to Cristina.
With Devon, everything was so wonderful that I was afraid of waking up and finding it had all been a dream.
Not only was I immensely happy, but Aurora was too, and she had completely changed.
From being a shy, introverted, unsociable, and tearful child, she had become a cheerful, smiling, and super affectionate little girl.
I had my dream family, and I couldn’t be happier.
A while later, Devon came to the office while I was still working.
“Do you really want to go out for dinner? If you have a lot of work, we can leave it for another day.”
I looked up and her beauty took my breath away again.
She was wearing a sexy rust-red wrap dress with a deep V-neckline.
She had left her hair loose and styled it in soft waves, and she looked spectacular.
I couldn’t help but devour her with my eyes.
She was pure sweetness and sexual attraction.
Devon ignited my flame with barely any effort; it was enough for her to look at me to have me at her feet.
Her scent was intoxicating to me; she smelled of passion, love, and life.
I looked into her eyes, and those big, innocent gray eyes made me momentarily lose my senses.
How I loved that woman! I was hopelessly lost for her.
“No way. Work can wait until tomorrow, and now I’m going to enjoy the night with my beautiful woman.” I approached her and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. “You look spectacular.”
She gave me that smile again, the one that opened a hole in my chest.
“Thank you, my love. You look very handsome too.”
“Shall we go?” I asked, stretching out my hand for her to take, which she did immediately.
“Yes, let’s go. I just passed by Aurora’s bedroom and she’s sleeping peacefully.”
“Then these parents are going out to enjoy a romantic and passionate night.”
Seated at our table in the restaurant, Devon was telling me about her workday and how much she had enjoyed being with Aurora after returning home.
I listened to her in ecstasy, still unable to believe that this woman loved me.
While she was talking, I couldn’t resist the urge to caress her and moved my hand to her leg to begin lifting her dress. Devon stopped talking and jumped.
“William, what are you doing? We’re in a restaurant,” she said nervously, but I could tell she was aroused.
“I’m just caressing my woman. What’s wrong with that?”
“That we’re surrounded by people?” she asked, as if I were incapable of noticing.
“That doesn’t discourage me. Everyone is focused on their own business,” I stated, moving my hand up her leg.
“God, William...”
“Let’s go, I have something planned,” I said, removing my hand from her and calling the waiter.
“Something like what you were just doing?” she asked, with the blush on her cheeks caused by my caresses.
I laughed at her innocence and shyness.
“Of course, but that comes later.”
“After what?”
I looked at her and smiled, but as I didn’t want to ruin the surprise, I kept my plans secret. She looked at me, trying to decipher what awaited her, but she surely couldn’t get any clues.
“You'll find out soon.”
“Can you give me a hint?”
“I didn't take you for an impatient person, doctor,” I commented with a smile, enjoying her confusion.
“I'm not, it's just that I didn't take you for someone who gives surprises either.”
“And you're right about that. I think I've only given them to my daughter, and now to you.”
She continued looking at me intrigued, but didn't press further.
We left the restaurant and headed to the car. During the journey, we listened to music and talked.
“Where are we going?”
“We're going home,” I answered.
“I thought you said you wanted to do something before getting home,” she said, confused.
“I didn't say that. What I want to do is at home,” I pointed out with a smile.
Devon looked at me with narrowed eyes, obviously thinking that if we were going home, I'd take her straight to bed. I certainly had the desire, but I had planned to do something else first.
Upon arriving at our house, I guided her directly to the backyard and to the pergola situated at the far end of the garden.
The wooden pergola was a beautiful and romantic spot, or at least I saw it that way since Devon had been in my life, because perhaps before I only saw it as a place to sit and rest quietly since romance wasn't part of my existence.
The pergola was covered with white climbing roses that gave it a lovely appearance and enveloped you with their fragrance.
That day I had asked for it to be decorated with string lights to give it an even more romantic touch.
In the middle of it was a table with chairs that we occasionally used for lunch or dinner.
We had walked there hand in hand and in silence.
Devon let herself be guided and no longer asked questions.
When we arrived, I stood in front of her and looked into her eyes.
I caressed her cheeks and descended down her arms until I reached her hands and interlaced my fingers with hers.
“Devon Dulcet, I love you in all the ways a man can love a woman.
I love you so much that I can no longer imagine a life without you, and that's why I asked you to marry me and be my life partner.
I have the fortune of being loved in return, of having you with me, and I'm never going to let you go.”
I raised her right hand and kissed it, then began to slide the engagement ring onto her ring finger. Devon watched what I was doing with eyes glistening with emotion. When the ring was in place, she raised her gaze and looked into my eyes.
“It's beautiful, William. Thank you.”
“I apologize for taking so long to give it to you, but I wanted you to have my mother's ring and I had to send it to be refurbished a bit.”
Devon's eyes widened like saucers, she looked at the ring and then at me.
Her warm and beautiful gray eyes were full of love and emotion.
She was so beautiful. If she could see herself the way I saw her, she would realize the immense love I felt for her, how I admired her, how proud I was to have her by my side, and how beautiful she was.
“William, forgive me for what I'm about to ask, but since the ring is a family heirloom, I need to know something,” she said, a bit nervously, which made me uneasy. “Did your wife also wear this ring?” she asked delicately, but watching me very carefully.
“No; I only gave her a wedding band that I bought at a jewelry store, I didn't give her anything from my family. This ring,” I said, raising the hand on which the engagement ring shone, “was given to me by my mother to give to the woman I fell madly in love with, to the love of my life. And that has been, is, and will be only you. You are the doctor of my heart, you are the only woman I love and will love forever, you are the one who should wear this ring,” I said, emotional.
“And for me, it's a complete honor,” she affirmed, and kissed me.
And that kiss tasted like a promise, a promise of a happy life.
Devon rested her forehead against mine and, with a playful smile, whispered:
“Now you should finish what you started at the restaurant.”
I looked at her and couldn't help but smile.
“That's what I had in mind, my sweet doctor, although now you're more like my mischievous doctor.”
I took her in my arms, wrapping her tightly while feeling her arms encircling me possessively.
I began to walk, feeling her laughter and her provocative, warm kisses on my neck.
Upon reaching the bedroom, I laid her on the bed and hovered over her to kiss her passionately.
From that moment on, we dedicated ourselves to giving and receiving pleasure with our ardent bodies intertwined, sweaty, and hungry for each other.
It was a wonderful night in which I found myself swept away by the most exquisite and intense sensations I had ever experienced, sensations and emotions that took me to the point of delirium. We made love several times, always with absolute surrender and uncontrollable, overwhelming passion.
And I fell asleep with the woman I loved in my arms, curled up against me and embracing me so tightly that it made me feel like I was the most valuable thing in her life.
I fell asleep happy.
The next day I was at the company and decided to take some time to go buy Devon's Christmas gift.
I planned to stop by the jewelry store to pick up our wedding bands and also buy her gift there.
While I was looking at a gold and diamond necklace that the saleswoman was showing me, someone stopped beside me and the saleswoman looked up and greeted them.
—Good afternoon, Mr. Coller. Emily will be with you in a few minutes. In the meantime, you can take a seat in our comfortable chairs.
—Thank you, I can wait here, no problem —he replied, remaining standing next to me.
Coller? That was the last name of…
I turned my face and found myself looking at the person I least wanted to encounter in my life. He looked at me and then shifted his gaze to the displays where the necklaces I was looking at were exhibited, and especially at the one I was holding in my hand.
—Beautiful necklace —he remarked, in a mocking tone.
—It is, but not as beautiful as my woman who will be wearing it —I responded, and then turned my face to continue focusing my attention on the jewelry, although fury was beginning to take over me and I had to make a great effort to control myself.
The saleswoman looked at me and smiled at my comment, unaware of the hostility surrounding us.
—I don’t doubt it —he said, with that air of superiority in his voice that was already annoying me—, if you want I can advise you because I know...
—I highly doubt you know my woman’s tastes —I interrupted him, looking at him as if he were an insect I could crush with the sole of my shoe.
I turned my face and looked at the saleswoman with a face of disgust.
—It’s this one —I said, handing her the necklace I had in my hand and that I was sure she would love.
—You have good taste, there’s no doubt about that. It’s a very valuable jewel —said Coller, and I immediately knew he was referring to Devon.
Just knowing that he had touched her made my stomach turn. I had to make a great effort not to beat the crap out of him. It bothered me that he even thought about her.
—Please send everything to my company. You should be more selective about your clientele —I said, looking at the saleswoman seriously.
The woman looked at me as if she were apologizing, but didn’t mention anything about my last comment.
—We’ll have everything delivered to you today, Mr. Cavaller.
—Good afternoon —I said, and turned to head toward the exit of the jewelry store, without giving him even a single glance.
Once outside, I took a deep breath and decided to walk a bit before going to get my car because I needed to calm down.
I was tense, and barely contained fury was boiling throughout my body.
That guy’s sarcasm in the jewelry store and the damn image of Devon with him were torturing me.
I started walking faster and faster, trying to let the wind in my face clear my mind and take away all those images that were hitting me and making me more and more furious.
After walking several blocks and calming down a bit, I understood that I was the hothead for allowing that guy to achieve his goal.
She was mine, she loved me. He was the one who was furious about losing her, and I had fallen into his game. I smiled and headed toward my car to return to the company.
—Screw you, Coller! I’m the one who has the most wonderful woman —I said, out loud, not caring that a couple passing by looked at me.