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So with shaking hands, I lifted the heavy goldstatuette.

Engraved across the bottom:VivianHope

I burst into tears and clutched it to my chest.Colt’s arms came around me, holding me as the sobs shook my body.“Thankyou.”

“I’m having a little trouble telling if you like it,” helaughed.

I spun in his arms.“It’s the best thing anyone has ever given me.How did yougetit?”

He took the statue and set it on the counter behind me, then adjusted it before wrapping me back up in his warmth.“When you told me about your parents selling the Oscars I had someone track them down.A couple of weeks ago I made an offer on the two who were interested in selling.Theyaccepted.”

“And Liz is getting the other?”He was the sweetest man on theplanet.

“She should have it todayaswell.”

I burst into tears again.This was...well it was everything.The past, the good parts of my family, the things I wanted for myself.All of it was wrapped up in this gift from the man Iloved.

“And,” he lifted my chin, planting a kiss against my lips.“I can’t wait to put yours beside it inourhome.”

Yeah, that brought on more tears.“You have no idea how much it means to me that you believe that will happenoneday.”

Colt called me an optimist, but all that hopeful wishing and carrying-on gets overshadowed by doubts when you’re called untalented and criticized foryears.

“Oh it will happen.I’m calling it now.You’ll have two at least.One for acting and one for Best Original Screenplay.”He kissed me again.“I believe inyou,Lily.”

I held him tight because there was no way this was real.It had to be a dream.“Thankyou.”

“Always.”

Then he dried my tears.“You should probably put her away.Wouldn’t want something to happen to her.”Heturnedme.

And as I reached for it, I realized something was different.Sitting on top of the hands wasaring.

Adiamondring.

Just as I picked it up I felt movement at my back, and when I turned I found Colt down on one knee.“Spend forever with me.”He took the ring and put it on myfinger.

I tackled him to the ground, my heart racing, my head spinning.It was too much too fast, and not nearly quick enough.“Yes!”I straddled him as I kissed him.“Yes, yes, yes.Togetherforever.”

“Tied uptogether?”

Well, if he wanted to make suggestions...I untied my sarong.“Tied up together forever.”And then I tied his hands above his head.“We shouldcelebrate.”

“Okay.You’ll get no arguments from me.”He bounced his hips suggestively.“But since someone has immobilized me, I’ll need help with mypants.”

“I might be able to help with that.”In the most torturous way possible, ofcourse.

Not that Colt seemed to mind in the least.No, I’d say he quite enjoyed the slow removal of his swim trunks as I bit along his hipbone and skirted around—but not touching—hiscock.

He enjoyed the way I licked along his length, swirled around his head.He certainly didn’t seem upset as I used my hands and tongue to explore every inch of his body, finding the spots I knew drove him wild, and exploring new ones totantalize.

But when I straddled him?That’s when his resolvesnapped.

“That’s quite enough of that.”He sat up so that we were nose to nose.“I want to touch you.”He held his hands out and waited with a dark smoldering gaze as I unwrapped hiswrists.

From there things went very, veryslowly.

As in, he skirted his hands over my collarbones and around to my back where he just barely held me as I positioned him at my entrance.He didn’t move but our eyes stayed locked as I rose and fell, taking his first inchinsideme.