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“As I was saying, you flourish where you are allowed to be wild.”

Her eyes softened a little. “Go on.”

“And any man cowardly enough to stay away from the prickly stem?—”

“Thomas, I am going to leave.”

“—is going to miss out on the delicate, beautiful flower growing on top.”

Sophia pursed her lips. “I’m not sure you saved yourself there. Couldn’t you have thought of a more normal flower?”

“But you are not normal.” They looked at each other again. “And I am no coward, which is why it’s curious to me that you’re making such rude remarks to me these days. I’m starting to think I’ve spoiled you.”

She couldn’t resist smiling. “Spoiled me? You must be thinking of a different wife.” She paused. “But if it is me, what are you going to do about it?”

Thomas laughed. Out loud.

It was a heartening sound, like small stones skipping across a lake’s surface. The sensation of his chest shaking with laughter reverberated through her chest.

“You’ll have to find out later,” he whispered, giving her backside a light smack.

She bit her lip. “How much later?”

He tutted playfully and dipped his head to kiss her, swaying with her among the roses while peace reigned across their mutual dominion. And as they savored the moment, kissing at their leisure, flourishing in the wild, it felt like the kiss of yesterday and the kiss of tomorrow and the kiss of an entire lifetime to come.

The End?