Page 16 of Etched In Stone (The Stone Saga #3.5)

I’d picked this location deliberately, far out of sight from any crew member on The Lucy , knowing I could strip Krystina bare and fuck her into oblivion.

And that was exactly what I’d done.

“Yes, Krystina. That’s the place. Now, I’ve been patient with this unexpected excursion so far. It’s time for you to tell me why you dragged us back here,” I demanded, my voice laced with authority. If she held out much longer, she would be getting that spanking whether she wanted it or not.

She closed the remaining distance to the boulder, her steps purposeful.

“I want to leave our mark here,” she said, setting down her tool bag and reaching inside. “Something permanent.”

When she procured chiseling tools, I raised a curious brow.

“Do I dare ask what those are for?”

She didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she approached the boulder’s smoothest face, running her hands over the granite surface with the concentration of a sculptor selecting marble.

When she found the spot that satisfied her artistic vision, she positioned the chisel with mathematical precision and raised the hammer.

The first strike rang out across the empty beach like a bell, the metallic percussion echoing, cutting through the calls of seagulls flying overhead and the distant crash of waves.

Then another strike, and another, as she began working with a determination that was both impressive and profoundly moving.

I watched, transfixed, as her intentions became clear.

She was etching our initials into the hard surface.

I brought my attention back to her face, a slight smile forming when I saw the determined set to her jaw.

Her movements were deliberate, the stone seeming to surrender willingly to her efforts.

A profound sense of longing washed over me as I watched her.

At that moment, I yearned to be closer to her, to somehow share in this intimate act of creation.

She was a vision, a woman who commanded both admiration and desire, not only for her physical beauty but also for the depth of her character.

The grace with which she etched our love made my heart constrict.

“You are incredible, angel. Do you know that?”

She paused her chiseling, frowning as she studied the carving thus far.

“Incredible isn’t how I would describe this. I’m just hoping for legible,” Krystina said with a laugh.

“I’m not talking about your artistic abilities, but for everything you are—the way you see the world, the way you find magic in moments that other people would simply let pass.

” I paused, my words to describe the woman before suddenly seeming inadequate.

“You’ve made my life richer than I ever thought possible. ”

She looked away from her work, her chocolate brown eyes meeting mine.

“You’re the love of my life, Alex. “This carving is more than just our initials. It’s a symbol of everything we’ve built together, everything we’ve survived, everything we’ve become. It’s something that will endure long after we’re gone. The evidence of our love will be etched in stone forever.”

The words hit me with unexpected force, resonating through my chest with the kind of emotional impact I’d only ever feel with Krystina.

She was creating more than just a carving—she was establishing a monument to our connection, a permanent testament to the bond we’d forged in this paradise setting.

I pulled her into my arms, and a tender smile graced her lips. It was a smile that held a thousand unspoken words—a smile that spoke of shared memories, trials, and triumphs.

“Forever, you say?”

“Forever,” she confirmed. Pressing up on her toes, she brushed her lips softly over mine. “Because forever we will be.”

As the sun rose on the horizon, bringing with it a new day, I felt her words in the depths of my soul. We shared a moment of silence, basking in the memories that this place held for us. Our honeymoon might be ending, but what we’d built here—what she had literally etched into stone—would endure.

Forever with my angel was not just beginning. It was being made permanent, one careful strike of the hammer at a time.

Thank you for reading ETCHED IN STONE! I hope you enjoyed Krystina and Alexander’s honeymoon. Wishing Stone is the next book in their saga.