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Chapter Forty-Eight

“ I still don’t understand what you see in me.”

Joe and Claire were sitting in the living room of his house. It was an overcast day, and they were just hanging around. Claire had been back for two weeks, and they were still dancing around their relationship.

Claire scrunched her face. She did not want to have this discussion with him. Why couldn’t Joe see that he was everything to her? He was still hung up on feeling unlovable, and she was going to make it her life’s mission to erase those feelings.

“I can’t offer you much. I’ll never be a millionaire. I have just what you see here.” He widened his arms.

“Hmmm.” She licked her lips. Joe’s eyes followed her tongue as it traveled around her mouth.

“You make me laugh.”

Joe cocked an eyebrow and started to open his mouth to say something.

Claire put up a finger, then giggled. “Seriously. You make me feel safe. You make me feel that there isn’t anything I can’t accomplish. You make me feel loved and cherished. ”

He leaned over, pulled her close to him, held her head in his hands, bit her lip gently and soothed it with his tongue. Then he whispered in her ear, “Why did the chicken cross the road?”

She pulled back. “Whaaat?”

“Why did the chicken cross the road?”

“I don’t know.” Whoa, this was a new side of Joe. He never told jokes. His eyes were twinkling, and Claire loved seeing him like this. She snorted. “Because he wanted to get to the other side?”

He chuckled and shook his head. “No, silly, because he wanted to get the hell out of Kentucky.”

It took her a moment to get the joke. Then she burst into laughter.

Joe’s eyes crinkled, and he grinned. “There. I can never say I don’t make you laugh.”

He pulled her in for a deep kiss. When he was finished caressing her mouth with his tongue, she sat back.

“And you’re a good kisser,” said Claire.

“Just good?” Joe furrowed his brows and put on a sad face.

“Fantastic, fabulous, incredible, amaz—” She never got to finish.

He dived back in and wasn’t gentle this time. He took over her mouth and tongue, demanding that she give him what he wanted. And she did.

Claire was warm and willing in his arms.

“You make me feel like more than a man, like I’m Superman. You make me want to be a better man. I feel I can do anything, accomplish anything with you. You make me feel alive,” he murmured in her ear .

Claire squirmed a little in his arms, rubbed her sweet ass over his hard-as-a-rock cock.

“Yes, I can feel how alive you are.”

He laughed and grabbed her tighter. “You’re a temptress, a goddess of love, my everlasting desire. I want to have babies with you.” He nuzzled her neck.

She stopped wiggling, held her breath.

Damn, he was going about this the wrong way. In a feat he wasn’t sure he could pull off because he was afraid his cock would break, he stood up with Claire. He turned her around and sat her down on the sofa, then pushed her legs apart. He knelt in between them and reached for her hands.

“What I meant to say, Claire Stewart Willis, aka ‘Slugger,’ is, will you marry me? Have my babies? Let me love, protect, and cherish you to the end of our days and beyond. Will you let me provide for you, wake you up with sweet kisses in the morning and passionate kisses at night?”

He kissed her lightly on the forehead. “And in between, let me adore and ravish your body?” He gave her a wink.

Claire sat there and stared at him. A tear ran down her face. He wiped it with his thumb. She hadn’t said a word. Was she surprised? Afraid? Going to tell him no? Was it too soon to ask?

His heart was pumping so hard and loud, he thought for sure she could hear it.

He let her hands go. His were damp and sweaty.

His chest was constricting, so it was hard to breathe.

Damn. What was wrong with him? She was wealthy beyond her dreams—and his.

She could do so much better than him. But she was his life.

He would spend the rest of his convincing her that he was right for her.

Just before he got up and apologized profusely, she reached for his hands and held them to her heart.

“Joe. Joey. I would be the happiest woman alive to have your babies, to accept your sweet kisses in the morning and passionate kisses at night. I would love to have you ravish me all day and night.” She took a deep breath, looked him straight in the eyes, and said, “I would be proud to be called your wife.”

Joe felt weak. His spirit soared toward heaven. He was in heaven. The woman he loved more than life said yes. She said yes. Joe took her in his arms. Kissed her forehead, her eyes, her mouth. She opened for him, and he put all his emotions into the kiss.

Reaching under her shirt, he pulled her bra down and caressed her breasts. Claire was making soft, mewling sounds. He raised her shirt and sucked on one turgid nipple, then the other. She was frantically trying to get his T-shirt off. He pushed her hands away and smiled.

“Claire, you have made me the happiest man alive, and I intend to spend this special night ravishing your body. But first…”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small blue box. Opened it. Put the emerald and diamond engagement ring on her finger and kissed it.

“Oh my God.” She looked at the ring. “Joe, it’s beautiful.” She turned her hand back and forth. “It looks so familiar.”

Joe grinned. “It should. It’s your grandmother’s engagement ring.”

“Whaaat?”

“Yup. Your dad gave it to me when I asked permission to marry you when I stayed at the house.”

“My dad?”

“He told me it was about time that I asked you to marry me and that your grandmother left the ring to you. I had it resized.” Joe sighed. “Although, if you don’t like it, no problem. We’ll get something that you do like.”

She jumped on him and managed to get them both on the ground. “I love it. It’s the most beautiful and meaningful gift that I have ever received.” She stared at the ring. “I’m the luckiest woman alive. The perfect ring”—she kissed him—“and the perfect man.”

Thank you for reading Evidence of Deceit . Writing is an adventure. You start on one path, end up on another. Reverse direction and start again. It is a privilege to have someone read your words and enjoy the story. I hope you have had that experience.