Page 49 of Wild Roots

I shift my attention back to her pussy, covering her with my mouth and sucking her clit through the material of her underwear as I watch her. Avery’s eyes flutter closed, and she collapses back onto the pillow as she arches her back. She moans, diving a hand into my hair and tugging on the strands.

When I pull back to remove her underwear, she gasps. She’s noticed it. I throw her G-string onto the floor, my pulse hammering as I watch her eyes flick to her hand and then back to me. I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life, but I’m also terrified that she might not want this. Might not want to be tied to me, after all.

“Gray,” she whispers. “What’s this?” She holds up her hand, showing me the ring I put on her while she slept.

I lean in to inspect it, twisting her hand from side to side in the beam of sunlight. “Looks like an engagement ring.”

Pushing me back and scrambling to sit up, Avery kneels in front of me on the mattress in all her naked glory. She looks at the ring and then back to me. “I can see that, but… how did it get on my finger?”

I band an arm around her, dusting kisses over her shoulder as I chuckle. “I put it there.”

She tilts her head back and holds on to my biceps as she melts under my touch. Her voice is distracted when she asks, “H-how?”

Gently laying her down, I hover above her, nerves twisting in my stomach. “When you were sleeping. I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life, Ave. I just wanted to see what it looked like, and I couldn’t bring myself to take it off…”

My words trail off as realization creeps in. I should have done this better. I should have made plans, got champagne, and thrown a party, anything but slipping a ring on her finger without asking her the damn question. Lifting Avery’s hand, I wrap my fingers around the ring and start to slide it off, but she balls her hand into a fist and snatches it away.

“No way, José. You put it on, that’s where it’s staying.” She stuffs her hand under the pillow, and I try to keep my laughter at bay as relief floods me.

“I take it that’s a yes, then? Because I was just gonna take it off and do it right.” My heart stutters in my chest as I wait for her to say those three little letters.

“It’s a yes. Now get back to work.”

This time, I let my laughter flow free before making my way back down her body. When I’m positioned between her legs, I say, “I love you, and I’m grateful every day that you returned to me.”

She doesn’t get a chance to respond. The words die on her lips as I cover her pussy with my mouth. I get to spend the rest of my life with this woman, making love to her, building a future with her. I’m the luckiest man alive, and I thank God every day that she came home to me.

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