Chapter Twenty Two

Oh my God! I couldn't believe what I saw. A very beautiful shimmering diamond ring!

Is this for me?

I've never seen such a stunning diamond as this one, that gleamed brightly in the sunlight.

"This is so beautiful." I looked at Ares and he gave me a smile that sent my pulses racing.

"Just like you." He answered and took the ring out my fingers cleaning it with the bottom edge of his shirt. Then he held my hand with cold trembling fingers.

"Rachel... we started everything so wrong. From our first meeting..."

"Our first meeting?"

"You're not doing well hiding behind the curtain. I saw you." He chuckled.

I felt my face burned with embarrassment. He saw me? Darn.

"Our first kiss was so bad, I was drunk, and our marriage was a nightmare."

"You're right."

My love story with Ares was really bad and something that I was not proud of telling anyone. Everytime I thought of it, it made me cringed. I wished it was like in a fairy tale movie.

"I want to make everything right between us. I want to make up for the things I've done wrong to you. We can start all over again."

"Why?"

"Because I love you, Rachel. So much."

I was tongue-tied. I wondered if I was dreaming. Did I hear him right? Did he just say that he loves me?

"You love me?" I asked him.

"Yeah. I'm not a sucker of love, but I guess I fell in love with you at first sight." He reached out a hand and smoothed my hair.

I was confused. He fell in love with me at first sight?

"You did? At the breakfast nook with your grandfather?"

"No. I saw you a year before that. It was summer and you went to the mansion to talk to your father. You were at the rose garden waiting for him, swinging on a swing."

"You saw me there?" I remembered that time. It was my seventeenth birthday and dad made me wait for him.

He nodded. "I was behind the tree staring at you. I couldn't help it. You look like an angel sitting there with your hair flying and your skin glowing. So beautiful that I was mesmerized. I was waiting for your next visit, but you never did.

"Oh." Was all I managed to say.

I was surprised when he suddenly knelt down with one bent knee and still holding my hand. Then he put the diamond ring in front of me.

"Rachel, I love you so much and I need you in my life. Please come back and live with me... as my lover, my partner, my wife and mother of my kids. Give me a chance to court you. To bake too many cupcakes for you. To wake up every morning with you beside me and have our morning coffee together. I want to shower you with countless hugs and kisses, every second and minute of the day. Have mercy on me and make me the happiest man alive." He paused and inhaled deeply. "Rachel, will you marry me?"

My eyes were fixed at Ares' extremely handsome face. What he said was so overwhelming and I couldn't measure the happiness I felt at that moment. Tears of joy fell on my cheeks and I covered my mouth to prevent myself from sobbing. Oh God. He asked me to marry him!

He was waiting for my answer with a soft smile plastered on his face. I moved closer to him and kissed his lips.

He kissed me back and asked me between kisses. "Is that a yes?"

I nodded.

I felt like I was in a dream. He put the diamond ring on my finger and he swung me into his arms. He was so happy and shouted Yes! Yes! Yes! Like he won a lottery.

I was sad awhile ago, but now I couldn't describe the joy in my heart. It was boundless.

Ares put me down on my feet and kissed me with deep, hot and intense hunger. I felt drugged with his delicious taste, his smell and the heat of his body. I wanted more of him so badly. His hand left my nape and ran down my back, skimming my waist. I gasped when I felt his other hand inside my skirt, running his fingers to the length of my thigh upwards.

"Ares." I murmured. I was hypnotized by his touch. I tingled under his fingertips, sweetly draining all my doubts and fears.

"Do you think we should stop and wait for our wedding night?" Ares looked at me with a wicked grin.

"Damn you Ares. Stop talking and finish what you've started!"

That made him laugh and kissed me hungrily, thrusting his tongue inside my mouth, exploring my recesses. He pulled my legs up around his waist, holding my butt firmly and pressing the core of my arousal to his erection.

The sensation was so delicious and electrifying. All my nerve endings were tingling. I moaned with intense pleasure and grind my hips, rubbing my softness to his erection.

"Oh God, Rachel. You need to tell me where the bedroom is. Either we do it here or..." Ares groaned like a wounded animal.

"In the bedroom. Second door to the left." I answered abruptly, never letting the moment of ecstasy die down.

Ares carried me to the bedroom and laid me on the bed. He was on top of me in seconds and continued kissing me. This time it was wilder and more electrifying.

He opened the buttons of my blouse and pushed it aside. His mouth was moistly hot and his tongue strongly wild as it ran on my sensitive skin -- down on my neck, my shoulders and the valley of my breasts. He snapped open my black lace brassier and stared at my twin peaks with dark dilated pupils.

"You have perfect breasts." He said before his head bent down and licked my nipple.

I screamed with pleasure as his tongue circled my areola, then made flicking movements before he suckled it. He did the same to my other breast, making my body ache more for his touch.

"Ares... please don't stop."

My hands were on his head, raking his hair. I grabbed his shirt up wanting it out so I could touch the heat of his skin. I whimpered as our bodies touched skin to skin. The warmth of his soft flesh was intoxicating. Sensual. Delightful and earthshaking.

Ares peeled the rest of my clothes, leaving my black lace bikini. His eyes were full of desire as it traveled my body. "You're so beautiful, Rachel." He murmured.

"You are too."

He touched his shoulder and arm that was covered with scars.

I touched his scars too, gently running my fingertips from his arm to his shoulder, neck and face. "You're beautiful to me, Ares. I don't mind if you're covered with scars." I replaced my fingertips with my lips, trailing kisses up to his scarred face. "I love you. All of you."

"Thank you, baby. I love you so much." He kissed me again, fiercely and I responded with equal fervour.

My soft naked curves moulded to the contours of his lean body. His breath was warm and moist against my face and my heart was racing so fast. His hand was kneading my breast and his thumb rolling my nipple created delicious tingling sensations all throughout my body. I gasped when his mouth covered my breast and flicked the tip of his tongue on my nipple.

His hand went down and touched the upper hem of my black lace bikini. Gently creeping inside until he touched the wetness of my feminine part.

"Ares..." I whimpered. Pressing his hand between my thighs together. My hand held his wrist. The sensation was so overwhelming and yet frightening. I had never experienced it before and it was too much to bear.

"It's okay." He said and removed his hand away from my thighs. His breathing was ragged as he stared at me. "Do you trust me, Rachel?"

I nodded. "Yes. Yes."

Ares slowly removed my underwear. His eyes were so dark, full of desire as he stared at my nakedness. "I dream of this every night. Us, making love." He said and planted a kiss on my stomach.

"Ares..."

"Shhh." He said and continued kissing my stomach running his tongue down to my thigh. He was kneeling on the floor and pulled my legs over his shoulder. I bit my lower lip at the first touch of his tongue at the core of my arousal. I wanted to scream. To cry at the unusual sensation he was creating on my body. Every lap and flick of his tongue put me to the edge of wanting more and more...

"Ares... Oh... Ares..."

I grabbed his head, moving my hips to meet every lap of his strong tongue, wanting him to go on and on... and to go faster and faster. My passion rising like the hottest fire, clouding my brain and my body began to vibrate with liquid fire. I moaned aloud as I reached the highest peak of my desire.

Later when Ares entered inside me, I was so ready for him. I surrender completely to him - my body and soul. He drew me to the heights of passion I had never known before and I trusted him... and loved him more.