Rising to his knees, James presses kisses up my belly, over my nipples, then to my mouth. He grins above me. I'm so used I can't even cup his face and hold him. He knows this and I watch as his smile grows larger.

"Hey, beautiful," James says, then sits to the side and pulls me with him so we're leaning back on the couch in front of the fire.

A tender kiss is pressed to the top of my head. I'm nestled in the security of his arms, feeling the intimacy between us go from two heartbeats to one.

My hand is resting on his pelvis. Just like with me, I always need to have my hands on him in some way.

The dancing burnt orange and amber yellow flames create a shadowy, soft glow in my engagement ring. I lift my hand to take in my ring again, and stare at it in awe. The small diamonds circling the band match the flawless stone at the center. The clarity reminds me of looking through clear glass and not even realizing it. James picked out a stunning ring.

"Thank you for not giving up on me," I say in appreciation. "I was scared I lost my chance to be your wife."

"I had no plans of giving up." James pauses, then says, "We're good together, Aubrey."

"We are, aren't we."

Picking up my head, I gaze at him with loving eyes. My palm skims up his stomach toward his chest. He grips four fingers in his hand and holds them over his heart. We stay like this, relaxing in front of the fire while the snow falls heavier outside. One thing I love about this cabin is the natural light. There are no window treatments in our second story room, just glass windows that give way to a snowy morning or an uncharted forest at night. If I remember correctly, we're sitting on roughly ten acres secluded in the mountains and surrounded by wildlife. James and I made love in the open for anyone to see, if they were allowed on the private land, that is.

"I can stay like this forever," I say, my words thick with contentment.

"Same, sweetheart."

A little more time passes before we stand. I'm dying to tell Natalie about the engagement and decide to FaceTime her to witness her reaction.

"Where are the suitcases?"

Not that she hasn't seen me naked before, but I figured I'd dress first. James glances at me like he's thinking while he uncorks the champagne. My lips twitch. He rarely strays from cognac.

"Wait. Did you know I would say yes and that's why you have bubbly here? So we could celebrate getting engaged?"

I'm playing with him. It doesn't matter how James planned what he did, just that he did it. He could tell me a hundred times a day he loves me, but showing me is another story. It takes effort to prove one truly loves someone more than just words. Don't tell me you love me. Show me you love me. And he does. Every second of the day he tries to show me. God, I hope I do the same for him. I want James to know love the way I do from him.