Incest/Taboo Bring on the Wonder

He held her face in his hands, his thumbs brushing the tears from her cheeks, to no avail. Fresh ones spilled from her eyes even as he stroked her skin dry. "I don't have any answers. All I know is that I can't live without you. I can't function without you near me."

"You survived just fine before I moved in. Except for all the takeout and dirty laundry."

Nate smiled at her weak attempt at levity. "I'm not talking about diet and cleanliness. When you left, I realized I'd become used to your company, your presence in the house. I was worried, of course, but I was lonely because I missed you, Lizzie."

Lizzie stared at him, her tears slowing. Nate leaned close and kissed her. She put her hands on his shoulders, trying to hold him to her, wanting more. The physical bond between them might be the only thing to erase her doubts. For the time being, at least.

But Nate was having none of it. He drew away and looked into her eyes again. "Lizzie, I love you. That's how I know we'll figure out a way to make this work."

Lizzie dropped her eyes. "Nate–"

"Don't. I know what you're thinking." He touched her chin, drawing her gaze up. "How can this work? What will we tell people? What will they think? How can we even feel this way?" He shrugged. "Like I said, I don't have all the answers. I just know that this doesn't feel wrong. You can't tell me you don't feel the same way."

Lizzie stared at him, searching his eyes and face for some sign of a lie, for some sign of doubt. She found none.

"Do you love me?"

Her question seemed to surprise Nate, probably because he'd already confessed as much a few times over. Then he smiled, a handsome, slow smile that dried her tears and turned her insides to liquid fire.

"Elizabeth Anne," he whispered, sliding his hand around to cup the back of her head. "I never knew what love was until you showed me. I didn't know I could love until you proved it to me."

"I didn't do anything."

"You did. You're the most remarkable, clever, brilliant and adorable woman I've ever known. That you gave yourself to me that night..." He paused, his breath catching on the last word. He shook his head as if to clear his mind and when he looked at Lizzie again, his eyes were very dark, his pupils huge. "Lizzie, you take my breath away."

Lizzie's heart thumped hard in her chest and she leaned forward. She couldn't take anymore talking. She wanted more. She wanted to see if they could do that again, if it would feel the same way as it had then.

Nate didn't protest when she threw her arms around his shoulders and crushed her lips to his. He parted her lips with his tongue and dragged it over and around hers. She moaned into his mouth and felt her body heating as he sucked on her bottom lip.

With a swift jerk, he hauled her hips against his and twisted so that she lay beneath him on the couch. She pushed her fingers into his hair and let out another moan as he drove his tongue into her mouth for another taste. He yanked a hand from under her body and shoved her shirt up over her stomach. When his fingers brushed her skin, she let out a cry, the sensation of his touch rocking her very core.

All of a sudden, Nate stopped kissing her. His hands stilled and he lifted his head. Lizzie blinked and stared up at him. He was breathing hard and his hair was tousled from where she'd been clutching it.

He needs a haircut, she thought and blinked again, dread settling into her bones when Nate pulled away to sit up.

"Nate?"

"I can't do this."

Lizzie wilted, feeling like he'd just punched her in the stomach. Nate glanced up and his eyes widened as he took in her expression. He pulled her into his arms and tightened his hold when she struggled.

"I don't mean I can't do this, Lizzie." He pressed kisses to her forehead and face and lips. "I want you, you have to know that."

She looked back and forth between his eyes and nodded.

"All right. Now that you understand that, let me explain."

Lizzie giggled at his tone. It was so like his bossy big brother voice that he'd used for years when she was younger. The reminder of their familial link jolted her and she swallowed the knot of fear in her throat.

Nate recognized the look on her face again and kissed her before speaking. "We are siblings. You were right, not that either of us need to be reminded of that."

Lizzie nodded, still unable to speak.

"It doesn't change how I feel about you."

She nodded again.

"What I meant was, I can't do this here." He waved a hand at the room. "Here, in the living room, on the couch."

Lizzie looked around and felt her face warming. She felt suddenly like a teenager again, caught by her parents making out with her boyfriend. Except there was no one else here.

"That first time was incredible, Lizzie, don't ever doubt that." Nate picked up her hand and kissed the tips of her fingers. "But I want to make love to you. Not on the edge of my desk, or on the couch in a hurry. I want to take my time and make sure you feel everything."

Lizzie shivered as his lips moved to the inside of her wrist and he licked the sensitive skin there.

"Will you come upstairs with me?" Nate licked her again. "Or am I going to have to drag you?"

Lizzie smiled. "You can catch me." And she bolted from the couch, up the stairs before he could draw breath to laugh.

He did catch her, just at the top of the stairs. He hauled her into his arms and kept moving until he reached his bedroom. She wrapped her legs and arms around him as he moved. Their lips stayed locked together and she gloried in the sensation of his tongue sliding against hers.

After an eternity, Lizzie felt herself falling back onto a bed. His bed. Nate followed, not allowing their bodies to lose contact. His mouth moved from hers as he dragged his lips across her cheek and down the curve of her throat. Lizzie arched, exposing her neck to him and gasping as his five o'clock shadow rasped over her sensitive skin. He rubbed his lips against the groove between her neck and collarbone before licking his way back to her mouth.

Lizzie slid her fingers through his hair and held his face to hers. She couldn't get enough of his mouth, of his kisses. The weight of his body on hers was glorious and being with him felt exactly like what he'd said. Right.

He rolled to the side and pushed himself to his knees. He yanked his shirt from his pants and Lizzie sat up to start undoing the buttons. Her fingers were shaking so bad she couldn't manage the buttons on her own. Nate's hands came down over hers and together, they slid each button through each eyelet until his shirt parted beneath her fingers.

Lizzie sucked in her breath as she at long last laid her hands on his skin. She flattened her palms on his stomach and slid them higher, pausing to circle his nipples with her thumbs. The coarseness of his chest hair tickled her palms and she smiled.

"Enjoying yourself?"

She looked up and nodded. He grinned and bent to kiss her. As he did, his hands found the bottom of her sweater and she lifted her arms so he could pull it off. Reaching back, she undid the clasp of her bra and Nate pulled the straps down her arms. For a second, she felt shy, half-naked before his probing gaze. But he was gentle as he pressed a hand to the center of her chest and eased her back onto the bed.

His gaze drifted over her naked torso, taking in the fluttering pulse beneath her chin and the rapid rise and fall of her chest. He dragged a finger down the side of her throat and across her collarbone. Then he traced the outline of one breast, circling closer and closer to her nipple with each pass. Lizzie caught her breath when she thought he was about to stroke the taut peak but he switched to her other breast. She closed her eyes with a groan of protest.

Nate's deep chuckle made her smile. She knew he was having fun teasing her and she'd be lying if she said she wasn't enjoying it as well. After what he'd made her feel only a few short weeks ago, she could be patient if it meant she would feel that again.

Without warning, Nate leaned over her and sucked her nipple into his mouth while still tracing the puckered center of the other one. She gasped and put her hands at the back of his head to hold him there.

"Oh God, that feels so good. Don't stop, please!"

Another deep laugh rumbled from his chest and Lizzie shuddered at the way it vibrated between their bodies. Nate's finger stopped circling her breast and she felt his hands fumbling with the button at the waist of her pants a second later. He got the button free and rubbed his knuckles across the skin he exposed above the elastic waist of her panties.

Lizzie bit down on her lip and shifted restlessly beneath his touch. Between the suction of his mouth at her breast and the slid of his hot fingers so close to where her body wept for him, she was going out of her mind.

As if sensing her turmoil, Nate taunted her some more. He dipped his fingers beneath the fabric of her panties before letting his palm glide back up her stomach to her other breast. He lifted his head and kissed a trail across her chest to the other, neglected nipple. Lizzie moved one hand from his head, over his broad shoulders and down the middle of his back, loving the way his muscles twitched at her touch.

She reached the belt around his middle and slipped her hands inside his pants. His head jerked up when she dug her fingertips into his ass. She opened her eyes to meet his and spread her legs beneath him. His weight settled between her thighs and they groaned when the overheated parts of themselves came together.

"Nate, please."

"Please what?" He looked down and gasped when she lifted her hips to rub against him.

Lizzie let out a soft laugh and moved again. However much he teased her, it was a glorious feeling knowing that she had the same effect on him. While she rubbed against him, he pushed a hand back down between their bodies and under her layers of remaining clothing. Lizzie froze and arched off the bed a second later when his fingers pressed between her damp folds.

"Holy shit, Lizzie. You're so wet."

Lizzie smiled and nodded. She wrapped her fingers around his wrist to hold his hand there. "Don't stop."

"You're so wet for me."

She nodded again. Then his fingers brushed over her clit and a full-body tremor went through her.

"Oh God." Nate pulled his hand away and ignored her protest. He yanked her pants down her legs, growling in frustration when the fabric caught at her knees and calves. When he got them off at last, he pushed her legs apart with his body and kissed his way across her stomach.

Lizzie moaned and lifted her hips towards him, knowing where he was headed. This time, he didn't tease or tantalize. He kissed his way down and buried his face at the apex of her thighs. When his tongue split her and slid inside, she let out a wail. It felt unbelievable. His hot breath, the rasp of his whiskers and the tight clamp of his lips around her, it all sent her spiraling into ecstasy before she could draw breath.

Nate didn't let up. He sucked and licked her, tasting her over and over until she couldn't stay still. She writhed and bucked under his hold, mindless of the tight grasp he had on her hips. The dim thought crossed her mind that he would leave bruises on her skin but she didn't care. Sensation rocked her when she thought of how badly she wanted to be marked by him. By Nate. By her brother.

"Nate!" His name fell from her lips on a cry as he brought her to climax again.

After a time, he moved back up her body, leaving a hot trail of kisses and licks as he went. He stopped and took his time at different points on her. He nibbled the juncture of her thigh and hip before teasing the indent of her belly button with his tongue. His fingers traced light swirls over her sensitive sides until he cupped her breasts in each hand and pressed them together so her nipples were almost touching. Then he sucked them into his mouth, flicking his tongue over the tips.

All the while, Lizzie's hands didn't stop moving over his back and shoulders. She didn't know what she was doing except that she couldn't stop touching him. When he reached her lips, she sank her hands into his hair and kissed him with all the love and passion he had awoken in her.

"I love you."

"I love you, too." Nate pressed light kisses all along her bottom lip before sliding his tongue back into her mouth. Lizzie could taste herself on him and a punch of lust went through her.

"Make love to me, Nate."

Nate held his mouth over hers, their breath mingling. His eyes searched hers. No matter what he'd said before about how he wanted to savor this time together tonight, this was different for both of them. They weren't surprising themselves or each other with spontaneous sex on his desk. They were going into this with their eyes open, knowing that it would change everything.

Lizzie knew Nate saw the acquiescence in her eyes when he shifted and pushed at his pants with one hand. She reached down to help him, their eyes never leaving each other's. He shimmied as they pushed the pants down and he kicked them off. The muffled thump of his pants hitting the floor was the only sound in the room other than their breathing. Lizzie lifted her chin in silent supplication. Nate kissed her as she dragged one hand over his hip and circled his erection with her hand.

Nate's kiss turned hard as she stroked him once. His tongue delved deep and she gasped when he withdrew to bite down on her bottom lip. Not hard, just enough to tell her how far gone he was, how much her touch was affecting him. She stroked him again, rubbing her palm over the silky head of his cock. The liquid seeping out made her moan into his mouth and he responded when she spread that wetness around.

"Lizzie..."

She heard the plea in his voice and didn't feel like waiting any longer. She guided him to the hot, damp part of herself and let her thighs get pushed wide apart as he moved closer. Their eyes met as his body connected with hers and he gave a single weak push with his hips, sheathing only the tip of himself inside her.

Lizzie held her breath, her hand going to his lower back. Her other hand was in his hair, holding their faces close together. His lips hovered over hers, but they didn't kiss, and neither one of them moved. Lizzie could feel his arms start to tremble with the force of holding still. She stared into his eyes, his beautiful eyes, and nodded once.

Nate sank all the way in, the breath rushing out of both of them as one. Inside her, she felt the pulse of his heartbeat and the responding throb of her body around him. Never, in her entire life, had she felt so filled. His body inside of hers was what she hadn't know she'd been missing. No wonder she'd been so freaked out after the first time. Discovering this kind of connection would knock anyone's world off its axis.

Then Nate moved again and rational thought fled. She gave herself up to the luscious sensation of Nate filling her, retreating and then returning. Their lips came together and he lowered himself so their bodies rubbed along their full lengths. He put his arms to either side of her head, dominating her line of vision. She didn't care. Even when he wasn't close, he was all she could see.

His hips moved against hers and she wrapped one leg around his thigh. He kissed her lips, trailed kisses to her ear and the side of her neck before making his way back to her mouth. She gasped and squirmed with every pass of his mouth over the sensitive parts of her face and his movements stuttered every time she did. She realized then that her inner muscles squeezed every time she shuddered. And Nate liked it. So she did it again, and again until he clamped his lips to her neck and moved hard and fast within her.

"Oh, yes. Yes!" She wasn't even aware of what was coming out of her mouth. She just knew she didn't want him to stop doing this. She never wanted him to stop.

Nate lifted his head and locked their lips together, his kiss passionate and fierce as he moved faster with every stroke. Lizzie gasped, tried to pull her mouth away to breathe but he wouldn't let her. Stars burst behind her eyelids and she arched beneath him, feeling her orgasm closing in on her. But Nate beat her to it. He wrenched his mouth from hers to bury his face against her neck, thrusting hard into her and deep for several long strokes. As he kept moving, spending himself within her, she let go, sliding over the edge with a cry.

They moved together for a time after they climaxed. Their movements were relaxed, their kisses light but every touch went straight to Lizzie's heart.

A few more minutes passed before Nate rolled off of her. Lizzie turned to her side, tucking a pillow under her cheek and smiling at him.

"Thank you, Nate."

He rolled his head to look at her. "For what?"

"For loving me like you just did." Lizzie hated the warmth that rose in her cheeks at her confession.

Nate smiled and turned to his side to they lay nose-to-nose. He put his hand on her hip and stroked his thumb over her skin in slow circles. For a long while, they just stared at each other. Lizzie didn't realize she'd dozed off until Nate's warm kisses to her shoulder woke her. She rolled over and stretched her arms out, making a satisfied sound at the way her muscles ached in delightful places.

"Did I sleep for long?"

Nate shook his head and kissed her again. "Are you hungry?"

Her grumbling stomach answered for her. They both laughed, shared another kiss and then threw on some clothes before heading down to the kitchen. They ate, talked, and went back upstairs to make love again.

The rest of the night passed in much the same fashion. They would enjoy each other's bodies, snooze, eat, talk, and love some more. Their talks were what Lizzie would come to cherish later.

They talked about what happened before she'd run away. She confessed about everything that passed between Lance and herself in the month they'd spent apart, hating herself for the look of pain on Nate's face as she did. But he gathered her into his arms, kissed away her tears and told her it didn't matter. Just like every relationship they'd had before now didn't matter. Lizzie accepted his forgiveness, the biggest worry she'd been carrying since deciding to come back home.

They also talked about the future, and how they'd handle their lives together from now on. There were no hard and fast answers but they knew they could be themselves at home at least. They thought at first they would 'come out' to their parents right away but Lizzie talked Nate out of that. They ended up agreeing that no matter how in love they were, or how committed they felt this very night, neither one of them could see what the future would hold. It didn't make sense to confess all until they were positive it was for life.

After that, they spent the quiet hours talking about their dreams, their adventure stories from college and travel. They shared horror stories from their dating past and laughed over family memories. And in the darkest hour, they held each other close and just stared into each other's eyes. That was when Lizzie fell asleep, safe in Nate's arms, satisfied with his love and devotion.

Perhaps it wasn't such a shock that she'd fallen in love with her brother. Who else would have spent his entire life devoted to her happiness and well being?
​

****​

ONE YEAR LATER

Nate came into the kitchen from the garage, newspaper in one hand, briefcase in the other. His eyes were down on the page, not paying attention to his surroundings. Then the voices registered and he looked up. He heard Lizzie and another familiar voice, one that made him smile. He set his things down and walked around the table, the living room coming into view.

"Hey!" Lance stood up from the couch and came around to shake Nate's hand. "We were wondering when you'd get home."

"I left too late and traffic on the interstate was monstrous." Nate clasped Lance's larger hand. "What brings you all the way to Atlanta?"

"I missed you guys." Lance winked and moved aside so Nate could embrace Lizzie.

They shared a quick kiss and hug and both walked back to the couch to sit down. Lance took the chair across from them and smiled.

"You could have called. It's a long flight." Nate smiled.

Lance shrugged and reclined in the chair. "I don't mind the flight. Actually, I drove in from Birmingham. I was in town there visiting family and thought I'd take the two hour drive to visit my friends."

"We're glad you did. Right, baby?" Lizzie patted Nate's thigh. "We don't have anything planned for dinner though so we'll have to take you to our favorite Italian place."

"Sounds great." Lance jumped to his feet and rubbed his hands together. "Let's go."

With a laugh, Nate and Lizzie stood up.

Lance drove them in his vehicle and they spent a few hours at the restaurant talking and catching up. It was so late by the time they were done, Nate offered to let Lance crash for the night before driving back to Birmingham.

"We have the guest room all finished now," Lizzie said when they got back home. She showed Lance to the room, on the opposite side of the house from the master suite. He thanked her and they walked back out to the kitchen to join Nate for a drink.

One drink turned into two, and then three. Before they knew it, it was two in the morning and Nate could barely keep his eyes open. He said goodnight to Lance and the big man headed off to his guest room to sleep.

In their own room, Nate and Lizzie managed to stay up a little longer to talk.

"He was sitting on the front step when I got home." Lizzie covered a wide yawn with one hand. "I can't believe he's thinking of moving back to Birmingham. He's always complained about his family."

Nate chuckled. "Well, maybe it was all talk. Family is family."

"Yeah."

They fell silent, relaxing in each other's arms and Nate knew the direction of her thoughts. His went the same way.

They'd been living in Atlanta for six weeks now and they still hadn't heard from their parents. Their mother had sent a bouquet of flowers to Lizzie to congratulate her on her new job. Lizzie had called their house before moving day to thank Clara and to pass along their new address in Atlanta. Other than that, they'd heard nothing. Definitely nothing from Davis.

Nate sighed and turned his face to Lizzie's hair. He drew in a deep breath, letting Lizzie's warmth and familiar scent soothe him. As difficult as it had been with regards to their parents, they were happy here. Since Clara hadn't cut off complete contact with them, he still held out hope that they'd come around.

"Do you think they told everyone else?"

Nate squeezed Lizzie tighter when he heard the sad note in her voice. "I don't know, sweetie. If they had, I think we would have heard from someone by now, if only so they could ask questions."

They didn't have a large family. Davis had only one brother, who'd married twice and had no children. Clara had two sisters, but rarely saw Isabel, the globetrotting travel writer. Occasionally Isabel would stop in for visits but their closest family was Juliette, Phil and their kids.

They didn't talk for much longer. Sleep took over and they let it.

In the morning, Lance slept in late and they took their time making breakfast.

"Thank God it's Saturday," Lizzie said around her umpteenth yawn. "I can't believe we stayed up and drank so much."

"Yeah. Lance is a terrible influence." Nate stirred the hash browns in the pan before him. "Might not be such a good thing if he does move to Alabama."

"I heard that," came the responding grumble from the hallway.

Nate and Lizzie turned to see the big man stumble into the kitchen wearing only his pants. Lizzie laughed when he sagged into a kitchen chair, his weight making it creak ominously.

"Coffee?"

Lance nodded and then braced his head with one upturned hand as Lizzie rose to get him coffee. Not much talking went on as breakfast was prepared and served. After eating, they were all a little more lively, but not by much. Lance asked if he could shower before leaving and while he was in the bathroom, Lizzie went to her studio and Nate cleaned up the kitchen. When the phone rang, he dried a hand and reached over to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Nate."

Nate froze, the cloth in his hand dripping soapy water on the floor. "Dad."

"How are you, son?"

"I'm... fine." Nate put the cloth in the sink and dried both his hands. "How are you? How's Mom?"

"We're good." Davis cleared his throat. "How is Elizabeth?"

Nate smiled. "She's doing great, Dad. Her new job keeps her pretty busy so she's tired most nights when she gets home but she loves it."

"That's good. That's real good, son. I'm glad."

"Me too."

They fell silent and Nate sat down at the kitchen table. He waited for his father to speak again, pretty much struck mute at the fact that he'd even called.

When Davis spoke again, his voice was gruff. "Your mother and I were thinking it was past time for us to visit you two."

Nate's eyes widened and he sat back in the chair, shock not even beginning to cover his range of emotions at the moment. Lizzie walked back into the kitchen at that moment, some brushes in hand. She spotted him, saw his expression and came right to his side.

Dad, he mouthed and she sank into the chair next to his.

"You want to visit?"

"Yes. We would like to, if that's all right with the two of you. We were thinking maybe for Thanksgiving."

"Thanksgiving."

Lizzie blinked and reached out to grab Nate's hand. She looked into his eyes and nodded enthusiastically. Nate squeezed her hand and nodded in reply.

"I think that's a great idea. We'd love to see both of you for Thanksgiving."

"Well, all right then. Your mother will give you a call with the details once she books it."

"Great, Dad. I'll let Lizzie know."

"OK." A beat of silence passed. "I love you, son."

Nate looked down, a welling of emotion clogging his throat. He coughed and nodded. "I love you too, Dad." When he looked up again, Lizzie was crying silent tears. "Give Mom my love and tell her we're really looking forward to your visit."

"I will, son. You take care."

"OK. Bye, Dad."

"Bye."

He hung up the phone and Lizzie all but jumped into his arms. They clung to each other and Nate tangled the fingers of one hand in her hair. He relayed his father's end of the conversation to her and when she sat back, she was smiling.

"They're really coming?"

He nodded. "So it would seem."

They smiled and cried together until Lance walked in and told them to give it a rest.

Thanksgiving weekend rolled around and Lizzie found herself nervous as she awaited Nate's return from the airport. He'd left almost two hours ago to pick up their parents and they should have been back by now. She paced the living room, paused, checked her outfit, then resumed pacing.

At last, the front door opened and she rushed into the front hall. The first person through the door was her mother and Lizzie couldn't stop herself from rushing to her. She wrapped her mother in a hug that was returned in full.

"I've missed you, Mom."

Clara patted her on the back. "I've missed you too, my dear." She took hold of Lizzie's shoulders and moved back. "You're still too skinny."

Lizzie laughed, elated at her mother's calm tone and the familiar reprimand. Then she saw her father and gave him a shy smile.

"Hi, Dad."

He didn't speak. He came forward and wrapped her in his arms. She blinked back tears and hugged him back. Beside them, Clara and Nate spoke in quiet tones and the front door closed.

"Can you guys take this elsewhere? I need to take the suitcases to the guest room."

Lizzie looked over in time to see Nate wink as he lifted their parents' bags. She stepped out of her father's arms and Nate walked past.

"Let me give you guys a tour." She took her mother's hand and started in the kitchen.

They made their way around the house and ended on the back terrace, where a warm breeze was sweeping through the yard.

"What a lovely view," Clara said as she faced the park and lake beyond.

"It's what sold us on this place when we first came here." Lizzie smiled. Nate joined them outside in another minute and they all chatted as they took a short stroll around the yard and garden.

Later that evening, after dinner and the kitchen clean-up was done, they sat around the dining room table, silence descending.

Their father cleared his throat, interrupting the quiet. "Your mother and I wanted to come visit sooner, but we figured you might want to get settled first."

Lizzie glanced at Nate and nodded at her father's words.

Davis shook his head and reached for Clara's hand. "That's not entirely true. It took us some time to get used to the idea of you two."

"We understand," Nate said and clasped Lizzie's hand in his. She kept her eyes on their parents.

Davis looked at his son and said nothing for a long moment. "I'll be honest. I don't know that I'll ever get used to the idea."

Lizzie winced and Nate squeezed her fingers.

"But your mother and I agreed, we can't live without you in our lives."

"We feel the same way." Nate smiled. "It's why we wanted to be honest with you. About us."

Davis nodded. "I know. I'm sorry for how I reacted. You didn't deserve that. Neither of you did." He stopped, glanced at his wife and cleared his throat. "I'm proud of you two."

"We both are," Clara added, giving them a broad smile. "You've made a wonderful home here together and anyone can see how happy you two are."

Lizzie and Nate looked at each other and for a second, Lizzie was lost in Nate's eyes. They were happy. Their lives were complicated and busy and since moving they'd had a few good shouting matches. But they were well-matched and respectful of each other. More than anything, they were in love.

Nate drew her hand up and kissed her knuckles. Her cheeks warmed and she couldn't look at their parents for a minute.

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm exhausted." Clara stood up. "I think I'll turn in. Davis?"

"I'm with you, my dear." He faced his kids and smiled. "Good night, you two. Don't stay up too late." He pinned Lizzie with a mock serious look. "Your mother has every intention of waking you at dawn to ensure you learn how to make a full Thanksgiving dinner."

"Oh, hush, Davis." Clara swatted at him while Nate and Lizzie laughed. She smiled at her daughter. "Not dawn. Maybe seven at the earliest." She winked and walked out of the dining room, Davis right behind her.

"Good night, Mom, Dad."

Lizzie and Nate smiled at each other and shared a quiet laugh.

Nate brushed her hair over one shoulder. "Are you tired?"

She shook her head.

"Do you want to sit outside with me for a bit?"

"Sure."

They walked outside to the terrace and Lizzie sprawled on top of Nate when he sat in the long lounge chair. For a while, neither spoke. They held each other, stroked each other's exposed skin and watched the stars as they brightened, one-by-one, in the inky sky.

Lizzie tipped her head to one side to look into Nate's face. "Did you think they'd come around this fast?"

Nate shook his head. "No. I didn't."

"I'm so glad they're here."

"Me too. Even with what Dad said, I think their being here is a good sign."

"Of course it is." Nate squeezed his arms around her. "But it's far from perfect."

"Oh, please." Lizzie moved around and sat up, her legs on either side of Nate's. He put his hands on her waist, drawing her forward so she rested on his chest. "I never expected the situation to be perfect but this is a lot better than it was."

"You're right." He grinned and slid his hands lower to cup her bottom. "You're always right."

"Not always." Lizzie couldn't help the way her breath caught on the second word.

Nate's hands moved back up, under her shirt and the touch of his hands on her bare skin caused a familiar reaction in her body. One she always welcomed.

"I love you, Nate."

"And I love you, Lizzie." He lifted her hand and kissed her palm before pressing it over his heart. "With all my heart."

She melted and sagged on his chest, her nose pressed to his throat. "Take me upstairs, Nate. Make love to me tonight."

He cupped her face in his hand, forcing her to move back and look into his eyes. "No."

She smiled. "No?"

He shook his head, his eyes never leaving her face. He stared at her, his eyes taking in every feature, every blink, every twitch of her lips. Then he kissed her, teasing her with the tip of his tongue.

"I will love you for the rest of my life."

That's when she felt the cold ring slipping down her finger and over her knuckle. How he'd managed to wriggle it on without her noticing right away, she'd never know. She glanced down, the vision of the small midnight-blue sapphire surrounded by tiny diamonds blurring.

"We can't be married, not legally, but I'll say the words anyway."

Lizzie gasped, choking back a sob. This was so wholly unexpected that she couldn't breathe.

"Lizzie, you bring light to my life and give me such joy, that I don't have enough words to describe it."

She looked up at him and saw tears swimming in his beautiful brown eyes.

"I will love you for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health, until my dying day." He leaned forward to brush her lips with a kiss so gentle she almost didn't feel it. "I will spend every day until then making you happy, giving you everything you want and granting your every wish. Will you let me?"

She still couldn't speak. She could only hope he'd let her repeat the same beautiful words to him later, when she was able. She nodded and threw her arms around him. As he drew her close, his hold tightening almost too much, she found some words.

"I will, Nate. I will always love you."

He exhaled, his arms trembling around her. They held each other and cried silent, happy tears as they did.

After a time, they pulled apart and kissed. Then Nate took her inside to make love to her on the first night of the rest of their lives.​