After Hours

Chapter 28

The feeling of Jackson's lips on mine slowly wakes me. He continues to peck my lips as I pout, still completely tired from the previous night. In fact, it feels like we've only been asleep for a few hours. Chuckling, he pulls away. "Wake up, baby. We have to go."

I whimper. "Just let me sleep a while longer."

His minty breath fans across my face causing me to open my eyes. "We have to go now or else we won't be able to do what I have in mind. Please, Emery."

There's an undercurrent to his tone but I don't have time to analyze it. "Okay," I reply softly. Noticing he has already showered, I frown. "You should have woke me earlier so we could have showered."

He shakes his head, still smiling. "You didn't even want to wake up now."

I smile. "I'll take a quick shower then we can go."

"Just put on your bikini and some comfortable clothes," he says. "We have to go."

I glance at the clock. It's almost seven. "I need to shower."

"We'll shower when we get back. I want to have some fun of our own before this trip ends."

I raise an eyebrow. "We could have plenty of fun in this bed."

He rolls his eyes. "There's time for that later. Come on. Get up."

He stands up and I follow suit. Sauntering into the bathroom, I follow my morning routine - skipping the shower. I go back into the bedroom where Jackson is waiting and quickly strip, changing into my bikini then slipping into a pair of shorts and a loose tank top. Once I'm ready, Jackson takes my hand and leads me downstairs. There is a red Mustang waiting out front and the valet tosses Jackson the keys. I give him a questioning look when he opens my door but his only response is a wink. After tipping the valet guy, he climbs into the car and buckles. "Ready?"

"I'm always ready for anything with you," I respond.

Grinning, he places his hand on my thigh as he begins driving. I can tell he's in a good mood and it puts me in a good mood as well. He's very excited, making me wonder where we're going. We seem to be driving deeper into the island instead of staying on the outskirts like we have been. The big buildings begin to disappear and we're surrounded by vegetation. Removing his hand from my thigh, he turns down a narrow dirt road. About two or three miles down the path, we come to a split but as he continues to the right I realize it's just a roundabout with a few trees and bushes in the center. He parks the car so we're facing the path we just came down.

Without saying a word, he steps out of the car and makes his way to my door. He helps me out before going to the trunk. It pops open and he retrieves a wicker basket along with a cloth bag. "We just have to walk a little to get there," he says, closing the trunk and locking the doors.

"I can carry one," I offer.

"Thank you but I got it. Just stay close so I don't lose you," he says.

I follow him down a hardly noticeable dirt path that eventually begins to widen. We walk over a small bridge that hovers above a shallow stream. The path splits after the bridge and he goes to the right, glancing over his shoulder to make sure I'm still following. I give him a reassuring smile as we continue down the path. "Almost there," he says, turning once again.

We step over a log beside the path, straying away from the only thing that could lead us back to the car. Jackson stops and gestures for me to take the lead. Continuing forward, I push past some leaves and gasp when I see the view in front of me. There is a medium sized waterfall with a large pond at the bottom. A small stream goes off the the side but the sight is truly captivating. "It's beautiful," I say finally.

"There's nothing in this world that is more beautiful than you," he says, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead.

Walking past me, he begins setting up our picnic. Once the blanket is laid out, he begins talking out some wrapped up food. Sitting down, he takes out two glasses and fills them with wine. I sit on the blanket across from him and accept the wine glass. "Is there a reason for all this?" I ask, my eyes following his every move.

He stretches across the blanket, leaning on his elbow. "What? I can't take my fiancé out on a date?"

I shake my head. "That's not what I meant. I love that you brought me here. It's amazing. I was just curious if there was a reason," I shrug.

He bites his lip and the action causes something to change inside me. "There actually is a reason why I brought you here," he says, gaining my full attention. He stands up and reaches for my hand, pulling me to my feet. Taking my glass, he carefully sets both of them down before turning to me. "Emery, I am completely in love with you and I will spend the rest of my life making sure you know it. You are my everything," he pauses. "My first proposal wasn't exactly romantic or nice so I thought I'd give you a proposal you could talk about," he says before getting down on one knee. He takes my hand as I smile down at him. This is beyond sweet. "Emery, will you marry me?"

My heart melts and I feel a tear of happiness escape the corner of my eye. "Of course, Jackson. This is perfect."

Leaning down, I press my lips to his. He pulls me down on to the blanket, the picnic forgotten. But much to my disappointment, he pulls away. "You need to eat."

I take a deep breath as he moves off of me. My mood brightens again as we begin talking. We have about an hour to ourselves before the rest of the group shows up.

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