French Roses and Silk Kisses [Discontinued]

My Life

Zaria woke with a start as something brushed against her leg. Moving the white comforter, she screamed as a spider swiftly crawled up her shin.

"Max! Max!" She cried as she climbed from the bed while smacking her leg. Once her body collided with the ground, she flipped onto her stomach and pushed herself up.

"What? What happened?" Max caught her just as she raced towards the doorway. From his athletic clothing and the smell of sweat on his body she could tell he'd been downstairs at the indoor gym.

"There's a spider! It's big as hell too." She pushed him out the way as she found safety in the hallway. Max laughed loudly as he journeyed further into the room and threw the cover from the bed. Even from her position in the hallway, Zaria could see the large black dot that sat in the middle of the bed.

"No! Eww!" She cried as Max picked the creature up, unaffected by its size or menacing reputation.

"Relax. It's harmless." Walking to the window, he unlatched the hook and placed the spider on the outside before closing the window back. "I'll call maintenance and let them know."

Zaria remained in the hallway, chills crawling up her spine. She reached down and smacked her leg again as she felt the familiar tickling sensation. Spiders were one of her biggest fear. If it was up to her, she'd have set the whole room on fire in case there were more hiding.

"I'm not going back in there. It could have laid babies anywhere and now we have hundreds of spiders in the room. Nope. Hell no." She rapidly shook her head as she fearfully eyed the neat, carpeted room.

"So I guess that means you'll be joining me in Hawaii?" Snapping her eyes up to Max, she smiled brightly as he slowly approached her, a bright smile already on his face.

"And when were you going to tell me about this?" Pulling her closer, Max wrapped his arms around her waist. Even though he smelled of sweat it wasn't overpowering and mixed well with his already woodsy, masculine smell.

"Today actually. I called your boss and she said you have the next week off so it's me and you. What do you think?" Zaria smiled brightly as she realized she'd be getting an actual vacation on her break.

"I'd love to go." Leaning up, she connected their lips.
...

"No! Stay away from it. I'll pay for you to order something, but don't touch that damn stove." Zaria warned into her phone as she boarded Max's private jet. Daniel had been begging her to let him try out the new built in oven they now had thanks to Max. He'd contacted one of his friends to complete their kitchen makeover for free and had install the newest and best kitchen appliances.

"Alright, alright." He pouted into the phone before they ended the call.

"Is he trying to burn down your new kitchen already?" Max chuckled as he joined her in one of the seats near the window. Passing her a cocktail, she eagerly accepted it and took a sip of the refreshing drink. She could tell it was a mix of lime and tequila with a hint of something she couldn't place.

"Yes, the man is absolutely helpless. Let's just hope I don't return to another burned down apartment." Wrapping his arm around Zaria, Max shook his head at her statement.

"Have you thought about what I said?" She felt her breathing hitch as he brought up the topic again. She'd hoped he'd just drop it considering she had yet to give him an answer to his original question.

"That's a really big step, Max." She sighed as she turned to face him. He stared down at her with nothing but love as his hand came up to caress her cheek softly.

"A step I'm willing to take with you. Zaria, I've never felt like this with any woman I've ever been with in any sense. I want to share my life with you." The air left her lungs at the sentiment. Was she ready to take that step? They had practically lived with one another before but fully moving in with someone was an entirely different thing.

"I just need a bit more time."

"Okay." He whispered with a sad smile before dipping down to kiss her softly. It made her feel better that he was willing to wait for her answer while she also felt bad for dragging out the process.

"Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Belcourt. We'll be approaching 35,000 feet, or cruising altitude, in the next minute and you'll be free to roam as you please. The duration of your flight is approximately 18 hours and 48 minutes before touchdown at NHL. Enjoy your flight." Zaria shot Max an eyebrow at the pilots words.

"Why are you looking at me like that? He's the one who said it." Max threw his hands up in innocence but the bright smile on his face let her know he'd been the one to do it.

"And I'm sure he's just following your orders." Rolling her eyes, she couldn't stop the smile that crept on her face.

"Well, it'll happen one day so why not practice now." She stared up at him in shock as she realized the truth that sat behind his gaze. It had been the first time in her life a man had brought up the idea of marrying her. The thought of a big, elegant wedding made her stomach fill with butterflies.

"That's not funny." She brushed him off as she shook her head lightly to dispel the image of their wedding. There was no doubt she'd be treated like a queen and have the wedding of her dreams to a man crafted from her wildest imaginations.

"I'm not joking. I whole heartedly can say I see myself spending the rest of my life with you. Yes, we have our ups and downs but you're the most beautiful, kindhearted, earnest, and hardworking woman I've ever met. I'd be lucky to call myself your husband one day." The sting of tears met her eyes as Max pulled her face up to his so she could see the emotion that sat behind each word.

Unable to formulate a full thought, she placed her lips to his. As she closed her eyes, the tears she'd been fighting rushed down her cheeks and she poured her unspoken emotions into his lips. Max softly held her face in his hands as their lips moved against one another in a passionate dance.

The overwhelming lightness that filled her head and the heavy butterflies that danced in her stomach balanced her body out. It was then she realized she truly loved Max. No matter what happened between the two, they could never stray too far from one another.

Leaning away, she kept her eyes closed as she dipped her head to hide her tear stained cheeks. The rough pads of his fingers wiped away the moisture before he pulled her into his chest. The simple embrace filled her with so much contentment it was almost scary.

"I'd love to." She muttered into his chest.

Untangling his fingers from her hair, Max leaned his head back to look into her eyes. "Huh?"

"I'd love to spend the rest of my life with you."
——
So, I'm back....ish🥴