Her eyes

Chapter 65

We were in the bath tub with Layla leaning her back against my chest, I kissed my way up from her neck to her cheek.

"When you think of your future, what do you see?" she asked out seemingly out of nowhere.

I took a moment to think, "I see you, with a ring on your finger preferably, I see myself waking up and cooking breakfast for you." I replied before tracing my nose over the side of her face. "I see returning to you after a long day at work and finally getting to breathe for the first time since the last time I saw you. What do you see baby?"

"You want to marry me?" She asked me in surprise, the water stilling when she did.

"Of course, my love. From the moment you said that you were mine, my intention was to marry you. How could I not want that?" I hesitated, "do you not want to get married?"

"I've never really thought about it," she shrugged. "But I think with you, I would like that," her voice came out soft yet twinge of anxious.

"What's on your mind?" I asked.

"I just, would it be different from now?" She took a deep breath, "what if it doesn't work out or we have like I don't know, marriage problems?"

She shook her head slightly , "I couldn't stand to loose you Archer."

"You're not going to loose me baby, I promise. If we run through any problems we'll get through them together. But I honestly don't think it will be anything detrimental, you mean everything to me. I wouldn't loose the most precious gift I've ever gotten." I kissed her neck as she ran her fingers over my arm placed on her stomach. "And I don't think it would be much different from now, just more... official," I settled on.

"Do you want any kids?" She asked after a moment.

"I haven't given it much thought, it's not something I'm completely opposed to or something I deeply crave. What about you?"

"I don't think I want them," she replied honestly, wrinkling up her nose. "Kimberly is the only child I can stand,"

I barked out a laugh, "she'll idolize you if she hears you say that," I replied. "Why else don't you want them?"

She shrugged, "it's just such a monumental task, being responsible for a life I mean. What if we unintentionally hurt it or give it trauma. What if they get bullied at school, or become like I don't know serial killers?" She ended with a shrug.

"You can't think in what if's baby, that'll just lead you into a downward spiral of everything that can go wrong. And a lot of things can go wrong but a lot can also go right," I replied.

She turned her body around and drew her arms around my neck. "Have you always been this smart?" She joked with a wide smile plaster on her beautiful face. I hadn't seen her smile in a few days and it suddenly felt as if a sun was shining down on me.

"Duh, where the hell you been loca?" I laughed quoting that awful vampire movie she liked.

She graced me with a deep belly laughter, and I felt as if everything was going to be okay again. My soul awoke with that sound, and I felt an overwhelming sense of joy so deep I couldn't stop myself even if I had tried, I kissed her like a ravenous man.

And she replied to my ministrations by opening her mouth for me. The past few days I had dreamed about her taste on my tongue and now that I finally had it, it was better than any dream I could conjure from my imagination.

                                          •••

"What?" She almost shouted.

"When are leaving?" She questioned rising to stand on the bed so that we were of almost equal height.

"Tomorrow," I laughed holding the back of her thighs so she wouldn't fall. "We'll have to catch up on our studies when we're back, but I didn't think you'd mind."

"You're a crazy man," she laughed holding my face in her hands. "But I love you all the same," she air kissed both of my cheeks. "We're going to France baby" she shouted and started jumping up and down on the bed.

I laughed, "easy baby, I don't want you hurting yourself."

And then she flew on to me, thankfully I caught her before she could fall. She wrapped her arms around me, hair wild around her face, her skin had a new glow to it with a deep pink color on her cheeks.

I hadn't seen her this exited since the cave and I silently vowed to always strive to get this look on her face.

I had woken her up with freshly baked baguettes along with different condiments in bed, a shot of espresso and some sweet iris flowers which were native to France. She had instantly picked up on it, asking if there was theme for the day then I'd handed her our plane tickets and here we were.

I twirled her around so that her legs went flying, she laughed so hard I started getting concerned over if she was getting any air in her lungs.

"Archer stop before I throw up on you," she giggled.

I set her down on her feet and she swayed a little, I held her steady in my arms. "I know I'm handsome, but don't go falling all over yourself now," I joked kissing her nose.

She laughed, "okay Johnny Bravo," she even went as far as to imitate him, throwing gun fingers and making questionable grunting sounds.

I howled out a laugh, "don't ever do that again please."

"Oh, please. That was literally so smooth," she countered rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, if the smooth in question is sandpaper," I laughed.