Chapter 169 The First Chapter
Emily felt such a strong current of desire running throughout her frame. It was always the most overwhelming sensation, being engulfed in the torrent of his kisses.
It was one of those times when she was reminded how fierce and powerful her love for him really was. Sometimes day-to-day life interfered and made her forget that there was a man by her side who would do anything for her.
When he showed how much he loved her, whether it was with grand gestures and romantic trips or simply the way he kissed her, it felt like the rebirth of a love that was too beautiful for words.
Holding him in her arms and knowing how much he desired her nearly made her faint every time. It enchanted every single cell of her being, making the rest of the world a mere blur compared to the hot passion coursing through her body.
“I love you,” she murmured as they rested in the sumptuous bed. “Thanks for always being there for me.”
“You don’t have to thank me,” he said, gazing back at her with a look filled with adoration.
“But I want to.”
Returning home in the evening a couple of days later, Emily felt ready for anything. Even if Mandy or the dogs had misbehaved or were about to develop a fever, or even if the whole neighborhood gathered to tell her Mandy should be put into a music academy, she knew she could handle it.
The house was actually very quiet. Sylvia greeted them with a calm smile. “Everything went well,” she said, “Someone stayed up waiting for you.”
It was past her bedtime, but Mandy came out to hug them in her white pajamas dotted with little ponies. The dogs formed an excited swarm around them, wagging their tails like speedy metronomes.
“I missed you,” Mandy said, “I want to go with you next time.”
“Okay,” Emily agreed. She could feel Mandy’s little heart beating as she hugged her. “We’ll take you with us.”
“And the dogs,” Mandy insisted.
“And the dogs,” Emily agreed, laughing.
The next morning dawned with such beautiful sunlight that Emily knew as soon as she opened her eyes what she wanted to do. She got out of bed, not waking Byron, who looked angelically beautiful in his sleep, and quickly gathered her painting supplies.
It was only a short walk to the beach. The ocean and mountainous landscape presented itself with perfect clarity on this magically cloudless day.
Many years ago, she had painted the same landscape in the exact same spot near a few giant logs that served as seats for the beach-goers. But now the mountains and the ocean were just a little bit changed, and so was she. Even the way she painted was different, much more daring and free.
She was not only older and wiser, but also imbued with the feeling of never-ending love in her life.
Just as Emily was half-way through the painting, putting some darker blue shading on the grey-blue mountains, she heard a dog bark.
When she turned around, she saw Byron and Mandy walking towards her with all three dogs.
“There you are,” Byron said, “always trying to run away.”
“We caught you!” Mandy exclaimed happily.
Emily looked away from the canvas at her family and felt such joy that tears nearly came to her eyes. “I’m glad you caught me,” she said.
Mandy and the dogs frolicked around her while she continued to paint. Byron lounged on one of the big logs nearby, watching her work. Somehow the loveliness of the landscape became enhanced just because she cast the occasional look at him and his serene blue-green eyes between each series of brushstrokes.
Once, she had believed that getting married and having kids might be the last chapter of her existence as an independent woman. Now she knew it was only the beginning.
Every single day was the first chapter of a new adventure filled with the love and beauty of life.
