"Okay, Tess, let's talk," I say and gently take her hand in mine.

"Okay," she whispers.

I pull Tessa into the bedroom before saying anything to her.

"Hardin, why are we in here? I thought you were going to tell me what you've been hiding."

"I'd rather show you, Tess."

"Show me what, Hardin?" Tessa asks impatiently.

I gently place her hands on the hem of my shirt and give her an encouraging nod.

She slowly lifts my shirt up my stomach and chest before taking it off completely. "Hardin..." she gasps.

"What do you think, Tess?"

"It's... beautiful," she whispers as she traces her fingers over my new tattoo.

"So, you like it?"

"I love it. Your tattoo is just like my infinity tattoo. And you put my name in it?" she asks as she continues to trace my ink with her fingertips.

"I hope you don't mind that I got a matching tattoo to yours."

"No... I just can't believe this. And you got it over your heart?"

"Of course. My heart will always belong to you and only you." I watch as Tessa starts to cry. I lift her so she's sitting on the dresser and gently wipe away her tears as I cup her cheeks. "Baby, why are you crying? Are you upset I got this tattoo?"

"N-no." She sniffles.

"Then what's wrong?"

"These are happy tears." She continues to sniffle.

"Oh." I quietly chuckle. "You had me worried."

"Is this what you were doing that day you lied about going to work?"

"Yes. I wanted it to be healed by my birthday, so I could show you. It was my birthday present to myself."

"So, this is why you wouldn't change in front of me and needed to keep locking the door? And why you wouldn't touch me or let me touch you?"

"I admit, I didn't think it through." I chuckle. "As soon as you touched me, I realized I couldn't do anything with you that would lead to my shirt being taken off."

"Gosh, Hardin, I thought you didn't want me anymore."

"I'm so sorry, baby. I was just so excited to get the tattoo and didn't realize how my strange behaviour would look to you. It wasn't my smartest move." I chuckle.

"No, it wasn't." She quietly laughs through her tears. "But that still doesn't explain the woman's number in your pocket."

"That was the phone number to Drew's tattoo parlour. He got a new number, so I had to write it down. His wife works the front desk. I'm sure that's who answered when you called."

"Oh, okay. But wait... What about all those hearts someone drew on the paper?"

"That was me. I was trying to draw a heart for my new tattoo. I was going to get a heart on my chest and write your name in it, but then Drew suggested I get a matching one to yours."

"You have no idea how upset I've been over this, Hardin."

"I had no idea you found that number, baby. I'm so sorry for all the worry I caused you."

"I know you are." She sniffles. "I really do love the tattoo."

"I hope so."

"It's the most romantic and sweetest thing you could have done."

"Tess..." I breathe as I press my forehead to hers. "I've missed you. I've missed holding you, and touching you and making love to you."

"I've missed you, too," she whispers.

I pull back and place my hands on her thighs. I look into her eyes, silently asking for permission before removing her panties. She nods and lifts each hip off the dresser as I remove them. I reach back and unzip her dress before pulling it over her head and tossing it on the ground. Within seconds, her bra is also tossed to the ground.

Tessa moves her hands to my belt buckle, quickly unbuckling it before I finish taking off my pants and boxers.

I stand between Tessa's legs, but before doing anything else, I place my hand on her cheek and look into her bright blue-grey eyes. "There's no one else for me, Tess." I grab her hand and hold it over my heart and my new tattoo as I speak. "My heart only beats for you. Even if you leave me someday, it will still only beat for you. My heart and every other inch of me belongs to you and only you."

"Hardin... You make it really hard not to want to marry you right here and now." She gives a shy smile.

"I guess you'll just have to settle for practicing our honeymoon for now." I continue to hold her hand against my heart while I slide my other hand up her thigh and hip, until I'm grazing my fingertips over her matching tattoo. "I feel so connected to you right now, Tess," I say softly as I look into her eyes.

"I feel it, too."

Without wasting another second, I push myself into Tessa as her eyes are locked on me. "Baby, I've missed feeling you."

"Hardin..." Tessa moves her hand from my chest and places it on my neck before pressing her lips to mine.

Tasting her sweet lips and feeling her warm flesh after so long is the most euphoric feeling in the world.

I continue to hold on to Tessa's hips as I make slow, deep thrusts into her. This is my favourite way of making love to her. I get to watch her intently and hold her close to my body. I know neither of us are going to last long, having been deprived of each other for what feels like an eternity, but I try my best to hold on to this feeling, for her.

"Har-Hardin..." Tessa moans into my ear. "I've missed the feeling of you filling me," she says softly as she tightens her legs around my waist.

"Fuck, Tess. Keep talking like that and I'm going to come already."

"I'm so... so close," she continues to moan.

I pick up the pace and grab onto her hips tighter as I start to pound into her. "Tess, baby, I want to watch what only I can do to you." I pull back to watch as she comes for me and only me. I watch as her eyes close, her lips part and her head falls back. Watching her enjoy my body helps me find my own release and within seconds I'm marking her in the way that only I can.

As we both come back to reality, I rest my hands on the edge of the dresser on either side of her and press my forehead to hers as our breathing returns to normal. I place a kiss on her shoulder, then reluctantly pull out of her as she watches. Feeling her eyes on me already has me wanting to take her again. Instead, I help Tessa down from the dresser and drag her over to the bed with me. I climb in first, then pull her down into bed with me.

"Hardin!" She laughs.

"Come on, baby, we have a lot of cuddling to make up for."

"So it wasn't just the sex you missed?" She giggles.

"My favourite part of making love to you will always be holding you afterwards."

"Mine, too. Hardin?"

"Yes, baby?"

"What did you wish for when you blew out your birthday candles?"

"Nothing. I already have everything I could ever want, right here in my arms."

"Happy birthday, Mr. Scott. I love you." Tessa wraps her arm around my waist and lays her head on my chest.

"Thank you for giving me the best birthday I've ever had. I love you, my sweet, beautiful girl."