Enticed to intense summed up every moment between the blanket and the bed. The man was ravenous, and she never wanted it to stop. Zara rested in his arms satiated. Though he was dead sleep, she was too buzzed over what had transpired. Walking around naked with his loving words covering her was the best therapy from the hell she'd gone through. For once Zara felt ten feet tall instead of two.

Admiration flowed as Zara stepped in the mirror earlier in the day. The priceless jewels, her hair down and her toes painted made her feel exquisite. Hearing his voice in her head – well, Zara felt - Zara felt like a goddess. In time, it wouldn't be just his words holding her up, but her own mental shift from bondage to freedom. I needed this all along. "Thank you, God. Thank you for this day of loving a man and walking around buck-naked. I needed this."

Zara snuggled in the spoon of Roman. When she backed against him, in his sleep his arm lifted and pulled her in. Zara hummed, feeling total peace for once in her life. Before she closed her eyes, her cell flashed. She eased up just enough to get the phone. It was Ava.

Ava: We're getting married tomorrow

Zara: What? Great

Ava: I wish that you could fly down - it will be at the courthouse

Zara: I know, this snowstorm has everything tied up

Ava: You and Roman snowbound! (laughing emojis) I still can't get over it

Zara: It's perfect

Ava: I need something – got to tell me something

Zara: I'm in heaven

Ava: Heart emoji's – So happy, good night

Zara: Hugs and kisses

Zara slid the phone away. Snuggled up some more against Roman, feeling him pull her even tighter. This feels soooooo good.

***

Marietta, GA

Ava and Trevor stood outside of the courtroom door that had just joined them together for life. The rock that Trevor had just placed on Ava's finger sparkled. "You'd been planning this," she said, eyeing the 3-karat marquis diamond on a gold band. The diamond glinted against the winter sun.

"Yes, I had," he said, kissing her on the cheek. "I woke up one morning thinking about what my life would be like without your crazy self."

Ava glanced up and laughed, cupping his face. She couldn't believe that she was married. In her mind, she'd always imagined a formal proposal with her man taking the knee. It didn't happen that way, but she laughed on the inside thinking about the excitement of the moment. For keeping that secret she knew that Trevor wouldn't have had things any other way.

"When Calista died, that was a wake-up call. She was the last person in the world that I would have expected to die. I said to myself that I wanted to commit to a wife and family. So I went through hell to get time off so that I could come home and propose."

Ava grabbed Trevor's hand, and they proceeded to leave the building. They walked out into a blustery day. Stopped for a second to take a selfie in front of the courthouse building, to have one lasting memory of this day. "I'm sorry that I messed up the proposal for you."

"I did have it all planned. I was going to take you to the Spindle Top in Atlanta and propose over dinner. But when I saw Glory, that just expedited everything." His fingers curled through her hair. As he gazed into her eyes there was a feeling of completeness and contentment. This woman was everything he needed for stability. Trevor lavished in the warm sensations that she was not just the mother of his child but his best friend and wife.

"And you demanded my answer on the spot," said Ava, laughing. "Well, I will tell you that proposal will be one that I will never forget." She teased Trevor, poking him in the side, repeating his no-option proposal. "'We're getting married before I leave here. Marry me, Ava. How would you like to say yes, baby? Nod, speak, or spell?'"

Trevor picked Ava up, spinning her around – laughing. "You shocked me with the baby. If you'd hesitated or said no, that would not have gone down well. Your mind gets pretty creative under stress."

"Yes, was a good answer, Trevor. I must admit that Calista's passing got to me, too. We're going to hold on to each other and make the best of all our time. I promise you that."

"I love you, Ava." Trevor leaned down and kissed her. "Now, I have quite a day planned for us, so let's go."

"Can I check on Glory, first?"

"No baby, this is our wedding day. My mom and dad have raised six children. They gave us the night off. She's good."

***

Soft Christmas music played, filling the room. The dim lights through the tree branches and the sparkles of gold and red throughout the space created a warm ambiance. The snow had stopped falling and the blustery winds had died down. Roman looked from his penthouse and saw the city coming to life again – crawling from under the thick, thick white blanket. It wouldn't be long before the streets were completely cleared and life would return to its complexity. Roman intended to squeeze this incredible moment in time until it vanished.

Zara lay on the blanket reading a book. Roman eyes roamed over her perfect nakedness, glistening with the jewels. She actually kept her clothes off. I am touched and surprised. Letting him know, that the old Zara was gone. This Zara explored sensuality and he loved it. Zara leaned back across a pile of pillows with her chunky legs crossed. The ankle bracelet sparkled, as her leg swayed to the music. His eyes trailed up her legs, hips, up, up, and until finally landing on breasts that heavily spread across her chest. They were gorgeous and he'd had his fill of them for the past few days and wanted more. The slow burn that had raged within him for the last few days was firing again. His mouth anticipated the kisses that he was about to lavish on her.

"Zara," he called. She glanced up at him with fiery confidence in her chocolate eyes. Not the anxious eyes that he'd seen an eternity ago that didn't want him to raise her gown. No, this was way different. This was a woman enjoying seduction.

Roman walked over to the blanket, stretching out his hand. "Dance with me, treasure."

She didn't hesitate but moved in sync with the slow music. Her body molded against him, his hands splayed across her back. "You are so mind-tripping sexy," he whispered.

This time she started the blaze, cupping his face and dragging him down to her open mouth. Fire pulsed through them as the kissed turned from long, to hungry – to all-consuming. Their tongues tangled for dominance. Zara won out, anchoring him by fists full of hair. Her mouth slowly trailed across his body, remembering his erogenous zones that she'd mapped into her memory in only a few days.

"God, I wish that I could have learned to have loved you sooner," she whispered while licking his ear.

He slipped her face back to his lips, groaning against her mouth. That was all Roman could take. He snatched Zara off her feet, carrying her back to the bed that they'd utterly worn out.

***

Late the next evening Zara woke up, with Roman's head buried in her chest. She laughed within herself at how she'd given herself permission to live – laugh – love. These last days had been so incredible that she often pinched herself to see if all this was real. It was.

They say that bamboo trees lie within the earth for five years. When it finally comes forth, it grows eighty feet in six weeks. Zara was a bamboo tree whose time had come. She curled her fingers through Roman's hair, thinking about the value of time.

It seemed as if in a flash her life sped before her mind – everything. The abuse. All the years that she ran from him - the most precious thing in her life. Sacrificing her love for Roman knowing that she could have been his wife a long time ago. He was so right when he said that words had gotten her into that situation. Those damning words spoken by her mother and other people took a lot away from her life. It wasn't just them - her low self-esteem played a huge role in keeping Zara away from his love. But all of that ended now – right now.

These last days Zara found herself, loved herself, and had loved him beyond measure. When she began to think about her next breath, she knew that she wanted Roman in it. She wanted Roman – his body, soul, and spirit. Thinking about their lives together helped Zara to realize something. She would no longer allow anything to stand in the way of her happiness.

Roman made his intent clear. He intended to rebuild. She woke Roman up, with one thing on her mind and she would have exactly what she wanted and didn't care what anyone else thought.

Zara kissed Roman on the cheek and called his name until he woke up. He raised his sleepy head, smiling up at her. "Do you need more service? You've been waking me up quite a bit for that."

Zara's laughter filled the room. It was true - she couldn't get enough of Roman. Leaning down she gave him another quick kiss. "No, I woke you up because I want to become Mrs. Gray, as soon as the snow is gone. Marry me, Roman."