After Vacation

After Daniel returned to the office, Chris decided it was time to make good on Persephone's desires to travel.

Chris thought it would be a good idea to start off in countries that spoke English like Ireland, Scotland and England, and they would spend the last three days in Paris. Upon arriving to the city of lights, with his handy-dandy phone translator ready to go to, Persephone took the lead and got them whatever they needed, wherever they needed thanks to her conversational French skills, which left Chris flabbergasted.

"I didn't know you speak French," Chris commented as soon as they were alone in their suite.

In her usual coquettish manner that bordered on smart-ass, she simply shrugged and responded, "You never asked."

He found out she also spoke a little Italian, which made him look forward to planning their next trip. And then he made passionate love to his woman, urging her to whisper anything in French to fuel his already burning fire where she was concerned.

Ever since she staked her claim on him in front of Michelle, Chris's desire for his mate was unquenchable. He physically expressed his loved for her every single day of their vacation as soon as they were alone in their room.

When their bodies joined, he inhaled sharply, as if trying to take in every morsel of passion she was offering, and he didn't want to leave even a speck behind.

They belonged to each other. He felt it and he knew she did as well even if she didn't speak the words.

He took an extra day when they returned to Washington.

Not only to deal with the jet lag but he couldn't bring himself to leave her.

Their relationship had become stronger. He loved that with everything Paris offered, from sights, museums, shopping and cuisine, this woman did not want to miss the Pere Lachaise cemetery and thus chose to spend majority of a day there.

She was definitely not like any of the other women he ever dated- and he knew he would never be able to turn back from her.

She was the one.

He always knew.

He wanted to make her happy for the rest of their lives. He wanted that cemented. Just as she had claimed him, he wanted to claim her.

He wanted to talk to Aunt Micaela about proposing to Persephone. The thought alone caught him off-guard, more because he wanted to speak to his aunt instead of his mother, but his aunt had been the one to bring this blessing into his life.

He wanted to buy a ring, and to help plan a wedding.

And he wanted to fill those empty bedrooms in his home with little angels that were half him, half her.

He sighed.

He was ready.

Micaela walked into Munch House and Buy Coffee and smiled as soon as she saw Chris, dropping off a greeting to the owner of the coffee shop, who had become a close friend of his and Persephone's despite the rocky start between the two men.

Wyatt had offered Persephone a friendship in Seattle and Chris swallowed his insecurities and let it thrive, and in the process, he got a great friend out of it as well.

"Darling!" Aunt Micaela walked straight to Chris, greeting Wyatt as she passed him.

Chris stood to greet her with a hug and a kiss on her cheek. "Aunt Micaela," he smiled as he said her name.

"What's going on, honey?" She quickly asked. "It's unusual for you to call a meeting in the middle of a workday as a coffee shop away from your office."

He waited for his aunt to sit before sitting, himself. "Yeah, I wanted to talk to you, but I wanted to make sure we wouldn't be seen by anyone."

Micaela smiled. "And since I sold my office, guaranteed no one would run into us here in this back-alley neighborhood," she sighed, looking out the window in the direction of her former building. "I wish I knew who was taking care of it now," she mused out loud sadly. "I'd run a background check on them to make sure they were worthy."

Wyatt stopped by, placing a cup of black coffee in front of Micaela. She quickly looked up at Wyatt. "Honey, by any chance have you noticed if anyone has moved into my old building yet?"

Wyatt smiled, "What?"

Micaela repeated her question.

Wyatt shrugged with a smile. "I've seen activity, but I've never exactly seen anyone stay-" he looked out toward the building and stopped talking all of a sudden.

Chris and Micaela both followed his gaze.

A black Sequoia had parked in front of the building and a familiar shape let herself into Micaela's old building.

Chris noticed his aunt look up at Wyatt with a raised brow.

Without a word, Wyatt's head dropped and he walked back behind the counter.