Seeing him standing at the gate, I had a sudden flashback to when we were younger and he would wait for me at the school gate to make sure I didn’t miss the bus. And if I did miss the bus he’d always walk me home.

“I wanted to make sure you got home safely,” he said, a small teasing smile curling his lips.

I grinned at his sudden nostalgia. “That was thoughtful of you.”

He held out his hands. “Car keys?”

Chuckling, I handed them over. Marco took them and then took my hand and started to lead me to my car. Once inside he had to adjust my seat so he could fit his long legs in. I was a tall woman, at five ten. Marco was about eight inches taller than me.

He started the car but instead of pulling out of the space he looked at me.

I smiled curiously at his serious expression. “What?”

“Back in school… I used to stand at that gate and pray you’d miss the bus so I could walk you home.”

Leaning across the gear stick I ran the back of my knuckles across his cheek and pressed a soft kiss to his mouth. When I pulled back I whispered, “Sometimes I deliberately missed the bus.”

Marco chuckled and I sat back in my seat to watch him handle my little car with ease. For such a big man he had a lot of grace.

We were quiet as he drove, a familiar silence falling between us. Although Marco had changed a lot from the scared, taciturn, brooding young boy he’d been when we first met, he still wasn’t the biggest talker. It was one of the things I loved about him. I could just sit with him in silence, and be perfectly comfortable and at peace.

I frowned as I realized he’d driven us off course from our destination of Morningside, a quieter area south of the city center, where we’d bought a house we could just barely afford. We’d bought the house because we loved it but also to be closer to Dylan. Dylan was my stepson. Marco had him with his ex-girlfriend Leah a little over seven years ago. She and her husband Graham lived in Morningside and it was easier on Dylan for us to be so close to them.

“Sophia and Jarrod are with Joss and Braden,” Marco suddenly said. “I dropped them off earlier.”

I felt a little pang in my chest. Our son Jarrod was only six months old and our daughter Sophia was only two and a half. I found it difficult to be separated from them and reminded myself that it was only for a few hours.

“So where are we going?”

He shot me a quick, mischievous grin that made me smile in return. “You’ll see.”

I waited patiently, but filled with anticipation as he drove us to Stockbridge and parked near Dean Village. “It’ll cost a fortune to stay parked here,” I said as he unbuckled his seatbelt.

“It’s worth it.” He flashed me that grin again and I shook my head laughing as I got out of the car.

As soon as my door was closed behind me, Marco grabbed my hand in his and started leading me down the street. A sense of familiarity quickly descended over me and when we stopped at the entrance to Douglas Gardens, a small public garden we’d visited once before, I looked up at my husband in question.

“Do over,” he said.

He couldn’t possibly mean what I thought he meant.

Tugging me gently inside we found the gardens empty. Near the back of the gardens, next to a bench I’d sat on with Marco one very memorable night when we were kids, was Marco’s aunt Gabby. I watched wide-eyed as she turned from placing a napkin on the picnic she’d set up on the ground. Fairy lights were wrapped around the bench and around potted piece of topiary that looked out of place and thus suggested had been brought to the spot specifically for this.

“I’ll just be leaving then,” Gabby grinned and Marco pressed a kiss to her cheek before she hurried out of the gardens.

I shook my head in amazement, gesturing to the beautiful picnic. “Why?”

He led me down onto the blanket, moving the picnic hamper with food in it out of our way. “That night,” he said, his voice thick with sincerity, “When you came to me here… it’s the night I knew I loved you.”

My, my… I had quite possibly the most romantic husband on the planet. “You amaze me,” I whispered, looking around at what he’d set up. “I was expecting a quiet night in with you but this…” I reached for him and he automatically pulled me onto his lap and I got comfortable, shifting position so I was straddling him. It meant pushing my tight skirt up my legs but I didn’t care, there was no one around to see me but him. “Thank you for never letting a day go by without my knowing how much you love me.”

His arms tightened around me in reflex.

“I hope I give you the same.” I stroked his cheek, searching his eyes for the answer.

His love for me was there for all to see along with a growing heat. “You do, baby.”

I brushed my mouth over his and his hand slid up my back to my nape so he could hold me to him for a deeper kiss. That kiss turned hot in seconds and it wasn’t long before I felt Marco’s erection between my legs.

My nipples tightened against my bra and I felt a rush of tingling arousal shoot straight through my core. I pulled back from the kiss, my cheeks flushed. “We can’t here,” I whispered.

Marco’s hands slid down my waist, deliberately slowly, deliberately seductive, until they came to a rest on my thighs. His fingers slid under the material of my already bunched up hemline and he pushed it up to my waist, cool air rushing in around me and making me shiver. “No one’s here,” he said softly against my lips.

My belly flipped at the thought. “If we got caught…”

“No one’s here.”

“It’s an offence,” I whispered frantically as his fingers slipped past my underwear. I found myself rising a little to give him better access. “Marco,” I panted as he pushed two fingers inside of me while his thumb sought out my clit.

“No one’s here,” he repeated, his voice hoarse now with arousal.

“The food?” I breathed, trying to concentrate over the pleasure that was zapping me of my senses.

“Will still be here after I make you come.”

I whimpered as the tension inside of me escalated and I rested my forehead against his as I flexed my hips against the thrusts of his fingers. “Marco,” I breathed as I neared climax. My hands fumbled between us for the zipper on his jeans. “Inside me.”

He didn’t need to be asked twice.

He quickly freed himself and I lifted myself up onto my knees, inelegantly hurrying to slip my underwear off. As soon as it was out of my way I guided him inside me and slowly lowered back down.