His dimple cuts into his cheek as he leans down to place a wet kiss on my mouth. "Been fighting it. Didn't want it. But I'll be d.a.m.ned if you try to take it away from me. We've got somethin' good now, but we can have something incredible." His lips cover mine. "I love you, Helena. Really, really."

Suddenly, his body stills and he pulls away looking unsure of himself. "You still love me, cupcake?"

I roll my eyes, reach up, and punch him in the arm hard. He winces and I scoff. "Yes, I still love you. a.s.shole."

He nods solemnly, but smiles, rubbing his arm. "Okay. I deserved that." We stand there, smiling up at each other. "So, now what?"

I shrug. "Now, nothing."

He raises a brow. "We have our first major fight, p.r.o.nounce our love to each other," he chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck, "and then we go home and do nothing about it?" He shakes his head. "Something seems off about that."

I blink up at him. "I hear make-up s.e.x is all the rage."

He looks over my shoulder, staring at the wall in thought, rubbing at his chin. "Make-up s.e.x, you say?" After a moment, he straightens and stalks forward. "I'm willing to give it a shot."

Turns out, make-up s.e.x is indeed all it's said to be. In fact, as we lie on my bed naked, panting, and sweaty, I know I'll be willing to cause a few arguments in our relationship just to apologize.

With my mouth.

Chapter Thirty-Nine.

Helena If you had asked me three months ago if I wanted a relationship, I would've laughed boisterously and patted your sweet little head. But now I see it's not the relationship to fear. It's being in a relationship with the wrong person. As I sit on Max's lap, his arm resting across my thighs as he presses kisses to my shoulder, I realize a relationship with the right person is not scary. It's amazing.

Being yourself and having someone love you for it is amazing. If I knew it would be this way, I would never have fought it. I would've embraced it. But that's the catch, isn't it? You need to risk to gain. I took my leap of faith and it paid off. I got the best reward I could ask for. I got Max, and in turn, I got Ceecee too.

Turning on his lap, I lower my face to his, pressing light kisses on his mouth. As always, b.u.t.terflies flutter in my belly.

Will it always be like this? Secretly, I hope so.

His eyes flicker down to my neck. Reaching up, he takes the necklace in his hands, eyeing the ring dangling from it. "You don't always have to wear it, baby."

Max's ring. As if I'd ever take it off. It wasn't a proposal, exactly. More of a promise of what's to come. "I'm never taking it off," I vow openly.

After Max told me he loved me that night, four weeks ago, we've been inseparable. The very next day, he gave me his ring. With a flush, he muttered, "You don't have to wear it or anything. I just want you to have it."

It was adorable. And thoughtful. And I loved him even more for the sentiment. Of course, being that Max has giant fingers, it was never an option to wear it the traditional way. I found a white gold chain, put the platinum ring on it, and I haven't taken it off. Not once. When Ceecee spotted the ring, she looked a little too happy about it. Eyes darting from me to Max, she uttered, "Are you going to marry my dad?"

Seriously. She did that on purpose, the little sneak. Before I had a chance to answer, Max wrapped an arm around me. "When I ask, she'll say yes."

The confidence of the statement oozed off of him, and I wanted to hit him. But it hit me. What he had just said.

When he asks. Not if he asks.

My heart squealed and my mind swooned. Ceecee looked down at the table, her mind calculating. "So when you get married, that would make you my stepmom, right?"

Heart warm, I smiled down at her. "Yes, honey, it would."

She breathed, "Cool," and it sucker-punched me right in the gut. She wanted me to be her stepmom. Truth is, I was ready for it, even then. And one day, maybe we'd add another baby to the mix. When it came to Max and Ceecee, it came naturally. I trusted my gut and knew that whatever difficulties we faced, we'd do it together as a team. As a family.

Eyes smiling, Max's arms tighten around my waist. "Never taking it off? Really? Never ever?"

I press a soft kiss to his cheek and promise, "Never ever."

Max Three months later...

This f.u.c.kin' ring is burning a hole in my pocket. Proposing at a family dinner is probably not the way I should be doing this. Helena walks around my mother's kitchen counter, holding two bowls of salad. As she pa.s.ses me, she leans up, and instinctively, I lower my lips to hers for a quick kiss. When we separate, she winks at me. And I feel it in my c.o.c.k. I can't do this any longer. I can't wait. I need to ask her to marry me. I need her to say yes. I need to make sure she'll be with me forever.

I just need her.

Mama steps out of the pantry and calls out, "Dinner's ready! Everyone out!" She finds my eyes as everyone moves out, and winks at me. Of course I had to tell my mom. She'd box my ears if I didn't. To say she's excited about Helena becoming a real member of our family is an understatement. There was a moment there when I thought Mom wanted to propose on my behalf.

h.e.l.l, I even called Helena's family to ask permission. It seems it wasn't just her dad's permission I needed to get. I needed permission from them all. Including Asher. After a half-hour over-the-phone presentation on why I would make a good son-in-law, Helena's dad gave me his blessing and I was good to go.

I take a deep breath and make my way outside to find Nat sitting on one side of Lena, and Ceecee sitting on the other side, while Lena and Nat feed Nat and Asher's new babies, Willow and Daniel, AKA Low and Danny.

My brow bunches. That wasn't part of the plan. I need to be sitting next to her to propose. I find an empty seat beside Nik and my mom. I sit there with a pout.

Now what?

Watching Lena feed Willow is something else. She looks down at the baby girl like she's the most precious thing in the world. A vision of Lena holding a bundle with dark brown hair, her pouting lips, and my golden eyes flashes before me. I smile to myself.

Everyone works around me, filling their plates, but I can't take my eyes off of her. When Ash steals Willow from her clutches, she sulks. My smile deepens. She stands, filling Ceecee's plate, and when she's done, she places the plate in front of Ceecee, smooths down my baby girl's hair, and kisses her head. My smile turns into a grin.

Lifting her own plate, she starts piling food on it, and before I realize what I'm doing, I stand, reaching into my pocket. From across the table, I open the ring box and hold it out. Helena continues to fill her plate. Smiling like a d.a.m.n fool, I ask loudly, "Helena, will you marry me?"

A few feminine gasps, then silence surrounds us. Pausing mid-salad-scoop, she looks over the table at me, stunned. Looking down at the ring, she recovers quickly. With a small shrug, she utters, "Uh, sure." Then she smiles up at me. "Pa.s.s the potato salad, babe?"

I smile so hard my cheeks hurt. "Of course, cupcake." Placing the open ring box on the table, I pick up the bowl of potato salad and hand it to her. She takes it, biting her lip to hide her smile. A small round of applause, some cheers, and then everyone continues what they were doing. We take our seats on opposite sides of the table, smiling at each other like a couple of clowns.

She mouths, 'Love you.'

I mouth back, 'Love you more.'

And I do.

I really do.

Later that night, Ceecee and I lounge around on the sofa, while Helena makes our celebratory banana splits. I turn to my daughter and watch her a moment before asking, "You happy, baby?"

Ceecee turns to me, smiling. "Yeah, I am."

I nod. "That's all I need to hear."

We continue to watch in silence before Ceecee asks a hushed, "Am I going to have brothers and sisters?"

My brows rise. Not a question I was expecting. "You want brothers and sisters?" She nods. Hiding my smile, I call out, "Yo, cupcake."

A few seconds and Helena pops her head into the living room. "Yeah?"

Taking a handful of popcorn, I ask, "You want kids?"

She stands there, dumbstruck. Her eyes dart from me to Ceecee, then back again. Then she smiles. "Yeah, I do." Without waiting for a response, she heads back into the kitchen. I look back at the TV, but hold up my hand. When Ceecee high-fives me, I grin.

Everything's looking up.

Epilogue.

Helena.

I walk out of the store, flicking through the photos, smiling and chuckling to myself. Six months after our engagement, Max and I got married. It wasn't a lavish affair. It was quaint. We had all the people we wanted there and did it all our way. For instance, even though he wore a three-piece tux, Max wore his black Chucks instead of dress shoes. And even though I shouldn't have been wearing white, I did, just because I wanted to.

Nik insisted we have the reception at The White Rabbit, and considering it was the place of our first real kiss, I was all for it. Nina decided she would be my maid of honor, because she didn't live in New York; therefore, she felt she deserved the position as I'd be seeing Nat all the time. Nat and I both agreed, and she and Ceecee were my bridesmaids.

Max asked Trick to be his best man, with Nik and Ash as his groomsmen. My dad cried the entire ceremony, my mom handing him tissues all the while. Mama Leokov dabbed at her eyes, and overall, it was a happy occasion.

Max looked at me like I was the most valued woman in the world, stopping every half-hour to ask, "Have I told you how beautiful you look today, sweetheart?" We ate and danced into the wee hours of the morning, and I smiled all d.a.m.n night. Even now, a week later, as I look down at my wedding ring, I ache with happiness.

I spot the florist a few stores down and head inside.

Mae.

As I place the cookies into the oven, the doorbell rings. I open the door, and a delivery man stands there holding an outrageously large bunch of flowers. "Martha Mae..." He glances down at the delivery slip before looking up at me, "I'm sorry; there isn't a last name here."

I'm stunned. "That's me."

He hands me the flowers with a smile. "Looks like someone is thinking of you. Have a nice day, ma'am."

I struggle to see over the top of the colorful bunch, pausing to place them on the table in the hall. I take the card and open it.

Dear Mae, A wise woman once told me love isn't proud.

Thank you. For everything.

Thinking of you, Helena Leokov.

Oh my. Inside the envelope is a photograph. I smile when I realize it's a picture of young Helena on her wedding day. The handsome man by her side with eyes the color of melted honey smiles, looking down at her with pure love. Helena holds hands with a pretty young girl in a wheelchair.

I can't help but notice the small b.u.mp at her belly. The bridge of my nose tingles as I look up at the portrait of my late husband. "Well, how do you like that, Stan?"

I smile up at him, tears filling my eyes. Happiness warms me.

She did it.

She got her sugar rush.

The End.

A message from the author: Hi guys, Thank you for reading Sugar Rush. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

You can help me an awful lot by leaving a review on Amazon and Goodreads.

Thanks again.

Your love and support mean everything to me.

Belle xx.

Copyright 2014 Belle Aurora.

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