My Fears Burn While You're Around

"Oh wow." I said in awe as we entered the lobby of Club 33. It was very old fashioned but it clearly held a tone of respect and I instantly knew why it was so special.

"Follow me please." The lady said as we all filed in. Matt held his arm out for me and I hooked mine through the loop he had created.

With a grin he looked down at me and then helped me walk inside and up the stairs with only a tad bit of difficulty thanks to my heels.

"Damn." I heard Zacky whisper behind us. Matt whipped around and gave his friend a warning glare.

Zacky however was paying no attention whatsoever to Matt.

My eyes were scanning everything they possibly could as we walked up the stairs. The detail in this hidden gem was absolutely stunning and could quite literally render one speechless.

When we reached the landing a gentleman was standing there waiting for our arrival it seemed. He was decked out in a very formal outfit that consisted of black slacks, a formal white vest, and a black tail coat finished off with a small black bowtie.

Matt and I stopped once we reached him and we waited for the rest of the group to gather behind us.

There was a small commotion near the back of the group and I could vaguely hear Johnny and Jimmy arguing over something that sounded like who had run into who. It seemed that one of them had hit the other when they reached the landing due to their both being distracted by the marvels of the restaurant decor.

Matt rubbed a hand over his face in annoyance and frustration at his friends. He couldn’t help it though. That was just the way they were sometimes. In an attempt to calm Matt down I rubbed my hand over his upper arm and grinned up at him. "Relax." I said softly hoping he would be able to enjoy himself tonight. He seemed to be sort of uptight over the whole dinner thing and I wanted him to enjoy it as much as I was so far.

With a sigh and deep exhale from him he looked down at me and gave me a grin in reply. It was a tired grin though and I couldn’t help but think that this sit down dinner was exactly what we all needed after the busy day we had experienced so far.

"Good evening." The gentleman greeted us once we were all situated at the top and Jimmy and Johnny had stopped complaining to one another. "You must be the birthday girl. On behalf of Club 33 we wish you a very happy birthday and hope we can serve you in any possible way tonight."

My grin grew as the man spoke to Matt and I. "And you must be the young Mr. Sanders. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Your father speaks of you often when he and your mother are dining here. I've grown quite fond of them and can honestly say I was excited to finally meet you. My name is Steve."

Matt reached a hand out and shook Steve's that he had offered. "Nice to meet you. Hopefully my parents didn’t scare you too much while talking about me." He chuckled as he retracted his hand.

Steve let out a chuckle and shook his head. "Quite the opposite actually. Now if you would please follow me we will get you all seated accordingly."

I looked at Matt once Steve had turned his back and mouthed a 'wow!' to him. I was suddenly very glad Val had made me wear a dress because I think anything else would have been considered to be underdressed for this event. Talk about things being formal.

Steve continued to lead us down a wooden floored hallway that was complete with more photos on the walls of Walt Disney and previous distinguished guests that had dined here. We passed a bar on our right and I knew all of the guys would be taking advantage of that tonight. I also knew they had promised Matt ahead of time that they wouldn’t go overboard as well and that made me more comfortable.

The sound of jazz music was slowly making its way to my ears as we got closer and closer to what I assumed to be the main dining room.

Windows were open in the room, letting the jazz music and fresh air float in through the opening. Other guests were chatting about happily and enjoying their meal with smiles on their faces.

I noticed off to the side there were several tables pushed together and there were seven chairs seated around the table for us. Fancy menus were placed on each spot and an array of napkins and silverware were also arranged across the table.

"Here is your table." Steve informed us, snapping me out of my current trance of observation. "Your server will be with you all shortly. Enjoy your dinner and give your parents my best please."

Matt guided me across to the opposite side of the table and pulled out the middle chair for me before helping me sit down. I smiled up at him and grinned as he took the seat beside me on the left. On my right sat Val and then beside her was Jimmy at one of the table ends. Across from me sat Brian and Zacky and then that left Johnny to occupy the opposite table end as Jimmy.

"Alright!" Jimmy said softly but still held an excited edge to his voice. "I can throw things at short shit from here!"

Matt groaned in frustration and I took the opportunity to place my hand on his thigh gently under the table cloth. With my thumb I gently grazed it back and forth over the outside of his leg through his dress pants.

I felt bad for Matt. He was trying so hard for this to be a nice dinner and I know he was stressed about the guys acting up. Matt had worked so hard to get us into this exclusive club and I know he'd be embarrassed and devastated if we were asked to leave for any crazy antics. Sadly, crazy antics were something this group was notorious for and we would just have to hope that things didn’t get too incredibly out of hand.

Matt needed to relax though. He was so incredibly tense.

My mind raced with things that could possibly make him relax at least a little bit.

Biting my lip I slowly slid my hand higher and gave his thigh a gentle squeeze. I was treading dangerous waters here due to the proximity of my hand and his private region. I was really hoping this would work.

Almost as soon as I started rubbing his leg again I felt his body fall limp in the chair that was touching mine. Our bodies were nearly pressed together as we sat and Matt actually had his arm around my shoulder.

With my hand that wasn't on his leg I reached up and turned his scowling face so it was directly in front of mine. "You need to chill out." I informed him slowly once again. "They're not going to screw things up so relax." My eyes were wide as I tried to emphasize my point yet again. "I mean it Matthew."

The guys all must have been watching because they started making "oooo" noises and saying that Matt was in trouble now because I had pulled 'the Matthew card'.

Still deep in the stare with Matt I couldn’t help but crack a grin. He too eventually flashed his dimples and we both started laughing. He pulled me in with his arm that was around me and pressed a kiss to my lips softly.

"I love you." He whispered softly with a wink.

"I love you too." I teased back with playfully narrowed eyes.

"Alright break it up break it up." Brian said as he tossed his napkin at the two of us.

Matt glared at his friend and threw the napkin back. Thankfully he did toss it back instead of chewing Brian out. This was a good sign.

Still with Matt's arm firmly in place I removed my hand from his leg and picked up the menu before flipping it open.

Day Boat Scallop, Artichoke Fennel Nage 20
Filet of Chateaubriand, Parsnip-Cipollini Puree 45
Pan Seared John Dory, Crispy Artichoke & Potato, Kumquat Marmalade 39

As my eyes wandered over the many, many selections I felt so baffled and confused. "Matt, I have no idea what most of this is." I whispered toward him hoping maybe I wasn't the only one wondering what the heck fennel nage or parsnip-cipollini was. "But I do know there's a hefty price tag on it all." I added after surveying the prices that only seemed to grow as the menu did too.

Matt's deep chuckle sounded as his arm that was around me reached down and pointed to the pan fried shrimp cake, fresh black truffle, and white asparagus soubise. "Try ordering that since I know you like seafood."

"What is soubise?"

"It's a sauce. Trust me on this."

I looked up at him to see a set of dimples trained down at me. "My mom used to watch food network all the time when I was younger. I still remember a thing or two." He explained after catching my still confused and slightly shocked expression.

There were still things about Matt that I was finding out as time went by. Not that that was a bad thing. Most of the time it only seemed to amaze me more.

"Matt's a closet food network watcher." Jimmy snickered from down the table.

"So are you!" Johnny threw back at his friend in defense of Matt.

Jimmy just looked at Johnny wide eyed and shook his head. "No I'm not. I'm a proud food network watcher. That shit looks good all the time. I embrace my inner food addiction."

"Oh shut the hell up." Matt grumbled with a laugh.

Surprisingly to me, dinner progressed pretty uneventfully. There were no food fights, no loud outbursts, no raunchy comments, no…nothing. Conversation was fairly normal, with the occasional cuss word thrown in on purpose to make Matt groan and glare at whoever it was.

Our food came and I was extremely glad that Matt had me order the seafood. Jimmy had bravely ordered something even he couldn’t pronounce the name of. When his plate was set in front of him he scrunched up his face and began eyeing my food instead.

Every now and then his fork would edge its way closer to my plate as he would reach his long arm around Val's back and every time I would smack it away with my own fork playfully. Jimmy would then huff and retract his arm before trying to get something off of Val's plate instead. It was rather amusing until Val said she had had it and turned to glare at him sternly. It was only then did Jimmy decide to try a bite of his own food and he found out it tasted "fucking awesome!" as he had exclaimed somewhat loudly just for Matt.

The guys had each taken advantage of the bar but no one was drunk or even looked slightly buzzed. Val had only had a glass of wine and had then ordered water. She said she was planning on saving her major drinks for later on when they went out.

At the mention of everyone going out I noticed Matt was becoming somewhat uncomfortable again. I remembered that Val had told me in private about the plan and Matt was still oblivious to my knowledge about it to a certain extent. I brushed the subject off and decided I would make my decision when Matt suggested it to me. I had sort of already decided what I was going to do however.

When I had finished my food I sat back in my chair and settled against Matt as his arm resumed it's usual position around my shoulders.

"Dude, I already told you this earlier!" Zacky was exasperatedly telling Jimmy. "There's no light parade because there are fireworks scheduled tonight."

Brian sat across from me with his head shaking back and forth at the argument that was slowly escalating.

"But that makes no sense! The light parade is always on the schedule!" Jimmy tried to reason.

Zack let out a big sigh and scrunched his face up in frustration. "There's no light parade when there's fireworks. It makes perfect sense! Both are huge main attractions so why have both in one night? They just don't do that shit anymore. It's either one or the other. Right Brian?" Zacky asked as he smacked Brian in the arm expecting him to join his side.

"Right Zack." He said tiredly as he ran a hand over his face.

Johnny was watching the exchange with a pleasantly pleased expression on his face. I think for once he was happy it wasn't he that Jimmy had picked a fight with.

"Well…" Jimmy started but Val held her hand up to silence him.

"It's just the fireworks Jim. End of discussion." Her statement earned a groan from Jimmy and a sigh from Zacky that sounded like he was glad someone else had put an end to this. I was rather enjoying watching the two of them bicker honestly. It was entertainment and was a nice distraction from Matt's hand that was slowly traveling up and down my thigh under my dress that had ridden up, causing me to get the shivers up my spine.

I exhaled a shaky breath and unfortunately for me Brian had been looking at me right at that precise moment. A smirk the size of Texas crossed his face as he looked from me to Matt and then back again. The corners of my lips tugged in nervously as I stared at him with wide eyes. "Everything alright there Cels?" He snickered as he continued to smirk devilishly at me.

"Just fine Brian." I said although my voice hinted otherwise.

Under the table I smacked Matt's hand away and started to scoot my chair back. "I need to use the bathroom." I mumbled making everyone except Val chuckle at how flustered I was.

I stood and tugged the hem of my dress down after Matt had pulled it up even further just a few minutes ago.

I saw Matt holding his hands up as the guys laughed at him and Val just sent him a scowl. "Did you have to embarrass the poor girl?" I vaguely heard her ask someone before I shuffled out of earshot and down the hallway I knew the bathrooms were located at the end of after seeing the sign when we entered.

I pushed the door open and went to stand at the sink. I turned the cold water faucet on and ran my hands under it. While I washed them I fought the urge to splash some on my face because it was burning up with embarrassment. It wasn't that Matt had embarrassed me but he had started the reaction. Stupid Brian just had to go and make a comment about the sigh. I'm sure Matt would explain to them that he hadn't been doing what they thought he was and that I couldn’t help it if my thighs were a weak point on my body.

I heard the door squeak open and I looked sideways in the mirror to see that Val had entered with a worrisome look etched across her features. "Are you alright?" She questioned as I turned the water off and grabbed a paper towel to dry my hands on.

"Fine. Just needed to get away so my face can chill." I said softly and then threw in a chuckle.

"I was worried." She said as she leaned against the wall. "Poor Matt is afraid he's ruined his chances tonight." She snickered causing a blush to creep up my cheeks yet again. "He totally chewed Brian out."

"Oh no." I mumbled as I tossed the now damp paper towel in the trash.

Val laughed as she stood straight and adjusted her dress straps in the mirror. "It's pretty funny actually. He's got himself all worked up. What was he doing exactly?" She asked as she looked backward at me through the mirror.

"He was rubbing my thigh which I don't mind. But then his hand got a little high and I sighed as shivers went up my spine. Brian was paying too close attention. Matt didn't do anything. My thighs are just a weak spot that he found recently. Little bugger." I mumbled at the end making Val laugh.

"He's a fucker. If there's one thing he loves it's finding those damn weak spots." She said as she turned around and smiled at me. "All better?"

"Yeah." I nodded before she linked her arm with mine.

"Good. Because the guys were raiding the dessert table and that's always scary."

We both had a good laugh as we left the small restroom.

***

"I can't believe we are changing in these tiny stalls." I laughed to Val who was in the bathroom stall beside mine.

"Me neither." She chuckled back over the sound of nearby flushing toilets.

Once the guys had devoured the dessert table and basically reduced it to only crumbs, Matt paid the bill and we left the restaurant feeling very satisfied.

Val had somehow very sneakily stuffed a bag of extra clothes into a locker earlier in the day for us to change into for the rest of the night. I honestly didn’t know how she managed these things but she seemed to be a professional at it.

Val had drug me into a nearby restroom in New Orleans Square after telling the boys to stay put and not to move from the spot we left them in. Once in the bathroom we went to the far corner and she proceeded to pull out two entire outfits that looked somewhat like clubbing attire. She had insisted I needed to keep the sexy vibe for Matt and so she had packed me a black tank top that was layered under a white scoop neck halter. The scoop on the white top came down almost to my waist and then it bunched up around my neck. There was also a long multiple chain necklace that she had which complimented the setup rather well. Thankfully, she had packed me a pair of low rise jeans which hugged my curves and according to Val, "showed off my awesome ass so all the guys would be jealous of what Matt had". The thing that sealed the outfit was when she pulled out a pair of simple white flip flops. I was thrilled to be rid of the dreaded heels. Granted that they upped my height quite a bit and made it easier to kiss Matt, they were so uncomfortable that I couldn’t stand it.

So currently, I was trying to hang my dress on the hook behind the door on the stall so I could pull the jeans and top on, all without falling or dropping anything into the toilet which kept flushing thanks to the automatic sensor.

Val was beside me and I could hear her in a fit of giggles. "Oh shit!" She suddenly yelled. Being brave I squatted down and looked under the stall to see she was standing on the toilet seat and was staring down at it. She was fully dressed but it was painfully obvious she had dropped something into the toilet and it was now spiraling down, another victim to the sewer system.

She looked from the still flushing toilet over to me and then we both started laughing. I stood up now that I was fully dressed, grabbed the dress and heels and then opened the stall door right as Val opened hers too. "I dropped one of my earrings in." She groaned and then shrugged knowing there wasn't anything she could do about it now.

"Good going." I teased as we piled our clothes back into the bag and then headed out of the restroom together.

The guys were all still waiting where we had left them. They were lucky seeing as they could get away with being comfortable in their nice clothes. We didn’t look too out of sorts though, still somewhat fancy.

Matt was sitting on one of the railing bars laughing at something Zacky had said to him. His dimples were slowly emerging.

He turned his head for a moment and caught sight of me and Val approaching. His smile remained on his face as we neared and I noticed he was yet again taking in my appearance and attire.

Val handed the bag to Jimmy who gladly swung it over his shoulder since it was an Adidas bag and not a girly one. She began chatting away with him about where we could watch the fireworks at.

I turned back to face Matt after realizing she wasn't going to be free to talk to anytime soon. The man before me was now standing and he had his hands tucked into his pockets confidently. I stepped further forward and reached up so I could wrap my arms around his neck as I stood on my tip toes.

"Thank you for dinner." I murmured into his ear as he leaned down before I pressed a kiss on the side of his thick neck.

His hands came out of his pockets and he wrapped them gingerly around my waist as if he were afraid he would break me if he held me too tightly.

"Anything for my birthday girl." He said gruffly as he captured my lips with his own and held them captive for a few seconds.

The guys started to randomly walk in the direction of the castle. They had said we could catch a few more rides before the fireworks started. Apparently the Matterhorn was a must at night.

Matt was holding my hand now as we strolled and he was walking at a slower pace then the rest of the group, forcing us behind. His thumb had gently been rubbing against the back of my hand and I knew he was itching to ask me something. Fortunately for me I had an idea what that something was and so I was able to prepare myself for the question as we wandered through Adventureland for what felt like the billionth time today.

"So Cels, I was wondering." He started and I could hear the nerves echoing out through his voice. "Um, since it's your birthday, I was thinking that maybe instead of going out with everyone that we might be able to stay in for the night and um, maybe if you're ready, I could give you what I hope will be the best present ever."

Matt was adorable when he was nervous. It was rare when he stumbled over his words but the few times I had seen it happen made me smile and really appreciate him even more.

I paused our walking so I could turn to face Matt fully. I took his other hand in my own and looked up at him with a confident smile. I could do this. "You're already given me the best present ever. But I think I might be ready tonight."

Before I could even finish speaking my thoughts, Matt had hoisted me up in the air and brought me back so I was entangled in his arms tightly. My feet were dangling from the ground as I giggled at his actions. "I trust you Matt. More then anyone I have ever had in my life before. I'm ready to be shown the love side of a relationship and I wouldn't want to take this step with anyone else." I finished whispering in his ear.

I could feel his grin as it only continued to grow. It seemed like his cheeks were going to stretch beyond their capabilities by this point. "I love you Celeste. So fucking much. If we weren't staying for the fireworks I'd totally take you back now."

Laughter lightly came from my mouth as he set me back down but still held me close. "Relax Matt." My chuckle now was somewhat nervous and Matt picked up on it. I didn’t want to rush this and I hoped Matt wouldn’t either.

"I'm just excited." He said softly as he started walking again, this time with his arm around my waist. "And so fucking proud of you." He finished as he looked down at me with nothing short of the most adoration filled look on his face I had ever seen. He was glowing and that in turn made me glow.

Matthew Sanders was contagious.

***

"How long is this going to fucking take?" Jimmy groaned as he sat on the edge of a flower planter with his head held in his hands.

"Dude, they don't start for at least another fifteen minutes. Chill." Brian told him as he shoved Johnny playfully off the planter for amusement. The shorter man glared up from where he sat on the ground and just huffed before standing himself up and going over to sit beside Val instead.

I brought my hot chocolate cup up to my lips as I sat between Matt's legs on the curb below the guys. His legs were stretched out into the portion of the sidewalk that was now empty in front of the castle. We had managed to snag a spot on the back side of the Walt and Mickey statue. There was a little concrete edge that ran around the statue that people usually stood on to take pictures. We had decided to use it as a bench to sit on, well, everyone except Matt and I that is. We were perfectly content sitting on the ground cuddling.

"So where are we going out after this?" Zacky asked as he looked at Matt. I suppose the rest of the guys didn’t know our plans.

"I don't know where you guys are going, but Cels and I are having a night in." Matt said as carefully as he could.

I twisted back to look at the guys who all seemed to be wearing matching smirks. Val was just sitting there rolling her eyes at them. Never mind that previous thought then, they all knew exactly what the plan was. I should have known though. Guys share that kind of information with eachother.

Jimmy wiggled his eyebrows down at the two of us while Zacky and Johnny were looking at Matt sternly. Brian was laughing, apparently aware of what was going to happen. "You better take care of her Matthew." Johnny said firmly.

"We mean it." Zacky piped in before they both grinned seeing Matt's worried gaze. Matt then rolled his eyes once he sensed Zack and Johnny were messing with him. He took his arms and wrapped them around my middle before allowing his head to come to a rest on my shoulder as he bent down.

When Matt ignored the guys' comments they started bickering over what club and bar they were going to go hit up. Val would pipe in every now and then with a "No way in hell am I going there" or "That one would be fun". Honestly I sort of began to drown them out.

It wasn't long before I noticed Matt was gently humming in my ear. It was a tune I recognized and I was very surprised he had remembered it from this morning. I set my hot chocolate down between my legs and wound my arms under his knees which were sticking up in the air slightly.

Softly the humming turned into words.

And it's been a while.
And she broke my heart,
Broke it right in two.
And it's fixing time,
But I'm feeling like I'm finally ready to
Find, find somebody new.
I wanna kiss a girl,
I wanna hold her tight,
And maybe make a little magic in the moonlight.
Don't wanna go too far
Just to take it slow,
ButI'm not lonely in this big ol' world.
I wanna kiss a girl.

I sniffed as the words he sang, and changed at one point, hit home. I had always loved this song when it would come on in Ruth's diner but I never really realized just how much it pertained to me and Matt.

It's that moment when
You start closing in.

I turned my head and noticed Matt's lips were right beside mine.

First you're holding back,
Then surrendering.

He closed the gap slowly and locked our lips gently. I groaned as he pulled back but still stayed close. I could feel the movement of his lips against mine as he continued murmuring the lyrics I was becoming lost in.

It can start a fire,
Light up the sky.
Such a simple thing,
Do you wanna try?
Are you ready to
Say goodbye
To all these blues?

The tune was now forgotten as he whispered the rest and right as he leaned in again a loud bang was heard as music started up.

The firework display was somewhat forgotten at first as I wrapped my arms around his neck and held him as close to me as I possibly could. Matt's tongue snaked it's way into my mouth while I was in a daze. It rubbed against my own and I heard a deep guttural groan come from him.

"I love kissing my girl." He said softly as he pulled away so I could take in a deep breath and revel in the pleasure of being in his arms.

***

"Alright guys. We're out." Val said as the amazing fireworks display ended and they all stood up. Matt, however, stayed seated and held onto me so I couldn’t go anywhere.

"Ok." I grinned after realizing that Matt wasn't going to let me go. I suppose he wanted to wait for the crowds to clear out first.

Zacky looked down at us with a smirk. "Have fun you two." He said in a baby voice before ruffling what little hair Matt had. Matt reached up and swatted his hand away as he chuckled.

"Get out of here." He said as he shoved Zacky before giving the group a wave.

Matt turned his attention back to me and went to talk but not before we heard a shout that could be heard throughout the entrance of the park. "Don't forget to use protection!" Jimmy's voiced echoed making both Matt and I shrink down lower to the ground.

"Oh gosh." I mumbled as I hid my face in my hands.

Matt just rested his head back on my shoulder as he chuckled at Jimmy's antics. That was such a Jimmy thing to do too.

When my embarrassment passed I leaned my head back against Matt's broad chest and settled back into him.

I felt his hands grab onto mine as he held them both in my lap. Coarse fingers rubbed across my soft ones as we listened to the hustle and bustle of people around us.

"Cels there's something I wanted to talk to you about before we go back." Matt's voice was husky but because of it's proximity to my ear I could also detect a trace of uncertainty in his tone.

"I, well, I've never done this before so bare with me." He laughed nervously.

I noticed he began to fiddle with my fingers more as he fought to control his breathing. "Celeste I love you so incredibly much and as time has gone by I've come to realize that I don't want any other woman in my life. I can't see myself without you by my side as I grow old. It seems like every time I think about the future, you're a part of my thoughts. Now I know you're probably nowhere near ready, but I need you in my life forever."

I felt my breath completely catch in my throat. The sex question I had been ready for thanks to Val. But this, this blind sided me completely. I felt my skin go cold suddenly at the surprise but as Matt's breath cascaded over me I almost felt as ease about this.

"I want to ask you to marry me Celeste. But if you're not ready then I'd like to ask you to at least accept a promise ring in place of the engagement one I want to place on there at some point."

My body was frozen. It was almost as if someone had ripped out my vocal chords and my lungs because I couldn’t speak and I certainly couldn't breathe. At least, that's how it felt.

Matt wanted to marry me. Marry me. Little old me. The girl who used to be homeless on the streets. The girl who used to be abused by her family. Who used to be scared to death of all men. Who used to sit on that beach bench all day. Who used….. who used to just be.

Used to.

But not anymore. That past will always be a part of me, but it isn't who I am now. Right now I am a happy lady. Not a girl, a young lady. A part of a family. A part of something so special I can't even begin to describe it.

I'm a girl who is a part of Matt's life and Matt is a huge part of mine. Just like he had said, I can't imagine my life without him.

I don't think I could survive without him.

"I…" I started and then choked up instantly. Sniffles escaped my nose as I fought not to let the tears out. "I'd love to marry you, right now, Matt."

Removing one hand from where it was tangled with both of mine Matt reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black box. He placed the velvet item in my hands and then placed his around mine once more.

With my shaking fingers I opened the small box and gasped at the sight inside. Perhaps the most gorgeous ring I had ever seen was staring up at me, glinting in the dim lights that were casting gentle glows over the two of us. The band was silver and had diamonds embedded in it the entire way around. On top was a giant diamond that had two deep blue sapphires resting beside it. Matt grinned as he gently reached up and took the ring out of the box and slipped it on my left hand where it belonged. I set the box down as Matt held my hands again and I couldn’t help but notice how right this looked. It looked right and it definitely felt right.

I spun around in Matt's grasp and practically tackled him. I pushed my lips to his and kissed him with a passion I never knew I had. He seemed to be overtaken at first but then he recovered and I felt him grin.

"I love you Matthew Sanders." I said with a gasp as I realized we were still in a public place.

"I love you too future Mrs. Matthew Sanders." He chuckled with a grin before he gave me another kiss, this one a bit on the tamer side. "I do believe I want to take you back to the hotel and ravish your body now." He whispered deeply into my ear as I rested my head on his shoulder.

With a blush I looked up and gave him a timid smile. "That sounds like a good idea to me."

Matt stood up and placed the now empty velvet box back into his pocket before he grabbed my left hand and helped me up as well. "I can't believe this." I mumbled as we headed toward the park exit. The smile on my face was unmistakable and many of the people who walked past us could tell what had just taken place simply by the looks on our faces. I didn't think it could be possible to take the smile and happiness from me.

Not a word was spoken between us as we walked. The second we exited the park Matt surprised me by picking me up bridal style and telling me I wasn't getting down until he placed me down on our bed.

This was my life now. I was engaged to be married to the guy who had helped me overcome everything. I didn’t think there was possibly anything left in this world to fear while Matt was by my side. I was set for eternity and I was definitely set for my last and final hurdle.

Matt reached into his pocket with one hand when we reached the door to our suite and pulled out his room key. With one hand he swiped the card and pushed the door open before stepping in and kicking it closed behind him. He tossed the key on the couch and then reached back into his pocket where he pulled out five more key cards before tossing them onto the couch as well.

"Are those..." I started to question with a grin as I pointed at the keys.

Matt simply nodded with an evil grin before he hungrily pushed his lips onto mine without waiting any longer.

I closed my eyes and let his tongue slip into my mouth momentarily as he entered the bedroom and closed those doors behind us as well.

He gently placed me on the bed without breaking our lip lock and climbed on top of me. His large legs straddled my body as his hands slipped up my top and began to pull it up. The kiss broke only momentarily so he could help me pull my shirt and tank top over my head in one movement.

"I didn’t want to be disturbed tonight. They can manage." He grinned before engaging in another kiss.

I tugged at his hair as his hands slipped behind my back and unclipped the strapless bra I was still sporting. I felt the material slip from my body and the sound of it hitting the floor echoed throughout the room. His hair threaded through my fingers as I removed them from his head and sought out the buttons that ran down the front of his shirt.

Fumbling, I finally managed to get them all undone after a minute and he sat up slightly so I could pull the black shirt down his arms and off of his person. I tossed it to the floor as Matt began to slowly work on the button and zipper of my jeans.

"Val said you're on birth control. Why didn't you ever tell me?" He grunted as he pulled away slightly from the intense kiss.

Breathing heavily I looked into his hazel eyes that were gazing hungrily into my own ocean orbs. "I was always forced to be on it when I was younger. I found it helped my mood swings and emotions. I've just always stayed on it."

Matt nodded as he slid my jeans down my legs, leaving me in only my black thong and him in his pants still.

His eyes were busy roaming my body and I was beginning to feel a bit self conscious. That was, I was feeling self conscious until he let out a deep growl and rid himself of his jeans as well.

Sighing I let him crawl back on top of me and allowed his hands to freely roam my body as they pleased. On the way down they hooked onto the thin string of the only undergarment that was left and pulled them down. He moved back for the last time and rid himself of his boxers revealing himself in all his glory.

A blush crept up my cheeks and I suddenly was becoming increasingly nervous. I had taken grown men before but none were ever the size of Matt. I was beginning to worry this might be painful at first.

Seeing the worry seep onto my face Matt leaned down and let his now fully grown erection press onto my thigh as he relaxed. He was severely aroused and I had to admit, I was too despite my nerves.

"I love you." He said in a deep voice that was laced with lust and love. "Are you sure about this?"

I looked into his eyes and placed my hands on his face. With a simple nod I confirmed his question and he pressed his lips to mine again. "I'll try and be gentle." He said as one of his hands went down my body and came to rest over my lower region.

A surprised gasp mixed with his moan as he gently pressed a finger deep into me. I could feel my walls clench around the digit as if they were hanging onto him for dear life.

Satisfied with how aroused I was he pulled his finger out and I felt him shift his hips so he was positioned at my entrance. His clean hand came up and cupped my cheek as he kissed me in hopes of creating a distraction. His tongue pushed into my mouth and I flinched as I felt him begin to press into me.

My insides felt like they were being stretched to their full extent and I fought hard to keep the tears of pain at bay. Although not a virgin it was still a painful experience. I felt Matt continued to push into my body before he came to a stop and let me adjust to his size.

My breathing was heavy and erratic as Matt continued to kiss me gently. A few tears leaked out of the corners of my eyes but he was quick to wipe them away. "Are you alright?" He questioned through a deep breath.

"Fine. It just hurts a little." I whimpered as Matt nodded.

"I'm going to start moving some. Let me know if it gets to be too much hun."

Without waiting for an answer his hands grabbed onto my breasts as he covered my mouth again. He started pulling out and then slowly moved back in.

The pain was beginning to subside and soon I was starting to be overwhelmed with a pleasure I had never experienced before.

Never had I felt what Matt was making me feel. As he pushed back in he hit a spot that made me let out a small scream. I felt him smirk as he continued to hit the spot over and over again. I wiggled beneath him and tugged at his hair as I felt my body lose control.

There really was a difference in having sex with someone you were in love with. It was special and I was so thankful I was having this moment with Matt.

Both Matt and I were panting as I felt my body begin to become jittery a little while later.

Faster and faster Matt moved until I felt like I was on the edge of breaking. "Almost there babe." He grunted as he sucked on my neck, working on what would become a very visible hickey by the morning.

Matt groaned and pushed in and out even faster before I felt myself start to lose it. An overwhelming cry of ecstasy came from both of us as I felt my body start to convulse and shake. Matt groaned and I felt a warm feeling come from him as the two of us climaxed together. My walls clenched around him as he finished us both off and then collapsed on top of me with a sigh.

Not pulling out he rolled us over so he was flat on his back and I was resting on his chest flush against him.

A trail of kisses was placed along my neck to my lips gently. "I fucking love you to pieces." He said gruffly as he ran his hands through my hair to help me come down from my high.

Soft puffs of breath were still emitting from my mouth as I fought to get my breathing back under control. I brought my left hand up and rested it against his chest as I admired the ring that was still there.

Small tears started to escape my eyes as I realized all this man had done for me since we met. He had given me everything and put all of his effort into helping me overcome my fears. Looking back now, I didn’t have a single fear left. I had conquered them all with Matt's help and I didn’t think I would ever be able to repay him.

"Thank you Matt." I said as I kissed his tattooed chest lightly. "I love you too. More then you'll ever know."

My body was calming down finally and I felt Matt shift slightly, reminding me that he was still buried deep within my body. I didn’t want him leaving. I wanted to stay this connected to him forever. Two different people were now one.

My eyes drifted shut gently before they fluttered open again as Matt ran his hands through my hair gently.

"You wore me out Matt." I said with a shaky sigh as I let my eyes flutter closed again.

He chuckled and his chest reverberated against my own. "I guess I won't ask for a round two then."

My head shot up as I stared at him in exhausted disbelief. "Round two?"

Matt laughed at my shocked look and gently pushed my head back down on his chest. "Baby, I could probably go all night if you wanted to."

"Oh my." I whispered making him laugh again. "We'll work up to that." I said with a yawn.

"That's fine with me. You need to get some sleep now princess." He kissed the top of my head and went back to playing with my hair. "Do you want me to pull out now?" He questioned kindly.

I shook my head and mumbled a no. "Stay."

"Alright." He said with a small smile.

The age old saying love knows no boundaries floated into my mind as I began to drift off. Except my mind had rearranged it so that it was saying our love has no boundaries.

There were no boundaries left between Matt and I.

I never thought this day would come but I was incredibly thankful that it had.

And I had Matt to thank and love for the rest of my life.