One Wild Night

Chapter 964: Thankful



Tom stirred in his sleep, a peaceful smile on his face, but his serene rest was interrupted by a series of light kisses being peppered across his face.

His eyes fluttered open, and the sight that greeted him made him laugh- a sound that rumbled deep in his chest. Lucy was leaning over him, grinning mischievously as she kissed him again and again.

"What are you doing?" he asked, his voice rough with sleep but filled with affection.

"Waking up the love of my life," Lucy replied, her voice soft but playful as she continued her assault of kisses on his eyes, cheeks and forehead.

Tom chuckled again, his hand coming up to rest on her waist as he adjusted. "Mission accomplished," he said, his grin widening.

"Good morning, lover. Did you sleep well?" Lucy asked as with a mischievous smile as she rolled her body fully on top of him, adjusting herself so that she straddled his waist.

"Yeah. I did. Did you?" He asked as he shifted beneath her, propping himself up slightly on his elbows as he watched her with a grin.

"Too well," she admitted, her gaze softening as she looked down at him.

"So, how come you woke up so early?" Tom asked, and she smiled.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"I dreamt. I dreamt of my high school days. And it wasn't a nightmare," she said, her voice suddenly soft and sincere as she brushed a hand through his hair.

"Thank you," Lucy said, "Thank you for everything- for last night, the reunion... for coming into my life, for loving me the way you do. I couldn't have asked for a better man."

"You don't have to thank me for any of that, Jewel. And if you must, then the only form of gratitude I expect is your happiness. Seeing you happy will be more than enough for me," he said as he reached up to cup her cheek.

"You know, it feels like we've been together for years, not months," he said quietly, his eyes searching hers.

"I feel the same," Lucy whispered, her heart swelling with emotion.

The words she wanted to say 'I want to marry you' danced on the tip of her tongue.

She was overwhelmed with the urge to just forget all about her grand proposal plan and tell him right there and then that she was completely in love with him and wanted to marry him and have beautiful kids with him.

But she held herself back, not wanting to ruin the perfect proposal she had been planning. She deeply hoped that with the way she was feeling about him at the moment she would be able to hold off until the Christmas party to tell him how she was feeling.

Looking into her gray eyes which had darkened with emotion, Tom could tell that she wanted to say something and was struggling with it, but before he could ask her what it was, his phone buzzed loudly on the nightstand, pulling them both from the moment.

Tom sighed as Lucy reached over to grab the phone. "Why can't they leave me and my baby alone?" he asked with a playful scowl and he took the phone from her.

His playful expression faltered as he looked at the screen. It was Barry. He frowned slightly before answering the call. "Hey, Bar," Tom greeted, his tone shifting to something more serious.

Lucy watched his expression closely, her playful mood fading as she saw his features tighten. He said little as he listened to Barry on the other end of the line, nodding occasionally. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Tom ended the call and set the phone down, a heavy sigh escaping his lips.

"Henry's dead," Tom said flatly, relaying all that Barry had just told him. He had died of a cardiac arrest.

For a moment, Lucy didn't say anything as she processed the news, and then she exhaled slowly, relief washing over her. "I'm happy for Mia," she said softly. "She doesn't have to worry about him anymore. Not for the rest of her life."

Tom nodded, but he didn't seem inclined to linger on the subject. Sensing his mood, Lucy gently touched his arm, her bright energy returning as she tried to lift the room's spirits. "I've been thinking," she said with a grin, "I want to take some pictures of us together in bathrobes, like those cute couples on Instagram."

Tom blinked, surprised by the shift in topic, and then he laughed. "We can do whatever you want," he said, his mood lightening as he smiled at her.

Without missing a beat, Lucy sprang up from the bed, grabbing her phone from the nightstand and tossing Tom his robe. "Come on, get up!" she urged, already snapping a picture of him as he reluctantly pulled himself from under the covers.

Tom groaned playfully, but his amusement was clear as he tied the robe around his waist. "You're really into this, huh?"

"Of course I am!" Lucy said, pulling him toward the full-length mirror. "We're adorable." Tom couldn't argue with that. He wrapped an arm around her waist as they posed in front of the mirror, Lucy snapping selfie after selfie. She made sure to capture every angle, even pulling out her phone as they brushed their teeth side by side, much to Tom's amusement.

Once they were both freshened up and dressed to step out of the room for breakfast, Lucy took some more photos.

As they headed for the door she paused, her fingers hovering over her phone as she contemplated calling Lucas and Amy. "Maybe we should invite them to join us for breakfast," she suggested.

Tom shook his head, pulling her close. "Let's leave them alone. I think they'd appreciate some quiet time, and so would we. I just want to spend all my time with you."

Lucy laughed, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Alright, alright. Just us, then. Let's go." The hotel's restaurant staff greeted them warmly as they descended to the dining area. To Lucy's delight, they were led out to a private balcony overlooking the city, where a table for two had been set up, complete with fresh flowers and a stunning view of the skyline. Lucy's eyes lit up as she took in the sight.

"I love this!" she exclaimed, turning to Tom with a beaming smile. "The view is perfect, the food smells amazing- this is exactly what I needed."

Tom watched her, a soft smile playing on his lips as he admired the way her excitement shone through. "I love seeing you this happy," he said, his voice full of warmth.

"Well, you said my happiness was your reward, so take it," she said, blowing him a kiss, and Tom chuckled as he caught it, and then swallowed it, making her laugh out loud.

"God! I love you," Lucy said, going to stand in front of him and wrapping her arms around his

neck.

"You love God or you love me?" Tom asked, and she giggled.

"I love God, and I love you," she said, brushing her lips against his.

"And I love you, too," he said as he pulled out a seat for her.

The staff who were on standby to serve them, smiled discreetly as they watched them,

amused by the interaction between them.

As they sat down, Lucy quickly pulled out her phone to snap a picture of the beautifully set table from her view. "Take a picture of your view, too," she said, gesturing to Tom. Instead of pointing his phone at the table, Tom turned it toward her, snapping a series of photos of Lucy as she smiled, her face glowing in the morning light.

"Hey!" she protested with a laugh. "I meant your view of the table, not me."

Tom grinned, lowering his phone. "Why would I want a picture of the table when my view of

you is much better?"

Lucy blushed, unable to hide her smile. "Stop making me smile," she said, covering her face and Tom chuckled as he signaled one of the waiters over and handed him his phone.

"Capture pictures of us," he ordered.

"And you can make a video too. Thanks," Lucy said, and he nodded eagerly as he stepped back

to do as he had been instructed.

She leaned back in her chair, looking around at the peaceful morning scene. "This feels like a vacation," she sighed contentedly.

Tom reached across the table, taking her hand in his. "Every day with you feels like a vacation," he said, his voice full of sincerity.

Lucy's heart skipped a beat, and for another moment, she considered abandoning her

proposal plan altogether and telling him right then and there that she wanted to marry him. But like before she held back, deciding that the moment she had planned would be worth the

wait.

Instead, she simply squeezed his hand, her eyes shining with love. "I feel the same way."

Tom, who had noticed her struggle once again and her hesitation once again couldn't help but wonder what it was she wanted to tell him.

Perhaps she wanted to tell him that she had changed her mind about marrying him, Tom

pondered.

Well, if that was what she was struggling to say, then she was in for a surprise.