Chapter 199: "A Family Of Our Own"

The sudden question made Aren go completely still.

For several long moments, she searched Caio’s face for any trace of teasing, only to realize that every word had been spoken with complete seriousness.

"You want to..." she repeated hesitantly, "...marry me?"

Even after saying the words aloud, she still couldn’t quite believe he’d actually asked.

Strangely enough, however, the first thing that struck her wasn’t the enormity of the proposal itself.

It was the logistics.

"But, um..." her gaze drifted toward the ceiling as she considered the matter more seriously, "...how exactly does marriage work in this world? Do we have to sign another contract?"

Caio went rigid.

For several seconds, he simply stared at her, his eyes widening in surprise before an unexpected laugh escaped him.

"Phfft—"

He tried to suppress it, but the more he looked at Aren’s utterly serious expression, the harder it became.

"Hmfft—...Ha ha... I guess we’ll have to."

The laughter kept coming, making it increasingly difficult for him to maintain a serious expression, let alone keep his hand properly against her cheek.

"We’ll sign some papers," he explained, slightly calmer now. "Hold a ceremony and invite half of Borgata’s underworld. Exchange vows promising we’ll love each other until death do us part in front of all those people. Start wearing matching rings, too, usually."

Aren nodded slowly, practically taking mental notes as he listed each requirement.

"Okay. That sounds like a very complicated process."

Caio shook his head, still laughing softly at her utterly serious expression.

"...It doesn’t have to be complicated if you don’t want it to be."

His laughter gradually faded, giving way to something quieter and more sincere.

"But those are just formality, Aren. Just things people are expected to do. What I’m really proposing to you is that..." he paused, his gaze softening, "...we could have a family of our own."

He reached for her hand and gently turned it over, his thumb brushing across her palm.

The way he looked at her was an expression she had rarely, if ever, seen from him.

"...We could have our own babies."

Aren stared at him, even more startled by the idea.

"Our... babies?"

"Mm-hm."

Caio’s hum was quiet, almost thoughtful, but there was already something dangerously hopeful in his eyes as his imagination began running ahead of him.

"I’ll make love to you every night. I’ll put babies inside you. I’ll give you and our children everything I have, and you’ll be their mother."

He studied her face carefully, watching for every tiny reaction.

"...Would you want something like that?"

Aren didn’t answer immediately.

She didn’t even know what expression she was supposed to make.

Her gaze slowly dropped toward her lap as she considered the question with the seriousness it deserved.

Marriage was a major decision, or at least she believed it was, and Caio had asked her with complete sincerity.

She wanted to give him an equally sincere answer.

"Truth be told..." she began quietly, "I really don’t know if that’s something I want. I’ve never thought about having babies before in my life."

Her brow furrowed slightly as she tried to imagine it.

"But if the babies look like you..." her eyes lifted toward him, "I’m sure they’ll be the cutest babies in the world."

The answer was so far removed from anything Caio had expected that he was momentarily speechless.

Part of him didn’t know whether he should be delighted that she’d already imagined what their children might look like, or troubled by the fact that she’d apparently never considered becoming a mother before.

But beneath all those conflicting emotions, one thing remained undeniable.

He was happy.

Far happier than he had any right to be over such a small answer.

For the moment, he decided to hold on to that tiny thread of hope, and push his luck a little further.

"You really think they’ll be cute if they look like me?"

"Of course," Aren nodded with complete seriousness. "They’ll be very cool, sweet, gentle, and beautiful too, whether they’re boys or girls. They’ll know how to shoot very well, fight very well, and they’ll be excellent at everything you’re excellent at."

At that, Caio could no longer hide the happiness surging through him.

A broad smile spread across his face before he could stop it.

"That doesn’t actually sound so bad, though... it’s not exactly what I had in mind."

Aren looked at him curiously.

"What do you have in mind, then?"

Instead of answering immediately, he pulled her closer and pressed a soft kiss against her cheek.

"I was hoping our babies would be more like you."

The next kiss landed slightly lower, then another, until his lips finally reached hers and stole away whatever question Aren had been about to ask.

Naturally, instinctively, she leaned forward and returned the kiss.

The faint sweetness of apple cider still lingered on her tongue, and its warmth seemed to make her melt into him more easily.

’Wait...’

Her thoughts became hazier as the kiss lingered.

’Is he going to...’

Slowly, almost imperceptibly, she felt the tender kiss transform, shifting into something far more intimate than the quiet conversation between them.

Caio kissed her more intensely, his mouth moving against hers with growing hunger as his hands slipped beneath the hem of her shirt.

Deliberately, he pushed the fabric higher, breaking their kiss only long enough to pull the shirt over her head and toss it aside.

Her bra followed soon after.

The straps slipped from her shoulders, leaving her breasts bare to the cool air of the kitchen.

"Caio?" Aren murmured, uncertainty and anticipation mingling in her voice as she wondered whether he wanted her now.

Caio gave her no verbal answer.

Instead, he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss against the swell of one breast, before closing his lips around her nipple.

He sucked gently at first, testing her reaction, then gradually increased the pressure when she responded.

"Mm... hah—"

Aren’s back arched into his mouth, her fingers quickly finding his hair.

"So tasty," he murmured against her skin.

He sucked a little harder before finally releasing her nipple with a soft, wet sound.

"...Stop saying things like that," she protested weakly, her cheeks already burning.

The sight only pleased him further.

His lips brushed teasingly over the sensitive peak again, his voice unmistakably amused.

"Because it makes you shy?"

Wanting to see just how much further he could push her embarrassment, he lightly grazed her nipple with his teeth, before drawing it into his mouth again.

The sudden sensation shattered what little composure she had left.

"Caio—"

"Mmm."

He merely hummed in satisfaction as he continued, his tongue circling the stiff peak, flicking and teasing.

"What is it, Aren?" he teased. "I’m listening."

His free hand cupped her other breast, rolling her nipple between his fingers until her body trembled beneath his touch.

"Mm... mmm..."

She bit her lower lip and glared at him, furious with the way he kept teasing her.

Caio could only laugh softly at the sight.

Her expression was far too adorable to take seriously.

Only then did one of his hands begin traveling lower, finding the button of her jeans.

The moment he touched it, Aren jumped.

"Caio?"

She looked down.

"Already...?"

He simply answered by carefully undoing the button, then pulling the zipper down with a quiet rasp.

"Hm—mm... why..." she breathed, shivering as the cooler air touched more of her exposed skin. "Why so suddenly? We’re still in the kitchen..."

"Why do you look so surprised?"

He leaned closer, his lips brushing the shell of her ear in a low murmur.

"Can’t I touch you in the kitchen?"

"No..." She looked away, her face growing hotter. "It’s not that. I’m just... you’ve only ever touched me in our bedrooms."

Caio laughed softly.

A smirk returned to his lips, thoroughly satisfied by her reaction.

"Tonight is different," he murmured, catching her earlobe between his teeth. "Tonight is our first date."