"Mmmm... And I love you," I replied, my heart filled with the weight of those words. We remained wrapped in each other's embrace for several minutes, and when he finally eased away, I felt an unexpected sense of emptiness, a subtle pang of loneliness. An irrational fear crept into my mind—that I would always worry about his return, that I would never feel completely safe. But as if he sensed my unease, he zipped up his jeans and gathered me into his arms, disregarding our disheveled state as he led me back to the living room. Tenderly, he settled me on the couch, pulling a blanket over my naked body. Then, he simply disappeared. Confusion and worry washed over me. Had I done something wrong? I waited anxiously for a few minutes, contemplating getting up from the couch, when he reappeared. In his hands, he held an open bottle of champagne and two crystal glasses. It was a moment of enchantment, especially coming from a man who claimed not to have a romantic bone in his body. He pour