by Nicole Snow
Just like that, he picks me up, carries me to bed, and puts me down on my knees. There’s a snap of an elastic waistband behind me as he peels off his boxers. Then he folds his hands gently around my wrists, bends me over, slides his thick cock into me, and—
It’s not even sex.
The word doesn’t fit. Not for the way he alternates between savage strokes and tender, slower thrusts. Not for how he whispers sweet nothings in my ear, calls me baby, tells me I’m going to come so good for him I’ll be ruined.
And I do.
Several shameless times.
Definitely not a fit for the wicked, exhilarating end of round one, when he’s slamming into me so hard I might break, and I’ve got my face pushed deep into the pillow to muffle my screams, and my pussy tightens on his frolicking cock so sweetly I think it just drags the truth out of him.
“Gonna fucking marry you, Valerie. Marry you for real,” he snarls, his thumb flicking over the black pearl on my finger. “Gonna live to see this shit in family photos. Gonna make this family a whole lot bigger with you.”
I don’t even have a prayer.
I’m thrashing back against his tight abs, ass charging into him, love, love, loving how he pins me down so hard as his cock swells and pours its heat into me.
I think Flint Calum comes out half his soul with a roar that could rend the sky in two.
I know I do, gasping and rubbing, exploding from the inside out, locked in this sweaty, seething mess with the man, the hero, the husband I want in my life forever.
“Fucking aye,” he gasps, falling down on the bed beside me after he pulls out. “That was damn near deadly.”
“Not quite. We found out you’re still built like a steel pipe wrapped in velvet. I wouldn’t call that deadly,” I say, kissing him deeply, grabbing his cock and rubbing gently as he groans. “That was living. And if you meant half the stuff you said, I’m yours.”
22
String of Pearls (Flint)
Living.
That’s exactly what I’ve been doing since the day Cash brought Val to my house several months ago. I didn’t have a clue I was about to get whacked upside the head in the best damn way.
She’s already given me and Bryce ten times what we give her back, but I want more.
I want forever.
Just like I told her that night our glad-we-didn’t-die monkey sex pulled it out of me.
Val wants it, too.
I sincerely hope she does, judging by the fact that she’s never taken off the ring I gave her while we played pretend. But I’m old enough to know there’s only one way to get an answer out of a woman.
Ask.
For the first time in my life, I have butterflies—fucking butterflies—in my stomach.
Yeah, that’s a hell of a thing for a former SEAL to admit.
Good thing I’ve fessed up and made peace with plenty of other things since Val.
Truth is, honesty feels just as good.
“Everything’s loaded up in the truck, Dad!” Bryce says, closing the garage door. “Where’s Valerie?”
“Putting on her swimsuit.” I grab my keys off the counter. “Did you pack sunscreen?”
“Sure, but you know Grandma. She’ll be handing it out by the gallon.” He grins and walks over to the kitchen, glances down the hall, then turns back to me and whispers, “Don’t worry. She’s gonna say yes. I just know it!”
I lean down, giving his shoulder a manly squeeze. We had the heart-to-heart talk last week, when I told him my intentions. My boy not only gave me his stamp of approval, he gave me an idea for how to pop the question.
“Thanks, kiddo,” I whisper. “I think so, too. We’ll find out soon enough.”
“What are you two whispering about?”
We both look down the hall. Val stands there in a bright-yellow sleeveless dress pulled over her swimsuit and a floppy white hat, her hands on her hips.
Her tanned legs instantly hound me to get this show moving.
The sooner it’s done, the faster they’re wrapped around my very lucky ass forever.
“Oh, just guy stuff.” Bryce nudges me with an elbow. “Right, Dad?”
“Right. All set?”
“You know I am,” she says, striding forward with a luscious toss of her hair. “We’d better head out; your mom will be waiting.”
I wave them both toward the garage door.
This is all Bryce’s idea. I’d thought about taking Val to a nice restaurant, just the two of us, but because this impacts his life, too, he was full of ideas. And when he mentioned the beach...
Hell, I’d be hard-pressed to think of a more perfect place.
“You’re going to love this beach, Valerie,” Bryce says as we’re backing out of the garage. “It might be your favorite one in all of Hawaii after today.”
“Oh, why’s that?”
“Just ’cause,” he says, giggling into his hand, giving me a knowing wink in the mirror.
“Right, Bud,” I answer, and wink at Valerie.
She laughs and asks Bryce questions about the beach as we drive over to my ma’s house and pick her up. Thankfully, she doesn’t know what I’ve got planned, at least not yet.
I’m sure Bryce will fill her in the second he gets a chance.
“I’m so glad you’re coming with me today,” Ma says. “Alice Gomez said she found a gold ring and ten bucks in change when she brought her metal detector to this beach last week.”
“Got my detector in the back!” Bryce says.
“Have you ever gone treasure hunting, Valerie?” Ma asks.
“No, I haven’t, but it sounds like fun.”
“Oh, it’ll be fun all right,” Bryce says, his grin growing wider when he catches my eyes in the mirror.
By the time we get to the beach, it’s obvious my ma knows something’s up.
She’s practically bouncing on her heels and hugs Val as soon she steps out of the truck. Then she leans close to me and says, “Pick a nice spot.”
Bryce grabs Valerie’s hand. “Look, there’s a sea turtle!”
She looks at me and I laugh.
Turtles, turtles, everywhere we go.
Maybe I never appreciated their huge, bulky bodies flopped down in the sun much before, but I do now. They saved our lives and brought me closer to this perfection.
She grabs her beach bag out of the truck and crosses the parking lot toward the beach with Bryce, while Mother joins me at the back of the truck.
“So you’re going to do it, Flint?” she asks. “Tell me I’m not going senile...”
“I’m thinking about it, Ma.” I shake my head, then reconsider why I’m bothering to hold my cards so close. “Yeah. I’m asking her.”
“Oh, Flint!” she chirps, throwing her arms around my neck. “I knew she was the one for you. The sweetness you deserve.”
I’m not sure how to respond. A small part of me thinks she might’ve said that about any girl I’d have chosen.
“I mean it,” she says, reading my mind. “Valerie’s special. She’s a new chapter in the Big Book of Flint. She found you right when you were ready to let go of the past. It’s fate, son. She needed you as much as you needed her, and now that all this nasty business is behind you both, you can focus on the future.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Ma,” I tell her.
Still beaming, she grabs both metal detectors out of the back of the truck. “Besides, Bryce is growing up so fast...I’m not sure how much longer I’ll be able to take him out. If I even blink, he’ll be in college, busy like all boys get. And going to these big resorts and ice cream shops myself would just be awkward, so...more grandchildren. Please.”
What else can I say? It’s so ridiculous, so Ma, I just burst out laughing.
Giving me a wink, she heads for the beach. I grab the cooler and another bag out of the back and follow.
She’s right. Val was the cure I needed before I even knew my own disease. Or hadn’t wanted to admit I had it.<
br />
In no time, Ma and Bryce are off scanning the sand with their metal detectors, giving us some sorely needed space. There’s a charge in my blood as I sit next to Val.
“They sure love treasure hunting,” she says.
“Did you want to join them?”
“No, not yet. Bryce said he’d yell if they found something good.” She bumps my shoulder with her head. “He said I need to keep you company.”
“Lucky you.” I smile, kissing the top of her head.
She laughs and then lets out a long sigh. “It’s been just crazy, hasn’t it?”
“Fucking nuts.”
No exaggeration. After her family moved back into their secured homes, the FBI field teams and legal machine went into overdrive. Ray’s info is still tearing apart the Cornaro Outfit worldwide.
“My mom called this morning. Wes gave them the go-ahead on resuming the fishing business. Turns out we just had to forfeit dad’s old Swiss account to the IRS. Their forensics team says the money never mingled too much with King Heron, so they won’t seize any physical assets.”
“Good to hear,” I tell her with a firm nod.
She looks up at me. “You already knew that, didn’t you?”
“Ray called yesterday evening. He’s excited to get things back on track.”
“It’s all thanks to you. I can’t thank you enough for helping him so much. And my mother.” She laughs. “And me.”
I give her a quick kiss. “It’s a gorgeous day. Feel that wind? Let’s take a walk.”
“Okay!”
I help her up and we walk to the ocean, winding along the shore with the gentle waves splashing over our bare feet. A big one crashes against my legs. I pull Val away just in time as she lets out a playful squeal.
Fine by me.
We’re heading in the opposite direction from Bryce and Ma, so we have plenty of privacy.
The sand gradually gives way to a rockier area. We stop there and I take a long moment to just look at Val in the sun, admiring her beauty.
The sheer gratitude that she’s in my life fills me.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Because you’re fucking stunning. Hard not to stare,” I tell her, meaning every word.
She laughs, lush heat flaming into her cheeks. “I think you’ve had too much sun.”
“Not the sun, babe. You, on the other hand...”
She frowns slightly.
I lift the hand I’m holding and rub my thumb over the black pearl ring on her finger. “You like this ring, don’t you?”
“Well, yeah. I, um...I only wear it every day like a crazy woman. In case you hadn’t noticed.” She closes her eyes. “I guess it’s just...your ring gave me hope while I was on Cornaro’s yacht.”
I nod, well aware that long, dark night will always leave scars.
Opening her eyes, she says, “I know that sounds silly, but it’s the truth. Things looked so bleak, but I had this ring. It showed me I had a lot to live for, to fight for, to survive for because there was a chance you’d come. That’s when I found the broken glass, knowing I needed some kind of weapon so I could fight back. Stay alive. All so I could see you again.”
That’s so her. A strong, sexy fighter hidden inside an angel’s body. I’m proud I helped her strike gold inside herself.
“I figured it’d be a tough act to follow, but hell.” I hesitate, running a hand through my hair. “Val, would you ever want another one?”
“Another what?” she asks.
I reach into my pocket, retrieving the wedding band I’d had made to match the ring she’s wearing. “Another treasure. A wedding ring.”
“A wedding—” She gasps, covering her mouth with one trembling hand.
Yeah, there’s my cue.
I fall down on one knee and hold out the box to her. It’s gold-plated, in the shape of a sea turtle.
I’d laughed at how perfect it was when I’d seen it at the jewelers. “Valerie Gerard, you’ve changed my whole world. You’ve brought light to my whole family. You’re the sexiest woman alive. There’s nothing I’ll ever want more than to spend the rest of my life with you, honey. Be my wife. Marry me?”
She lets out a little sob and drops down to her knees, flinging her arms around my neck. “Yes, of course! Let’s get married, Flint.”
I can taste the salty tang of her tears as we kiss.
“I never expected this,” she whispers as our lips part. “I hoped it might happen someday, dreamed it would, but wow. Just wow.” She gasps for air. “I might just fall right over. I love you so much.”
She kisses me again.
“Love you, too, Val. More than anything.”
We share a long smile before the light weight shifts in my hand.
“Uh, want to actually see the ring?” I ask, realizing I’m still clutching the box.
She laughs. “Oh, right.”
I lean back and hold it out to her.
“Oh my God. You didn’t. Another turtle?”
I’m laughing because she just noticed its shape.
“You’re too special, you know that?” She bites her bottom lip in this adorable smile.
“No shit,” I say. “I fell in love with you, woman. Found myself something far more special than black pearl.”
I wait while she flips open the box, exposing two bands made of white gold with more black pearls and diamonds matching her original ring.
“Wait. Two rings?” She looks up.
I nod. “To go above and below the one you’re wearing. The bigger one symbolizes my love for you, and the smaller one, that’s from Bryce. He insisted I throw something in because...you know. You’re mom to him now.”
Her pretty face tightens, and the tears fall down her cheeks. “Oh, Flint, that’s so, so perfect.”
“That’s what our whole life’s gonna be.”
I pull her close. Hug her. Kiss her.
We don’t stop until a sound behind us has me turning.
Ma. She has a hand over her mouth, and tears are sliding down her face. Bryce stands by her side, smiling sheepishly, waving me over.
Taking Val by the hand, we walk over, and I wrap an arm around my mom first, setting off a chain reaction of hugs.
A short time later, we find a nice shady spot where we can see the turtles, and then dive into our first picnic lunch as a real family.
23
Turtle Magic (Valerie)
I can’t believe how much life can change in just a few short months.
It’s almost as hard to believe how fast my mother and Beverly whipped up a wedding of this magnitude. There are people here I haven’t seen for years, flown in from the mainland.
Plus tons of extended family and new friends from Flint’s side. I’m so happy to have so many with us here on this glorious day.
The day that’s about to bind us together inseparably.
Okay, so I know it’s just a ceremony.
It’s just some legalese and grandeur making us a wedded couple.
But it’s also a celebration of our love. That’s the overwhelming part.
Everything about today reminds me how freaking much I love Flint Calum and his adorable son, and how much they love me right back.
The morning couldn’t have been more perfect, or the location. The private beach on the North Shore, where Flint and I first watched sea turtles together.
The same place where we’d shared our first kiss.
I’d thought I was his wife that day. Today, I’m becoming Mrs. Flint Calum for real.
Total. Emotional. Overload.
Cash stands off to the side as best man, wearing an almost brotherly look for Flint.
Bryce grins as he brings Flint the rings before the minister pronounces us man and wife. You already know the words.
I’m not sure I could repeat them if I tried, because what really sticks in my mind is that kiss.
The instant our ceremony ends, Flint seals it with a growling, overflowing, heartf
elt scream of a kiss I’ll never forget, sweeping me back in his arms.
Then Bryce joins us front and center for the flurry of photos while the crowd congratulates us. I can’t stop freaking smiling, knowing I’m now officially his mother as well as Flint’s wife.
The festivities run on until after sundown.
A large luau, full of feasting and music and dancing. There’s a ravishing sunset at the end of the day, like the whole island wants us to know we did good.
“The booze is only half gone. This is sure to go on for hours,” Flint whispers in my ear as we leave the dance floor.
“Oh, yeah. My brother hasn’t even gotten into the schnapps yet.” I lean against my handsome husband all decked out in a black tux to die for.
“So you’re ready to escape?” The shimmer in his eyes makes me smile and wonder.
“Escape?” I start laughing. “What do you have up your sleeve?”
He points to the sky. There’s a tiny light growing closer and closer. So does the sound of the helicopter blades.
“What’s that?”
“Our limo driver,” he jokes. “Did you really think I’d be that predictable?”
“Where are we going?” I ask, breaking into a smile.
Honestly, it doesn’t matter. I’d go to the moon with this man, and the way he surprises me is pretty great, too.
“Only one way to find out,” he says, grabbing my hand with a devilish grin.
The crowd erupts with cheers as the helicopter shines a purple spotlight on the party before it lands in the grass behind the beach.
Flint leads me through the crowd, pausing now and then to accept more congratulations and tell our families we’ll see them in a few days. Then we board the chopper.
The pilot lights up the waving crowd again as we ascend, and then we’re flying high over the water. The headphones smother most of the noise.
Flint taps my shoulder and points out the window. I laugh at the shimmering reflections of a few straggler turtles. They’re just slipping off the beach, back into the ocean for night.
It’s a short ride to a fairly remote end of the island. One of the privately owned areas that butts up against several protected parks. The noise has me holding back my questions until we’re out the door, and the chopper takes off again.
