by Marie Force
“I still can’t believe he did that,” Maddie said. “He’s lost his mind.”
“He stands to lose a lot more than that,” Dan said. “My contact in the attorney general’s office tells me they’re going for prison time for the assault with a deadly weapon charge.”
“Wow,” Maddie said on a long exhale. “Poor Ashleigh. How could he do this to his daughter?”
Mac took hold of her hand and gave it a squeeze. Jim Sturgil had done a lot of things to his wife and daughter that Mac couldn’t believe, beginning with leaving them in an empty house after he moved out and took most of what they’d owned with him. The assault on Dan, whom he’d accused of ruining his law practice, was the latest in a long string of bad moves by his former brother-in-law. Thank goodness Tiffany was happily remarried to Blaine Taylor now, and Ashleigh would have Blaine’s influence in her life growing up.
“So you’re here for estate planning.” Dan shuffled some papers on his desk. “I’ll confess that I haven’t done much of that since my first years out of law school, but I’m hoping it’ll be like riding a bike. I printed out some worksheets to get you started. You’ll have to list assets and other tangible property.”
“We’re mostly concerned about making sure our kids are taken care of,” Maddie said.
“After what happened to Lisa Chandler, it’s on our minds,” Mac added.
“You’re not alone in that,” Dan said. “I’ve gotten quite a few calls from other parents with the same concerns. Looks like I’m about to get back up to speed on estate planning right quick.” He reviewed the worksheets in depth with them, highlighting the areas he needed them to complete before their next meeting. “It’s all pretty straightforward.”
“Except for the part about who we want to get our kids if the worst should happen,” Maddie said. “That’s not straightforward at all.”
“What’s the issue?” Dan asked.
“We have too many candidates,” Mac said.
“That’s not a bad problem to have,” Dan said.
“No, but we’re concerned about causing divisiveness in our family by choosing one sibling over another,” Maddie said. “How do people handle that?”
“One thing I’d suggest is to decide on who you want and speak to that person and only that person about what you’re asking of them,” Dan said. “Make sure they fully understand what they’d be taking on and that they’re willing. After we make it legal, you don’t need to ever speak of it again. There’s a very good chance no one else will ever know who you chose. Or at least we hope that’s the case.”
“I like that,” Mac said. “Why would anyone else need to know as long as the person or couple we choose knows?” Speaking directly to Dan, he said, “You have a way of making sure that everyone involved understands that whatever we decide is what we wanted for them, right?”
“Yep. We’ll sew it up nice and tight so there’s no room for interpretation.”
Maddie glanced at him, her golden-brown eyes seeing right through him as usual. God, he loved that face, those eyes, those lips, the way she looked at him with love—except for when he was exasperating her, which was often. He could tell the conversation was distressing her, so he decided to wrap it up.
“This is a great start, Dan,” Mac said. “We’ll get going on this and make an appointment for next week.”
“Let’s do that now while you’re here.”
After they set up their next meeting, Dan walked them out. “See you Saturday night at Paul’s party?”
“I’ll be there,” Mac said. “Did you hear what the girls are up to for Jenny’s bachelorette party?”
“No, what?”
“Strippers,” Mac said. “Male strippers.”
Dan’s mouth fell open. “No way.”
“Yes, way. They were all abuzz over it at my house the other night.”
Dan glanced at Maddie, who smiled and shrugged. “I know nothing.”
“She lies,” Mac said. “Right to my face.”
“Well,” Maddie said, “gotta go get the kids from my mom. Come on, Mac.” She took him by the hand and dragged him down the stairs while Dan laughed at them. They met up with his fiancée, Kara, as they emerged onto the sidewalk.
“Hey, guys,” she said. “Is he up there?”
“Yep,” Maddie said. “He’s all yours. See you Saturday night?”
Kara grinned widely. “Wouldn’t miss it.” She went inside, leaving them on the sidewalk.
Mac had a million things he needed to do, beginning with the job he had pending at Seamus and Carolina’s, but his top priority was looking up at him with amusement dancing in those beautiful eyes. “You’re not going to Jenny’s party if there’s going to be strippers there.”
“You can’t tell me what to do.”
“Wanna bet?”
“Yep.”
When he glared at her, she laughed right in his face!
“You’re so cute when you’re trying to boss me around, Mac.” She went up on tiptoes and bit down on his earlobe, making him instantly hard.
He yanked her in close to him, not caring in the least that they were standing on a sidewalk where anyone might see them. “No strippers for my wife.”
“You’re really being ridiculous about this.”
“No, I’m not. How would you feel if I was cavorting with strippers?”
She raised a brow. “Male strippers?”
“No,” he said emphatically. “The female variety.”
Shrugging, she said, “Boys will be boys.”
“Are you freaking kidding me right now?”
“Do you honestly think I’m going to leave you for a male stripper, Mac?” She kissed him and disentangled from his embrace. “Now go to work and let me go get the kids from Mom. She has a hair appointment to get to.”
“We’re not done talking about this.”
Walking backward, she flashed a sexy smile and waggled her fingers at him. “Bye, Mac. Love you.”
“We’re not done!” he yelled after her.
The last thing he heard before she rounded the corner and disappeared out of view was her ringing laughter. They were definitely going to talk more about this later—and she was not going to that party.
Kara entered Dan’s office and found him sitting with his feet on his desk, pen in his mouth, papers in hand, brows knitted in concentration. He was so damned sexy, not that she could ever tell him that, because it would go straight to his already overinflated ego. But she loved that overinflated ego, just like she loved everything else about him.
Leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, she cleared her throat.
When he saw her there, his smile lit up his whole face. She loved that, too, the way he was always so damned glad to see her, even when he’d just woken her with slow, sultry morning lovemaking two short hours ago.
“Why, hello there, young lady. Are you in need of legal counsel?”
“Not at this time, but it appears you’re in need of some unpacking help. This place is a disaster.”
“You’re not spending your one day off unpacking my office.”
“Why not? I don’t have anything else to do, and this way I get to spend my one day off with my fiancé. It’s a win-win.”
Dan held out his hand to her. “Come over here and see me.”
She went to him, took hold of his hand and let him guide her onto his lap.
He nuzzled her neck, his whiskers abrading her skin. “I have a bone to pick with you, my love.”
Shifting on his lap, she felt his erection settle between her cheeks. “I thought we already picked that bone this morning.”
“Ha-ha, very funny. I’m talking about the male-stripper bone.”
“Oh. You heard about that, huh?”
“You’re goddamned right I did, and I’m none too pleased that I didn’t hear about it from you.”
“I was going to tell you.”
“When?”
“Sunday?” she asked with a grin.
“So we’re going to keep secrets in this marriage of ours? Is that how it’s going to be?”
“We’re not technically married yet.” She loved to wind him up, and judging by the stormy look he gave her, the comment was a direct hit.
“You’re actually going to get me on a technicality?”
“I’ve learned about such things from the best lawyer I’ve ever known.”
“No strippers.”
“Yes, dear.”
“I mean it, Kara. No one touches this sweet body except for me.” To make his point, he cupped her breast and teased her nipple.
“Do you really think I’d let anyone else touch me the way you do? Especially knowing what happened to you the last time you were engaged?”
He sighed deeply. “No, I don’t think you would, but the thought of it… It makes me crazy, Kara. I don’t want to be like that, but I can’t help it.”
She brought her lips down on his and ran her tongue over his bottom lip. “You have nothing to worry about where I’m concerned. I’m all yours. Forever and always yours.”
Cupping the back of her head, he dove into the kiss like a man who’d been starving until she came along. Another thing she loved about him was how much he wanted her. She kept expecting their ardor to wane, to burn itself out, but it only burned brighter the longer they were together.
“I don’t know how I’ll survive until next June when I can put a second ring on your finger,” he said when they came up for air.
“That’s a formality, Dan. As far as I’m concerned, we’re already married in all the ways that matter most.”
“I thought you said—”
“Forget I said that. I’d never, ever want you to feel insecure about me or us.”
“I don’t. Not really.”
Those two little words he added on at the end exposed the truth.
She took him by the face and stared into his glorious eyes. “I will never, ever, ever do to you what she did.”
“And I will never, ever hook up with one of your sisters the way he did.”
“Please don’t have those worries until June. I’d hate to think of you feeling like that between now and then.”
“I’ll try not to.”
“I know I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating—I’m sort of glad now that Kelly hooked up with Matt, and that your ex did your best man before the wedding. Both of those awful things led us to exactly where we belong—with each other. And nothing has ever been like this for me.”
“Me either, baby.” Burying his face in her hair, he held her tight, seeming to breathe her in.
“Now that we have that resolved, can we please do something about this office of yours?”
“If you insist.”
“I do.” Kara got up from his lap and tugged at his hand to bring him with her. Dropping to her knees in front of one of the open boxes, she started taking things out.
“Thanks for the help, babe.”
“Happy to do it.”
“Now, about those strippers…”
“Shut up, Dan, and get to work.”
Chief of Police Blaine Taylor paced from one end of Naughty & Nice to the other, full of barely contained rage as he waited for his wife to finish a customer transaction that she seemed to be dragging out. Or so it seemed to him. He could not believe what he’d just heard over coffee at the South Harbor Diner with Adam McCarthy and Joe Cantrell.
Strippers? Male strippers? Were they out of their goddamned minds?
The customer finally left the store, and Blaine pounced on Tiffany. “You want to tell me what the hell you’re thinking hiring male strippers to perform at Jenny’s party?”
“Hi, honey.” Wearing a cheerful smile, she came around the counter to hug and kiss him.
When she would’ve pulled back, he anchored her to him with an arm around her waist. He wanted to rage and scream and protest, but she was pregnant with his baby, and he’d never do anything to hurt or upset her. “Don’t try to use your considerable charms on me, Mrs. Taylor,” he growled. “Answer the question.”
“A, I did not hire strippers. Sydney is Jenny’s matron of honor, so you’ll need to take this up with her.” She batted her eyes at him. “I’m just an invited guest.”
“What’s B?”
She thought about that for a second. “No B. Just an A. I had nothing to do with it.”
“I don’t believe that for one second. In fact, I happen to believe this whole thing was your idea.”
“Why, Blaine, whatever are you inferring about your wife?”
“That she’s an operator of the highest order, and if anyone knows where to get male strippers, it’s the island’s sex-toy queen.”
“I’m offended by the implication.”
“But you’re not denying it, are you?”
She tightened her lips as she looked up at him, seeming to be deciding how much she should say. “Out of fear of self-incrimination, I’d like to plead the Fifth.”
Though he was seriously concerned about this harebrained plan of theirs, he couldn’t help but laugh at that. She was so damned cute and so damned sexy—never more so than she’d been since conceiving his baby.
“Listen to me,” he said sternly when he was done laughing. “You need to let me run background checks on these guys. I’m dead serious, Tiff. You have no idea who they are or where they’re coming from. What if they have criminal records?”
As she patted his chest, he sensed condescension coming his way. “Don’t worry about that. Sydney and Abby went through a reputable agency to hire them.”
He put his hand on top of his head, fearing it was going to blow off at any second. “This is not happening.”
“Blaine, honey, take a deep breath. It’s all in good fun. Who deserves a big blowout of a sendoff more than Jenny does? After all she’s been through… Come on. You wouldn’t do anything to ruin that for her, would you?”
“You’re doing that thing you do…”
“What thing?”
“With your eyes. You think if you look at me that way, I’ll melt into putty at your feet.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Sure you don’t,” he said with a laugh.
“Promise me you won’t mess with Jenny’s surprise.”
“I don’t know if I can make that promise.”
She leaned in so her lips were brushing against his ear. “If you do,” she said in a husky whisper, “I’ll suck your dick until you explode down my throat later.”
“Motherfucker,” he muttered. He was no match for her. He never had been, but damn, he loved her anyway.
To make her point completely, she cupped his suddenly rock-hard erection and dragged her fingernail over the full length of him, making him shudder from the effort it took not to come in his pants like a horny teenager.
“Promise?”
“I promise not to do anything to screw with Jenny’s party. You, on the other hand…”
“You may screw with me to your heart’s content.”
“Oh, I will. You’d better be ready when I get home tonight to pay up on that promise you made.”
“I’d never renege on a promise to you.”
He tightened the arm he had around her. “I want one other promise from you.”
“What’s that?”
“You will not touch those strippers or let them touch you, or I won’t be responsible for my actions. You got me?”
“Yes, dear.”
“Are you pacifying me?”
“Would I do that?”
“You absolutely would.”
She smiled up at him, her eyes twinkling with mirth. “I love you.”
“I love you, too, even when you’re manipulating me.”
“I’ll make it well worth your while tonight.” She gave his hard cock an extra squeeze for good measure.
“You’re really going to make me walk around in this condition all day?”
“Wh
at would you have me do about it?”
Though he was on duty and absolutely shouldn’t do this, he released her, strode to the door, locked it and put the Closed for Fifteen Minutes sign in the window. Then he took hold of her hand and half-walked, half-dragged her to the back of the store.
“Blaine,” she said on a nervous laugh. “I’m working here. You can’t just—”
Pressing her against the same wall that had hosted one of their very first encounters, he kissed the words right off her lips. His hand worked its way under her skirt, where he encountered a tiny string thong, the kind that never failed to turn him into a stark raving lunatic whenever he saw it wedged between her sweet cheeks. He pushed it out of his way and sank two fingers into her.
She turned her face to break the kiss and drew in a sharp breath.
He froze. “That didn’t hurt, did it?”
“God, no. Don’t stop.”
Keeping her anchored to the wall with the tight press of his body, he used his free hand to open his uniform pants. This was madness. He was on duty. He was the goddamned chief of police about to fuck his smoking-hot pregnant wife against a wall in her store in the middle of his shift.
“What?” she asked, tuning in to his reluctance.
“I shouldn’t be doing this.”
“Yes, you should. You absolutely should.” She finished freeing him from his pants and stroked him until his eyes crossed with lust. “Don’t leave me like this.”
What could he say to that? Nothing, so he forgot he was on duty and that she was working. He forgot about everything other than her and how much he loved her. The one thing he couldn’t forget was that she was pregnant, which was the only reason he didn’t hammer into her the way he wanted to. Rather, he took it slow and easy, cupping her ass cheeks as he worked his way into her tight channel.
“You take my breath away every goddamned time,” he whispered harshly.
“Same. Same, same, same.” She clung to him. “Don’t hold back, Blaine. It feels so good.”
