“It’s so good to see you, Mom,” he said quietly.
She smiled, wiping a happy tear away from her eye. Then, she turned to look at me. I offered a little wave, not sure what else to do—it wasn’t like I’d ever met a boyfriend’s parents before. Her eyes widened, and she rushed towards me with an excited flap of her hands.
“And who is this? Gary, Owen has brought a girlfriend home,” she called.
I giggled nervously, suddenly aware of the intense stare of Owen’s father. He stepped towards me, his expression cold for a moment before he broke into a smile. He offered his hand, and I shook it firmly.
“So, you must be the one who convinced our son to pay a visit,” he guessed.
I shook my head, gesturing for Owen to step closer.
“No, this was all Owen’s idea, sir. He really wanted to see you. Both of you,” I said reassuringly.
Gary looked unsure, but Owen stepped towards him and offered a hug. The two smiled before embracing, and I felt honored to be witnessing such a moment—the moment a family reformed. I felt myself being pulled into a group hug with Owen and his parents, feeling a bit awkward but more pleased than anything.
“So, what brings you two here? Not that I’m complaining by any means, but it is something of a shock to see you, Son,” Gary inquired, and Owen stammered for a moment before pulling me forward.
“I wanted…I wanted you to meet my girlfriend, Emily. I thought it was only right that you meet the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with,” he said, regaining his confidence towards the end of his statement.
His father looked impressed, and it was my turn to have my cheeks smooshed by his mother. I laughed a bit at the attention, allowing Owen and his parents to lead me inside. They exchanged chit-chat as we walked, and I wondered if they liked me as much as they seemed to.
We stayed for dinner, but Owen seemed to have a lot on his mind as he picked at his food. His parents chatted amicably with me, but I couldn’t help feeling as if something were wrong. I didn’t quite understand why my boyfriend looked so troubled, and every time I caught his eye, he averted his gaze away. I frowned, glancing back towards the homemade beef stew his mother had prepared.
“This stew is better than anything I’ve ever had in a restaurant,” I said amicably, and Owen’s mother, Barb, looked tickled pink by the comment.
“I’ll have to write down the recipe for you, honey. Owen loves…well, he usually loves the stew I make. Honey, is there something bothering you?” she asked gently, reaching out to touch her son’s hand.
Owen flinched, glancing towards me with something akin to fear in his eyes.
“I’m fine, Mom. I just—” he paused, pushing his chair back from the table and standing up.
His parents stared curiously at him, and I was ready to make an excuse for us to leave the table, but Owen circled around to my chair, fumbling in his pockets. I tilted my head curiously, watching with confusion as he dropped down to one knee and pulled something out of his pocket.
I felt my heart catch in my chest, my pulse quickening as I realized just what was happening.
“Owen…?” I inquired nervously, meeting his gaze.
He managed a smile, and his mother gasped as he popped open the velvet ring box gripped in his hand. I had seen my share of diamonds in my lifetime—my father threw gifts around like it was going out of style—but while it was obvious that Owen hadn’t been able to afford some overly expensive ring, it was without doubt the most beautiful thing I’d ever laid eyes on.
“Emily, there aren’t a lot of things I’ve been sure of in my life. I wasn’t sure about my future, I wasn’t sure about what I wanted to do with my life, and I definitely didn’t know if I would ever fall in love. That is, until I met you. The time we’ve spent together has been the happiest of my life. I would give anything and everything in the world to make you as happy as you’ve made me.” He paused, taking the ring out of the box.
Watching as he struggled with his words, I resisted the desire to scream out an answer. I would let him take his time and get out everything he wanted to say. He seemed appreciative of my patience, gripping me by the hand.
“I love you,” I said, and he smiled as if it were the first time I’d ever said it.
“I love you too, baby. Which is why I want to know…Emily Jasmine Madden, will you make me the happiest man on the planet and do me the honor of being my bride? Will you marry me?” he asked.
Tears spilled down my cheeks, and I offered him my hand while silently nodding, not trusting myself to speak.
Owen laughed, slipping the ring onto my finger before leaping to his feet. He gathered me in his arms, pressing a kiss to my forehead as his parents clapped joyously in the background.
“Congratulations! Oh my, I’m so happy I could see this moment,” Barb squealed, while Gary smiled, giving us a nod of approval. “I just have one teensy tiny question, you two,” the older woman continued.
Owen looked at her as if he could predict what she was going to say.
“What is it, Mom?” he asked, glancing towards me with a sly smile.
“When can I expect grandkids?” she said seriously.
Owen grimaced, but it was all I could do to keep from erupting in laughter.
“First, the wedding. Then, grandkids,” Owen’s father said firmly.
I couldn’t have agreed more.
Chapter 24
Emily
Our wedding was a small ceremony that was only made possible by selling the necklace my father had given me what seemed an eternity ago. Of course, I’d asked his permission before doing so.
It turned out that my father had turned himself over to the FBI around a week after my disappearance. He was finally ready to make things right, and he could see why I had chosen to leave behind the life that had been forced upon me. We spoke on the phone every few weeks, and I had been to see him in prison.
We’d decided to move to Mexico after our U.S. road trip, having fallen in love with a beach town we found on our travels. It was the perfect mix of what felt like home to each of us—just as tropical and beautiful as Guam and Hawaii. Plus, there was no risk of the FBI finding out Owen had stolen me away and married me.
It was a small ceremony, and a short one as well. Owen and I were eager to get to the house we’d purchased, using what money remained from Owen’s service with the SEALs. I wished my father could have been there to give me away, but things didn’t always go as one might have planned.
However, there was something to be said about pleasant surprises. After all, I’d never planned to get kidnapped and marry my captor, and yet there he stood at the end of the aisle, tears in his eyes as I walked along to the tune of the bridal march.
It was a beautiful moment, but there was something to be said for simplicity. We exchanged our vows, slipped on our rings, and all but danced away from the service. Getting married was the happiest moment of my life by far, but I was also ready to enjoy the honeymoon in our new home.
The house was nowhere near as extravagant as the estate I’d grown up in, but it was still plenty spacious. What it lacked in size, we made an effort to make up for with amenities. We got a jet bathtub and the comfiest couch we could find, and the view from the back porch was truly stunning, looking out over the ocean. My main concern at the time, however, was our king-size bed.
Owen carried me over the threshold of the front door like a proper gentlemanly groom, and as I was carried through the house, I couldn’t help making a mental note of all the places I wanted Owen to make love to me besides the master bedroom. The tub, the sofa, against the refrigerator, and even on the porch all seemed suitable decisions.
For our first time as husband and wife, however, my gorgeous military man wanted to keep it traditional.
My new husband didn’t waste any time in pinning me to the bed, and as much as I wanted to keep my dress from getting rumpled, I was all the more concerned about getting out of it. He helped me to shimmy out o
f the garment, pulling it off and tossing it to the side of the room as if he didn’t have a care in the world.
Truth be told, neither of us seemed to have any concerns while we were in each other’s arms. He kissed me gently, holding his lips against mine in a tender kiss. I pulled him down on top of me, running my hands down his sides as I marveled, not for the first time, at how handsome he was in his suit.
A shame to rip him out of it, but I had never been the most patient woman in the world.
“If you don’t take that suit off, I’m not going to guarantee it will survive as anything more than tatters on the floor,” I said, my voice husky.
He laughed, moving to unbutton his jacket so slowly that I was sure Christmas would come and go before he got it off.
I pouted, trying to help him as he disrobed. However, he simply took off his tie, tying my hands behind me so I couldn’t jump the gun.
“You’ve gotten so impatient; it’s hard to believe you went 21 years without having sex, and now look at you,” he teased, grinning cheekily.
I whined, but didn’t tug too hard at the tie restraint. Honestly, it was kind of sexy, and I didn’t want to get out of it until my new husband directly expressed that he wanted me to.
He pressed me back against the bed, looking so deeply into my eyes it was like he could see my very soul.
“Do you have any idea how long I’ve been waiting for this moment?” I asked, breathing a sigh as he ghosted his palm to my breast.
He hummed under his breath, seeming to give the question some thought.
“I guess since I asked you to marry me a month ago. What a long and tortuous month it must have been,” he teased.
All right, so maybe I was being just a tiny bit dramatic. How could anyone blame me? I was the luckiest woman in the world, with the most handsome husband in the world.
“I never actually thought I’d wind up married. Excuse me for being a little excited,” I sighed, tilting my head back as he kissed my neck and began to suck.
I could tell that he was going to leave a mark, and I had no doubt that marking me as his own was very much all part of his plan. He nipped at the bruising skin, kissing his way down my chest. He had offered to shave his stubble for the wedding, but I so loved the feeling of it against my skin. It tickled, feeling the slightest bit scratchy against my breast, but I loved every minute of it.
“Well, just because you’re excited doesn’t mean you get to be a bad girl,” he teased, tracing his fingertips down the expanse of my stomach.
As he dipped his hand beneath my underwear, I breathed a sigh as he dragged his finger along my lower lips, gathering the moisture there. I’d been turned on from the moment I saw him in his fancy suit, but I wasn’t going to give him a big ego by saying as much.
Owen laughed mischievously, and I grumbled, feeling even more moisture gather in spite of myself.
“What’s so funny?”
“You either got worked up really fast, or you’ve been thinking about this all day,” he teased.
I rolled my eyes, giving my hips a suggestive little jerk.
“You say that like you haven’t been thinking about it all day. Anyway, enough talk—aren’t you going to show me why I married you?”
He didn’t seem to mind my attitude, pulling down my panties and watching me lovingly.
“And here I thought it was for my personality,” he teased, shifting out of his dress pants and boxers.
I sighed as he lowered himself on top of me, nudging my thighs gently and stroking himself all along my entrance. I whined at the teasing, but he didn’t seem inclined to give me what I wanted all that soon.
I parted my lips to complain, only for a sharp squeal to erupt from me as he plunged inside.
“Mouthy, mouthy girl,” he scolded, grinning.
“Oh, you love what I do with this mouth,” I moaned, wishing my hands were free to tangle in his golden locks.
There was something about not being able to touch him, though, something that brought me to new heights. He moved slowly, patiently, working me up to an agonizingly pleasurable peak before I could even properly beg him to make me his. That didn’t stop the words from spilling past my lips, however. I wrapped my legs around him, the one thing I could do to edge him closer.
Continuing to keep an even and steady pace, I wasn’t sure how many orgasms he’d subject me to until he finally came. I thoroughly enjoyed the process of finding out, though.
When he pressed his lips desperately to mine and began to piston furiously inside of me, I had already orgasmed four times. When he emptied himself inside of me, filling me to the brim with even a bit of spillover, it made for the fifth.
“Oh my God,” he moaned, falling limp beside me.
He drew me into his arms, resting his chin atop my head as I nuzzled into his chest.
“So, this is what it’s like to be married,” I murmured, sighing as he untied my hands.
I caressed his cheek, feeling so much love in that moment that I thought my heart might burst. He seemed equally taken with the moment, tilting his head to meet my gaze.
“Well, that’s the fun part, anyway,” he replied.
I rolled my eyes, giving him a light shove.
“One of the fun parts. It’s exciting to think about the future we’ll spend together, isn’t it? Wild and free, without a care in the world. We have the rest of our lives to have fun together. I can’t think of anyone I would rather spend my days with. I love you, Emily,” he murmured.
I felt tears pool in my eyes and gave him a soft kiss on the lips.
“I love you, too. Here’s to our future. Here’s to love. Here’s to us,” I said softly.
He chuckled, his breathing slowing to an even pace as he gave himself to the exhaustion of a long day spent making memories. I took comfort in the fact that we had years to make millions of wonderful memories together.
Placing my hand on my stomach, I giggled as I wondered if we would be fulfilling his mother’s wishes sooner than anyone expected. Happily, I fell asleep, knowing only one thing for certain about our future.
I would never have to live in a cage again.
The End
What does the future hold for Emily and Owen?
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Mountain Daddy: The Single Dad’s New Baby
Layla Valentine & Ana Sparks
Time for a tease!
Next up are the first few chapters of mine and Ana’s previous book, Mountain Daddy: The Single Dad’s New Baby
Happy reading!
Copyright 2017 by Layla Valentine and Ana Sparks
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part by any means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the explicit written permission of the author. All characters depicted in this fictional work are consenting adults, of at least eighteen years of age. Any resemblance to persons living or deceased, particular businesses, events, or exact locations are entirely coincidental.
Chapter 1
Serena
“Man, you really do need a vacation.”
The man at the grocery store sputtered this to me as I mopped at my sweating brow, waiting in the long line that weaved toward the back. I gave him a grimace, trying to stand on my tippy-toes to see the front.
“Seems like everyone’s trying to get out of town for Labor Day,” I sighed, playing with my coiffed blond hair. “I don’t blame them. But damn, I should have gotten here earlier; when I planned to. Things never really go as planned, though, do they?”
“Sure don’t,” he grunted.
The man I was speaking to—just one of those “friends” you pick up in line everywhere, who shares your qualms with the world—gave me a soft punch on the shoulder. He was carrying a tw
elve-pack of domestic beer, and his belly bulged out over his jeans. He had the aura of a previous frat boy, reliving the glory days. I could tell by the way he swept his eyes from my shoulders, down the crest of my breasts, and toward the cinch of my waist, that he wanted our conversation to move forward.
But I felt drained, washed out. I’d been on a dozen or more dates over the previous summer, without a single “win,” and I yearned to be free of the San Francisco streets. I yearned to flee the tech people, who earned high salaries and seemed to eliminate anything interesting or gritty or personable about the city. The reasons my mother and father had been drawn here in the first place. The reasons I had stayed, after finishing law school.
But it seemed that those reasons were seeping away, making me a stranger in my own land.
“Where you off to, anyway?” he asked.
“The Mendocino National Forest,” I told him, knowing this was a place someone like him wouldn’t follow me.
He gave a snicker, one that read unkind if I listened to it the wrong way.
“Why the hell would you go all the way out there? We’re renting a boat, my buddies and me. Why don’t you come with us? We’ve got loads of beer and food and afterwards, we’ll have a bonfire on the beach. Classic San Francisco late-summer evening.”
“I don’t want San Francisco right now,” I said, adjusting the parcels in my grocery basket. “I want to be as far away from this place as possible. I haven’t had a vacation in years.”
The man’s eyebrows rose high on his face. “But don’t you have unlimited time off? Damn, I don’t know anyone without that. We’re always coming and going as we please in the tech industry. You don’t work in it, I take it?”
“Defense attorney,” I said. I kept myself low, centered. I wasn’t in the courtroom. I didn’t have to defend myself against anyone like him. Against anyone at all, actually. Not now that I was on vacation for one entire week.
Steal Me - A Navy SEAL/Virgin Romance (Alpha Passions Book 1) Page 13
