by Anthology
Tag laughed and swatted her on the ass. “Of course you do.”
***
McKenna watched as Tag strolled into their bedroom and proceeded to undress, the same as he normally did every single day when he got home from work. Granted, there had only been a few times when she’d jumped him before he had the chance to change, but in her defense, he was just too damn sexy. Sometimes she couldn’t help herself.
He opened his closet door, then took a step back. First went the tie, then the expensive jacket, followed by the cuff links. And so on and so forth until he was standing in his underwear—a pair of sexy black boxer briefs that she’d bought him for Valentine’s Day this year—looking like a super model. Only her sexy man was covered in ink, which merely made him that much hotter. Amplified by the fact that most people had no idea he had any ink whatsoever. Due to his very public image and his high-powered job as a corporate lawyer, he had thought ahead, only inking spots that weren’t seen when he was wearing the fancy suits he preferred.
“So what time do we have to be at the airport?” she questioned, hoping to get some details out of him while she continued to ogle his delectable body. Apparently her wicked ways hadn’t worked for her this time, but she knew that’d been a gamble. One she would gladly try again and again.
Men liked blow jobs; McKenna knew that. And Tag loved blow jobs, but he also knew that she loved giving them. To him, anyway. She didn’t even expect anything in return, but she knew that didn’t matter because before the night was over, or perhaps tomorrow, he would have made her come at least a dozen times. That was what he did. And she loved him for it.
In fact, she loved him for a million other reasons as well.
But she wasn’t all that fond of surprises. Especially not ones that would take her away from work without giving her the opportunity to tie up any loose ends. No, it wouldn’t really matter, because her office staff would definitely be able to carry her weight while she was gone—they’d done it a million times before—but McKenna simply wasn’t built that way.
And Tag knew that.
Which was why she figured he was doing this. Whatever this was.
Granted, his revelation was rather exciting. A surprise getaway. She had absolutely no idea where they were going, or even when they would leave. Heck, she didn’t even know what was packed in her suitcase, but the one thing she knew for certain—she could trust Tag to take care of her. He’d been doing it for the past two years, and he hadn’t failed her. Not one single time.
Figuring she wasn’t going to get much out of him now, she headed for her closet. Once she was changed into a pair of silk pajama pants and a thin tank top—after all, she wasn’t finished trying to persuade him just yet—McKenna headed to the kitchen to make dinner. They alternated cooking when they didn’t grab takeout, and tonight was her night.
“What do you want to eat?” she hollered, pulling open the freezer and glancing inside. A frozen four-cheese pizza, a handful of TV dinners, some sort of bagged stirfry, a bottle of vodka, ice, and a pint of Ben and Jerry’s Chocolate Therapy was all that she found.
“Doesn’t matter,” he told her, joining her in the kitchen with his laptop in hand. The chair scraped along the wood floor as he pulled it out, his attention already on the screen in front of him.
With her hand on the freezer door, she glanced over at him. “Frozen pizza?”
“Works for me.” He was now engrossed in whatever was on the laptop, which meant McKenna was on her own for a bit.
That was what they did. They worked. Day and night. Night and day.
Tag was a lawyer, which pretty much explained why he spent so much time on the phone or the computer. But he did like to have fun and often tried to persuade her to take time off and spend it with him. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to, and when things weren’t chaotic at the office, she did take the time. That didn’t mean that they hadn’t fallen into the same rut as other couples who’d been together for a couple of years.
McKenna hit the buttons on the oven to preheat, then leaned against the counter and stared at the man she loved, crossing her arms over her chest. Sometimes she simply watched him, loving the various expressions he made when he was engrossed in a case, or even in simply reading an email. Tag gave one hundred and fifty percent to everything he did, and she respected the hell out of him for it.
He really was incredibly sexy. Perhaps more so now than when she’d first met him, and she remembered those initial days well. From the minute she’d laid eyes on the man, she’d been infatuated with him. And now … well, it was so much more than that.
Tag’s forehead creased as he read something on the screen, worry lining the corners of his mouth. He absently ran his hand over his bald head and released a heavy breath.
And it was right then that McKenna decided to give herself over to the next seven days with him. It didn’t really matter where he intended to take her; the time away would do them some good. Not to mention, she’d have him all to herself for a little while.
The oven dinged, signaling that the preheat was complete, and when Tag didn’t bother to look up, McKenna smiled to herself.
Yep, she was looking forward to the next seven days. And in the meantime, she’d grab her own laptop so she could tie up a few loose ends before she disappeared with him for a week.
Chapter Two
The following morning, after getting up and dressed without waking McKenna, Tag spent an hour on his computer before he needed to get ready to go. After finishing up a few emails, he’d made a couple of calls, ensuring that the team of lawyers who worked for him were capable of handling anything that arose. He would be out of pocket—completely—for the first time in… Hell, it’d been a long damn time since he’d done anything that took him away from work without even a cell phone to keep him connected, but this would be worth it.
After cleaning up, loading the dishwasher with the few dishes he’d used that morning, he made two mugs of coffee and then waited until the limousine arrived before he went back to their bedroom to get McKenna. She’d never been a morning person, so getting her up early was always a gamble.
“Hey,” he whispered, leaning down and nuzzling his face against her ear, kissing her neck gently. “It’s time to go.”
McKenna stirred, smiled, then grabbed the pillow and covered up her head. Nope, definitely not a morning person, and it seemed that not even a seven-day surprise was going to get her going first thing.
“I need you to put this on,” he told her.
Well, that got her attention.
She peered out from under the pillow, her eyes sliding right to his hand, where a thin piece of dark fabric dangled from his finger.
“A blindfold?” she asked groggily.
“Yes.”
“I need to get dressed,” she grumbled.
“Not in the plan,” he told her, leaving no room for rebuttal. “You can wear your pajamas.”
“To the airport? I seriously don’t think so, Tag Murphy.”
He chuckled. “The limo’s here. We need to go. Now quit arguing and put this on.”
Without waiting for her assistance, Tag took the pillow from her, tossed it to his side of the bed, and put the blindfold over her eyes.
“Don’t you dare move that,” he commanded as he lifted her into his arms.
If she didn’t want to get with the program, he was more than happy to take the lead.
Forty minutes later, the limo pulled into the hangar for the private jet they would be taking down to Houston, where they would then board a ship for their seven-day Caribbean cruise. She’d peppered him with questions as soon as they’d gotten in the car, but he’d managed to silence her by doing what he did best: seducing her slowly. With his mouth.
He had no intention of telling her any of his plans until they landed in Houston. For now, Tag wanted to keep her guessing. Which was exactly what she did as soon as they were buckled into the plush leather seats of the jet, awaiting takeoff. Only the
n did he allow her to remove the blindfold.
As soon as she could see, her eyes scanned their surroundings, likely taking note of every little detail, anything to give her a hint as to what he planned to do. That was the way her brain worked. She was a journalist, always digging for information.
“Where are we going?”
Tag peered over at her and frowned.
“Fine. Don’t tell me that.” She fidgeted for a moment. “Will I be able to get dressed before we land?”
“Yes,” he said simply.
That earned him a small smile before McKenna turned her attention out the window.
Tag busied himself by watching her. For the next seven days, that was all he wanted to do anyway. He wanted to leave the corporate world behind them and enjoy his time with her. It’d been far too long since they’d done anything like this, although, it was safe to say they’d never done anything exactly like this.
“Mr. Murphy,” the pilot said over the speaker. “We’re ready for takeoff. Just waiting on confirmation. We’ll have a total flight time of roughly sixty minutes. Clear skies all the way.”
“An hour?” McKenna asked, glancing back over at him. “That doesn’t leave many options.”
“You’re right, it doesn’t,” he told her with a grin. It wasn’t time to share the details just yet, but he would.
Eventually.
Once the plane was in the air, Tag showed McKenna where her clothes were hanging, including her makeup bag and all the other things a woman needed. He’d had help in preparing for this trip, thankfully. If it hadn’t been for Samantha and Sierra—the wives of three (yes, three) of his good friends—he likely would’ve found a way to disappoint McKenna from the get-go.
And he damn sure didn’t intend to do that, so he’d enlisted their help.
In fact, he’d enlisted their help for the entire journey. Not only had the two women helped him to pack McKenna for the trip, they’d helped with a majority of the other preparations. And … they would also be on board the cruise ship, along with quite a few other people—family and friends.
This trip… It was one of the most important trips of his life.
Because in the next few days, Tag was going to make McKenna his wife. And all of their family and friends were going to be along to see it.
He only hoped McKenna didn’t freak out when she figured it out.
***
McKenna had to admit, she’d been a little nervous that Tag wasn’t allowing her to do anything in preparation for this trip. But the instant she’d seen the outfit—a pair of skinny jeans, paired with a fitted emerald-green T-shirt and her favorite black blazer—not to mention, a sexy bra-and-panty set and all of her makeup and hair products, she’d relaxed exponentially.
She’d also figured that he’d had help with this setup. Not because Tag wasn’t capable, but seriously, he was still a guy, and when it came to packing for a trip, men could do it in less than three minutes, and that included pulling the suitcase out from the bottom of the closet.
Well, maybe not Tag. He was one of the best-dressed men she’d ever met, and he was meticulous with his wardrobe, so she’d have to give him fifteen minutes for packing, but not much more than that.
Just as she pulled off her pajamas, ready to get dressed, a knock sounded on the small bathroom door. Knowing it could only be Tag, she unhooked the lock and allowed him to pull open the door.
He made a move to step inside and she laughed. The bathroom wasn’t as small as those on a commercial flight, but it wasn’t all that big, either. Barely enough room for the two of them to fit, but of course, he managed to fit inside.
“Mmm, this is exactly the way I like to see you. Maybe I shouldn’t allow you to get dressed,” he said warmly as he ran his finger down her collarbone and over the swell of her breast, stopping to tease her nipple.
Heat coiled inside her, making her body melt from his touch, and when he lifted her breast, bending down and sucking her into his mouth, she sighed.
“Like that?” he questioned as he teased her other breast, laving it with his tongue.
“Yes,” she whispered.
“Good, then you’ll love this.”
McKenna wasn’t sure how he managed, but Tag squatted down in front of her, lifting one of her legs up over his shoulder while he used his fingers to separate her folds. He peered up at her briefly before leaning forward and sliding his tongue along her slit, liquid fire rushing through her veins.
She gripped his head in her hands, pulling him to her as he began to lap at her pussy, delicately teasing her clit, torturing her on purpose. He loved to do that, to send her to the precipice but never send her over until he was ready. And he did that with practiced ease, continuing to devour her, licking, sucking.
“You’re gonna make me come,” she told him. “Make me come, Tag. Please. Oh, yes. Make me come.”
McKenna’s hands gripped the edge of the counter as she bucked her hips toward his mouth, trying to increase the friction. When he pumped two fingers inside her, his lips wrapping around her clit, his tongue flicking the sensitive bundle of nerves ruthlessly, she found herself soaring higher and higher until something inside her broke apart.
“Yes!” Her head fell back, every muscle in her body tensed, as the glorious sensation filled her, the tingle in her core erupting.
By the time she came back down from the erotic high, Tag was standing in front of her once again, cupping her face as he pressed his lips to hers. She could taste herself on his mouth, his tongue, as he kissed her hard.
She wished there was more room, enough that he could take her right there in the airplane lavatory, but she could already sense that wasn’t in Tag’s plan. Part of her wondered why, but she tamped down the questions.
“Now you can get dressed.”
With that, he kissed her on the mouth, then disappeared, leaving her standing there, still breathing hard, wondering just what this man was up to.
It didn’t take her long to get cleaned up, dressed, apply a minimal amount of makeup, and pull her hair back into a ponytail. She felt the plane begin its descent and knew she needed to get back to her seat.
Exiting the bathroom, she stuffed her clothes into a bag she found where her clothes had been hanging as Tag passed her, taking his turn going into the restroom. He was in and out before she had a chance to put away her makeup bag. Once she was finished putting everything back where she’d found it, she headed down the aisle to where Tag was waiting for her.
As the fasten seat belt sign flashed on, McKenna dropped into her chair just in time for the plane to land.
In Houston.
What could possibly be in Houston?
She had an idea, but in the spirit of the trip, she was trying not to think too hard. Tag wanted this to be a surprise, and she wanted to oblige him.
Which was why she donned the blindfold without him asking her to as soon as the plane was on the ground.
He helped her down the stairs, the warm May breeze tickling her face. Once they were on solid ground, he pulled her against his side and whispered in her ear. “Have I mentioned how much I like to see you blindfolded?”
“Not lately, no,” McKenna replied, wondering whether or not anyone else was within earshot. Not that she really cared, but without her sight, she was left with so many questions.
Linking her fingers with Tag’s, she walked alongside him. He helped her into a car—a limo, she presumed—but he didn’t say much from there, other than to let her know that it’d be a thirty-minute drive.
It was a little strange for Tag to be so quiet, but McKenna didn’t know what to say or do. He seemed a little nervous—why, she wasn’t sure. He was always so confident, so assertive, it was endearing to see his vulnerability.
Another quality she loved so much about him.
Squeezing his fingers, she leaned closer to him. For now, she’d just relax.
Or try her hardest to, anyway.
Chapter Three
“We’re here,” Tag whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
McKenna didn’t know where here was, but she was hoping to soon find out. Her anxiety level had ratcheted up the longer they’d sat in silence, and now, she was humming with anticipation.
Once out of the car, Tag led her only a few feet before he stopped, turning her to face him. When he pulled the blindfold off, the only thing she could see was him. Tall and broad, his big body blocked out everything else. Smiling up at him, she waited, not as patiently as she pretended, but she was doing her best.
“Do I get to know where we’re going now?” she asked sweetly, keeping her voice low.
“A cruise,” he told her. “Caribbean.”
McKenna smiled. She’d always wanted to go on a cruise but had never gotten around to it. Her heart filled with emotion, thinking about the next seven days alone with…
“Surprise!”
McKenna’s thoughts locked up at the chorus coming from behind her. It was Tag’s turn to smile, but he didn’t allow her to turn around.
“Just remember, I love you,” he said, cupping her cheeks and chuckling. “Now take a deep breath.”
McKenna allowed Tag to spin her so that she was facing the ruckus, and her heart stopped beating. A smile as wide as Texas formed on her face when she saw so many people she knew and loved. So many of her friends and family stood twenty feet away, clapping and smiling. All eyes were on her; she could feel them as she scanned the familiar faces.
Logan, Samantha, and Elijah.
Luke, Sierra, Cole, and their two-year-old daughter, Hannah.
Ashleigh, Alex, and their eighteen-month-old daughter, Riley.
Lucie, Kane, and their six-year-old daughter, Haley.
Xander and Mercedes.
She laughed when she noticed Shane Gibson and Trent Ramsey, both without dates but seemingly ready to have a good time anyway. Not that there wouldn’t be women for them to flirt with on the cruise, which no doubt they would do.
