“I can’t say if it was definitely yours, but Tori was holding a newborn. Then, in the background there were three cradles rocking back and forth. That’s all I can give you.”
It was enough. It gave him hope that there was a chance. Tori kissed him on the cheek and tears filled his eyes. It would give him something to hold onto and hope that there would be children in their lives.
“Again, I’ll ask what you four are talking about,” Clarissa stated, this time a little louder, in case they didn't hear her before.
Justin sat and Vivian took the seat beside him. “It’s how we met,” he said, and then began to tell her about the abducted woman and the death of the second one.
“Vivian’s a cop, Mom,” stated Julian. “We’re working with her to find the first woman. She’s still alive.”
Their mother stared at her. For some reason, she wasn’t really shocked that her son had found a woman who was a cop. Julian had fallen for a FBI agent, so why not. “Were you born with the caul?”
She nodded, immediately knowing what Clarissa was referring to.
Everyone looked confused at the term and looked around. Justin actually pulled out his phone to search the word online.
Vivian figured it was safe to tell them everything. This was her family. “I was born at home and when I came out, I had a veil.” When they all looked confused, she continued. “It’s that membrane that’s usually not present in birth. Back in medieval times it was said to be good luck, and some psychics believe that the ‘veil’ is why some people have a gift.”
Clarissa chimed in, “It is true. It has long been thought to be fact in Native culture. It is even considered very good luck for the mother and the child.”
Vivian agreed. “Many cultures have it as part of their history. I don’t know the good fortune part, since my mother died having me, but the part about it being lucky for me, seems to be very accurate.” She touched Justin on the arm and immediately, he kissed her.
Clarissa found all of this interesting. Here, her son had picked a woman with a gift. “Well, if you have it, then it’s meant to be. No use questioning it, especially if you’re using it to save people.”
She nodded. “I’m trying. I never really believed that it would find me a husband.”
“I think that’s the best part,” Justin answered, feeding his wife a bite of cake. There was a click as Tori took a picture.
“It’s for the photo album. I took pictures at the courthouse too.”
“I better get copies of that album,” stated Clarissa. “Since you have officially screwed me out of a wedding.”
Everyone at the table began laughing and started eating their cake. Vivian even held a piece of cake in her fingers to feed Justin.
“You’re not going to shove that in my face, are you?” he asked, suspiciously.
She looked appalled. “Justin! Why would you say that to me?” Vivian answered, looking hurt.
“I’m sorry, baby,” he said quickly, as he leaned closer. “You can feed me then.”
Tori and Julian saw the flash on her face, the second before she did it. Before he knew what was coming, Justin had a face full of frosting and chocolate cake.
Julian found that funny as hell.
It escalated from there, much like most Littlemoon gatherings. It didn't take Justin long to recover, as he grabbed cake from his own plate. “This isn’t over, Vivian!” he yelled, as she ran away from him to stand behind his brother.
Tori found the entire thing very entertaining. She couldn’t help but laugh at them being silly.
“That’s me being spontaneous,” she taunted him. “It’s also for surprising me with a proposal, wedding, and mother-in-law all in one day.”
Justin stared at his brother. This is where the twin thing was going to be very handy. “Jules?”
“On it!” he said, shackling her wrist with his hand.
Vivian squealed and Tori jumped in with a handful of cake to come to her rescue. When it met its mark, across his white shirt and face, he was shocked.
It didn't take him long to recover.
He released Vivian and went after Tori. “Oh, you want to play boys versus girls, honey?” he said, lunging for his wife.
“No! I’m just keeping you two brutes from ganging up on Vivian!”
His laughter gave away his intent. “Oh, you shouldn’t have done that, Tori. I wasn’t going to come after you, until you got involved.”
She backed up.
Julian had that glint in his eyes, and she knew what was coming. In fact, she couldn’t wait. Her husband pawing at her wouldn’t be a bad thing.
There were more screams from Vivian.
In the mêlée, Justin vaulted the table and landed not far from his wife. She started laughing more and tried to get away, but only ended up with cake smashed into her face and hair.
Clarissa started yelling for them to stop, but no one was listening. “The neighbors are going to call the police!” she threatened, knowing they were too far away to even hear. “You four will be helping me clean all this up!”
Again, no one cared.
Julian had Tori trapped against the wall and was kissing his wife. She had surrendered when he smeared cake across her chest, and it seemed that making out seemed to be a far better idea than tossing food around the room. Apparently, from the way his body felt against hers, he agreed too.
Justin had Vivian trapped too. Instead of hitting her with cake, he pulled her against his body and wiped his face on her shoulder. When she started laughing, he kissed her. As soon as their lips met, her struggling stopped. He tasted like cake and felt like heaven.
This was a perfect end to an amazing night.
Maybe it was best that there wasn’t a wedding and reception.
No one would have gotten any cake, but they would have certainly gotten quite the show.
* * *
Sitting in his car, he waited. They were just now coming out of the restaurant. They were dividing up and heading out.
There was no doubt where they were heading next.
It was time to burn off some calories while dancing.
Again, he wished he could go inside and watch her, but he knew he couldn’t.
Tonight was going exactly as planned, and it was only a matter of waiting her out.
She’d fall right into his web.
He started his car and followed behind them. It wasn’t like he was worried that he would lose them. He knew their routines, probably better than they did.
Club.
Coffee.
Home.
That’s when he’d grab her and make her his newest acquisition.
Parking far enough away from the club entrance, he pulled out his note pad and pen. Crossing off the ‘dinner’ entry, he scanned the rest.
Yeah, it was coming soon.
He couldn’t wait.
In all honestly, the thrill of the hunt was keeping him calm. All he hoped was nothing would go wrong, or there would be hell to pay.
One way or another.
* * *
It didn't take long to clean up the cake mess.
Clarissa didn't yell or get mad, simply because she was accustomed to her kids wrecking the place. This wasn’t the first, nor would it be the last food fight that happened there.
She handed them towels and cleaning solution, and then sent them on their merry way.
Immediately, they got to work and had it done in very little time.
As they handed her back the items, they said their goodbyes.
Julian was taking his wife home to have sex. Between hearing about the dream, the possibility of a baby, and the cake smear between Tori’s breasts, he was looking forward to their bedroom and maybe some creative cake removal.
It looked like he was still going to have dessert after all.
He hugged his family and took his wife by the hand to get them out of there.
When he was gone, Justin followed suit. “I love you, Mom,” he
said, dropping his arm around his wife.
Clarissa patted his cheek and pointed at Vivian. “Go make me some babies.”
She started laughing as they got into the truck. “There’s nothing like a little pressure. Maybe that’s why Julian and Tori aren’t there yet.”
“No sass from the new girl,” she admonished. The woman winked at her and watched them pull away. She truly liked her son’s wife. Now, she would go email rest of the family.
It was time to spread the news.
They had a new member, and she was pretty terrific.
In the truck, Vivian was still smiling.
“What are you thinking about?”
She glanced over at him. “Does your family do that often? If I threw cake at my father or our housekeeper, he would have killed me.”
“It wasn’t always cake,” he answered. “You should see fry bread take flight.”
That made her laugh. “I like your mom.”
Justin grinned. “I’m glad, since she isn’t going anywhere.”
As they pulled up to the cabin, he waited to see what she thought. “You saw the small apartment in Delta Falls, but this is my real home.”
Vivian checked it out in the headlights. “I like it,” she said. “Except it needs something.”
He looked over. “What?”
“A wife.”
Instantly, he relaxed and grinned at her. “Well, let me carry you over the threshold, and then the place will be complete.”
Vivian waited for him to come around and get her. When he opened the door, he handed her the key to his place and picked her up in his arms. He loved how easygoing his wife was, and how she accepted his life.
Closing the door with his back, he carried her to the porch and up the stairs. Getting low enough, he gave her access to the knob.
Once open, he stood again and kicked it open with the toe of his boot.
Something was wrong. There should be no lights or motion inside. The cabin was closed up for weeks.
Then he looked around.
Was this his place?
Vivian truly believed that she was ready for anything, and yet this caught her completely off guard.
Chapter Nineteen
He carried his new wife into his cabin and was thoroughly confused at what he saw. Yes, the décor was the same, but the ambiance was something spectacular.
There were candles everywhere and they flickered in the living room. The scent of roses filled the air, as he lowered his wife to her feet.
On the floor was a trail of purple rose petals.
Right there, it gave the culprit away.
How his brother and Tori pulled this off was astounding, but he was ever so grateful.
He watched Vivian walk around, mesmerized by the sight. Why he didn't think to handle all this was beyond him, but he wasn’t surprised Julian did.
“This is amazing,” she whispered. “This is the best wedding night ever,” she said, looking around.
“Yeah, it really is.”
Before that moment, he never realized how dull his life was. Now with her in it, the room didn't even compare to the light she brought to his existence.
“Justin, thank you for this,” she said, watching him across the room. “No one has ever given me something this special before.”
“Vivian, I wish I could take credit for this, but I had nothing to do with it.” He then pointed at the purple rose petals leading a trail into his bedroom. “Where have you seen that color flower before?”
“Tori and Julian?” she asked, incredulously.
He nodded.
“Wow, they must really love you.”
Yeah, they really did. He knew that before this, but now his heart swelled to capacity at his feelings for them. “I think it’s all about how they feel about us.”
“I’m astounded by this.” Never in her life had she felt so welcomed and cherished, not only by the man she called husband, but the people she now could call family.
He took her hand and led her to the bedroom. They walked carefully, trying not to crush the rose petals. If they expected the magic to end at the door, they were incredibly wrong.
On the bed sat a giant basket with a bottle of champagne and glasses for them. On the floor was an ice bucket with another bottle already chilling.
More rose petals covered the bed and on the one pillow sat a note.
Justin and Vivian,
This is for your wedding night. You both deserve a
little magic, even if for just one evening. Enjoy the
champagne and take tomorrow to enjoy each other.
We have it under control and will cover for you.
Much love,
Julian and Tori.
“You’re a very lucky man,” she said, softly. “I can’t imagine what it feels like to have someone love me like your family loves you.”
He stared over at her. “Yes you do. What I feel for you is a million times deeper than this. I love you far more than words can ever express,” he said.
She wiped her eyes. “I love you too, Justin.”
He grabbed the cold bottle of champagne and popped the cork. “How about you pour, and I’ll go get our overnight bags? For what I have planned, we really won’t need the clothes, but why run out there tomorrow naked?”
She began laughing. “Okay, Justin.”
Vivian took the bottle from him and did what he asked. She had a little surprise of her own tucked away beneath her clothes. It was their wedding night after all.
When he was gone, she quickly began undressing.
It was time to consummate this marriage.
And she couldn’t wait.
Justin headed outside and quickly called his brother. When the man picked up on the second ring, he thanked him. “I don’t know how you two did it, but I love you both for thinking about making tonight special for us.”
Julian laughed. “Bro, you deserve it. Go enjoy your wife and make some memories on your wedding night.”
“I will. As soon as this is over, I’m going to need some time off. I need a honeymoon.”
How could he blame him? “Consider it done.”
“I love you, Jules.”
“We love you too,” he replied. “Now, don’t call me unless it’s an emergency. I have a wife to make love to.”
Justin laughed. “What a coincidence. So do I.”
Both men hung up, and Justin grabbed the two bags. Heading back into his home, he locked up behind him. He wasn’t worried that anyone would break in, but he was worried that his family might pop in and catch him and Vivian in the middle of some naked living room games.
As he turned around, he was caught off guard. Standing in the doorway was his wife, and she wasn’t wearing the clothes she had on earlier. Gone was the cake coated mess, and in its place was some very erotic lingerie.
Immediately, he dropped the bags.
“I was wondering if you were coming back.”
His eyes roamed from her toes to the top of her head. Then it went back to the middle of her body, where all the action was taking place. The pink lace was erotic and chaste all at the same time. It was heating his blood and making him want to untie each and every bow with his teeth.
“Well, I am certainly glad I did,” he said, as he fought the urge to pounce. “Where did that come from?” he asked, moving closer to her. Justin wanted to trace his fingers over the swell of her breasts that were being pushed up like an offering on an altar.
As if on cue, she walked backwards to his bedroom, remaining just out of reach.
“When I changed at my place, I put it on under my clothes.”
“Very tricky, baby, and definitely appreciated.”
In their bedroom, he pushed the door closed and trapped her in there with him.
“Want some champagne?” she asked, getting his glass.
“Yeah, I think I need some. Suddenly, I’m very thirsty.” Not to mention the growing hunger that was building in his body. Wh
at he really wanted was to run his hands across all that lace.
“Here,” she said, moving towards him and offering him a glass. Delicately, she clinked her glass off his. “To my incredibly sexy husband.”
He stared at her hungrily. “To my beautiful wife,” he replied.
They both took a sip.
Justin noticed that she removed the basket from the bed. It was probably a good thing, since he had planned on making use of the space immediately.
When he placed his glass down on the dresser, he began to unbutton his shirt.
“Let me,” she said softly, as she moved towards him.
His hands paused at the buttons.
Vivian slowly ran her palms over his chest. She loved the feel of his body. When his muscles twitched at the contact, she became more empowered. As his shirt was completely unbuttoned, she pushed it from his shoulders. Beneath it was his tank top, and she pulled that from his body too.
Justin was enjoying the attention his wife was paying to his body. The light caress of her fingertips was making it very difficult to stay calm. When she walked around him, and left little feather light kisses across his flesh, he believed he was going to go mad.
He reached for the button on his pants, and her hands stopped him.
“I’ll help you with that too,” she purred in his ear, as she stood behind him.
His wife was seducing him and doing a damn good job. She was pressed against the back of him, and all he could feel was the brush of lace and satin against his flesh.
It was teasing him and making him wild.
“Vivian,” he groaned, as her hands stroked him through his pants. “You’re making me crazy.”
She moved to stand in front of him again. With ease, she had his pants open and dropping.
He knew where this was heading, and he needed to put a stop to it. With the way he was feeling, he would be helpless if she put her mouth on any part of his body. Tonight, it was all about her.
Justin shackled her wrists with his fingers to stop her. “I’m going to help my wife undress now,” he whispered, as he ran his lips down her throat and to the vee of her breasts. “You taste like cake and smell like cookies,” he admitted.
Blood Red Rage (LIttlemoon Investigations Book 1) Page 29
