Independence

by Shelly Crane

  I held my hand out to her and she took it willingly. I grabbed our bag from the back of the truck and went to the door of the cottage I'd rented. It was a gated condo community with a few cottages right on the beach. It seemed safe for our situation, but still romantic and secluded enough for a honeymoon. It was pretty perfect for last minute.

  The door opened with a click and Maggie flicked the lights on with a flip of her hand to the small living room. I put the bag down in the foyer. There was only one bedroom and the door was wide open in invitation. I shut the front door and wondered how long we were going to dance around the obvious before starting the awkward advance toward that room.

  But I underestimated her once again. She surprised the heck out of me by not even taking in the room, not even looking around. She kicked her shoes off by the door. Her Converses. I smiled at them before looking at her face again. She was right up against my chest and took my hand, putting it on her cheek. I leaned down and kissed her slowly and sweetly. I thought about my strategy. I should take things really slow and even though she was calm, I wanted to keep her that way. If she started to freak out…I'd freak out. Just thinking about her freaking out was making me crazy. The imprint in my chest started to hum. It was telling me I had take care of her, that I needed to make sure she was perfectly comfortable and-

  She cupped my face and looked at me closely. "Stop."

  Then she lifted up on her toes to kiss my mouth and I chuckled under my breath. I was completely being the girl in this scenario. She smiled against my mouth and I leaned back just an inch to see her.

  "I love you," I told her with her hands still on my face. My hands rested on her hips, claiming their first piece of her for the night. "I don't have to tell you this, I know, but if there's anything you need to say or do, including telling me to stop, at anytime. Say it."

  She nodded and I swooped down to claim her lips once more. Her hands were cool on my cheeks. When she opened her mouth to me that effectively ended any resolve I had.

  I pushed her gently to walk backward as I guided her to the one bedroom in the house. The light remained off and we didn't even know what color the walls or bed was, but it didn't matter. When we reached the end of the bed, I debated on how I wanted to take that dress off. I leaned down and kissed her bare shoulder. My hands made the decision for me and bunched the hem of the dress in their fingers. I paused just a beat to make sure Maggie was on the same page with me. When she lifted her arms, a little growl escaped my throat. I couldn't see her, but I knew she was smiling.

  I lifted it gently over her head and tossed it behind me. I reached for her sides and found them as I found her mouth again. She was unbuttoning my shirt before I could even think to do so. I let her and didn't help her. I reached into my pants pocket, pulling the cog family object out that I always kept with me, and set it on the bedside table. When she reached for the button of my black slacks, I couldn't stop my breath from catching. She let them drop and I stepped out of them as I moved closer to her.

  I stopped thinking. I let the way my body wanted and knew her guide me. Her heart in my chest beside mine beat steadily, and her happiness and contentment coated my tongue. It was everywhere. I was drowning in her, a dying man, content to asphyxiate as long as I could keep my lips on her.

  My hands ran the path from the front of her belly to her back while my lips moved in to kiss the side of her neck. She leaned her head back, giving me an all-access pass to her skin, and her fingers dug into my shoulders. I moved my lips lower to her throat and then the lowest I'd ever been and kissed the spot right above her bra. If the little noise she made was any indication, I'd say she was enjoying it.

  We’d barely even started and it was already the best freaking day of my life.

  Her fingers hooked into the waist band of my boxers as my mouth moved back to her like a magnet. I swept in deep and long. I'd never get tired of this. When I felt her fingers slide my boxers down in slow inches, one side an inch and then the other, I felt a slice of ego go through that she wanted me just as badly as I wanted her.

  I hugged her to me to tackle the bra and found no clasp in the back. "Front," she whispered. I gulped in thanks to whoever had put her in that daggum bra. For some reason a 'front' clasp sounded a hundred times more sexy.

  I could just make out her face and silhouette now that my eyes had adjusted to the dark room. I could hear the waves outside and there were no streetlights, but the moon was bright.

  I kept my eyes on hers as I let my nimble fingers find the clasp that was about to change my world. Her eyes bore into mine and when the clasp clicked, she didn't flinch. The kissing took on new meaning after that, the touching took on new levels, the tingling and humming on my skin from my body finally getting what it needed took on new heights. And I knew she was right there with me, on the same page, feeling the same things and understanding them for what they were.

  "I love you…with all that I am," I heard myself whisper before gently laying her down and then following her.

  "I love you, Caleb," she sighed my name. "Oh, my…" She gasped when my tongue touched her collar bone.

  "I once told you not to say my name like that because it was too distracting," I mused and chuckled. "But now I'm asking…say it again."

  She pulled me down to her, pressing her lips to my ear. "Caleb," she whispered it and then bit into my earlobe, causing me to groan.

  "Yeah," I praised. "Ah, hell." I hadn't felt her try to press into my mind yet, but I knew exactly what I wanted. "Baby, listen. I want this first time to just be us." I felt her confusion. "I mean let's save the mutualizing for another time. I just… this time I just want to feel you and only you."

  I felt her nod. "I love you," she told me. "I love you so much."

  "Gah, do I love you, baby," I growled. And then stopped talking.

  Chapter 17

  Maggie

  His heart worked its way into my chest to beat with mine and I'd never been more focused on anyone's every move and every thought before. His sole purpose, what was his only motivation, was me. His heart pounded in his chest and I clung to him as he did everything he could to put me at ease while simultaneously driving me insane.

  His lips proved to be their own entity. They were alive and as they worked over my throat, I was lost. "Caleb," I found myself saying once again. I couldn't seem to stop saying his name.

  He stopped and lifted his head. He didn't say anything, but this was his way of silently asking me if I was ready. There was nothing left between us and straddling the line was a thing of the past now. And yes, I was ready.

  I pulled him down to me, giving my answer as I kissed him. He moved his lips to kiss my forehead, my cheek, my nose. He stopped there, letting his forehead rest to mine. "You're mine," he said softly. "And I'm yours."

  "I'm yours," I repeated to him and he smiled as he kissed me.

  "I won't hurt you, Maggie," he promised.

  "I know you'd never hurt me," I said with certainty. "I'm ready," I whispered.

  His breathing was rough. "I love you."

  Before I could say it back, I was lost in him. I welcomed it. His hands possessed me. His mouth owned me. I was his.

  The morning light swept over me. I was warm and comfortable in a big white bed. I moved just an inch to get comfortable and heard Caleb's grunt as he pulled me closer back into the cocoon of blankets and his chest. I felt my lips smile as I remembered everything from last night.

  Everything.

  The trail of clothes was just one reminder of the night I'd had. And if that wasn't reminder enough, I was naked, too.

  I giggled into my pillow. I couldn't believe it! I was married. I was Caleb's wife. I was a woman and I felt like one. I turned a bit to see his face over my shoulder. The man could pull off the tossled look better than anyone. I rolled over to snuggle into him and let my fingers run the length of his jaw and chin. He had one arm under his head like a pillow and the other arm was thrown over my waist.

 
He already had a little scruff going on. But last night…it had been smooth and soft as he nuzzled my neck. I let my fingers run through his hair. I enjoyed, very much, the groans and little movements he made as I did it. I leaned forward and kissed his nose. Then I kissed his cheek and he moved his face to find my lips. I laughed silently. He wasn’t even awake yet. So I kissed his other cheek and covered my mouth to stop the laugh when he moved his face again to find my lips. So I gave in and gave the poor guy what he was looking for.

  I kissed his lips and he immediately tightened his grip and kissed me back. When his eyes started to flutter, I knew he was waking up. He looked at me like he was expecting me there, like it was natural and the most comfortable thing in the world. "Hey, baby," he muttered sleepily and huskily. "Good morning."

  "Good morning."

  "Did you sleep good?"

  I paused for dramatic effect. "I slept great," I whispered.

  His eyes opened wider, completely awake. "Oh, really?" I nodded slowly. He grinned. It was one of those completely all-male, smug, sexy grins. "Well, that's great. That you slept well." He was still grinning.

  I laughed and burrowed further under him. He was leaning over me barely on his one elbow. "And how do you feel this morning, Mrs. Jacobson?"

  I smiled and bit my lip. "Perfect."

  He put one hand on the other side of me on the bed and leaned down to kiss my lips softly. With not an inch between his mouth and mine he said, "The words for what I want to say right now don't exist. Everything sounds…so cliché."

  "You don't have to say anything, Jacobson." I smoothed his chest over his heart. "I know exactly what you want to say."

  "Well, right now," he started and then leaned in to nibble my throat, "I don't really want to talk anyway."

  I sighed as I felt my skin start to tingle. "OK," I agreed.

  He chuckled. "Oh, you're really putting up a fight."

  "Shut up and kiss me," I said before pulling him to me.

  His hand found my leg and moved up to my thigh as his lips stopped talking.

  And he claimed me once more.

  "We should probably get going," he said, but made no advances to move. "We need to meet up with everyone soon."

  I was almost back asleep again as his fingers traced little star patterns on my back. "Boo."

  He laughed, his warm breath stirring my hair. "Come on, gorgeous. Don't make this harder than it already is."

  Then we heard a knock. "See?" he said laughing and jumped up to get dressed. "Now you've done it." He could have been speaking Chinese for all I knew. Because last night had been dark, and now it was daytime. And I wasn't closing my eyes this time. I watched eagerly as he slipped his black pants back on without his boxers. "Your pops is here to scold me for not letting his daughter outta bed."

  I smirked. "I'm going to say it's all your fault, too."

  He smiled devilishly as he turned and called over his shoulder. "Don't play with fire, baby."

  I giggled into the covers before throwing them aside and running to the bathroom. I put the thick robe on and went out to greet whoever had come to pay us a visit, but Caleb was alone. He carried a tray to the bed that held juice and two huge plates of pancakes with clear covers over the top. "You ordered room service?"

  "No, he said that someone else had. Probably someone at the office knew it was our honeymoon. That was nice of them."

  "Yeah," I agreed and sat on his lap. I lifted the lid. "Now we don't even have to leave the room to eat."

  He pulled the robe off of my shoulder and kissed my skin as I bit into the bacon. "Oh, my…I've created a monster, haven't I?" he mocked.

  "Well, then I can get dressed and-"

  He grabbed me to keep me there when I started to get up. "Don't." He pushed my hair aside and kissed me neck. "Let me rephrase that. You've created a monster."

  "That's right," I joked and turned to straddle his lap. I fed him a bite of bacon. "This feels so normal. For once I feel like we're just a normal couple with normal things going on. I like all the supernatural stuff, too," I assured him. He smiled and nodded like he understood. "But being normal is underrated."

  "Yeah…" He sighed. "I wish I could just run away with you somewhere. Never look back."

  I tilted my head to the side. "No you don't." He smiled at being caught in his lie. "You'd miss Maria and Bella like crazy."

  "I would," he agreed. "I miss Bella right now. She'd be stealing my bacon from me."

  I laughed. "Is she going to live with us or stay with your parents?"

  "Us. She likes you too much."

  "I like her, too." I took a deep breath. I couldn't believe how happy and just…calm I felt. "I'm so happy," I heard myself say.

  He did this half sigh, half laugh thing. "You have no idea how happy that makes me."

  He kissed me, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me to him sweetly.

  When we finally managed to finish our breakfast and juice and get dressed, it was almost lunch. We moseyed through the back door across the sand to the veranda. This place looked like it was made for honeymoons. The white sheer curtains matched the ones in our room. They flowed in the wind and blocked the sand from blowing on us as we sat down on the lounger. The rest of them joined us shortly and I closed my mind to them all, not wanting to hear their thoughts about their nights, and not wanting to hear their questions or…whatever…about my own.

  Dad wouldn’t even look at me. Neither would Bish. Kyle and Lynne were the only ones who were normal, asking the waiter for sweat tea for everyone and laughing and joking with each other. Caleb watched the fabric on the chair beside us like it was made of gold.

  I started to giggle. I couldn't help it. It was so funny to me that we all knew what we'd all done last night and now everyone was acting so weird about it, like it wasn't normal or something. Caleb started to laugh under his breath with me.

  Dad looked at me curiously, but Bish must've caught on, because he and Jen both leaned into each other laughing. I guess he finally understood the discomfort everyone was putting out was the cause of our outbursts. He chuckled a little and shook his head. "So anyway," I said with a smile. "Now that that's out of the way, we need to just figure out how long we're going to be here. What we need to do as far as Marcus goes."

  Caleb answered me so everyone could hear, but so that it didn't carry out to the other people on the beach. "Dad's having the family look. He hasn't shown up at the Watson compound or any of the family houses. He ditched his cell. We have no idea where he is."

  I grumbled, "If I only had something of his, I could touch it and find him."

  He rubbed my arm, "It's OK, baby. We'll make sure we find him."

  "Have you heard from Beck?" Kyle asked.

  I nodded. "She's fine. They're safe somewhere, but she said to stop calling, so…"

  "Aw, Mags. That sucks. Rebecca was always pretty stubborn."

  "Not to me she wasn't," I said softly. Caleb's arm came around me and he pulled me to his side, kissing my temple.

  "She'll come around," he soothed, but his calm didn’t come. I was just about to panic, when I finally felt it seep into my skin. I looked at him and he had been feeling the same thing. His browed scrunched.

  You must be too worked up. I didn't realize you were that upset about it.

  Neither did I.

  I shook my head and went on. "We'll call Peter later and see what's up with the search."

  "In the meantime," Kyle said playfully and pulled Lynne into his lap, "we'll have to be miserable at the beach." He nipped her shoulder. "With a room all to ourselves. How will we ever survive?"

  "Shut it, Kyle," Caleb joked.

  Everyone laughed. Then Dad pulled Fiona to him and leaned back in his chair with her leaning on his chest. It was very sweet and it was good to see Dad being normal again. And he was so sweet to Fiona in the way that Virtuoso men were to their significants. It made me happy to know that not only would Dad have a good life because of their finding
each other, but so would Fiona. He said, "So we just wait here until we hear back from Peter about Marcus? That's it?"

  "I'm going to start calling and texting the other clans to see if anyone knows anything, or may have heard something even if they didn't understand what it was they were hearing. They might not think it was anything. But we're going to keep looking." I looked to Bish who was already looking at me. "We have to."

  He gulped visibly and gripped Jen's hand tighter in his as he pleaded with his eyes to please find a way to stop the vision.

  I nodded a little. I was going to stop that vision. No matter what had to happen, I was going to make sure I stopped it.

  Once we sat around and ate some lunch, we all decided to go to the beach for a swim. We rented surfboards and Caleb, Kyle, Lynne and I surfed while Bish and Dad sat with Jen and Fiona on the lounges in the sun. I forgot almost all he'd taught me, or my body had, because it was practically impossible to stay on the board. I fell every single time I tried to glide and may have pouted a little.

  Caleb and I went to lie on the beach towels while Kyle and Lynne kept surfing. I traced the star tattoo on Caleb's shoulder with my finger as he dozed beside me when we heard Lynne's scream. He jolted awake and we both ran over to where Kyle was carrying her and putting her down in the sand. He held her foot in his lap as he tried to heal the cut from the shell she stepped on. It had sliced her foot from toe to heal. I cringed as the blood stained the sand under them.

  The others ran over, too, and watched Kyle concentrate. He looked up at her and huffed. "Why isn't it working?"

  I watched her cut and it wasn't healing. And then it was. He sighed loudly and rubbed her leg to soothe her. "Must've been too worked up, I guess," he said out loud, but his mind said, What the hell! Thought I was about to have another situation like her cheek.

  Lynne sat up and gave him a scolding look. "Stop. I'm fine."