by Shauna Allen
“I know. My mom and Aubrey’s mom worked hard today.”
As if on cue, Mrs. Joyner—well, the original Mrs. Joyner—joined us and collected her son into a big hug then stretched over to include me. “Congratulations, you two. Be happy and take care of each other.”
Jesse’s dad followed closely behind with congratulations of his own, and I’m pretty sure there was a subtle hand off of cash to Jesse when they shook. After that, Jesse’s entire family greeted us one by one, then all of our friends, and even some of my co-workers. Someone got the music going and the food and drinks flowing, and suddenly it was a party. All for us.
I couldn’t have been happier.
We did all the traditional wedding stuff . . . the dances, the garter throw, the bouquet toss . . . but it was all a blur to me. I simply wanted to be alone with my husband and breathe it all in.
I glanced over and found him smiling with his friends, huddled over beers. Oblivious to my stare, I could study him all I wanted. He seemed relaxed and happy, his smile free and his laughter genuine. But I could easily recall the time when that wasn’t the case. He’d been so overwrought with guilt about things out of his control, so haunted by demons, that it was eating him alive. He’s told me at least a thousand times how I saved him.
That’s not true.
He is the hero of this story. I’m simply the lucky girl that by some divine twist of fate, got to love him.
He must’ve felt the love oozing out of me and across the yard, because his blue eyes suddenly found mine and his lips turned up in that sexy sweet smile that was only for me, and I melted a little inside. He winked then turned back to whatever Blake was talking about and they all belly laughed. His happiness had become my happiness and I was overflowing with it tonight.
Someone tapped the microphone. “Excuse me, folks. Rachel . . .”
I turned my attention to Delilah’s smiling voice.
“This one’s for you, baby.” She mumbled something to our DJ, and suddenly, “Ice, Ice, Baby” was playing loud and proud.
I laughed and tried to sidestep her as she made her way to me, wiggling her fingers in a ‘come here’ motion. It was no use. In moments, I was on the makeshift dancefloor and we were giggling and dancing to our old jam.
The party went on until nearly midnight before Jesse finally whisked me away. After goodbyes and a farewell full of bubbles, he tucked me into his Charger and we were finally, finally alone.
He clasped my hand and linked our fingers as we drove away in silence. I had no idea where we were spending the night before flying out for the Bahamas the next day, and frankly, I didn’t care. As long as it had a bed and my man, I was a happy camper.
A few windy miles later, we arrived at the most gorgeous bed & breakfast I’d ever seen. Tucked between groves of oak and mesquite trees, with lots of open space and privacy, the little white house had a garden path full of flowers and even a white picket fence. It was adorable.
Jesse parked and loped around to open my door and help me out. The deafening silence of the hill country took me by surprise and I took a moment to breathe it in. With a kiss, he led me up the winding cobbled pathway to the side door, which had been left unlocked for us.
Jesse opened the door wide then scooped me up into his arms and carried me inside. I smiled and tucked my face into his neck, loving this romantic side of him.
He nuzzled my hair with another kiss then gently laid me on the king sized bed. I clutched the downy white comforter and inhaled the scent of the white roses that had been placed all around our room as I spied a bottle of champagne chilling in a silver ice bucket.
“Tired?” he asked gently.
“No.”
He grinned and indicated the champagne. “Want a drink?”
“Absolutely.”
After removing his shoes and suit jacket and loosening his tie, he uncorked the bottle with a flourish and poured two glasses. Handing me one, he touched the rims. “To our life together. I thank God every day that I found you.”
We toasted and sipped and I found myself suddenly ravenous to have my husband . . . I was really getting to love that word.
I set my glass aside and started removing the pins that held the flowers in my hair until I could remove the crown and set it aside. Running my fingers through my curls, I watched him watching me and felt a heady sense of power over the moment.
I stood and ran my hands down his chest and abs, loving the rippling strength beneath his dress shirt. Taking his glass from him and placing it next to mine, I reached for his tie, pulled it from his collar, and pressed a kiss to the dip of his throat.
“Do you need your bag from the car?” he asked, his voice gritty.
I kissed him under his ear and shook my head. “Later.”
He didn’t waste another moment. Spinning me until my back was to his front, he cupped my shoulders, running his fingertips down my arms as he kissed the nape of my neck.
I moaned and leaned into him, inhaling as his unique scent washed over me. Ocean and earth and man.
“My wife,” he whispered as his fingers found the zipper on my dress and began lowering it inch by excruciating inch.
“Your wife,” I agreed, helpless to move as his fingers worked their magic on the naked flesh of my back, down to my ass.
His hands froze when he found bare skin. “What’s this?”
I let my dress shimmy down my body to the floor and kicked off my shoes. Slowly, I pivoted so he could see my new white lacy bra and thong.
His eyes devoured me and I trembled under his hungry gaze. “Did I tell you today that you are the most stunning thing I’ve ever seen?”
I reached for the top button of his crisp white shirt. “You’re not too bad yourself, Mr. Joyner.”
His hands clasped mine, stopping my movement until I met his eyes. “I’m serious. I can hardly believe my luck that you’re mine.”
“It’s not luck, Jesse. It’s love.”
Our lips crashed together in a kiss so full of emotion, it was unlike anything we’d ever shared before. Maybe it was being married, maybe it was all we’d been through that day, maybe it was something else, but all I knew was that I could feel our souls aligning.
I was panting and writhing and nearly to the point of begging when he finally had me naked and on my back. He dipped his head and worshipped my breasts with his mouth. First one nipple, then the other. His hot tongue skated down my stomach to lavish my belly button, my hips, my thighs.
Desperate, I yanked at the stupid shirt he still had on, silently begging him to get bare with me.
The heated air was full of expectation as he silently drew back and finished unbuttoning his shirt, yanking it from his slacks. I scrambled to my knees and reached for his belt. He allowed me to help him remove his pants and boxer briefs then reach up and shove the shirt from his shoulders. As the snowy white fabric dropped away, leaving him blessedly naked, my eyes tracked over the body of the man I loved. Strong and sculpted and perfectly inked . . .
I froze when I spotted the bandage on his chest, right above his Sacred Heart tattoo. My eyes flew to his as I gently touched the tape. “What’s this?”
“Your wedding gift.”
“Gift?”
“Well, sorta. It’s time for the bandage to come off. Why don’t you do it and see for yourself?”
Was he nervous?
Settling into seated positions on the bed facing each other, I gingerly reached for the edge of the bandage, apprehensive about what I’d find underneath. I would swear I felt his heart pounding beneath my fingers. As I pulled the tape away, freshly inked words appeared, bold and black and proud.
You and I, it’s as though we have been taught to kiss in heaven and sent down to earth together, to see if we know what we were taught.
I traced the word ‘kiss’ with my fingertip. “What is this?”
“A tattoo.” He deadpanned, laughter in his voice.
I rolled my eyes. “I see that. I meant the q
uote.”
He leaned down and kissed my fingertips that were still on his flesh. “It’s from Dr. Zhivago.”
“Jesse.” My hand flew to my mouth as I took it in, remembering the book I’d given him as a gift so long ago, before we found our way. “You remembered.”
“Of course I remembered. It meant a lot to me. Everything we’ve been through means a lot to me. You’re my world, Rachel.”
I gazed into his impossibly blue eyes. “You did this for me?”
“Baby, I’d do anything for you.”
SEVEN
Jesse
The love and shock on Rachel’s face blew me away. It never failed to amaze me how beautifully she could love me, but had no idea how endlessly I loved her in return.
It was my new life’s mission to prove it to her every single day.
I ran the back of my knuckles along her jaw in a caress. “I love you, Mrs. Joyner.”
Her smile was instantaneous. “I love you, too, Mr. Joyner.”
With reverence, I laid her back and kissed her from head to toe. I whispered love words against her flesh, branding her with my devotion as deeply as I could. I made love to her like I’d never done before, a new level of love and desperation urging me on.
When we came together in the hush of the silent night, her lips were on my newly inked skin, and I was as close to Heaven as I’d ever been.
~ ~
I woke the next morning with a start. After a double-take of the clock beside our bed, I shook Rachel and leapt up.
“Baby! We gotta go or we’ll miss our flight.”
She grumbled something incoherent and rolled over, exposing the perfect expanse of her creamy back and one butt cheek. I leaned over with a light tap to that ass and kissed her neck. “Rachel . . . gorgeous, hot, beautiful wife of mine . . . you need to wake up if you want to dip your toes in the Atlantic today.”
She moaned and reached back to thread her fingers through my hair. “Do I have to?”
“Well, no, but we did pay a lot for this trip.”
She rolled over with a sleepy smile, totally distracting me with her breasts. “We could catch a later flight.”
I toyed with arguing, but my fiery wife was a force of nature. I was quickly learning when to push and when to let her have her way. With a grin, I shook my head and dialed the airline on my cell. After confirming a flight for later that afternoon, I hung up and studied her.
Deep, dark, chocolate brown eyes sparkled with the morning light. A dusting of freckles covered her shoulders and the bridge of her little nose. Her naked lips tipped up in a gentle smile, full of love.
She reached out a hand for me and I cuddled back up into the warmth of her, our entwined bodies communicating for us as we touched and caressed and kissed and simply let the moment be what it was . . . our first morning as man and wife in every sense of the word.
The first day of the rest of our lives.
I did finally manage to get us both out of bed, showered, and to brunch, then off to the airport. Dressed in a yellow sundress, ponytail, and no makeup, Rachel looked totally different than the beautiful bride she was yesterday, but she was stunning all the same.
Aboard the plane, she linked our fingers before takeoff and rested her head on my chest, near my new tattoo. I was thrilled that she loved it, and I had to admit, it was my favorite as well.
Our flight was short, and before I knew it, the crystal blue water of the Bahamas was shining outside our window like a jewel.
We picked up our luggage and found a taxi to get us to the resort. Rachel wilted against my side on the ride and I hugged her close. “Tired, baby?”
“Mmm . . . a little. It’s been a long couple of days.”
“I know. I’ll get you tucked in soon for a nap.”
She offered me a sleepy smile as we wound our way through the streets of Nassau with the fruit vendors and souvenir stands selling their wares. Colorful people, dressed in all forms of bright clothing milled around, and the scents of tropical food and the ocean filtered into the taxi.
At the resort, we were greeted by the friendliest staff I’d ever encountered. “Your honeymoon?” the dark-skinned clerk at the front desk asked with a wide smile.
“Yes.”
“Many congratulations.”
I thanked her and we followed the bellboy to our room, where he unloaded our bags. Once he was gone, I moved through our open balcony door and found Rachel at the railing, staring at the ocean. I bracketed my arms on either side of her, holding her between me and the view.
“It’s so beautiful here,” she said.
Below us, the waves crashed in the distance and gulls circled overhead. The few people on the beach were the size of ants.
Rachel leaned back into my chest and I brushed a kiss to her cheek. We stood like that for several long minutes before she shifted to face me. “I think I want to soak in that huge Jacuzzi bath I saw in there and drown myself in bubbles. You care to join me?”
She didn’t need to ask.
We filled the tub and climbed in, where she nestled between my legs. I lazily washed her with a cloth, trailing kisses down her neck and shoulder. “You happy, baby?”
She peered over her shoulder at me. “I’m more than happy. You?”
“Me, too.”
Grinning, she took the cloth from my hand and started washing my chest, taking care with my new ink. When she was done, she stood, the bubbles and water cascading down her body like silk. “Food, sex, or nap?” she asked with a flirty grin.
Was that a trick question?
I took her hand and stood in front of her, brushing a wayward curl from her cheek. “How about nap, then food, then sex?”
She nodded once. “Deal.”
We dried off and flopped into the huge bed with grins on our faces as we stared at each other. This marriage business was heady stuff.
She snuggled up into me and promptly fell asleep in my arms. I rested, but didn’t sleep. My mind was too crowded with the significance of the changes in my life. Just three years ago, I was in prison . . . chained to my crime and the demons of my past. A hopeless, tainted man. Rachel was the ray of sunshine I’d never let myself believe I deserved, much less that she could love me. And yet, she did.
She was my miracle.
An hour later, as the ocean breeze flitted over our skin from the open balcony doors, she rustled in my arms. I felt her wake in bits and pieces, a sated, relaxed woman in my embrace.
Sleepy eyes met mine with a soft smile. “Hey.”
“Hey.”
“Did you sleep?”
“Nah. Just rested and enjoyed the view.” I ran my fingers down her naked hip.
She grinned and kissed my pec.
Her stomach rumbled between us and I stifled a laugh. “Food was next on the list, right?”
Her hand trailed down to my groin and she scraped her nails across my thigh. “Unfortunately.”
“Naughty girl.”
She laughed and sat up, pushing the messy mass of curls from her face. “Hungry, naughty girl.”
“Well, then I’d best take care of my wife.” I rolled to sit up and grabbed the room phone. As I ordered room service, she giggled and sauntered to the bathroom. By the time she returned, I’d ordered enough food to feed a small army and was lounging on the bed with my hands laced behind my head.
She stopped short when she saw me. Then, with a smirk, she took off and made a running leap onto the bed and onto me. I caught her with an oomph.
Hot kisses rained down on my face and throat as her hands touched every inch of flesh she could reach. “I thought . . .” I sucked in a breath when her teeth grazed my nipple. “Food first . . .”
She groaned and found my mouth again. “We have some time to kill before the food gets here.”
Smart woman.
She straddled my hips and moved against me, driving me insane. When I couldn’t stand it any longer, she took me in one blinding press of her hips and rode me in a fu
rious rush, racing me to the finish line.
We were stuck together with sweat, breathing heavily, when there was a knock at the door. “Room service.”
She rolled off me with a sigh. “First married quickie. Nice.”
Oh, my woman.
EIGHT
Rachel
Jesse laughed and yanked on his jeans that were still on the floor from our arrival. Not bothering to button them or put on a shirt, he strolled to answer the door and signed for our food, blocking me from view.
As soon as the delivery guy was gone, he shucked his clothes again and joined me picnic-style on the bed. I inhaled the shrimp cocktail and crab puffs, tropical fruits and cheeses. Jesse had really outdone himself. I think he ordered every solitary thing from the menu.
When he uncovered the plate full of an array of desserts, I had to laugh. Typical.
“Here.” He offered me the first bite from a slice of cheesecake lathered in passion fruit glaze.
“Oh, my God . . .” I moaned around the fork. “That is so good.”
He ate a hunk after me, grinning like a kid in a candy store as he moved on to chocolate cake and crème puffs and . . .
“Are those snickerdoodles?”
He picked up a cinnamon-dusted cookie. “Sure are.”
“They have those in the Bahamas?”
“They have everything if you special-order it.” He offered me one.
“My dad used to make these.” I took a big bite and let the happy memory infuse me.
“I know.” He moved on to the next thing on his plate, but I just stared. He’d remembered that random tidbit of information and made sure I had something of home, of my late father, on this special occasion. I didn’t think I could love him more.
Sated, I rolled to my back like a beached whale. “If I hadn’t already, I’d marry you after this.”
He laughed and flopped down next to me.
We laid there for a while, grinning like idiots. I found myself wondering if everyone’s honeymoons were as awesome as this. And we hadn’t even left our room yet.
As the sun set, leaving us in the pale light of dusk, I glanced at the clock.
Shit.
I leapt up and ran to the bathroom to rifle through my overnight bag.
