by Sandra Owens
“You’re right. The wine is superb.” And so was her mouth.
By the time they reached dessert, Rand didn’t think he could eat another bite. But he was pretty sure Kinsey would like the crepes Suzette he’d requested. Even more, he prayed she loved the champagne that came with it.
The crepes were prepared tableside, which seemed to fascinate her. When Brandon lit the alcohol to flambé the crepes, she clapped in delight, which sent such a warm feeling to Rand’s heart that he wasn’t sure he could wait until her glass of champagne arrived to ask his question. But he had a plan, and damn if he’d mess it up with his eagerness to take them to the next step in their relationship.
“Oh my God, these are good.” She closed her eyes and moaned when she put a second bite in her mouth.
“Kinsey,” he growled. “If you don’t stop making those noises, I’m going to have you right here on this table and embarrass us both in front of everyone.”
The little minx moaned again. She’d be lucky if they made it to his car before he was on her.
“Mr. Stevens specifically requested our best champagne for his lady,” Brandon said, placing a cut crystal wineglass in front of her. “Drink it slowly, mademoiselle, as there are treasures to be found within.”
Marc had balked when Rand had called him a few days ago to arrange tonight, worried that Kinsey would swallow the surprise in the glass. Rand had promised he wouldn’t let that happen.
“That was an odd thing to say,” she said after the waiter left. As she brought the glass to her lips, she glanced down at it and stilled. Then her gaze shot up to his. “Maybe not so odd.”
With his heart pounding, he watched her fish the ring out. He knew he might be pushing things too fast, but he wanted his ring on her finger, even if she wanted to hold off on a wedding for a while.
“Rand,” she whispered.
He took the ring from her and held it between them. “Because of you, I’m smiling again. Because of you, I look forward to each new day again. Because of you, my heart beats again. I love you, Kinsey, with all that I am. Will you marry me?”
“Yes,” she said as tears pooled in her eyes. “Oh yes.”
“Give me your hand.” He slipped the ring onto her finger.
She held her hand up to the light. “It’s beautiful.”
“You’re beautiful.” He knew she wouldn’t have wanted anything showy, and he’d found what he thought was the perfect ring for her, a simple platinum band with a flawless two-carat cushion-cut diamond. Okay, it was a little showy, but out of all the ones he’d looked at, it was the one that called to him.
“Did I remember to tell you that I love you?”
She stared up as she tapped her finger on her lips, flashing the diamond at him. “Hmm, let me think.” She lowered her gaze to him. “I’m not sure. Maybe you should tell me again.”
He took her hand and brushed his thumb over the ring, liking it on her finger even more than he thought he would. “I love you, Sunshine, so much it hurts to breathe sometimes. There’s one other thing I want to give you.” He removed Zoe’s necklace from his pocket. “I told you about this necklace. I’ve carried it with me every day since Zoe died. I want you to keep it safe until we can give it to our daughter.”
“Oh, Rand.” She took the necklace from him, then lifted tear-filled eyes to his. “And we’ll tell our daughter all about her sister.”
“I didn’t mean to make you cry.” He reached across the table and swiped his thumb over her cheek, even as he blinked his own tears away. “This is a special night, not one to be sad, okay?”
“I’m not. Honest.” She smiled. “But I am deeply touched.”
“That’s okay then.” Before they both started crying, he lifted a hand to signal for the check.
“Let’s go home. I have a need to make love to my fiancée.”
“Come here, Sunshine.”
Kinsey gently placed Zoe’s necklace into her jewelry box before glancing over her shoulder at Rand. “Why? You have something in mind?” Her man was mouthwateringly sexy sitting on the edge of their bed, his gaze hot and heavy on her.
“You know I do.”
She kicked off her shoes before walking to him and stopping between his legs. “Have you seen my gorgeous ring that someone gave me tonight?” She dangled her fingers in front of his face.
“Just someone?”
“Well, he is a very special someone.”
He took her hand, brought it to his lips, and placed a kiss on the center of her palm. Then he pulled her onto his lap and lowered his mouth to hers.
The kiss was gentle… slow, as if he had all the time in the world. His lips were warm and soft, and the feel of his thumb as he made circles, caressing the skin below her ear, sent delicious shivers through her. She sighed into his mouth, and he answered with a groan. He lifted his head and stared at her for a moment, and the need in his eyes made her heart flutter. She splayed her hand over his chest. He put his hand over hers, and then his mouth found hers again.
It wasn’t a gentle kiss this time. He took possession, claimed her as his. His tongue was a magical thing. He teased her and tasted her, and it seemed as if he couldn’t get enough. She was riding the edge and he hadn’t even touched her anywhere but her mouth, her neck, and her hand.
“Rand,” she whispered against his lips, a plea for more.
He pulled away and rested his forehead against hers. “Do we have a fire extinguisher nearby?”
“Hmm?” They were both breathing heavily, and he’d obviously stolen her ability to think because she couldn’t make sense of his question.
“We might ignite when we get to the good part.”
Ah, that. “Maybe, but I’m willing to risk it.”
He chuckled. “Adventurous. I like it. But we have on too many clothes.”
“I know you do.” He’d removed his suit coat and tie when they’d gotten home, but that still left his pants and shirt.
“Let me.” She brushed his fingers away from his buttons. As she undressed him, he kept his eyes on hers, and there was so much love in them for her that her heart felt like it was melting. Once she had his shirt off, he put his hands on her knees. He slid the hem of her dress up, letting his fingers trail a sensual line up her inner thighs.
“I’m taking over now,” he said as he pulled her dress over her head.
After their clothes were in a pile on the floor, he pulled her onto the bed with him. He stared up at her, the heat in his eyes searing her right down to her core, leaving her with a gooey center and an ache between her thighs.
Sprawled over him, she cupped his face with her palms and brushed her lips over his. “I love you,” she whispered against his mouth.
A rumbling growl sounded from deep in his throat as he flipped them over. “I’m going to love you all night long, Sunshine. Slow and easy later, but right now I’m feeling a little out of control, so hang on tight.”
“I like you out of control.”
He barked a laugh. “Then you’re about to like me a whole lot.” He kissed her hard, his tongue tasting every inch of her mouth. From there he moved to her neck, sucking hard enough to mark her. He’d never done that before, never put his claim on her. But tonight it was exactly what she wanted, and she had every intention of putting her mark on him before the night was over.
He took her mouth in a scorching kiss while his fingers found their way to her sex. He played her like a maestro strumming his beloved instrument. By the time he entered her, he’d tasted every part of her body, letting her climax twice but only after she’d begged.
“My sunshine,” he softly said when he was buried to the hilt.
It was the first time they were making love without a condom, and the feel of him was amazing. She wrapped her legs around his, slid her hands down to his butt, turned her head, and sank her teeth into his upper arm.
“Sweet Jesus, Kins.” He shuddered as he thrust into her. “I didn’t know it would feel this damn good not to
have anything between us.” As he’d promised, he loved her hard and fast, and just when she was ready to leap off the edge, he said, “Now, babe. Take me with you.”
She squeezed hard, wrapping her core muscles around him until he felt nothing but her.
“Damn,” he gasped. He held on to her as if he’d never let her go as they soared together. “Damn,” he softly said again. After they’d floated back down to earth, their mingling breaths still heavy and harsh, he nuzzled his face into her neck.
“We’ve only just begun, Kinsey,” he whispered into her ear.
“I might die.” She found his hand and laced their fingers together. “Did it feel good, you know, to be bare inside me?”
“I don’t even have the words for how good it felt.”
After moving in together, they’d both gone to the doctor and gotten a clean bill of health, and she’d already been on the pill. Even so, he’d refused to make love to her without a condom, and she’d assumed he wanted the double protection against a pregnancy. Now she realized he was saving their first time without having anything between them for tonight. How long had he been planning his proposal?
“Don’t think I can move,” he muttered.
She rubbed her cheek on his. “Ah, so that ‘I’m going to love you all night long’ was just big talk?”
“Hush, woman. I keep my promises.”
Several hours later, sated and boneless, she listened to Rand’s even breaths. Too keyed up to sleep, she eased out from under his arm and slid out of bed. In the living room she turned on a lamp, dimming it to low, then curled up in the corner of the sofa. She held up her hand and admired her ring. “Look, Mom, I’m engaged!”
What a crazy few months it had been. Not only finding her brothers but actually liking them. It still boggled the mind that they were FBI, and that she was going to marry an FBI agent. In a million years she never would have guessed that. She and Rand were both seeing a therapist, and it was already easier for him to talk about having kids someday. He no longer broke out in a sweat. The only thing she was sad about now was that her mother and Zoe weren’t here to see her and Rand get married.
“I miss you so much, Mom. In your letter you said you only asked that I be happy. Well, I want you to know that I am, more than I thought I’d ever be. I found my brothers, and they’re amazing. You’d be so proud of them. And guess what? I’m getting married to the most wonderful man. I wish you could have met him, Mom. You would have loved him. I hope you can hear me, because I have a special favor to ask. Do you think you can find a little girl named Zoe and take care of her for Rand?”
In her heart she believed her mother could hear her. She hoped so. After wiping away her tears, she went back to bed. As she snuggled up to Rand, he mumbled nonsense words while wrapping his body around hers, cocooning her in the safety of his arms.
The last thing she thought of before falling asleep was the matching hickey he sported on his neck. She smiled, knowing her brothers were going to razz him to no end when seeing it. Well, unless they killed him for marking her. A giggle escaped at the thought of her brothers messing with Rand, which they loved to do.
“Sumpin’ funny?” he muttered, more asleep than awake.
“Not a thing, babe.” She grinned, fully aware she’d just fibbed.
17
“Dude,” Alex said, his gaze narrowed on Rand’s neck. “Tell me a bee stung you and you didn’t have my sister doing dirty things to you.”
“Dude, none of your business.” Rand knew he’d get shit from the Gentrys at the Saturday afternoon cookout that had become a tradition since Kinsey and her brothers had discovered each other. He could have worn a shirt with a collar instead of a tee, but he was damn proud of Kinsey’s mark on him and had no intention of hiding it.
“He said ‘dude,’ dudes,” Alex said, his gaze going from Court to Nate. “Does that mean he’s finally one of us?”
Court lifted one shoulder in a half-hearted shrug. “He’s getting there.”
“We’ll bring him to the dark side eventually,” Nate said with a smirk on his face. Then he leveled a hard gaze on Rand. “Not sure why, but you seem to make her happy. As long as she has a smile on her face, you get to live.”
“Good to know,” Rand muttered.
Nate’s expression turned serious. “I’ve got some news. A trial date has been set for Summer for next month. His attorney asked for a plea bargain, but the DA refused. The evidence against him is strong enough that the DA’s confident he’ll get the maximum.”
“That’s great news.” Apparently tired of getting his son out of trouble, Jacob Summer hadn’t posted his bail. Rand wished Kinsey’s involvement with the man was done. “I thought Kinsey might be dreading the trial, but when she learned of his past deeds, she said she couldn’t wait to get on the witness stand and do her part in sending him to prison.” He was damn proud of her.
“Good for her,” Court said.
A bloodcurdling shriek had him and the brothers reaching for their guns.
“Oh my God, Kinsey,” Madison screamed. “What’s that on your hand? It’s blinding my eyes.”
“A ring?” Alex said.
“Yep.” Rand smiled when Kinsey waved her hand in front of the Gentry wives.
“Thought it would take a little longer but not surprised,” Court said.
“When I know what I want, I don’t waste time.”
Alex scowled. “Dude, you’re supposed to ask us for permission to marry her.”
“Oops.”
Nate held up his beer. “Congratulations. But if you ever make her cry, I’ll shoot you.”
“Tough crowd,” Rand said.
“The toughest,” Nate agreed.
“Well, this calls for a celebration.” Alex stood. “I’ve got some champagne Madison and I bought last New Year’s but never got around to drinking. Her fault. She distracted me when she—”
“TMI, baby brother.” Court reached into the cooler and grabbed a handful of ice, throwing the cubes at Alex’s retreating back.
“Dude, you’ll pay for that,” Alex called over his shoulder.
“If he teaches my kids to say ‘dude,’ I’ll never forgive him,” Rand said.
Nate narrowed his eyes. “She’s not pregnant, is she?”
“Not yet.” But he was looking forward to the day she was, and wasn’t that something? “We’re talking about a destination wedding. Some island, maybe St. Thomas. Just our families, and the expense is on me for everyone. Wherever we decide on, I’ll charter a plane so we won’t have to deal with a gaggle of children on a commercial flight.”
“I might like having you for a brother-in-law after all,” Nate said.
Rand grinned. “Thought you’d say that.”
The St. Thomas weather was picture-perfect. Sunset was two hours away, only two more hours before Kinsey would be his wife. Rand couldn’t wait. But he had something to do first. He slipped away from his soon-to-be brothers-in-law for a few minutes of quiet time. There was a cove a little ways from the resort, and he made his way to it. A grouping of palm trees stood tall near the water, their fronds swaying in the breeze. He stopped in their shade and looked out over the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea.
“You’d love it here, Zoe,” he said. “I’m beginning a new life. Maybe you already know that, and if so, I hope that makes you happy. After I lost you, I thought I’d never smile again, but then Kinsey came along. She taught me that being happy again doesn’t mean I love you any less. You would have loved her, your new aunts and uncles, and your cousins. They’re very noisy, though.” He chuckled. She would have been delighted by the chaos of life among the Gentrys. “I came to this spot where it’s just you and me to make you a promise. I’ll never forget you, baby girl. You will always live on in my heart.”
He squeezed his burning eyes closed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I love you, Zoe,” he whispered. The melodious sound of a child’s laughter—so much like Zoe’s—reached his ears, an
d he shuddered. There had to be someone with a little girl nearby, but he walked away without looking for her, choosing to believe that Zoe had found a way to let him know she was in a good place and that she was happy for him.
When he reached the beach in front of the resort, three tall males stood on the sand, arms crossed over their chests, watching him.
He stopped in front of them. “If some kind of initiation into the family is about to happen, all I ask is that you don’t make me bleed. That won’t look pretty in our wedding photos.”
“Saw you sneaking off. Just making sure you weren’t running away, dude,” Alex said.
Court dangled handcuffs in front of Rand. “One way or another, our sister is getting married today.”
“Ignore these two clowns,” Nate said. He glanced over at the cove. “You good now?”
“Yeah. I am.” The Gentry brothers never missed a trick, and he should have known there was no sneaking away from them. They’d also guessed he needed a moment with his daughter and had given it to him but were letting him know they were here for him. He nodded. “Real good, in fact.”
“Then let’s go get you married.”
Rand stood at the water’s edge under a sky painted in shades of pinks and yellows by the setting sun. He and his best men—all three Gentry brothers—wore tuxes and were barefoot. He’d thought he might be nervous, but the only emotion he felt was impatience to hear the words pronouncing him and Kinsey husband and wife.
He glanced at the only family members not in the wedding party. Rosie held Max, Court and Lauren’s baby, and Alex and Madison’s son, Michael, sat between her and Rand’s father. At the moment Harlan was showing something on his phone to Michael, probably pictures of fire trucks, the boy’s obsession. Rand’s mother looked on with faint amusement. She’d warmed up to the Gentrys some, which was impressive in itself.
Giggles preceded the flower girls. He grinned at seeing six barefoot little girls dropping rose petals on the sand as they walked toward him. Each wore a different colored pastel sundress, making him think of a rainbow. To prevent a mutiny, Kinsey had sealed her status as favorite new aunt by asking all six of Taylor and Nate’s daughters to be her flower girls. Well, five of them were dropping petals. Annie was picking them up and putting them in her basket.
