Beach Reads Boxed Set

by Marie Force

  “Babe,” he whispered. “Are you sleeping?”

  Juliana kept her eyes closed so he would think she was asleep. She couldn’t deal with any more just then. When she didn’t answer him, he went into the bathroom to shower. At home he sang—badly—in the shower, but here he was quiet.

  He came out a short time later and squatted down next to her, brushing the hair off her face and kissing her forehead. A few minutes later, he stood up.

  Juliana opened her eyes. He had a towel around his waist and was slumped against the big window.

  “Jer?”

  Turning to her, his face a picture of devastation, he said, “I’m sorry, Juliana. I’m so sorry.”

  She held out her arms to him.

  He sat on the edge of the bed and leaned into her embrace. “I don’t know how to fix this.”

  Touched by his raw despair, she brought him down for a soft kiss.

  He wrapped his arms around her and shifted her under him in the middle of the big bed. “Jule,” he whispered against her lips, “I love you so much. Let me show you.”

  She arched into him, her arms tightening around him in surrender to the familiar dance.

  He pulled back to gaze down at her before he tugged the shirt over her head. Capturing her hands, he left a lingering kiss on each palm and put them on the pillows.

  “Leave them there,” he whispered, running his index finger straight down the middle of her, between her breasts and over her belly.

  She trembled and fought the urge to reach for him.

  Unbuttoning her shorts, he slid them and her panties over her hips and tossed them aside, all the while keeping his eyes fixed on hers.

  He gave her ear his full attention then left wet, hot kisses on her forehead, her cheeks, and the end of her nose.

  She tried to capture his lips, but he shifted to focus on her neck.

  She moaned.

  With the flip of two fingers over the front clasp of her bra, he freed her breasts and kissed her everywhere but where she craved him most. When he finally rolled her nipple between his teeth, she lifted off into a soaring climax that shook them both to the core. In all their years together, it had never happened like that for her.

  He rested against her until she caught her breath and then devoured her mouth in a series of kisses that left her weak with desire. Cupping her, his fingers coasted through her slickness. As another orgasm rolled through her in soft waves, he raised himself to enter her. He gave her everything he had, as if it was their first time—or maybe their last.

  And when it was over, he lay gasping on top of her, his eyes bright with emotion. “I love you, Juliana. I’ll love you forever.”

  She closed her eyes tight against the burn of tears and held him close to her as the sun set over the beach.

  Chapter Seven

  The Amelia Island Country Club sparkled with white lights, crystal champagne glasses, chandeliers, and candles floating in elaborate floral centerpieces. A small orchestra provided background music while the Simpson’s guests mingled over cocktails.

  When Michael was introduced to the governor of Florida, the attorney general, and the state’s senior senator, he realized the Admiral was killing several birds with this party. A staunch Republican, he was considering a run for the House of Representatives from Florida’s fourth district.

  “Meet my future son-in-law, Michael Maguire,” the Admiral said to the governor and the attorney general as he slapped Michael on the back. “He’s a prosecutor on Tom Houlihan’s team up in Baltimore. Michael’s first chair on a murder trial that starts next week.”

  The attorney general, Derek Gantley, clasped Michael’s hand. “Gang shooting?”

  “Yes, sir,” Michael said.

  “I’ve read about that case. Looks good for conviction.”

  “We like our odds.”

  “Best of luck,” Gantley said.

  The Admiral whisked him and the governor away to meet other guests.

  Michael grabbed a glass of champagne off a passing tray and had downed half of it when he located Paige across the room surrounded by her high school friends. Before the Admiral transferred to the Pentagon and then the Naval Academy, she attended the exclusive Bolles School in Jacksonville while her father served as the commanding officer of Naval Air Station Jacksonville. Many of her friends still lived in the area, which was one of the reasons she had been so anxious to move back to Florida when her father retired from the Navy.

  Michael was working on a third glass of champagne when Paige came to find him.

  “Having a good time?”

  “Yes,” she answered without looking at him. “They’re ready to serve dinner so we need to be seated.”

  Michael followed her to the large head table where they sat with her parents, the bridesmaids, and their dates. He attempted to make conversation with the matron of honor’s husband, a big blond guy named Brad.

  “You know how it is in marketing,” Brad was saying when Michael tuned back in minutes later. “You’re lucky to stay one step ahead of the changing times. That’s why focus groups are so critical.”

  “Uh huh.” Michael preferred to focus on his prime rib. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Paige pushing shrimp around on her plate without actually eating anything.

  Brad prattled on about market influences, direct mail, and the latest consumer buying trends. He seemed satisfied with Michael’s occasional nod.

  After the waiters cleared the dinner dishes from their table, the orchestra leader called Michael and Paige to the dance floor. “Please join me in a round of applause for the happy couple—Michael and Paige.”

  The applause embarrassed Michael. This whole thing was so over-the-top. But he took Paige into his arms and went through the expected motions as the orchestra played “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?”

  Paige looked up at him with a sad smile. “Remember?”

  After they had dinner in a Georgetown bistro the night they met, they walked slowly back to his apartment to get his car. In just three hours with her, he felt like he’d known her forever.

  She tucked her hand into the crook of his arm as they strolled through the quaint, eclectic neighborhood.

  “Oh, look, Michael! They’re dancing. Can we go in?”

  He gazed into the jazz club. “Don’t you need to get home? It’s a long ride to Annapolis,” he said, trying not to think about the two hundred pages he had planned to read that night.

  She grinned. “I don’t have an official curfew anymore.”

  He was already beguiled by that hint of mischief in her eyes and could feel himself drifting into something that had the potential to be important. Powerless against the urge to frame that flawless face with his hands, he hadn’t expected the desire to roar through him when her breath hitched in the instant before he kissed her. He felt her arms go around him and her eager mouth open under his.

  Long, passionate minutes passed before a group of passing college kids brushed against them, reminding Michael of where he was and what he was doing. Someone muttered, “Get a room.”

  Paige giggled.

  Still trying to get his head to stop spinning, Michael decided that no kiss had ever affected him quite like that one.

  “Does that mean you want to dance, or what?” she asked with a teasing grin.

  “Yeah.” He opened the door to the club for her. “Let’s dance.”

  On a dance floor packed with couples swaying to the jazz band’s sultry sound, Michael took her into his arms like he had done it a million times before. He couldn’t help but notice how well she fit against him.

  After they danced for a long while, a woman who sounded just like Ella Fitzgerald stepped up to the microphone to sing “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?”

  Michael looked down at Paige, wanting more than anything to kiss her again.

  She tilted her face in invitation.

  Swamped with tenderness and need and a kind of wild desire totally u
nfamiliar to him, he touched his lips to hers.

  “Paige,” he whispered when the song ended. “We should go.”

  She nodded and followed him through the crowded club.

  Back on the street, he took a deep breath of the cool winter air, hoping to regain control of his rampaging hormones. They were quiet on the short walk to his building where he helped her into his Toyota Camry for the ride to Annapolis. He got in next to her, looked over, and wondered what it was about her that had him so bewitched after spending just one evening with her.

  She reached out to caress his face. “Michael,” she said in that breathy voice of hers.

  This time when he kissed her neither of them held anything back, and the punch was twice as powerful as it had been on the busy sidewalk. He hauled her into his arms and plundered.

  Her fingers tunneled into his hair as she responded with equal ardor.

  “Paige,” he sighed after what seemed like a lifetime had passed. He kissed her neck and throat while his hand found the soft skin of her back under her sweater. “This is crazy.”

  “Uh huh.”

  “I want to take you upstairs and—” She traced his bottom lip with her tongue, and his mind went blank.

  “And what?” Her innocent expression was in sharp contrast to the way she had kissed him.

  He whispered in her ear all the things he wanted to do with her—and to her.

  She shuddered. “Oh God. I want you so much. I’ve never behaved like this before, Michael. This isn’t like me.”

  “It’s not exactly my usual routine, either.” He kissed her again and caressed her back. “But I should get you home. It’s getting late, and the Admiral isn’t going to be happy with me.”

  She chuckled. “The Admiral would kill you if he could see us right now.”

  “Well, isn’t that as effective as a cold shower?” With great reluctance he removed his hand from her back and drew her sweater down.

  She shifted into the passenger seat to put on her seatbelt.

  Michael opened the window to let in the cold air to clear both his head and the steam on the windows. As they drove out of the District on Massachusetts Avenue, he reached for her hand. “I’m glad your mother had a meeting today.”

  She smiled. “So am I.”

  He merged onto Route 50 and headed east to Annapolis. “I want to see you again.”

  “I think that can be arranged.”

  “How often are you in the city?”

  “I have class on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday this semester, and I volunteer at the Smithsonian on Thursdays.”

  “You’ve made me forget what day it is today.”

  She giggled. “Friday.”

  “That’s what I would’ve guessed. What are you doing tomorrow?” A mental alarm sounded, reminding him of the studying he planned to do all weekend.

  She groaned. “I have to study. I have two exams on Monday.”

  “I do, too. Maybe we could study together?”

  “I don’t know. I think you’d be too much of a distraction.”

  “You’re probably right. I can’t imagine tort law would hold my attention if you’re in the room.”

  “There’s a compliment in there somewhere.”

  He laughed. “What about Sunday?”

  “My parents and I go to brunch at the officer’s club on Sundays. Would you like to come with us?”

  “Will they mind?” Michael asked.

  “Of course not.”

  “Okay, but I don’t think I can wait that long to talk to you again.” He let go of her hand to reach for a piece of paper and a pen. “Will you write down your number?”

  She smiled. “Sure.”

  At the gates to the Naval Academy, Paige showed the guard her identification card.

  “Good evening, Ms. Simpson,” the guard said, waving them on to the base.

  “Did we just get V.I.P. treatment?”

  “Sort of. You’re supposed to get a pass for your car, but they’re good to us. I’ll have my dad put you on our guest list so you can come in on Sunday.” She directed him through the campus to the commandant’s large white house on the banks of the Severn River. A light over the front door cast a glow over the sweeping front porch.

  “Military housing is so pathetic,” he joked.

  “We make do,” she said with a smile as she turned to him. “Thank you for dinner.”

  “You’re welcome.” He brushed his thumb over her cheek. “I’ll walk you in.”

  “You don’t have to.”

  “Yes, I do.” He went around to open her door. Before they reached the bright lights of the porch, he stopped her and could tell he caught her off guard with the gentle, easy kiss. When she expected flame, he gave smolder. And when she reached for more, he held back, leaving them both breathless by the time he finally pulled away. “Good night,” he said.

  Her eyes were wide, her lips swollen, and it was all he could do not to drag her back against him for more.

  “Good night.”

  He waited until she was inside before he returned to the car. Arriving at home nearly an hour later, he could still taste her on his lips. What was it about her?

  A second round of applause pulled Michael back to the engagement party. He looked down at Paige and was surprised by a flood of tenderness. Thinking back to the day they met reminded him of why he was here tonight celebrating their engagement. He had loved her since that first day, maybe even from that first moment when their eyes met across the crowded room at the dean’s house.

  He kissed her as the orchestra played the final notes of the song he quoted in his proposal when he’d asked her what she was doing the rest of her life.

  Responding to his unexpected kiss, Paige seemed almost startled.

  The Admiral’s booming voice ended the moment. “Don’t they make a fine-looking couple?”

  Their guests applauded.

  Eleanor, lovely in a mauve evening gown, stood next to her husband.

  “Paige’s mother and I would like to propose a toast to our daughter and future son-in-law. I’m proud to say I was with Paige when she met Michael almost four years ago. He’s a fine young man, and we look forward to welcoming him into our family. Eleanor and I were delighted by their engagement, and we’re pleased you all could join us tonight to celebrate. Now, you know Paige is our only child, so we’ve been known to dote on her a bit.”

  That’s putting it mildly, Michael thought, keeping an arm around her.

  “The idea of her getting married and moving away breaks our hearts, especially when there are sure to be grandchildren before too long,” the Admiral said with a guffaw. The guests applauded again.

  Michael looked down to find Paige’s cheeks pink with embarrassment.

  “Anyway, I think we might have a solution to this geographical problem, but before we get into that, I ask you to raise your glasses in a toast to Paige and Michael. We wish you a long and happy marriage that’s blessed with many, many children!”

  “Hear, hear,” the guests chimed in.

  Because he knew he was expected to, Michael touched his champagne glass to Paige’s and kissed her. His stomach took a nervous dip when the attorney general joined Admiral and Mrs. Simpson on the stage. What’s this?

  Derek Gantley shook hands with the Admiral and stepped up to the microphone. “Congratulations to the happy couple. Michael, I’ve been impressed with your work in Maryland, especially on the Benedetti case. There’s an assistant attorney general position opening up in Jacksonville, and I’d love to have you come to work with me. What do we think? Wouldn’t Michael make a fine addition to the Florida team?”

  As the guests applauded, Michael’s arm dropped from Paige’s shoulders.

  “I know you’ve got more important things on your mind tonight, Michael, but I look forward to talking with you soon,” Gantley said, shaking hands again with the Admiral.

  “How about that?” the Admiral asked with glee.

  Michael heard
nothing but the roar of anger. “Did you know about this?” he asked Paige.

  “I thought you’d be happy about it.”

  “You thought wrong,” he said, making no effort to hide his fury. “I need some air.” He headed for the French doors that led to a terrace overlooking the golf course. One person after another called out their congratulations. Nodding politely, he didn’t stop until he was outside. On the terrace he paced back and forth, trying to control the anger. Goddamn it! What a fucking operator the Admiral is! He knew that by having the A.G. offer the job publicly, he made it all but impossible for me to say no.

  Paige joined him on the terrace. “Michael? Michael, honey, please don’t be mad.”

  He shook her hand off his shoulder. “This is how it’s going to be, isn’t it?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Your father will say ‘jump,’ and I’ll be expected to ask, ‘how high?’”

  “You don’t have to take the job.”

  He snorted. “Yeah, right. If I say no your father will be embarrassed in front of the same people he’s counting on to put him in Congress. Yes, I’m sure my future father-in-law would be delighted to welcome me into his family then.”

  “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.” Paige reached for his hand. “I don’t care where we live as long as we live together.”

  He pulled his hand free. “I’ve already let him push me into one job I didn’t want. I’ve given that one my all, and I’ve grown to like it. I don’t want the job with the A.G., but more than that, I don’t want your father thinking he can make career decisions for me. I’m not one of his sailors he can just order around.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “I’m sorry you didn’t put a stop to it when you found out about it.”

  Tears spilled from her eyes. “I just wanted you to be happy.”

  “Give me a break, Paige! You weren’t thinking of me when you let this happen.” He shook his head in frustration and anger. “I need to get out of here.”

  “You can’t leave your own party,” she said franticly.

  “I can’t trust myself to be civil right now.”