Gansett Island Boxed Set Books 1-16 (Gansett Island Series)

by Marie Force

  “I just did what I’ve been trained to do. I’m glad I was here when you needed me.”

  “I won’t forget this. None of us will.”

  “Thank goodness they’re both okay.”

  “How about you? Are you feeling well?” He’d been treated for lymphoma a year ago.

  “Still in remission. Fingers crossed.”

  “I’m so happy to hear that.”

  “The wedding went well?”

  Janey’s face heated under his intense gaze. “Yes, it was very nice.”

  “Good. Congratulations, Janey. I’m happy for you.”

  “Thank you for coming when I called.”

  He surprised her when he bent to press a kiss to her forehead. “It was the least I could do after all I put you through.”

  Catching him in bed with another woman had been among the most shocking moments of Janey’s life, but it had led her to Joe, and she could never regret that.

  “I’ll let you get back to your family,” he said. “Take care.”

  “You, too.”

  She watched him go down the stairs where he was thanked with a hug from Linda and a handshake from Big Mac. Even though it no longer mattered, it was still nice to see him gain some redemption with her parents.

  After David went out the sliding door to the deck, Janey shifted her gaze in search of her husband and found him looking up at her, his face marked by displeasure. No doubt he’d seen the kiss David had bestowed upon her and was not at all happy. Time for some damage control, she thought as she headed down the stairs.

  She went right to Joe and took him by the hand. “Let’s go.”

  “Where?” he asked, resisting her directive.

  With quick hugs for her parents, she led him out the sliding door and down the stairs to his Gansett Island Ferry Company truck.

  “Janey—”

  “Don’t talk, just drive.”

  He scowled at her but did as he was told.

  As they made their way along roads scattered with branches and flooded with deep puddles that slowed their progress, the first inkling of dawn stretched across the sky. The light pink hues did battle with the dark storm clouds in a riot of color over the Great Salt Pond.

  After the incredible experience of helping to bring her niece into the world, Janey was filled with euphoria and energy that she planned to put to good use once she got her husband alone in their hotel room. The thought made her giggle.

  “What’re you laughing about?” he said with a growl that indicated he was still annoyed.

  “Nothing. Everything. Life is good.”

  Joe didn’t reply to that as he pulled into the parking lot and turned off the truck. They ran through the wind and rain, using their key to gain access to the back door of the hotel.

  She followed him up three flights to the top-floor honeymoon suite.

  He took off his coat and started to turn to her, but Janey was one step ahead of him.

  Dropping her wet coat on the floor, she launched herself at him.

  Joe had no choice but to catch her.

  She peppered his face with kisses, her lips skimming the whiskers on his jaw.

  “Wait a minute,” he said. “I’m still mad at you.” His playful tone told the real truth.

  “He saved our niece’s life,” she said between kisses. “She came out blue. She wasn’t breathing. So whatever you’re thinking or feeling, get over it. I love you. I married you. He saved her.”

  “Thank God for that,” he said, capturing her mouth for a kiss that nearly blew her head off her neck.

  She gripped his short sandy-colored hair in a savage hold that had to hurt, but she knew he didn’t care. “Take me to bed, Joe. I want you. Right now.”

  As they tore at each other’s clothes, a button came flying off his shirt, making her laugh at the sheer joy of being alive and in love. Her family was safe, her niece was beautiful, and Janey had never been happier in her life.

  “God, I love you,” he whispered, his tone fierce and sexy against her ear. “I love you so damned much.” With his jeans caught around his ankles, he lowered her to the bed and tugged her jeans and panties off with one big yank.

  “I love you, too.” She dragged him down on top of her. “Now, Joe. Right now.”

  He plunged into her, and Janey cried out as an orgasm seized her, stealing the breath from her lungs.

  “Christ almighty,” Joe muttered as he kept up the frantic pace.

  Janey wrapped her arms and legs around him, urging him on. And when she bit his earlobe, he came with a mighty roar that sent her into a second, equally intense release.

  Breathing hard, he rested on top of her as she soothed him with loving caresses through his hair and down his back.

  “Are you still mad at me?”

  He grunted out a laugh as he finally withdrew from her. “Maybe.”

  She pushed him onto his back and went up on one elbow to leave a trail of kisses from his neck to his chest to his belly. “I can’t have you mad at me two days after our wedding.” As she kissed him and let her hair glide over his belly, she watched him harden once again. Smiling, she turned her attention to his erection, running her tongue over the head. “Forgive me yet?”

  “Not quite,” he said, sounding breathless.

  Janey laughed and set out to ensure that he had no doubt—no doubt whatsoever—that she loved him with all her heart.

  Chapter 12

  Ned waited patiently while Francine talked with Big Mac and Linda, each of them glowing over the arrival of their new granddaughter. As he watched Francine embrace Linda, he thought about how far the two women had come from the days when Linda’s complaints about bounced checks had put Francine in jail for three months.

  The two kids upstairs were responsible for mending the rift between their mothers. Mac and Maddie had created an atmosphere of family and love and togetherness where there was no room for disagreement. Their mothers had had no choice but to go along and get along.

  Francine released Linda and caught him watching her.

  Even though his palms were suddenly sweaty, he didn’t look away as she came over to him. Lordy, she was pretty.

  “What’re you still doing here?” she asked.

  “I thought ya might need a ride home when all the excitement was over. Ya came with Tiffany last night, right?”

  “Yes, I did, and that’s awfully sweet of you.”

  He shrugged off the compliment. Little did she know that he’d lie down on hot coals if he thought it would make her happy. “So can I give ya a ride?”

  “I’d appreciate that. Thank you.”

  Gesturing for her to lead the way, he followed her across the room.

  “We’ll stick around to help out with Thomas so they can get some sleep,” Linda said.

  “I’ll be back after a while to relieve you,” Francine said.

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  The two grandmothers shared another hug before Francine led the way out the sliding door to the deck.

  Ned followed her down the stairs. “Nice ta see the two a ya gettin’ along so good,” he said as he held the car door for her.

  “She’s all right once you get to know her a bit,” Francine said in that snippy tone she’d perfected.

  “Seems to me I mighta told ya that at some point.”

  “Don’t gloat. It’s not attractive.”

  Ned hooted with laughter at her sauciness and closed the door. He rounded the car and got in the driver’s side.

  “So you waited all night just to give me a ride home?” she asked when they were on their way.

  “What if I did?”

  “You didn’t have to do that.”

  “I didn’t mind. It was kinda nice to be there when little Hailey came into the world. Can’t wait to see her.”

  “It was quite something. We were so lucky David Lawrence was there. The baby came out blue and still.” She shuddered. “So still. I really thought… David knew just what to do.
”

  Reacting to the fright he heard in her voice, Ned reached across the armrest for her hand.

  She linked their fingers and held on tight.

  “Thank God they’re both all right,” he said.

  “Once Mac is done being grateful, I fear my daughter is in for a major talking-to from her husband that’ll begin and end with ‘I told you so.’”

  Thrilled to be holding her hand, Ned chuckled as he pictured the scene. “I don’t imagine he’s gonna have to do much convincin’ about movin’ to the mainland if they find themselves in that predicament again.”

  “Let’s hope it’s a few years away. My nerves couldn’t take another night like this one for a while.”

  “Not sure I ever said congratulations, Grandma.”

  “I sure do love those three babies, but that name makes me feel a hundred years old.”

  “Ahhh, so that’s why Thomas and Ashleigh call you Francine.”

  “That was their doing, not mine,” she said haughtily.

  Amused, Ned brought their joined hands to his lips and pressed a kiss to hers. “Sure it was, doll.”

  She tugged her hand free, and Ned mourned the loss.

  “I was just teasin’ ya.”

  “I know.”

  The rest of the ride passed in uneasy silence. Ned struggled to find something he could talk to her about that didn’t involve begging her to tell him what the heck she had to take care of that didn’t include him. Since he was walking such a fine line, however, he held his tongue, even though the curiosity was killing him.

  Whenever he thought about what she might have to do, he got a very uneasy—and queasy—feeling in the pit of his stomach. The last time she told him she had something else to do, she’d ended up married to that smooth-talking Bobby Chester.

  “I’d offer to buy ya some breakfast,” he said as they drove through the deserted downtown, “but I doubt Becky is openin’ the diner with the power still out.”

  “That’s okay. I doubt I could eat anyway. My stomach has been in knots all night.”

  “Ya gonna be all right without any power?”

  “Tiff has a generator. She’s been taking care of me.”

  “Glad someone is.” Ned drove into the driveway to the apartment behind Tiffany’s house. “There ya are.”

  “I really appreciate this, Ned.”

  “Not a problem, doll. Try to get some sleep now.”

  “I will.” She surprised him when she leaned over to kiss his cheek. “I’ll call you. As soon as I can.”

  “I’ll be waitin’.”

  “Good.” Tugging her hood up over her head, she dashed out into the rain and up the stairs.

  He waited until she was inside before he backed out of the driveway, still wondering what the heck she was up to. “I guess ya’ll know soon enough. Just gotta be patient.” Too bad that was much easier said than done.

  Lulled by the crashing roar of the sea outside his window, Grant drifted along contentedly as the squawking gulls announced the start of another southern California day. Abby’s warm, sweet body was tucked against him, his hand was on her back and everything was right in his world.

  The crash of a shutter against the window startled him out of the dream state, bringing him back to the reality of a tropical storm hanging over Gansett Island. They hadn’t thought to close the blinds the night before, and the faint light filtering in announced the start of another stormy day.

  All at once, Grant realized the naked body in his arms wasn’t Abby. Stephanie was curled up to him, her hand resting inches above the hard press of his erection. He experienced a twinge of guilt over his subconscious thoughts about Abby.

  As he breathed in the alluring, musky scent so unique to Stephanie, his cock surged with renewed interest, obliterating any thoughts of his ex-girlfriend from his mind.

  Stephanie stirred, murmured in her sleep and shifted ever so slightly, enough to send his fingers gliding over the smooth silk of her skin. Her hand moved from his belly to his chest, and his heart slowed to a thud as he anticipated what she might do next.

  In the murky darkness, he watched her eyes flutter open and awareness register on her expressive face. The instant she realized where she was and what she was doing, she tried to move away.

  Grant tightened his hold on her. “Stay.” He ran his hand up and down her back, marveling at the softness of her skin. Had he ever felt skin so soft?

  Stephanie raised the hand she had on his chest, as if she were looking for somewhere else to put it, and then returned it—almost reluctantly—to his belly.

  Grant’s cock stood up and cheered, which made him groan.

  Startled, Stephanie looked up at him. “What?”

  “Nothing,” he said through gritted teeth.

  “Why do you sound so pained?”

  “Ahh, well, take a look for yourself.” He watched her follow his gaze to his crotch where the hard bulge of his erection was visible through the blanket.

  “Oh.”

  Her reaction made him laugh, even if he was in pain.

  He turned so he was above her.

  As her expressive eyes widened, her mouth formed an adorable pucker that he couldn’t resist kissing. Everything about her confused and compelled him, but he couldn’t help that he wanted her. That much was plain and simple.

  Her hands moved to his back, gliding up and then back down, encouraging him.

  “I can’t get enough of you,” Grant said as he kissed her again.

  Her hands moved from his back to cup his ass, drawing him in closer to her. “I seem to have the same problem.”

  The instant his cock came in contact with the heat between her legs, Grant was lost. His head fell to her shoulder as he pressed harder against her with nothing between them and what they both wanted more than the next breath. He kissed her neck and rolled the tendon at the base of her neck between his teeth, causing her to lift her hips tighter against him.

  Dipping his head, he kissed and licked his way to a coral nipple that hardened in anticipation. He drew her nipple into his mouth, sucking and biting in soft nips.

  She went wild under him. Her hands seemed to be all over him as she reached between them for his cock. Encased in the warmth of her small hand, stroking, touching, exploring, it was all he could do not to explode as he shifted his attention from one firm breast to the other.

  As he received the most enthusiastic hand job of his life, it occurred to Grant that while sex with Abby had been sweet and comfortable, nothing about this was either of those things. Raw and earthy, yes, but certainly not comfortable. He was discovering he rather liked this kind of discomfort.

  “Get on your back,” she whispered, her voice rough and strained.

  He raised his head from her breast. “Why?”

  “Just do it.”

  Unused to his partner issuing orders in the middle of sex, Grant complied and then watched in stunned amazement as she went up on her knees and bent to take him into her mouth—all the way into her mouth. Holy shit! “Steph,” he said, gasping as she continued the blissful hand job along with the blissful blowjob. “Jesus.”

  Her throat closed around the head of his cock, squeezing and milking. And then she added sweeping strokes of her pierced tongue while applying a light squeeze to his balls with her free hand. The combination sent him tripping into an orgasm so fast and intense he didn’t even have a second to warn her before he came harder than he ever had in his life.

  She swallowed every last drop and then licked him clean, leaving him a demolished, panting wreck. Every cell in his body quivered with aftershocks as she kissed her way from his belly to his chest. “Are you okay?” she asked in a husky, sexy tone that had his cock twitching like it hadn’t just been sucked to within an inch of its life.

  “I will be,” he said, eyes closed as he forced air into his lungs. “That was…just…wow.”

  Laughing, she stretched out on top of him, turning her head so she could focus her talented to
ngue on his nipple. As her piercing rolled over his sensitive flesh, he snapped out of the stupor he’d slipped into. His hands found the firm softness of her ass, kneading and stroking.

  “Oh, God, I love that,” she whispered.

  He squeezed harder. “This?”

  She shuddered and sucked harder on his nipple. “Anything to do with my ass sends me straight over the edge.”

  The way she said that nearly sent Grant straight over the edge—again. He’d never imagined being with a woman who was so open and frank about what she wanted in bed. Abby had always kept him guessing about what she wanted—and what she didn’t. She certainly had never almost swallowed his cock. In fact, she’d hated anything oral—giving or receiving. Grant had just been given a firsthand demonstration of what he’d been missing.

  Determined to push thoughts of Abby out of his mind, Grant said, “I’ll have to remember that.”

  Her hips moved provocatively over his reawakened erection. “Please do.” She squirmed up a little higher and pressed her lips to his, teasing his mouth with darting strokes of her tongue.

  Despite his best intentions, he remembered that Abby had always refused to kiss him in the morning until they’d both brushed their teeth. Stephanie didn’t seem to give a care about such details as she urged him into a devouring kiss. The sharp points of her nipples dragging on his chest and the press of her pelvis against his dick had Grant as hard as he’d been before she’d destroyed him with her mouth.

  “Condom,” he said between frantic kisses.

  She shifted off him, settling on her side with her head propped on her hand so she could watch him. “Hurry.”

  On the way to his duffel bag in the corner, he stubbed his toe on a table. “Son of a bitch,” he hissed, hopping on his good foot.

  Stephanie’s laugh was low and sexy. “Quite a view from back here.”

  After sending her a scowl over his shoulder, he rooted around in his bag, found a strip of condoms, ripped one off and tossed the others on the bedside table. Feeling like a teenager about to have sex for the first time, his hands trembled as he rolled it on. When he turned back to her, she held out her arms to receive him.

  “Do you want me to kiss it better?”