| |
When the towboat operator arrived a few hours later, Jessica was sampling one of the MRE desserts—a surprisingly moist brownie. She just wished she had some cold milk to wash it down. The burly man—Tony—insisted on trying to give their engine a jump first, even though Sed told him that the lightning strike had likely destroyed their electronic ignition.
As expected, the engine didn’t start. “This is going to cost you a fortune to fix,” Tony said.
“I’m not sure my wife will ever want to go sailing again anyway,” Sed told him, his shoulders dropping.
Oh no. She refused to be responsible for diminishing Sed’s joy.
“What do you mean? I can’t wait to go sailing again,” Jessica blurted. “How long will it take to fix? Do you think it will be seaworthy again by the time we get back from Europe? I’ll still have a few months before the baby arrives. We can sail to Hawaii. Or the Philippines. How far is Australia?”
She wasn’t sure what she was blabbering on about. Their maiden voyage had been anything but easy, and they weren’t skilled enough to make such long journeys, but blabber she did. “We can take a second honeymoon.”
Sed chuckled. The more she’d blabbered about sailing, the straighter his back had become, and his eyes were now bright with happiness. That was what she wanted for her husband at all times—happiness. None of that dejected nonsense he’d displayed a moment ago.
“We haven’t even finished our first honeymoon yet,” he said.
“And since I don’t plan to take a break from it the entire time we’re in Europe, we’ll probably be on our third or fourth honeymoon by September.”
“I can tow you directly to a good repair shop,” Tony said. “They can figure out everything that’s wrong with her and tell you what it will cost to fix. I’m sure they’ll be able to estimate how long she’ll be out of commission, but it might be until September.”
Sed squeezed Jessica’s hand and stared hard into her eyes. “You’re sure you want to go sailing again?”
“Of course. I know we’ll never run into this kind of trouble again. What are the chances that lightning will strike twice?”
“What are the chances that it struck once?” Tony asked. “Lightning is rare on the West Coast. Now, if you were down by Florida, it happens a lot more often, but off California?” The man shook his head. “Bizarre.”
“See?” Jessica said. “We have nothing to worry about.” Though apparently Zeus really did have it out for them. “Let’s get the boat fixed.” She smiled encouragingly and nodded at Sed. “Maybe we can talk your mom and sisters into joining us.”
Sed hugged her, and over her shoulder he said to Tony, “Tow us to that repair shop. We’re not ready to give up sailing just yet.”
*~*~*
Near dark, Jessica dropped her bag inside the front door of the rented beach house and breathed in the air conditioning. She wasn’t emotionally prepared for her next adventure with her new husband yet. She wished she had a few days to recuperate and settle her nerves, but they were heading for Vegas on a red-eye flight the next morning.
Their rescue had been anticlimactic after their trials at sea. She’d half expected the towboat that had pulled the Sea Lion♥ back to the dock to run aground or at least destroy their boat, but the entire ordeal had gone down without a hitch. The drive back to the beach house had also been without mishap. After the eventfulness of the past three days, Jessica was looking forward to a little boredom.
Sed closed the door behind them and circled her waist with both arms. Her heart rate kicked up the instant his lips grazed her neck. She decided there would be nothing boring about the last few hours of their official honeymoon, even if they did nothing more than stand there in the entryway for the remainder of it.
“You know what sounds wonderful right now?” Sed murmured close to her ear.
“A bacon cheeseburger with extra mayo?” Her mouth watered.
He chuckled. “That does sound pretty good, but I was thinking of a nice hot shower.”
“Will it be hot because I’m in it with you?” she asked, reaching behind her to grab his firm backside.
“That would make it hotter, but if you want to eat first—”
“Nope. I want to feel clean again. Then I want you to dirty me up.”
His hands slid up her stomach and cupped her breasts. “I think that can be arranged.”
They left a trail of clothes behind them on their way to the bathroom. Sed turned on the shower and let the water heat up while Jessica used a real toilet that flushed. The shower felt wonderful against her skin, but not as fantastic as her husband’s soapy hands as he thoroughly cleaned her from head to toe. She thought she might come when he washed her hair for her. She scrubbed him next, spending extra time washing his cock and balls.
“That’s enough of that,” he said as he grabbed her wrist. His rigid cock strained toward her.
“But it’s so dirty,” she purred. She began to soap his length with her free hand. “I want it squeaky clean before I suck it.”
He groaned and then shuddered when she slid her slippery hand down to gently massage his balls.
“And these too,” she said. “Who knows where they’ve been?”
“You know exactly where they’ve been. They haven’t left your sight for a week.”
“Are you suggesting that I need to keep my eye on them?”
She squatted in front of him until his balls were at eye level and pressed his cock upward so she could get an unfettered view. She stared at his sac as if she were concert security and his balls were a pair of crafty groupies trying to sneak backstage.
“They look well-behaved to me,” she said.
He laughed and cupped her shoulders to draw her back to her feet. “Let’s rinse off and take this to the bedroom where we can get comfortable.”
Having a bed at their disposal did sound fabulous. She grabbed the detachable showerhead and hosed them down, then shut off the water, eager to start their next adventure together, especially since it wouldn’t involve a potentially life-threatening situation on a sailboat or in a hot-air balloon. She was through with unusual modes of transportation. At least for the time being. If it was anyone other than Trey getting married, she’d refuse to get on a plane and insist that they walk to Vegas. But Trey was a honey. Her relationship with Sed had definitely strengthened—and her perception of him had changed for the better—when he’d helped Trey overcome his addiction to prescription painkillers. If not for Trey, Jessica might not be the happiest newlywed in existence. Trey deserved the same happiness, and she wanted to witness Reagan giving it to him.
Sed wrapped a fluffy bath sheet around her and scooped her into his arms. He carried her to the bed where he laid her down and stared at her.
“I love you more than our sellout crowd at Madison Square Garden,” he said.
“Wow,” she said. “I didn’t know it was possible to love anyone that much.”
“Me neither.” He grinned crookedly, one darling dimple carving a dent into his cheek. “How about a little music to get us in the mood?”
She was already in the mood. She nibbled on a finger to occupy her mouth while she watched him connect his smartphone to the clock radio on the nightstand and start his playlist. Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” blared from the tiny speakers, and Sed threw up a pair of devil horns on one hand while he head-banged and thrashed about. His show was made more hilarious because he was naked and free balling.
Jessica clutched her stomach as she laughed.
“Sorry,” he said. “Wrong mood.”
Smiling, he fiddled with the screen of his phone and found some gentle instrumental music. She caught the name of the playlist—Our Honeymoon—and her heart melted. He’d been thinking ahead about how to make their honeymoon romantic. What a wonderful man.
“Come here,” she said, lifting her arms in his direction. “You’re too far away.”
He settled on top of her, his skin cool and damp from their shower. His fingers tangled in the wet strands of her hair, and he bent his head to kiss her. She stroked his back as he deepened the kiss, and then he moved those kisses along her jaw to her ear, down her neck, along her chest, and to her breasts and belly. She opened her legs wide, and he settled between them, his lips moving slow and tender against her clit. He took his time with her, hands caressing her thighs and hips as his mouth offered her building pleasure. Her fingers clutched the covers beneath her as her back arched and she shattered in bliss. Even before the ripples of ecstasy receded, she wanted him inside her, to fill her emptiness.
“Sed.”
He gently turned her onto her belly and massaged her shoulders and back until her flesh felt like warm butter. She knew she should reciprocate, but she couldn’t move. Oh, she felt so good inside and out. His big, strong hands moved down to her ass, thighs and calves and massaged the tension from her there as well. By the time he reached her feet, she was boneless. She couldn’t have moved if she tried.
She didn’t realize she’d fallen asleep until the smell of greasy beef drew a moan of longing from deep in her chest, and she opened her eyes. The room was dimly lit with candles, and sitting on the bed beside her was a big white bag speckled with grease spots. Next to the bag sat the most devastatingly gorgeous man she’d ever laid eyes on.
“Did I fall asleep?” she murmured, rolling onto her side and rubbing her eyes. “I’m sorry. I meant to give you a fantastic blow job to thank you for making me feel like the most cherished woman on earth.”
“You are the most cherished woman on earth,” he said. “Are you hungry?”
“Did you bring me a cheeseburger?”
“The cheeseburger’s for me. I asked you what you wanted, and I translated”—he made a loud snoring sound—“to mean salad.”
She pouted, but his grin told her that he was only teasing. He opened the bag and peered inside.
“Well, shit,” he said. “The morons got our order wrong. There are two bacon cheeseburgers in here, and they put extra mayo on one of them.”
She shifted onto her knees and hugged him. “I love you. You have no idea how much I love you.”
“You love me or that the take-out joint got our order wrong?”
“You. For making me feel safe and beautiful and loved and valued and smart. And as soon as I get that cheeseburger in my belly, satisfied.”
“I tried to satisfy you earlier, but someone wasn’t interested. It’s the last night of our honeymoon, and you fell asleep.”
The bag rustled as he reached inside and pulled out a paper-wrapped cheeseburger and a carton of fries.
“Of course I was interested. Just tired.”
“Likely story.”
She couldn’t see his face, so she didn’t know if he was teasing or if she’d bruised his pride.
“Sed, you satisfy me on every level.” She grabbed his arm to strengthen her claim. “The best thing I ever did was stop trying to push you away.”
When he turned his face toward hers, he wore a mocking grin. “You didn’t last very long in your attempt.”
“It’s your fault.” Jessica squeezed his arm, and he flexed beneath her fingers. Mmm. She did love those big, hard muscles of his. “You’re so damned irresistible.”
He smiled, and she was glad that she could make him feel as good about himself as he made her feel about herself.
She unwrapped her cheeseburger and lifted the top bun to make sure there were no onions hiding to ambush her taste buds. The sandwich was dressed exactly as she liked it; Sed had remembered everything. She wasn’t sure why something like getting her cheeseburger right made tears prickle her eyes, but her eyes were burning. Must have been those damned pregnancy hormones making her all sappy and emotional.
The cheeseburger was divine, the fries a bit soggy, and the company perfect.
“Mom called while I was picking up our burgers,” Sed told her between bites. “She says the sailboat is ours if we want it. Do we want it?”
“It can be fixed, right?” The mechanic had been too busy to offer an estimate yet.
“I’m sure it can.”
“Good, because I’d love to go sailing with you again,” she said. “But we’ll prepare better next time.”
“Now that we know what an EPIRB is, we’re good.”
“Well, I still plan to stock up on batteries and fill that cooler with something we can actually eat.”
“Maybe we’ll get around to fishing next time,” he said.
“Or we can just have copious sex to pass the time.”
“I love that I married an adventurous woman,” he said.
“You love that you married a horny woman.”
He laughed. “That too. And one so bendy.” He winked at her.
“I’m not going to be too bendy after stuffing myself with this ginormous cheeseburger.” She’d be more likely to want to hibernate than attempt fucking him in a standing splits position.
“That’s why I figured you wanted a salad,” he said, reaching for another fry.
“I’ll eat salad tomorrow,” she promised. “Tonight I want to gorge myself and fall asleep in your arms. I wish we could sleep until noon and do nothing but yoga all day.”
“That sounds perfect to me,” he said. “I should let you plan our days more often, but we have to be at the airport at four a.m.”
Jessica groaned and collapsed back onto the comfortable mattress, stretching her arms wide. “Trey had better be glad I love him.”
“He’s glad. Who wouldn’t be glad about that?”
“My mother,” Jessica said. She always felt that any affection she showed her mother burdened the loveless woman with guilt.
“Your mother loves you. She has a terrible way of showing it, but she wouldn’t have hooked us up with this nice place if she didn’t love you.”
“I should probably call her and thank her.” Because she hoped Sed was right.
Sed grabbed her cellphone off the side table and handed it to her. “I think she’d like that.”
Her mother like being thanked? Uh, yeah. She lived for that shit.
“Did someone steal my daughter’s cellphone?” Mom asked when she answered.
“No, Mom. It’s me. I just wanted to thank you for renting this great house for me and Sed. We loved our time here. It was perfect.”
“Did you get to meet him?” Mom asked, a breathless quality to her voice.
“Meet who?”
“Enrique Sanz.”
Jessica shot Sed a puzzled look, but he couldn’t hear what her mother had asked, so he just shrugged and shook his head.
“Why would I have met him?”
“Zach seemed to think he might show up there looking for him and that it would serve him right that he wasn’t there.”
“I’m so confused. Who is Zach?”
“He works with your husband. Some drummer from one of the bands on Sed’s tour.”
Drummer. Drummer. Jessica searched her memory for drummers named Zach, and then it dawned on her. “You mean Zach Mercier of Twisted Element?”
“Maybe. Good-looking guy with dark hair that’s shaved on the sides and has a little ponytail?”
Jessica could picture her mother demonstrating his hairstyle on her end of their phone conversation.
“Yeah, that sounds Zach. How did you meet him?”
“He was at your reception.”
“Right. I’d forgotten.” Jessica wasn’t sure if she’d even said hello to him. “What does he have to do with Enrique and this house?”
“Don’t you read the tabloids?”
“Not if I can avoid it.”
“Enrique and Zach are involved.” Mom lowered her voice as if they were spies sharing secrets on a tapped line. “Romantically. Or they were until the tabloids published something about their affair and Enrique denied it. Sanz was supposed to come to your reception. He RSVPed months ago. I figured he didn’t show because Zach was there, so I asked Zach about it, because wouldn’t that have been exciting, for Enrique Sanz to be at your reception? My God, he’s gorgeous and getting so many huge acting roles these days. I’d say he’s an A-list actor, wouldn’t you?”
Jessica didn’t care. She’d never met the guy. But to make her mom happy, though she wasn’t sure why she bothered, she said, “I think you’re right and it would have been cool to meet him, but he never showed up here.” Unless he’d stopped by while she and Sed were lost at sea, but there was no way she’d mention that potential disaster to her mother. Jessica was certain Mom would use their misadventure against her. Or worse, use it against Sed.
“Enrique and Zach were supposed to spend a couple weeks in that beach house before Zach went to Europe on the tour, but the two of them broke up.”
“I’m honeymooning in a break-up house?” Jessica blurted.
“They didn’t break up there. Enrique kicked Zach out of his Beverly Hills mansion, but he was nice enough to offer Zach the rental.”
Nice? What was nice about that?
“Mom, can you imagine how hard it would be to stay in a romantic place like this—alone—after you were dumped?”
“That’s what Zach said. Then he said I could stay there if I wanted because it was just going to waste, but since I forgot to confirm your reservation at the Malibu Inn, I figured you and Sed could put the place to good use.”
“Well, thanks for thinking of us on our honeymoon,” Jessica said, unable to keep the snide tone out of her voice. She really should be thanking Zach. Or apologizing to him for her mother’s completely thoughtless interrogation. The poor guy.
“You’re welcome. I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself. And if Enrique shows up, tell him I said hello and that Zach said he’s staying with his friend Steve Abes.”
“Steve Aimes,” Jessica corrected, shaking her head. Steve Aimes was far more famous than Enrique Sanz ever hoped to be, but her mother had never been a music fan.
“Whatever. Enrique can do much better than some musician, anyways.”
Was that a dig at Jessica for marrying some musician?
“Sure, Mom. If you say so,” Jessica said, suddenly unable to get off the phone fast enough. “Sed needs something. I’ve got to go.”
She hung up and tossed the phone to the center of the bed.
“How did that go?” Sed asked. “You weren’t screaming at each other, so it must not have been all bad.”
He changed his mind once she told him how her mother had gotten the rental house for them.
“Poor Zach,” Sed said. “The guy can’t catch a break. First his band gets dropped from the tour, then his boyfriend dumps him, and then my mother-in-law rubs salt and lemon into his wounds.”
Jessica glanced around the comfortable bedroom and hugged herself. “Now I feel bad for liking this place so much.”
“Zach wouldn’t want that. He’s a great guy.”
“I’ll send him a thank-you note and some cookies or something.”
“Are you planning to bake those yourself?”
“Of course.”
Sed covered his mouth with his fist and coughed. “Maybe you should send him a nice fruit basket instead.”
Her jaw dropped. “Is that a cooking insult?”
“Well, you do want to thank him, not kill him.”
She tried to be angry over Sed’s slight of her cooking skills, but she could only laugh. He was right. Sending Zach her homemade cookies wouldn’t properly express her gratitude. She should send some to her mother instead.
They talked well past midnight; she just wasn’t tired after her nap. Sed fell asleep first, his head resting on her thigh. She watched him for a long while, grateful to have this time with him, even if he was asleep. Sinners was heading to England in a week to kick off the European leg of their world tour with Exodus End. And with Trey’s big fat Vegas wedding monopolizing their last weekend in the States—followed by the chaos of final preparations for the tour—she knew she wouldn’t be able to steal this kind of time alone with Sed for months. The next few hours were precious. She vowed not to squander a single moment and to be grateful for every second they had alone. Once the baby was born, they’d have even less time to spend as a couple but more time as a family. She looked forward to those times as well.
A while later, Sed rolled over on her lap and his face bumped up against her belly. He blinked against the low light of the lamp beside the bed.
“You’re still awake?” he murmured.
“Not tired of looking at you yet. This is the second night in a row you haven’t had a nightmare.”
“Going out on Dad’s boat helped, I think.”
“Are you ready to talk about it?” At his questioning look, she clarified. “About the dream that was haunting you.”
He licked his lips. “You’ll think it’s stupid.”
“I promise I won’t.”
“I was dreaming that I died,” he said, “and I was in a coffin, and I could hear you crying above my grave and tossing dirt on the coffin lid.”
His face blurred through her sudden rush of tears. “That’s terrible, sweetheart. But why do you think it’s stupid? Lots of people are afraid of being buried alive.”
“Being buried alive is not what I’m afraid of. I’m afraid of you grieving me. I don’t want you to ever have to grieve for me like that, Jess. I don’t want to hurt you. Not ever. Our time together shouldn’t end with grief.”
Tears streaked down her face. He was more concerned for her feelings than being buried alive? “That is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard, Sedric Lionheart.”
“I told you you’d think it’s stupid.”
“A love worth having is worth grieving over. But the grief doesn’t last forever. Eventually it turns to bittersweet memories. Isn’t that what you feel when you think of your dad?”
“Well . . . now, yes, but at first it was all pain. And Mom is still in pain.”
“Of course she is. But do you imagine she’d trade all the love and happiness she had with your father to save herself a little grief?”
He squinted at her. “No?” He actually sounded unsure.
“Of course not. I doubt she’d willingly give up a single precious memory or one I-love-you or even some dumb argument between the two of them even to save herself an eternity of grief.” She ran a finger over his brow, smoothing the worry line there. “Do you know why?”
“The pain is worth it.” His face tightened, making her think he didn’t quite believe what he was saying.
“It’s not only worth it, but such a sacrifice wouldn’t be necessary. Grief is not eternal, but love is. No amount of grief can ever erase love.”
Sed scowled. “It’s such a cruel way to end a happily ever after.”
She pressed a hand to the center of his chest, relishing the feel of his heart thudding beneath her palm. “My husband . . .” She sighed and turned her gaze to the ceiling. “Such the romantic. So why can’t he see that his dad’s passing isn’t the end of their ever after?” She lowered her eyes to stare into Sed’s worried face. “Your mom still loves him and the most important thing he left behind.”
“His boat?”
She shook her head. “Sed.”
“I know what you’re getting at. His children.”
She took his hand and placed it over the still-small bulge of her lower belly. “And his grandchild.”
Sed closed his eyes and took a deep shaky breath, his hand cradling the love they’d passed down to the next generation.
“Now stop worrying,” she said, “and let me keep loving you like you’re never going to die.”
There was unexpected wetness in his eyes when he opened them to look at her, and then he croaked, “Okay.” He lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles. “And I’ll love you like each day is my last.”
“That sounds wonderful.” She blinked out a few tears before wiping her eyes on the corner of the sheet. “I’m glad we’re equally sappy, or this outpouring of emotion might be embarrassing.”
“I’m way sappier than you are, wife.”
“You are not.”
Sed snorted. “You’re not even close to being as sappy as I am.” He poked her in the ribs, making her jerk to one side. “Promise you won’t tell anyone. It will ruin my badass rep.”
She stared down at him, thinking he was the silliest, most wonderful husband who’d ever lived. Stroking the soft, short strands of his dark hair, she smiled. “Your secret’s safe with me, Badass Tenderheart.”
She squealed when he grabbed her wrist and tumbled her to the bed in front of him. He spooned against her back and wrapped both arms around her, resting his chin on her shoulder.
“That’s Lionheart,” he murmured, his warm breath stirring the hairs near her ear. “Badass Lionheart.”
He might tell himself that, but she knew the truth.
She lay there for a long moment, enjoying the feel of him behind her, but she still wasn’t the least bit sleepy. “As comfy as this bed is,” she said, “I miss our time out on the water staring up at the stars.”
“We can see the stars from land, you know.”
“Are you sure?”
He crawled out of bed, dragging the covers with him, and tugged until she rolled out of the way.
“What are you doing?” she asked, watching him head for the patio door with his armful of blankets.
“Making love to my wife under the stars.”
She clasped her hands together beneath her chin and sighed dreamily. “That sounds so romantic.”
They spent the final few hours of their honeymoon on a blanket in the yard, staring up at the stars and making love as if time wasn’t a consideration and their mortality was an abstract concept. They had all the time in the world. Fate would never be cruel enough to tear them apart.
“Look,” Jessica said, pointing at the sky. “Another shooting star! Make a wish.”
“Our unbulky life-vest wishes never came true,” Sed grumbled. “I think those shooting stars are faulty.”
“I wished that time would stand still for us, and we could stay like this forever. You don’t think it will come true?”
“I thought you were excited to go to Europe. That list we made of things to do and see is pages long.”
“I am excited to go to Europe and to see all of our friends again and explore the world with you,” Jessica said, though she knew he’d be busy with the tour and that they’d have to save some of their planned worldly adventures for a later date. “But I wish we could stay here like this at least a little longer. Tonight has been incredible. Just me and you together. No worries.”
“I’m sorry the entire honeymoon wasn’t like this.” He kissed her lips softly. “Our ocean voyage wasn’t exactly carefree.”
“If we can get through something like that together, we can get through anything.” Jessica touched his face, her heart reaching out to him through her fingertips. “So I’m glad we got lost at sea.”
“I’m glad I’m lost in you,” he murmured as he shifted onto his side and stared down at her. He stroked her hair from her face, his gaze locked with hers. “Forever lost in paradise.”