by Lund, S. E.
Mr. Big Love
The Mr. Big Series: Book Two
S. E. Lund
MR. BIG LOVE
The Mr. Big Series: Book Two
Copyright © 2019 by S. E. Lund
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Created with Vellum
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Epilogue
Also by S. E. Lund
About the Author
Chapter One
Alexa
Durban, South Africa
The ocean was calm, the sun warm in a clear blue sky.
Luke was furling the main sail, wearing only a pair of swim trunks, his chest bare. His body was tanned and firm, his muscles well-defined. I watched him from where I lay on the deck, shading my eyes from the sun. I was in a bikini since it was so hot that time of year. We were anchored off the coast, having arrived in South Africa after we'd been traveling for six months.
Luke caught me watching him and smiled to himself.
"Like the view?"
I smiled back. "Very much."
He finished his job and then jumped off the edge of The Phoenix, diving into the clear blue waters to cool off. When he climbed back onto the deck, he stood in front of me, the water dripping off his body. He smiled.
"I might just have to wipe that smile off your face. I could think of a few ways to do it."
"You could, could you?"
"Yeah..."
Then, he picked me up and before I could react, he threw me off The Phoenix. I did my best to dive somewhat gracefully, but failed spectacularly, my butt hitting the water with a definite slap.
When I surfaced, I treaded water and watched him on the deck, rolling up some rope, a grin on his face.
I swam to the side of the catamaran and extended my hand, asking for help up instead of taking the ladder. He bent down to help, and I was able to jerk him off-balance, and he had to either let go or dive back in the water.
Dive back in he did, and then he splashed me, before coming over and taking me into his arms. We treaded water together, our arms around each other. The water was shallow and relatively warm so close to the coast.
"Happy?" he asked and pushed a strand of my wet hair back off my cheek.
"Very."
I was happy. Deliriously so.
We swam to the ladder and both got out then we lay on the deck and took in some sun.
We'd been traveling for eight months, leaving from Manhattan down the east coast of the US to the islands of the Caribbean, through the Panama Canal and down to the Galapagos. From there, we'd sailed to French Polynesia, where Luke proposed, giving me a beautiful black pearl engagement ring surrounded by diamonds. We stayed in port for a while, soaking up the beautiful scenery, and once we felt an itch to travel, we left for New Zealand, where we stayed for a couple of weeks, anchoring in a quiet bay that was like paradise. Because Luke was such a huge Lord of the Rings fan, we did the whole visit to Hobbiton fan thing, and then spent time hiking and exploring the land. The people were friendly and the landscape beautiful. I could have happily moved there, I loved it so much.
From New Zealand we went to Australia, where we stayed for a few more weeks. There was so much to do, see and explore and we didn't want to miss anything, so we did it all, making Australia one of the main focuses of our trip around the world. We ended up going north to Papua New Guinea and Indonesia, visiting Jakarta for good measure. We had initially considered taking the North Indian Ocean route, but due to reports of piracy, we decided to take the southern route instead for safety. It meant a passage across the middle of the Indian Ocean instead of staying close to the coast of India and then through the Arabian Sea. It was still amazing, and by the time we arrived at Madagascar, I was ready for a few days in port and a short tour of the island. There we found the most amazing landscapes including tall Baobab trees, red soil, amazing rock formations and beautiful forests.
The next leg of our journey was the southern passage around South Africa, and it was at that point that we anchored near Durban for a few days.
Luke reached over and took my hand, raising it to his lips, kissing my knuckles. We laid on the deck of the cat and watched the sun rising over the horizon. The weather was perfect, the sun red against the clear blue sky, the water calm.
"It's paradise," I said, sighing happily.
"It is. I'm so glad you're here with me."
"I'm so glad I decided to come. I'll be sad when this is over, and we have to return to real life."
"What?" Luke said and turned me around in his arms. "This is real life. It's not an average life, but it's as real as it gets. Tell me that squall we hit the other day with huge waves wasn't real life."
I smiled and rolled onto my side, one arm around his waist. "It was real, that's for sure. I really thought my life was going to end."
He grinned and kissed me. "There was never much danger. The cat is really seaworthy. It can take a beating. The first Polynesians sailed across the ocean in catamarans so they're really safe."
I closed my eyes and laid my head against his shoulder, enjoying the sounds of the water lapping against the hull beneath us. We were taking a short break from sailing, staying in port and spending time in the city, soaking up the local culture. Andy and Ted left for America, and Greg, Luke's sailing friend from college, had joined us for the rest of the journey and we were relishing being alone for a few days after he went into Durban to stay with a friend. We had a couple of nights alone waiting for John to fly in. John's mother had finished her chemo, and so he wanted to be on the cat for the final leg of our round the world journey. John and Greg would crew with us the rest of the way home.
We were finally alone and, of course, my mind went right to sex.
Luke stood up and grabbed my hand, pulling me over to the door to our cabin, a smile on his face. He led me back to the bed and pushed me back on the mattress, his gaze fixed on me. As I lay back, he leaned over me.
"We don’t have to be quiet," he said, his face inches from mine, his voice low and husky. “Finally.”
He pulled off my t-shirt and then tore at my bikini top, removing it before burying his face between my breasts.
"I thought we’d never be alone again," he breathed, taking my nipple in his mouth and sucking. I arched my back with pleasure, my hands shaking with sudden desire.
He removed my bottoms and when I was completely naked, he lay on top of me, grabbing my hands and holding them over my head.
"I'm going to fuck you, hard and fast."
That sent a shock of desire through my body.
He unbuckled his shorts, unzipped the zipper and, without removing them, he pulled out his erection. He leaned over me, pressing the head against my clit before running his hard length between the lips of my sex. He held my hands in o
ne of his, his mouth almost touching mine, and he stared into my eyes. I was barely able to breathe, my pulse rapid, desire coursing through me.
Then he kissed me. The kiss went on and on, and my body responded to his weight on top of me, his cock pressing against my clit. When he broke the kiss, he entered me, sliding inside of me to the hilt. He exhaled in pleasure, his eyes closing.
No condom.
I was going to say something, but I didn’t, not wanting to break the mood. In my mind, I was furiously counting days, and concluded I was safe.
"You’re so nice and wet," he whispered. He reached down, spreading the lips of my sex, feeling the hard nub of my clit with his fingers. I gasped at the feel of his fingers on my clit. "Nice and hard."
“I’ve been deprived,” I said with a grin, my eyes closed.
He took one foot in each hand and placed them on his shoulders. Then, he began to thrust inside me, his hands pulling my hips toward him with each thrust. His gaze moved over my body hungrily and I realized that he’d been deprived of me while Greg and John had been with us. While we had made love several times, it was at night in the dark with no sounds, so we wouldn’t be heard.
He leaned down further to squeeze each nipple briefly. I closed my eyes.
"Keep your eyes open," he said. "I like it when you watch me fuck you."
I opened my eyes and watched, meeting each of his thrusts with my own, squeezing my muscles to increase the pleasure. When his pace quickened, an incredible wave of pleasure started deep inside of me, making my muscles contract and my body arched in orgasm. I groaned with pleasure, my eyes closing as my body spasmed.
His climax began, his face red, his entire body straining with each thrust as he ejaculated.
Then he collapsed on top of me, panting, his mouth beside my ear.
“Fuck, I needed that. I needed you,” he said, breathing heavily.
“I needed you,” I replied, smiling to myself.
It was of course at that moment that I got a call from New York, and everything went to hell. My cell rang and I jumped up and went to my bag, which was sitting on the small cushioned seating alcove where we ate our meals, a towel wrapped around me.
It was early morning in Durban, which meant it was late evening back home in Manhattan.
The call display read Harlem General Emergency and when I saw it, my heart sank at the name.
"Hello," I said, fear knotting my gut.
"Is this Alexa Dixon?"
"Yes," I replied, holding a hand over my heart, which was beating faster.
"This is Sandy, from Harlem General ER," the voice said. "I'm calling to let you know that Candace Carter is in the hospital. She fell off the platform in a subway station while she was waiting for a train and broke her leg. She also had some head trauma. You were listed as her emergency contact so I thought you should know."
"Oh, God, no," I said and covered my mouth. I sat on the bench. "Is she going to be okay?"
I glanced at Luke, who came right over to me, his brow furrowed.
"She's in surgery right now. The surgeons will be operating on her leg and they may have to reduce pressure on her brain because of a blood clot."
"Have you called her mother?"
"No, we haven't since you were the emergency contact."
"I'll call right away, but her mother is disabled. I don't know how easy it will be for her to get to Manhattan. Is Candace going to die?" I asked, my voice a faint whisper. I scrunched my face up, not really wanting to hear.
"I can't answer that," she said plainly. "The first twenty-four hours will be the most critical. Are you able to come down?"
"I'm in Durban, South Africa," I said weakly. "It'll take me at least a day or two to get there, if I can get a flight out right away."
"Okay. Just calling to let you know about her since you're listed as her emergency contact. Is there anyone in Manhattan you can call?"
"I'll see who I can get ahold of. Thanks for calling."
I turned to Luke. "I have to fly to Manhattan. Candace fell off the platform at a subway station and is in the ER. She's in critical condition."
"Oh, hell," Luke said and came over to me, pulling me into his arms. "I'm so sorry. I'll book the first flight out for you. Hopefully, you can be there tomorrow. Is there anyone you can call who can go stay with her now?"
"I don't know. Maybe Jan or Mara."
"Call them," Luke said. "We'll get you on the first plane out. You can go and stay at a hotel and spend your time with Candace."
"I'm sorry," I said, shaking my head. "I hate to leave, but I feel sick not being there for her."
"Don't apologize," Luke said. "She's your best girlfriend. I'm just sorry this happened to her. You'd be sick about it if you couldn't go home and stay with her."
"Thank you," I said, tears in my eyes. "Thank you for understanding.
"Do you want me to come?"
I shook my head. "John and Greg are here. You three keep sailing. If worse comes to worst, you could come back," I said my voice breaking at the prospect that Candace could die. "But until then, I'll go and stay with her."
He pulled me more closely against his body, hugging me tightly. I slipped my arms around his neck and squeezed him, needing to feel the warmth of his body at that moment.
"I'm so sorry that you have to face this," he said, his chin resting on the top of my head.
"I know," I said and laid my head on his shoulder. "I love it here, but I have no choice. She needs me." I sighed heavily, thinking of Candace in the OR, doctors and nurses in caps and masks and gowns surrounding her.
She'd fallen off the subway platform. My mind worked hard trying to imagine it -- how could she fall off? It just didn't seem right. She was a geek, but she wasn't a spaz.
"Is her brother going to fly to Manhattan?" Luke asked, referring to Candace's brother who was currently deployed.
"He's in Afghanistan," I replied. "I guess he could ask for compassionate leave, but I thought that when you're deployed, it's usually given only in the event of a death or if someone in your immediate family is dying so he may not be able to come home until..." I stopped at that. I didn't want to say until she dies.
I swallowed hard and continued. "Candace's mom is disabled, and in a wheelchair. She's on oxygen. I'm sure she'll fly out when she can, but it will be so hard for her."
"I'm so sorry..."
I closed my eyes for a moment, letting Luke's warmth and the compassion in his voice fill me.
I called Candy's mom first, so she knew what had happened. It was a short conversation and I was afraid that it would kill her to hear about Candace. She was so weak. A lifetime smoker, she had emphysema and was confined to a wheelchair, unable to get around due to how sick she was. Her husband had died a few years earlier and her children were all moved away. She lived alone but had some home care nurses to check on her.
"I don't have any money to fly to Manhattan," Mrs. Carter said. "Where would I stay?"
"You could stay at Candace's apartment," I said.
"Is it wheelchair accessible? How will I get around? It'll cost me a fortune to get cabs to the hospital and back..."
It was clear that Mrs. Carter did not feel she could go. I tried to calm her down.
"I'll go. She has two other friends who can look after her. You don't have to go. I'll take care of everything."
"Oh, thank you, Alexa. It means so much to me to know you'll go and look after her. I'd go if I could but on my widow's pension, I can barely afford all the extra costs I have for my meds and nursing care..."
"Don't mention it. She's my best friend. I couldn't stand not to go."
I ended the call and then made two more calls to let Jan and Mara know that Candace was in the hospital. Both of them worked and went to school so they'd probably have to split the time up staying with Candace until I could get there, but at least, Candace wouldn't be alone when she woke up in the hospital -- if she did.
Next, I opened my laptop, going to the r
eservations page on the website and checked out flights from Durban to Manhattan. I took the first one out that had the fewest legs.
My flight was with British Airways and was a first-class seat with two stops, one in Johannesburg where I changed planes, and then the next stop was Atlanta International Airport. My final leg was to JFK. All in all, it would take over twenty-nine hours to get home, but I wanted to be with Candace as soon as possible. I couldn't stand the thought of her being alone while in the ICU, being monitored in case her brain swelled. I couldn't imagine being alone if the same happened to me, so while I would miss Luke, and was sad that I had to leave paradise, Candace needed me.
"There," I said and turned to Luke. "Done. I have enough time to pack a bag but then we have to go. I was lucky to find a seat."
He pulled me onto his lap. "It's good you can go so soon," Luke said, running his fingers through my hair. "I was looking forward to us sailing to South America together, go back to the Caribbean and then Florida..."
"Me, too, but I have to go," I said, regret filling me that I'd miss the last leg of our around-the-world trip. I slipped my arms around his neck and kissed him. "I'll go with you the next time. If Candace is well enough and I feel like I can leave, I'll fly to meet you somewhere. Maybe Florida for the space launch.”
Luke nodded. "I know you have to go. Candace is your bestie. I wish I could come with you. How long do you think you'll be?"
"If she recovers," I said, and my voice caught in my throat. "It's going to be a while before they release her, and then she'll probably need physical therapy to get back her mobility. She's really hurt. She's lucky to be alive."