by Morgan James
“I’m sure,” I said derisively, staring at his chest instead of meeting his eyes. “Don’t most men love big breasts?”
“Most,” he agreed, leaning forward and kissing me. My heart fluttered as his lips teased mine, the kiss painstakingly tender and sweet. He moved to one cheek, then the other, and my eyes closed as he left a trail of kisses over my face before working his way down my throat. I felt the scrape of stubble as his chin brushed my sternum, and I cracked my eyes open, watching warily as he cupped my breasts in his huge hands, causing them to plump and swell. I swallowed hard, battling the insecurity sweeping up my spine. His thumbs brushed the pink peaks, and they tightened and strained under his ministrations.
“But I love yours”—he dipped his head and kissed first one, then the other—“because they’re part of you.”
His words caught me completely off guard, and I couldn’t stop the tears from springing to my eyes. I snapped my eyelids shut, but I knew Vince had seen, because one hand cradled my face a second later.
“Jana.”
His tone demanded I look at him, and I somehow summoned the courage to meet his gaze through the sheen of moisture.
His thumb stroked my cheek and he leaned so close our noses almost brushed. “You are perfect. Don’t ever doubt that.”
His words, coming out barely more than a whisper, made me melt. I threw my arms around his wide shoulders and pulled him down, burying my face in his neck. He slowly relaxed his weight until he lay completely on top of me, pressing me into the mattress.
I was surprised—not to mention a little disappointed—when he pulled back a minute later and dropped a brief kiss on my lips. “Come on, trouble. I’m starving.”
He rolled off the bed, and I sat up, unable to help the pout that pulled at my lips. I was starving, too, damn it—just not for food. Reluctantly, I slid from the bed and dressed, pulling on the quickest things at hand, which happened to be the camisole and shorts I’d set out to sleep in last night but never had a chance to wear. A smile split my face as my gaze landed on the red dress pooled on the floor.
Vince caught me around the waist as I moved toward the door, and he pulled me in close. One large hand framed my face, tilting my chin up to meet his gaze. He searched my eyes for a long moment, then dipped his head and claimed my mouth. This kiss spoke of dominance and possession, and I felt myself lean into him. There was no turning back from this. At some point over the past couple of weeks, I’d given him a huge part of my heart that I would never get back. I only hoped that he would be true to his word and not break it, because I knew it would never be whole again if he did.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Vince
I sat sprawled on the couch, feet propped on the coffee table in front of me. Jana was spread out beside me, her feet in my lap. I glanced down and smiled. Tonight’s fuzzy socks had pink and blue stripes and came halfway up to her knees.
From the corner of my eye, I watched her, her attention glued to the TV. I couldn’t believe how much things had changed in just the past forty-eight hours. The reserve and distance between us had melted away, and we’d spent every minute of the day together, talking about everything and nothing.
I’d cared for her before, but I felt even more possessive of her after learning how she’d overcome the adversity of the way she’d grown up. My family was my support system. I couldn’t imagine coming from a single-parent home, let alone one who was drugged out of her mind half the time. Jana was so much stronger than I’d given her credit for, and I loved that she never let it slow her down or hold her back. She’d set a course for herself in life, shed the skin of her past, and moved on. She would never play the victim.
Though I knew she was insecure about her background, she put on a brave face and persevered. She’d made a name for herself in country music, completely reinvented herself into the woman she wanted to be—not the little girl she’d been. She didn’t need me to protect her from the assholes of the world, but I wanted to shelter her anyway. It was ingrained in me to take care of the ones I loved... and Jana was slowly worming her way into that category.
Jana caught me watching her and wiggled one fuzzy-socked foot near my groin. I grabbed it and growled a warning at her. “Trouble...”
“What?” She pouted prettily at me, affecting her most innocent expression. The slumbrous bedroom eyes totally ruined the effect, and I felt myself swelling until I was painfully hard.
Jana’s eyes dropped to the bulge evident against the thin material of my shorts. “You were looking awfully lonely over there.”
She bit her lip as I pressed my thumb against the arch of her foot and smirked down at her. “Is that right?”
“I just thought—”
Her words were interrupted by the vibrating of my phone on the table, and we both turned to look at it. For a moment, we only stared. A call at this time of night would either be good news or bad—there was no in between.
Jana tried to pull her foot away as I leaned forward to pick it up, but I held fast, not wanting to break the connection between us. Con’s name lit the screen, and I tapped the button to answer. “What’s up?”
“How’s everything down there?”
“So far, so good.” Holding the phone between my shoulder and ear, I stretched out an arm and swiped the remote off the table. Jana tried to tug her foot away one more time, and she let out a soft protest as I yanked her closer to me. “How are things going on your end?”
“They brought Adam Sorenson in for questioning yesterday. The kid admitted to sending her notes, but denies anything threatening. They’re running analysis of the handwriting now, so we’ll know more soon. He did lawyer up, and he managed to make bond. First offense, and all.”
Anger burned through me. It didn’t surprise me, but I didn’t like it. “Someone keeping an eye on him?”
“Yeah, I’ve got Sullivan doing random checks to make sure he doesn’t try anything stupid. Apparently, they found more paraphernalia in his home that appeared to be stolen.”
Fucker. “Tell me they’re charging him.”
“Larceny, at least. Maybe harassment. They’ve got her car in impound, but so far they haven’t been able to find any evidence of him tampering with her brakes. They printed the bleeder valve but came up empty.”
“Have any of those assholes ever heard of gloves?” I snapped.
“Yeah, yeah,” he replied. “I know where you’re going. But you can’t make evidence just appear out of thin air. They need something concrete tying him to her accident in order to slap him with attempted murder. Otherwise...”
Con trailed off, and I snorted. “So, what happens next?”
“If they don’t find any evidence?” he sighed. “He does a few months and is back out.”
I growled. “That’s bullshit!” I could feel Jana’s gaze on me, but I ignored it.
“Preaching to the choir,” he replied. “I don’t make the rules. But at least Phelps said it seemed to scare the kid straight. Aside from pulling the lawyer in, he gave them the info they were looking for.”
That wasn’t much of a consolation. The kid could be lying through his teeth. “So, six months and he’ll be back to doing the same shit?”
I heard a harried sigh on the other end of the line. “One thing at a time. His arraignment is set for beginning of next week.”
“Fucking great,” I grumbled.
“Anyway, that’s why I was calling. Since the PD are pretty certain they’ve nailed their guy, you’ll be able to come home day after tomorrow. Studio wants her back here, but they plan to keep you on at her place for awhile until everything settles.”
It made sense, but I dreaded our time here coming to an end. “I’ll let her know.”
“I’ll email you the details.”
Not waiting for anything else, I ended the call and tossed the phone onto the cushion next to me, then tipped my head back and stared at the ceiling.
“Everything okay?”
Jana
’s soft voice pulled me from my reverie, and I rolled my head to the side to look at her. “Yep. We go back in two days.”
“Oh.”
Yeah. I felt the same way. This time when she pulled away, I let her go. She pushed herself to a sitting position, perched on the edge of the couch, and sent a worried look my way. “So... what does that mean?”
“I’ll stay on at your place until everything’s settled.”
Her tongue darted out and swiped nervously over her lower lip, and she let out a shaky breath. “Then what will you do? I mean... after?”
“My job, or us?”
She flicked her eyes my way, then dropped them back to her lap. “Us, I guess.”
I reached out and turned her face toward mine. “We figure it out day by day.”
Her gaze slid away again, and I pulled her into my lap. “Hey.” I waited for her to meet my stare. “That’s not me blowing you off. This is going to be a huge adjustment for both of us, so we’ll just have to figure it out as we go. You’ll start touring again in a couple months, and I probably won’t be able to travel with you most of the time.”
“You would come?”
Those big blue eyes drilled into me, and a vise tightened around my chest. I was quickly beginning to realize that I would do just about anything for this woman. “If I can get away from work for a bit, sure.”
“But... will Con mind?”
I didn’t honestly give a fuck what he thought. “I’d prefer to stay out of the spotlight, but we can deal with one issue at a time.”
She bit her lip. “I don’t think he likes me very much.”
“Too fucking bad.” I wasn’t about to let go of her, not unless she chose to walk away. Hell, maybe not even then. I wasn’t one to give up easily; I’d rather stay and fight it out than throw in the towel when things got tough. “I didn’t say it was gonna be easy.”
“I know.” Her shoulders dropped. “I just don’t want to put you in an awkward position.”
“Don’t you worry about me. One thing at a time,” I reminded her. “Let’s get home first, get settled, and figure out a routine from there.”
“But—”
Technically, in the eyes of God and the law, we were married. Unless something crazy happened, I had absolutely zero intention of annulling the marriage. She was mine, damn it, and I was going to fight for her. I threw all my cards on the table. “I’m all in if you are.”
Her giant blue eyes flared wide at my words. “Okay.”
I stared at her, assessing her response. “Before you agree to anything, just know that I’m not letting you go. So, tell me—are you in?”
“Yes,” she breathed. A smile broke over her face as she wound her arms around my neck. “I’m so in.”
“Good.” I stood, pulling her to my chest. Everything else could wait, but right now, I needed my woman in my arms—right where she belonged.
Chapter Thirty
Jana
When I woke, Vince was gone. The sounds of bustling from the direction of the main room reached my ears, and a smile lifted my lips. Rolling from the bed, I slipped into shorts and a tank top, then headed down the hall to the bathroom. Once I was done, I padded toward the kitchen to find him. I stopped at the end of the short hallway, stunned. Beach paraphernalia littered the floor of the living room, and Vince threw me a grin.
“What’s this?” My gaze flicked over the colorful umbrella, beach chairs, and towels.
“It’s our last day here,” he replied with a nonchalant shrug. “I thought we could spend it at the beach.”
“Really?” It sounded almost too good to be true.
As if reading my mind, Vince nodded and smiled. “I just got off the phone with Dane, who’s keeping an eye on our guy back home. We’re good to go out now.”
A huge smile lit my face, and I bounced up onto the balls of my feet. “I’ll go get changed!”
I turned and bolted back down the hall toward the bedroom, and quickly yanked on the first swimsuit I came to, which happened to be the red one Vince was so enamored of. Once I was ready, I headed back to the living room, where I found Vince sitting on the couch, an indulgent smile on his face. I threw him a repentant smile and moved between the vee of his legs. “I forgot to say good morning.”
His hands moved to my hips, then slipped around to cup the cheeks of my bottom. “It is now.”
Synchronized, we leaned toward one another, our lips meeting in a hot kiss. His mouth moved over mine, slow and seductive. There was no rush, just the tantalizing prospect of fulfillment and desire as his tongue moved over mine. He released me with a soft groan and patted my butt. “Unless you want to end up back in that bed, we better get moving.”
It was tempting, but I wasn’t going to pass up my opportunity to spend a day at the beach, just being myself. For the first time since we arrived, I didn’t have to hide away in the house or conceal my identity. We could go out and enjoy the sights and each other.
I slid off his lap and grabbed his hand. “Can we have a picnic on the beach?”
He shrugged. “Whatever you want. We’ll leave the food here so it stays cold then come back and get it at lunchtime.”
I moved toward the beach stuff and hoisted the umbrella over my shoulder. “Where did you find all this stuff?”
“In the shed on the side of the house.” He scooped up the two chairs, then flung the towels over his shoulder. “There was a note in the welcome package that said we could use anything available.”
I stretched up on my toes and kissed him once more. “Thank you for doing this.”
His hands were full, but he somehow invaded my space, made me feel like he was wrapped around every inch of me. “Anything for you, trouble.”
I smiled at the nickname. I was still worried about what would happen once we got home and back to our real lives, but I pushed the thoughts away as I moved toward the door and held it open for Vince. I locked up, then we headed down to the beach, scouting the perfect spot as we walked. We settled about halfway between the shore and the house so that the water wouldn’t disturb our things when high tide came in.
Once we’d put the chairs in place, Vince slipped the house key from my fingers and put it in a zippered pocket of his swim shorts, then held out a hand. “Come in with me?”
“Sure.” I tucked my fingers into his, and we headed down toward the ocean.
We waded into the cool, shallow water, and I sucked in a breath. Even in the bright sunlight, it didn’t feel any warmer than it had the day we’d arrived. Goosebumps rose over my skin as I shuffled my feet the way Vince instructed, venturing deeper into the ocean until I was in up to my waist. Vince wasted no time ducking beneath the waves. He came back up, water sluicing over his muscles, the refraction of the droplets in the sunlight making his tattoos stand out even more.
Tearing my eyes away from him, I pointed to a spot further out where a handful of people stood and walked around. “What’s that?”
Vince followed my gaze. “A sandbar.”
“I didn’t realize they had those here.”
He eyed me. “You’ve seen one before?”
I nodded. “I used to play in the crick behind our house when I was little.”
“Crick?” A teasing smile lifted the corners of his mouth, and I dropped my eyes away, cheeks burning.
I hated when my backwoods upbringing reared its ugly head around Vince. He made me feel inadequate on the best of days, let alone when I slipped and said something supremely stupid like that. Vince was older, and he seemed infinitely more mature and worldly than I would ever be. He’d travelled in the military to other countries and immersed himself in the various peoples and cultures. Though I travelled, too, I was barely allowed to leave the hotel, let alone do anything touristy.
I cleared my throat. “Creek,” I corrected myself. “Gram always used to call it the crick, so it kind of just stuck.”
“I wasn’t laughing at you.” He brushed a strand of hair off my cheek and tu
cked it behind my ear. “I’ve just never heard anyone else use that term before.”
I tipped my head. “You’ve heard of it?”
“Sure.” He nodded. “We grew up close to the Slippery Rock, and a lot of locals called it a crick, too.”
I smiled, my insecurities melting away. “Good to know I’m not the only one.”
“Nope.” He gestured with his chin to the sandbar. “Want to swim out there?”
For the next couple of hours, we swam and frolicked in the surf, splashing and teasing each other between kisses. Around lunchtime, we staggered out of the water, exhausted. We collapsed on our towels and lay in the warm sun.
Once we were mostly dry, Vince brushed the backs of his fingers over my arm. “You hungry?”
I pushed from my chair. “Famished.”
A trip back to the house yielded a cooler full of sandwiches, crackers and cheese, and bottled water, and we carried it back to our chairs where we ate picnic-style under the umbrella.
Full and sated, we collapsed back in our chairs and relaxed, watching the beachgoers around us. Vince turned to me. “Did you have fun here?”
I smiled back. “I did.”
His expression turned serious. “I know it hasn’t always been easy between us, but I’m glad this happened.”
“Me, too,” I agreed, already feeling my cheeks heat. “I mean, I’m sure you’d have preferred to skip the whole marriage thing, but—"
“No.” He pushed his shades to the top of his head and regarded me. “I wouldn’t change a thing. It’s been unconventional, for sure, but...” He shook his head. “I like it.”
My heart fluttered at his words, overshadowing the negative thoughts that kept creeping in. I knew going in that being married would complicate things in the long run, I just hadn’t figured out how much. Could we actually make this work? The more time we spent together, the more I hoped the answer to that particular question was yes.
“It’s been a long day,” Vince said from my left, and I rolled my head toward him.