He stood and turned off the water, grabbing a bath sheet to wrap her in. A smile spread across his face. “Oh, I think they’ll figure it out.”
Ember let him tuck in the bath sheet’s corner after he twirled her up in it. “What are you doing?” She arched an eyebrow. “You’re up to something.”
He grabbed a smaller towel and wrapped it around his hips. “I am.”
She pointed a finger at him. “No bodily injuries.”
“None.”
“Are you going to give me a hint?”
He shook his head and grabbed her hand, pulling her into the huge master suite and the soft bed that faced the ocean. “Not even a little one.” God only knew when his dipshit brothers and crazy sisters would arrive. Until that time, he was going to spend every minute he could naked next to the woman he loved.
Chapter 5
“What am I looking at?” Jason leaned back in his chair and peered over his tablet at his sister.
“That’s a good question. I don’t know.” Jewell pulled a pencil out of her hair and bit down on the eraser.
“Okay, let me rephrase that. Why are you showing me this portion of… code?” He’d taken a wild ass guess that the nonsense on the screen in front of him was some variation of computer language.
“Oh, well, when Tempest mentioned to Jacob that one of the Fates was still trying to get into a clone of the hard drive that we recovered from Vista, I went back and took another look at the information that would be available to them and what we’ve done to mitigate the data contained on the drive.”
“That sounds smart. I take it you found something?”
Jewell shook her head and said yes at the same time. Jason took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. God, he could hardly wait to board the plane to Aruba tomorrow. He needed to plant his ass on the sandy beach and let the waves take every concern away. But for now, he had to play twenty guesses with his sister, who didn’t have a clue she was pissing him off. “Explain that, please.”
“Well, everything on the drive we've scrubbed, and except for the information that I’ve already reported to you, we’ve patched all the holes.”
“Okay…” He stared at his sister. Her gaze focused somewhere over his shoulder. “Where’s Zane?” It was so much easier to get to the point when her husband was present. He was the ‘Jewell Whisperer’ and worth his fucking weight in titanium.
“What? Zane? Oh, he’s out buying a few things for Aruba. You’re going, right?” She looked at him and blinked owlishly.
“Yes, we are going. You were saying?”
“Huh?”
“About the hard drive?” He nodded to her tablet.
“Oh, yeah, I wanted to make sure we had everything covered, so I used the new program that we’ve developed and we measured the order of magnitude in the code which, for the information that was on the drive and the functionality contained in the programs, should have been substantially less than it was. So, it was either a lack of cohesion and out of sync with its functionality, or someone put the extraneous code where it is for a reason.”
“You believe he put it there on purpose.” Somehow the gift of that damn Russian hacker kept on giving, didn’t it?
Jewell nodded. “Yeah, I do. Using function point as the standard, some of the code is extraneous. But in all the time I dealt with Vista, I never knew him to do anything without a reason.”
Jason leaned forward. “What did you find in the code?”
Jewell sighed. “Nothing yet. I’m going to work on this while we are in Aruba, I mean, if you will allow me to put it onto my laptop. I’m the only person who can access the information and I never hook it up to unsecured servers.”
“Permission granted. I know you’ll safeguard the information. Do you have your team ready for your unannounced vacation?”
“I do. Well, Zane does. He handles the scheduling and stuff. Did you know it was eighty-three degrees today in Aruba? Eighty-three, Jase. I so need to thaw the heck out, I really do.” Jewell shoved her hand into the front pocket of her fluffy hoodie. “Winter has been hard this year.”
“The year has been a bitch on too many levels, winter weather included. We all deserve a break.” He leaned back in his chair.
“The cleanup of the Fates’ shit is going to take years. Stratus is probably crawling under rocks and trying to figure out who the hell is going to lead them now.” Jewell stood and stomped her foot, sending her jeans down over her high-heeled boots. “I guess that’s job security for us, huh?”
“I’d be happy if we worked ourselves out of a job.” Jason stood and ambled to the door with his sister. “See you at the airport?”
“Yep. I get to hold Royce all the way. Faith already said I could.” Jewell did a little jig. “That little boy is a cuddle bug.”
“He is.” Jason smiled at his sister and opened the door.
“See you in the morning.” Jewell waved at Sonya and let herself out the double doors.
Sonya turned and Jason tipped his head, silently asking her to come into his office. The woman stood on the stilts she called heels and wobbled into the office.
“Do you have everything you need?” Jason nodded to the computer. “I’ve reviewed all the documents you flagged. Is my laptop synced?”
“IT is on their way up with it. I wanted to make sure they’d installed and function-checked the latest crypto programs. Jewell is going with you, right?” Sonya looked up from her notepad.
“Yes, the entire family is converging.”
“Good, then you’ll have a secure hookup. I’ll forward the important things and rack and stack the busy work unless you tell me to let it dribble toward you.”
“Rack and stack is fine. If I go out of my mind with boredom, I’m sure Faith will have plenty of things planned to keep me busy. She was on the official Aruba website this morning looking at tours, places to see, and things to do. With all the aunts, uncles, and cousins, I’m hoping I’ll be able to spend some quality time alone with her.” Jason picked up his briefcase.
“I hope so. I really do. I don’t know a person who works harder than you do.” Sonya handed him a small yellow square of paper. “The address you wanted.”
He glanced at her, confused until he saw her flowery handwriting. She’d found him a daily meeting on Aruba. “You’re the best.” He hugged the tiny woman carefully.
“You’re damn right I am. Now, get out of here. I’m going to take some time off while you’re gone. I have Christmas shopping to do and then I have to wrap it all. Send me some sunshine, would you?” They walked to the door together.
“I’ll figure out a way to make that happen,” Jason chuckled, not at the absurdity of sending sunshine to someone but because he’d already purchased Sonya and her husband Mark a trip to St. John for a Christmas present and worked behind her back with HR to get someone to fill in for the two weeks she’d be gone in January. Her husband knew, but she didn't.
“You see that you do. Now, go. I’m going to close up shop and go home. I want to curl up in front of the fireplace with my husband.” Sonya waved him away and sat down. She glanced up at him. “Why are you still here? The sooner you leave, the sooner I can leave.”
“Computer?” He chuckled at her pole-axed expression.
The door opened and Hilde, the runner from IT, hustled in. “I’m not late, am I?” She glanced at her watch and then to the clock on the wall.
“No, I’m in a rush to start my vacation.” Jason extended his hand and Hilde handed over his computer. He slid it into his briefcase and smiled at both ladies. “I’ll see you in two weeks.” Knowing he wasn’t coming back in those double doors for two glorious weeks settled a sense of freedom around him. He hadn’t taken two full weeks off in… well, not in a long, long time.
Faith held Royce as he slept. She should put him down, but… His long, dark lashes rested on his chubby cheeks. The little boy was a duplicate of his daddy, down to the curly hair and arched eyebrows. Royce was
just over a year old. She closed her eyes and rocked with her precious baby in her arms. Her life was nothing like she’d imagined it would be. Jason had given her the world. More than anyone could ask for, and he loved Reece as much as he loved Royce.
She gazed down at the little one in her arms. Being a mother and wife filled her life with happiness. She had her friends she’d made on the PTA and all the moms on the teams that Reece played on.
Her eyes traveled around the nursery. A big difference from her small trailer in Savannah, Georgia. She didn’t miss that old trailer, even though she was proud of what she’d accomplished and how she’d been able to take care of Reece. No, she missed nothing of her past life, except Helena and Cal. They were still in Savannah. Faith called Helena—or she called Faith—at least once a week. They had promoted Cal to Sergeant, so his hours were better. He’d decided against joining Guardian because he preferred to work at the community level. God, all the worry, the scrimping and saving, getting Reece to school or to daycare, and stressing about how to pay for college was in the past. She lifted her eyes and said a prayer of thanks again. Her life was blessed beyond measure and beyond her wildest dreams.
She heard the front door alarm chirp and the door open. Jason’s low voice as Tippy and Tommy greeted him at the door put a smile on her face. Tommy was the golden retriever that Grandpa Marshall had given the boys last Christmas. He was a wonderful dog with a calm demeanor but was very protective of both boys.
“Is he asleep?” Jason asked in a hushed voice as he entered the nursery.
“Just now.” She handed the toddler to her husband and watched as he lifted Royce and kissed his forehead. He drifted across the room, cuddling his boy as he moved. He carefully laid the little boy down and pulled his blanket over him, kissing his head one more time before he straightened.
He made his way back across the room, and after ushering the dogs out of the way, he helped her up out of the rocker and pulled her into his arms. “Hello, Mrs. King. How are you feeling?” He leaned down and kissed her, pulling her into that massive, tight body. She relaxed in his arms and enjoyed the rare moment of peace.
When he lifted away, she smiled up at him. “Hello, Mr. King. I’m fine. I see you got off work at a decent hour.” She tipped her head toward the door. “Shall we move this conversation so the little man doesn’t wake up?”
He smiled and glanced over at his sleeping son again. “Speaking of my little men, where is Reece?” He released her from his hold but linked their hands as they left the nursery.
“He’s with Frank and Amanda. The boys are having a sleepover at Jacob and Tori’s. Jacob will pick them up from Amanda after he takes all the dogs to doggy daycare. He and Jared are taking the animals to the facility. They should be here to pick up Tippy and Tommy at six.”
“I’m glad they found someone to take care of all of them.”
“Right? The boys wanted to bring them, but Jacob promised he’d find a nice place. They have video cameras that we can tap into that show the boys their puppies are having fun.”
“I never would have believed it. We are one of those couples, Faith. We take our dogs to doggy daycare.” He rolled his eyes.
“We do, but only when we are out of town. The boys are happy and distracted. Amanda was going to find out what they wanted to do on Aruba after their school day is over.”
“Hopefully, they won’t plan a coup and take over the island.” Jason led them into the bedroom and stripped off his tie with his free hand.
“That was not on the list of options she was going to give them, although it may come in a close second to snorkeling. Grandpa Frank has purchased snorkel gear for everyone.”
Jason chuckled. “Of course, he has. That man pretends he’s a cantankerous old fart, but he’s a marshmallow when it comes to his grandchildren.”
“He is.” She sat down on the bed and watched as he stripped out of the suit he wore. He reached for a t-shirt and she cleared her throat. “Reece is out of the house. Royce is asleep.”
Jason looked over his shoulder and blinked at her. “I didn’t want to assume. You’ve been so tired lately. What did the doctor say? Your appointment was this morning, right?”
He turned, his erection thick and hard. She smiled at him and patted the bed beside her. “Yes. It turns out there is a reason I’ve been so tired.” She closed her eyes and shook her head. Such a logical reason.
He was beside her in a second, on his knees by the bed. “What? Are you okay? Please tell me you’re okay, babe.” He reached a shaking hand for hers.
“I’m fine.” She smiled at him. “We need to make a list of R names again.”
One second she was sitting up in the bed, the next she was on her back with six feet, seven inches of chiseled, god-like muscles hovering over her. “We’re pregnant?”
“We are.”
He cupped her face and kissed her a hundred times, all the while laughing with her. She slid her legs open and cradled him between them.
“Wait? How did this happen?”
Faith laughed at his astonished face and joked, “Well, the usual way, I think.”
“You know what I mean.”
She shrugged under him. “Evidently, you have fertile swimmers. Remember when we went to Savannah for Halloween so Reece could trick-or-treat around the old neighborhood? I forgot my pills. I told you that, right?” His eyes narrowed, and he nodded. “Well, I doubled up on them when we got home. I’ve done it before, and we’ve never gotten pregnant. We hit the jackpot this time. The doctor gave me some prenatal vitamins, I was a bit anemic. That’s why I’m so tired.”
“We’ll get you help with Reece and Royce.”
“I don’t need or want help.”
“At least until you feel better.”
“I feel fine. I’m going to Aruba for two weeks and I’m going to relax, lay in the shade, and watch my boys play.”
Jason smiled down at her. “So, you’re okay.”
“Very.” She lifted her hips under him. “But I can think of ways I could be better.”
“Anything for you.”
She let him undress her and make love to her. His touch was reverent and gentle. He whispered his love to her between kisses and made sure her body was ready for him. Her husband, the man she couldn’t imagine living without, treated her like she was priceless and irreplaceable. She closed her eyes as he entered her and let the tears of joy fall. He kissed the trail away. His love erased the past and paved their future. He was their world, and he gladly accepted that mantle.
She climaxed and shattered around him as he found his own release. He held his massive body over her as they came down from the high from which he’d taken them. He rolled and brought her with him. “We’re pregnant.”
“We are.”
“Do we know if it is a boy or a girl yet?”
She laughed. “No, I have an appointment when we get back, before the boys and I go to South Dakota for Christmas break.”
He popped up on his elbows. “I don’t want you flying without me.”
She chuckled and snuggled closer to him. “Then fly us there, Superman.”
She felt him stroke her hair and kiss her forehead and heard him whisper, “Anything for you, princess. Anything.”
Chapter 6
Justin King opened the door to his New York apartment and stopped halfway inside. His wolf-whistle pierced the air. His wife smiled and bounced over to him. “Do you like it?” She spun, showing him her ensemble.
“I do, is it new?” She’d stopped the zipper of the skintight pink wetsuit halfway up and her breasts threatened to spill out. All in all, it was an extremely enticing sight.
“Yes, I have one for you, too. Not pink, though.” She rushed to the couch and pulled a wetsuit from a box. His was royal blue. “It is the latest tech. Precisely distributed stretch compression around all the primary muscle groups. From the research I did, they are mimicking the tech used for Olympic swimmers.”
Justin to
ok the suit she offered him. “And you got this for me because…?” The material was ultra-light.
“Well, it was going to be a Christmas gift, but since we are going to Aruba, I figured you could use it.”
He chuckled. “For what, snorkeling? I don’t think we need a wetsuit for that.”
“That’s what I thought until I found some cool things to do around Aruba.”
Justin put his suit on the back of the couch and wrapped his arms around his wife’s waist. The material under his fingers hugged her tight body like a second skin. “Cool things to do? I can think of several things to do that don’t require any clothes.”
“Really?” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I think the people who operate the water jet packs would object.” Dani lifted on her toes and kissed him.
He frowned at her. “Water jet pack?”
Her smile was radiant. She knew she had his interest. “Think James Bond jet pack but powered by water. They have a company in the Dominican Republic that offers lessons and rentals.”
“But we’re going to Aruba.”
“The DR is an hour and a half by plane. A day trip. We can schedule it for one day that we don’t have aunt and uncle duties.”
He jerked his head up. “Wait, what?”
“Well, the Coven has agreed that we’d take turns with the kids so each of the couples gets some alone time.”
He opened his mouth and then shut it again before he stepped away from her and put his hands on his hips. “We don’t have children, why should we watch everyone else’s?”
Dani popped him on the arm and rounded the couch to grab her laptop. “Because it is the right thing to do and we’re family, silly.” She clicked the touchpad and activated the screen. “See, here is the information for the Dominican Republic, here is information on kite surfing. I really want to try that. They offer it in Aruba and there are forty-two registered dive sites around the island. We can rent tanks or ship ours to Joseph’s. It would be expensive, but I’d rather ship ours.” She glanced up at him and stopped. “What?”
Promises (The Kings of Guardian Book 14) Page 4