“That would be great. I think everything’s pretty well in place, though.”
“I’ll treat you to lunch anyway. How does that sound?”
“Tomorrow is good for me.”
“Tomorrow it is. I’ll just meet you here.” Marty kissed both of them and waved goodbye as she walked out the door.
“She likes you, you know,” Chase said after his mother had gone.
“I like her too and I’m glad she approves of our little arrangement.”
“Sunny...about that…surely you realize, as I’ve told you before, this is no longer a marriage- of-convenience for me. I hope it isn’t for you, either.”
“I absolutely adore being Mrs. Chase Dupont. And quite frankly, I’ve never thought of this as anything other than a real marriage. Not since our wedding night when we made the decision to become lovers.”
“A decision I’m certainly glad we made.”
“I’m sure you are…” She leaned up and kissed him. “You know, your desk is still virgin territory for us…”
“Baby…you know I’d love to try that, but there is way too much buzz in this building today for us to be that brave.”
“Now who’s saying no?” she teased.
“Well, I’d certainly hate for Russell to burst in here after he talks to Thomlin’s people and find us doing the deed on my desk, wouldn’t you?”
“Might be fun…but I’m joking, Chase. You know that I would never…”
“I know…you’re a tiger in my bed, but behind closed doors. And that’s fine, Sunny.” He kissed her just as his secretary Lisa announced on the intercom Russell was waiting to see him. He and Sunny exchanged a look as he told Lisa to send him in.
Russell entered the office taking the chair he was offered. Facing the two of them, he said, “I’ve talked with Thomlin’s people and I’ve had the paperwork refusing the offer delivered to their office. It should be there this afternoon.”
“What did his man say?”
“Not much, really, he thanked me for getting back to him so quickly. He said he’d be in touch after he spoke with Mr. Thomlin.”
“Well done, as usual, Russ.” Chase stood up and shook his trusted attorney’s hand.
“Thank you, Russ,” Sunny said as she also shook his hand.
“I knew when Chase told me about you, you were going to be an asset, Sunny, and you’ve proven yourself to be a worthy partner. This company can do big things with the two of you at the helm.”
“Thank you so much, that means a lot coming from you.” Sunny blushed as she replied to his kind words of praise.
“Best decision I ever made, was not letting this one get away.” Chase smiled as he put his arm around his wife.
“I’m happy it’s worked out. Now if I may be excused, I’m going to return to my office.”
“Thanks again. We’ll talk soon.”
After Russell had left, Chase turned to Sunny. “It seems, my dear wife, that you’ve made a hit with everyone in my life. My children, my mother, my staff, my friends, and now my attorney, all adore you.”
And what about you, my dear husband, do you adore me?
They were interrupted by a phone call so Sunny went into her own office to get some work done before it was time to pick up the children.
She looked at the family photo on her desk and smiled. It had been taken on her wedding day. The day that changed my life forever, she thought. Drifting back to the evening last spring when Chase Dupont had entered her life, she realized she’d fallen in love with him that night at dinner. Wow, she thought, I’ve loved him from the start.
Forcing herself to concentrate on the new menu selections that needed her attention, she finished her work quickly, emailing the managers of each store with her choices. When she was ready to leave, she went in search of her husband to let him know. As she was about to enter the office, she heard his voice.
“Lindy, you and your father need to accept our decision and move on. Goodbye, Lindy.” He slammed down the phone as Sunny entered.
“She’s not happy, I take it,” Sunny remarked.
“Of course she’s not. I didn’t figure she’d take the news well. And as I’ve said before, an angry Lindy is not a good thing,” he said, frowning.
“Maybe it’s a good thing we’ll be at the beach house for several days. It’ll give everyone a chance to cool off.”
“That’s probably true. Are you leaving now, baby?”
“Yes, I’ll see you at dinner. Don’t stay late. You need to get some rest.”
“Yes, Ma’am,” he agreed as she leaned over to kiss him goodbye.
The night before their flight to Florida, an exhausted Sunny fell into bed.
“Tired, baby?” Chase asked as he joined her.
“Just a little, I can’t wait to get to Florida tomorrow. I want to walk on the beach the first thing.”
“We probably can do that. There will be plenty of people there willing to spoil our kids, while we take some time for ourselves, I’m sure.” Looking at her tired face he added, “Come here, I’ll give you a massage. No strings attached. It’ll make you sleep better.”
She rolled over on her stomach. He poured the cool lotion in his hand and began gently massaging it into her skin. He could feel the tightness of her shoulder muscles and he concentrated on loosening them. He massaged her back for several minutes before moving to her legs.
“Ah…are you sure you weren’t a masseuse in former life?” Sunny asked.
He chuckled. “Feel good, does it? No I was never a masseuse, just thought you could use some attention.”
“You’re too good to me,” she murmured drowsily.
He finished the massage, kissed her and said, “Sleep now, baby…I’m right here.” He pulled her into his arms and gently rubbed her brow until she fell asleep. She slept soundly until the next morning, when she was awakened by Ali, Brice, and Chase entering her room with a breakfast tray.
“Breakfast in bed for my lady,” Chase informed her as he set the tray on the bedside table.
“We helped,” Brice chimed in as Ali handed her the morning paper.
“Why thank you. Why are you all being so sweet this morning?” She took the paper from Ali and reached for a glass of orange juice.
“It’s the first day of our adventure, Mama,” Ali told her.
“We love you, Mama.” Brice said as he climbed up on her lap and gave her a wet smooch.
Tears sprang to her eyes as she looked over the little boy’s head at Chase. He smiled and said, “You’ve worked hard this week getting everything ready so these two can have the holiday of a lifetime. You deserve to be pampered. Now eat up, we have a plane to catch. I’ve fed the kids already.” Looking at the two youngsters, he said, “You two leave your mama alone so she can enjoy her breakfast. Come with me and we’ll load the car.” He looked back at his wife and said, “Enjoy.”
What a sweetheart, she thought, as she sipped the coffee he had laced with her favorite flavor of creamer, white chocolate. He’d also made waffles and they were heavenly. Well, he does own a chain of restaurants so I shouldn’t be surprised that the man cooks. She finished her meal and set the tray back on the nightstand. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she realized as she stood up, the stiffness was gone from her shoulders. The massage must have worked. After she’d showered and dressed, she took the tray to the kitchen, and put her dishes in the dishwasher.
She noticed that her mother-in-law had arrived. “Marty, you’re here. Are you as excited as we are?”
“Sunny, dear, you have no idea what this holiday means to me. Just to see Chase, Ali, and Brice so happy, and to be able to share all of it with your mom, and Alma, and George, and Alice, and John, and most of all with you. You’re the one who’s put the smiles on those three faces.”
“They’ve put a smile or two on my face as well. My life was no bed of roses when I met them. I had gone through a rough patch myself.”
“Laura told me about your
dad’s death and then about your fiancé. I know you’ve had your share of troubles too. But that’s all in the past now. You and Chase are a family.”
“Yes, I really believe we are.” She was hugging her mother-in-law as Chase entered the room.
“Are you two getting all mushy and sentimental already? We haven’t even gotten to the beach house and seen the Christmas tree yet.”
“Oh you…just go about your business.” Marty shooed him away, wiping tears from her eyes.
“We’re ready to roll whenever you two stop the waterworks….jeez…women,” he muttered good-naturedly as he walked toward the door. “The kids are already buckled in.”
Marty looked at Sunny and smiled. Taking her arm, the two women strolled happily to the car to begin their first family vacation together.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“Oh, the house is gorgeous, Alice, you’re amazing.” Sunny looked around at the tree and decorations in the beach house and decided the woman had outdone herself.
“That’s what I told her when I got here. Isn’t it wonderful?”
“Here go the waterworks again…” Chase laughed. Everyone looked at him.
“Mom and Sunny started tearing up right before we left, you know, the old sentimental Christmas mood thing.”
“Chase Dupont, you hush your mouth right now. If we want to be sentimental, we will. It’s a woman’s prerogative,” Marty said as she hugged her son.
“That’s right, hubby dear, if you know what’s good for you, you’ll behave.”
“Uh oh…Chase, I think I’d hush if I were you…the wife has spoken. Take it from us old married men…you don’t want to make them mad at Christmas time.” John laughed as George shook his head in agreement.
“Okay, I know when I’m licked. You women cry and carry on all you want to this week. I promise not to say another word.”
“When’s Laura getting in, Sunny?” Alice asked as she set freshly baked pumpkin bread and sugar cookies on the table. There was milk for the kids and a fresh pot of coffee for the adults.
“Tomorrow morning. She had a holiday party she wanted to attend tonight. One of us will need to pick her up.”
“You and I can do that if you want,” Chase offered.
“Okay, hon, she’ll like that. I think I’ll go up and unpack now. Maybe we can take that stroll on the beach we planned.”
“I’ll bring the bags up. George or John, would one of you mind helping?”
“Sunny, let me help you with the kids things,” Marty offered.
“And Alice and I will keep the munchkins entertained,” Alma told them, as she smiled at the two children who had been her pride and joy, since the day they were born.
With Chase’s and Marty’s help, the bags were unpacked and the clothes put away in no time.
When the last of it was done, Marty said to her son, “Get out of here. Take your beautiful wife for a romantic stroll on the beach. Dinner won’t be until later since we snacked on Alice’s goodies.”
“Can’t argue with that, can we, baby?” Chase grinned at Sunny.
“No, I guess not. Let me change into more appropriate beach clothes first.”
“I think that’s my cue to leave. Take your time, you two. The kids are well occupied.”
Chase looked at his wife incredulously after Marty walked out. “I think my mother was actually encouraging us to have sex, just now.”
“I think your mother wants another grandchild.”
“Well, she may have to wait just a little while longer for that…I have enough trouble getting my wife alone the way it is…” On that note, he took her in his arms and kissed her thoroughly. When he released her, he said, “Knowing you as I do, precious, I don’t expect you to have sex with me in the middle of the afternoon, with the entire staff and family in the house, wide awake and roaming about.”
“Thank you, I would be a little embarrassed to go back downstairs, knowing they all knew what was going on up here.”
He playfully smacked her bottom and said, “Get changed and we’ll get out of here for a bit.” He watched as she walked away.
“Free at last, Sunny…no work, no kids, no distractions…just me and my beautiful lady strolling on the beach.” He took her hand and led her to the sand.
“Just like our own little piece of heaven.” She glanced at him and saw he looked more relaxed than he had in weeks.
“Yes, I guess it is. I remember walking with you on this very beach a little farther down last summer. A lot has happened since then, Sunny. Who would ever have thought we’d be like this, that night I took you to dinner and brought you to the beach?”
“It did all happen very quickly didn’t it?”
He stopped and took her in his arms, kissing her passionately. “I remember two lovers walking in front of us that night, doing what we just did.”
She giggled. “I remember that, too. I remember being very jealous of them. I wanted you to take me to bed that night. Of course I never would have told you that back then.”
“You did…way back then? It’s a damn good thing you didn’t let on.”
They strolled quietly for the next hour, stopping to pick up seashells and listening to the waves. When it was time to go back to the house to join the others for dinner she told him, “Thank you so much for being you, Chase. You’re everything I could have hoped for in a husband.”
“Oh…Sunny…” He put his arm around her waist and pulled her close. “I’m so glad to hear you say that.” He kissed her again, a sweet, yet passionate kiss that should have told her exactly how he felt about her. “You sure you don’t want to skip dinner with the family and find a hotel?” he joked.
“I think we’d better go back. We have our nights…but what I wouldn’t have given last summer to hear you say that.” She laughed as she looked into his green eyes.
“The part about the hotel, Sunny, you wouldn’t have gone to a hotel with me even if I’d asked that night and you know it. No matter how much you say you wanted to, you wouldn’t have.”
“You’re probably right about that…but that doesn’t mean I didn’t think about it.”
“See, I know you so well. You’re a good girl, except when we’re alone, and I think that’s one of your most endearing qualities.”
“Does this mean you’re giving me free reign to be naughty when we’re alone?”
“I don’t think you need my permission for that…you do quite well at being naughty.”
“And you like that?”
“Sunny…only you…only you could excite me the way you do…no one else…ever. When I told you I would be faithful to you forever, I had no idea it would be so easy. Not that I would ever stray…you know I never did with Brittney, and we had a very rocky marriage. Even if you and I weren’t so in sync, I’d never do that to you. But you make it easy…it wasn’t always so easy with Britt. Did that make any sense? I’m sort of rambling here.”
“See, you have your principles too. I like to keep our spicy love life behind closed doors, and you’re loyal, no matter what. Maybe we really are a good match after all.”
“There’s not a doubt in my mind.” He grinned at her, the special grin reserved just for her.
“Oh, here we are back at the beach house already. Thank you for the walk and for the talk, Chase.”
“Anytime, baby, anytime,” he said as he opened the back door of the house.
“Well, it’s about time you two got back. We thought we were going to have to send out a search party,” Alma said as they walked into the kitchen.
“Were we gone very long? It didn’t seem like it,” Sunny replied, looking at her watch.
“It’s all right, honey, it’s just that it’s starting to get dark. We were debating about letting the kids go ahead and eat. Dinner’s ready. If you two had a nice time and got to spend some time alone, then more power to you. I just had to tease you a little, because it embarrasses you so.”
Chase threw his head back and chuck
led. “They’ve all got your number, baby.”
“I don’t think getting embarrassed easily is such a bad thing,” she retorted.
“It’s not. It’s just another one of your endearing little quirks. Let’s not keep them waiting any longer. Besides, I’m starved.” And as they walked into the dining room, he whispered, “For more than just food.”
They spent the rest of the evening with their family. And when they retired for the evening, Sunny properly satisfied his hunger for her as only she could do.
On Christmas Eve Chase and Sunny picked Laura up at the airport and the festivities began. The women worked in the kitchen while the men kept Ali and Brice from being underfoot. The two little ones were very excited and Chase finally came up with a plan to take them for a walk. Maybe by getting them out of the house, the women could get things ready for the evening.
Sunny enjoyed the day, busily readying things for the children. They were all planning to attend Christmas Eve services at the church Sunny and Chase had been married in. After the service, they would return home for a light dinner and a family gift exchange. Christmas morning was reserved for Ali and Brice. Sunny had told them all, she wanted to spend the morning enjoying their excitement, when they saw the things Santa had brought them.
“Mama Sunny, can you fix my hair?” Ali came skipping into the master bedroom carrying a hairbrush and a ribbon.
“I sure can, sweetie, sit here on the edge of the bed for me.” She brushed the little girl’s long, blonde hair, pulled the sides up and securing it with a ponytail holder she took from her nightstand drawer. She tied the red satin ribbon around it. “There you go, look in the mirror and see if it’s okay.”
“It’s pretty. Thanks.” She skipped back out of the room as Chase walked in, smiling.
“She looks happy.”
“I brushed her hair,” Sunny answered as she continued getting ready for church.
“And that’s all it takes…you have her wrapped around your little finger, don’t you?”
“More like she has me wrapped around hers. Come here and I’ll tie your tie for you. You always seem to get the knot just a little crooked.”
Sunny's Love Page 13