It’s still daylight out and in the distance, we see a small shower of rain. “I hope we don’t get soaked,” she says.
“The perils of sea life,” I say with a laugh and pull a couple of emergency ponchos in pouches out of the compartment next to me. I hand her one. “Open only in case of an emergency.”
She laughs and points back to the sky. “I don’t think the rain is going to be a problem. Look a rainbow.”
My heart swells a bit as I think of what all this woman has gone through with me. How she’s always had my back and I guess she always will. We made it through storms which would’ve torn others apart.
This time is our rainbow.
I pull into the small marina and already I can hear the laughing people in the small tavern style club my wife seems to love when we get to go out. Which is seldom with the arrival of the baby.
I tie the boat up and she pulls me back to sit down. Taking the card she attempted to give me earlier from her purse she hands it to me again. “Open it.”
Looking at the card I know she’s penned just to try to make me cry I find I fear the little thing. “No.”
She pushes it into my hand. “Read it!”
“Fine! God!” I take it from her hand and rip the envelope away and look at the pretty little card in my hand.
It’s purple and has pink hearts all over it. A set of red lips are at the center and she says, “Those are my actual lip prints. I made them just for you, hubby.”
With a grin, I look at her. “Just for me, huh? Wow!”
She smacks me on the arm. “Okay, smarty-pants. Read what I wrote on the inside.”
With terror flowing through me, I open the card and find her handwriting in it. My heart clenches and I start to read what she wrote. Of course trying my best to hold a stiff upper lip.
I will not cry!
She wrote; To my husband on his birthday, I want to wish him all the best. He always says I’m the only person who has ever had his back. The only person who has ever stood by his side when things were down. The only person who has ever truly loved him for him.
Well, I am saying today, on this card that he is the one who has had my back through thick and thin. There for me always, this man is my rock. Giving me the opportunity to not only work for a great company but to get to know the man who started it all.
My husband gave me opportunity after opportunity to better myself and make my life richer than I knew possible. He was by my side as I passed a kidney stone. A pain worse than childbirth I found out.
He held my hand as I brought our first child into the world. He kept me strong through it all and I will love him until I take my last breath.
I close my eyes and try to hold back the tears but the thought of her taking her last breath is a thing I try never to think about.
If I ever lost her, I don’t know what I would do. And then one tear makes it past my tightly shut eyelids and then another and then her kisses pepper my face as her hands take it between them. “Baby, don’t cry,” she murmurs.
I run my arms around her and hug her tight. “Why do you write these things? If I ever had to see you take your last breath I think I’d die right along with you.”
Her hands move through my hair and her lips touch mine then she says, “And that is why I love you so entirely. You and I are like a couple of puzzle pieces that belong together in the midst of a wonderful picture.”
I sniffle and grab a handkerchief out of the little compartment I took the emergency ponchos out of. After blowing my nose, I take her hand and lead her out of the boat. “Dancing and drinks now. And later we will do what I want to do.”
She looks back at me with a frown. “You don’t want to do this? I thought you loved this place.”
Holding her hand in mine I lead her down the dock toward the music. “I love how much you love it. But I have other things I’d rather be doing with you. Like stroking your naked skin as we lie on the beach and watch the stars go by in the night sky.”
“Well, I’m not going to lie naked on a beach. Not with people around, Channing! Don’t be silly. If you really don’t like this place, we can go somewhere you’d rather be.” She stops and looks at me.
I run my hand over her pink cheek. “I want to be here with you for now. I want to see your pretty green eyes light up when the DJ plays your favorite song. I want to dance with you to it and listen to you sing along. I love watching you have fun, Baby. And afterward I have a surprise for you.”
“But it’s your birthday,” she says with a little groan. “I want to do what you want to do.”
I smack her ass. “Come on! Let’s go drink and dance and party some of the night away.”
She frowns but comes along with me. “I really thought you liked this place.”
I roll my eyes and pull her along. I suppose she’s just not going to get what I mean when I say I like watching her have fun.
Two drinks later and she’s forgotten how to frown and is dancing away with the music as I move along with her. Her free spirit and energy are electric and while I am having fun now, I can’t wait to take her to our new place.
The music slows and I pull her in close. Her body presses up against mine and she looks up at me as she runs her arms around my neck. “See, you are having fun.”
With a little kiss to her nose, I say, “I always have fun when I’m with you. I think you and I could be in the middle of the desert with no food or water and I’d still feel okay if you were there.”
Her eyes glisten. “Now who’s trying to make who cry?”
I pick her up, making her feet leave the floor. “Me! I love you, Baby!”
With a quick spin around, I place her feet back on the floor as she giggles. I’m no fool. I know we’ll have our troubles in the future but for now, everything seems calm and easy and perfect.
Not sure how long that will last but I have my fingers crossed, it’s forever!
Chapter 12
BETH
“This is not the way home, Channing,” I say as he leaves the marina and heads the wrong way.
“I know.” He gives me a wink. “I told you I was taking you somewhere else.”
It’s dark and cool and he wraps one arm around me and holds me close to his side as he drives the boat to he only knows where. Up ahead I see some blue lights shining from one of the small Keys.
He slows as we near them and pulls up to a lighted dock. I can see a small bungalow not too far away from the dock. “Whose house is this?”
“The house?” he asks as he helps me out of the boat. “Well, it’s ours.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “Channing Michaels what have you done and how did you manage to do it without me knowing a thing?”
“I have purchased our family their own island.” He picks me up in his arms. “And its deserted for the night. Only you and I are on it. I made sure of that. After some help came and made sure that one bungalow was stocked with the supplies I asked for, they left.”
I shiver at the thought as he takes me toward the little open house. “It’s adorable.” I look around but it’s too dark to see anything.
“There are six more. And a large swimming pool for when you don’t feel like getting salty. But tonight we’re getting salty. The water is crystal clear and there’s a light on the pier that lights up the small lagoon.”
Instead of going into the house, he stops and places my bare feet on the sandy shore. His hands move over my shoulders and he takes my spaghetti straps down and then my entire dress lands in a heap at my feet.
I unbutton his shirt and push it off him. Then move my hands over his broad and muscled chest and stomach.
He looks at me as he leans close and unhooks my bra and it ends up in the expanding pile of our clothes. I unbutton his shorts and let them fall. We’re left in only our underwear and my thong leaves less to the imagination than his tight boxer-briefs do. They seem to be hugging a monster erection inside them I can’t wait to get my hands on.
&nbs
p; He pulls them down and lets them fall then he pulls mine until they break. He makes a loud grunt as he tosses them away.
I smile. “Caveman!”
He pulls me into his arms. “I have you all to myself on this deserted island. I do feel a bit like a caveman. And though, technically as its way past midnight, it’s no longer my birthday, I still want you as my present.”
He picks me up and carries me to the water and lies me on the soft sand. He waves his hand, and a light turns on, making the green water glow.
“Gorgeous,” I say as I lean back on my elbows and look out at the water.
He sits next to me and looks at me then moves my hair back off my neck. “You are.”
“This is some birthday present you gave yourself,” I say with a giggle.
“Well, I wanted to get something that would last. And real estate always lasts.” He pushes me to lie back and his lips press against my neck, sending waves through me.
A little wave makes water hit our feet, and it’s warm and makes me feel very close to Heaven. The way his strong hands are moving all over my body and the cool breeze is blowing across my skin is amazing.
His teeth nip my earlobe. “Want to know what I named the island?”
I moan as his finger dips into my bellybutton. “Uh hm.”
“It’s Beth’s Island. How do you like that?” His finger moves down and he presses it against my clit.
“I love it!” I moan as I arch up to him.
“We can play naked in the water anytime we want to,” he whispers. Then he gets up and takes me in his arms and walks out into the water.
When he gets a little past waist deep, he stops and places his mouth on mine. My hands tangle up in his dark waves as I return his kiss and love the way the warm water moves in little waves over our bodies.
One hand moves down my leg, prompting me to wrap them around him. I do as he’s suggested, and he moves his hard cock into me. Slow and steady strokes he makes into me as I hold on tight to him.
The way the muscles on his back move with every stroke has me mesmerized as I run my hands over them. His tongue moves around mine in a dance and my heart is nearly bursting with love for him.
He is amazing. Doing something like buying his family an island on the sly is not a thing I thought he would ever do. He’s full of surprises.
He releases my mouth and moves his to my neck where he bites and sucks and sends me deeper into the pleasurable abyss. The water laps at us as he begins to move me back and forth over him faster.
“Channing!”
His voice is hoarse as he whispers, “Say it again, Baby.”
“Channing!”
He moans and moves me faster and faster until my body is quaking and shaking and falling apart. The wave of the hard orgasm hits me and I shriek his name over and over until it begins to fade.
My body is loose as I hold onto him. My body wraps around his as he walks out of the water and lays me down on the sand.
His body moves over mine and he slams into me hard and fast. I struggle to breathe as he pounds into me. It’s savage and frenzied and it has me very excited.
“Who do you belong to?” he asks me with ragged words.
“You!” I arch up to meet his hard thrusts. “Only you!”
Moving even harder and faster he says between clenched teeth, “Don’t come until I tell you to.”
I’m not saying a word as I have no idea if I can hold on to it when he’s being this forceful with me. My body is about to let go and after a few more hard thrusts it does.
“Channing, I can’t hold it!”
“Damn it!” he shouts and pulls out of me. He looks down at me with fire in his eyes. “Looks like you need a spanking.”
I look back at him and see a rawness to his eyes, I’ve never seen before. Then I flip over on my knees and try to get away from him. “No!”
I make it only about a foot away when I feel his hand on my ankle, pulling me back to him. “Scream all you want. No one is going to hear you, Beth.” He makes some deep laugh, and he sounds evil as shit.
One hard smack lands on my ass. “No!”
“Yes,” he says then another one lands on my ass.
It sends a heat through me and I scream as he smacks me again. “Are you going to do as I say now?” he growls as he turns me back over.
I place my hands on his shoulders and smile. “Fuck me harder and let’s see.”
A grin splits his handsome face as he holds my hands down and slams into me. “I wasn’t hard enough before?”
I shake my head. “And if you don’t make me scream like a banshee when you do allow me to come then I get to spank you, Channing Michaels.”
He slams into me hard and I love it. “Oh, you will be screaming.”
Over and over he slams into me as he looks at me, daring me to move. Daring me to allow my body to go against his will.
I stare right back into those gorgeous eyes which have gone dark and stormy. A slight twitch of his left eye lets me know he’s close. I arch up to him a bit then clench my vagina and he lets one of my hands go and smacks the side of my ass. “Don’t move!”
I smile and bite my bottom lip as he holds my hand down again. Then I lick my lips and wiggle my tongue at him. “Fuck! Come!” he groans.
He’s holding back as I let loose but he’s pounding into me so hard I can barely take it. “Channing! God! Please!”
His body stiffens, and he finally allows himself to climax with a loud growling groan. “Fuck me!”
He falls onto my chest as we huff and puff and our bodies twitch and pulse. I run my hand through his hair once I can breathe somewhat normally again. “I love you, my caveman.”
He pulls his head back and kisses my cheek. “You make me feel wild out here under the stars.” He slaps the side of my ass again. “You took three this time and never uttered the safe-word.”
“Your eyes went all crazy. I thought you were for real for a second there.” I laugh a little.
“So I scared you?” he asks as he rolls off me and props his head up on his hand as his elbow rests on the sand.
I roll toward him and run my arm over his waist. “For a second, then I knew you were playing. It got my heart racing.” I kiss his lips softly and throw my leg over his and move in closer.
His hand runs through my hair. “I plan on chasing your sweet ass all over this island, Baby. Get ready!”
I laugh a little and my body heats with the thought. He runs one arm around me and gives my ass a little smack again. I run my hand up to his face and kiss him again.
“Then I pull away from him and jump up. If you can catch me before I make it to the bungalow, I’ll make you very happy in the shower!”
“Deal,” he shouts as he gets up and runs after me.
I go as fast as I can and just as I get to the door, he has me by the waist and picks my up off the ground then tosses me into the air as he laughs. “Now to the happy shower I’ve won!”
He throws me over his shoulder as he opens the door. I pound on his back. “Caveman!”
“Seems I do have a bit of that left in me.” He laughs deep and evil sounding and fear runs through me.
“That’s a creepy laugh,” I say as he tosses me onto the bed.
“Is it?” He does it again and then his hands are all over me, tickling the crap out of me.
I laugh until I nearly wet myself then shout, “Goldfish! Goldfish!”
He keeps tickling me and says, “That was last week. What’s the new one?”
“Shit!” I shriek.
“Nope, that’s not it either,” he says as he laughs and keeps tickling me.
I search my memory as I can barely think then it comes to me. “Banana nut muffins!”
He stops and looks down at me as he breathes heavily. “Yep!”
I catch my breath and shake my finger at him. “This island may be a bit too much for me.”
He laughs and grabs me up and tosses me over his shoulder again. “
If you can’t keep up with an old man then I feel sorry for you, Bethy. Now off to my happy shower. I hope you have a few tricks up your sleeve.”
I do now. A little backdoor action it seems my caveman has coming his way.
Let’s see how he likes surprises!
Chapter 13
CHANNING
“But Daddy doesn’t like to eat cereal out of his nine hundred dollar shoes, Little Channing. So please never fill them with cereal and milk again. Okay, Buddy?” I ask our three-year-old who looks at me with puppy dog eyes.
“K, Daddy. I was just tryin’ to make you breakfast.” He sniffles and wipes his nose with the back of his hand.
I take a paper towel off the roll and wipe his hand then his nose. “You don’t have to cry, Buddy. Just never do that again. That’s all.” I scoop him up and take him out to the beach where his very pregnant mother is lying on a chair near the water’s edge.
We spend a lot of time alone on this island. Just us three. It’s like a little paradise away from all things.
“Mommy!” he screams, and I put him down so he can run to her.
“Watch Mommy’s tummy, Buddy,” I shout out after him.
“I know.” He runs until he gets to her then he tattles on me. “Mommy, Daddy yelled at me for making him breakfast.”
Beth sits up and turns around and pulls her dark shades down to peer over them at me. “Why on Earth would you do such a thing?”
“Yelling is a strong word for what I did. When he took me to see the breakfast he had made for me, in my Armani shoes, mind you, I very nicely and in a soft voice told him never to do that again. He poured cereal and milk into them both.”
She stifles a laugh by putting her hand over her mouth. “He did not do that!”
“Uh huh, I did.” the small boy says as he nods his little round head. “On account of Daddy loves those shoes, and I wanted Daddy to love his breakfast I made him all by myself.”
Beth pulls him onto what’s left of her lap and cuddles him. “Oh, Baby. Maybe if you use a bowl next time that would be better.”
“Maybe,” he says. “Maybe I could scramble some eggs in a bowl for him. Maybe tomorrow.” His eyes light up and he jumps off her lap and starts running through the edge of the water until a small wave comes and he runs away from it like it’s a tsunami, shrieking in terror as he goes.
The Shameless Billionaire Series: Billionaire Romance Box Set (An Alpha-Male, Billionaire, Bad Boy, Bad Girl, Romance) Page 129