Destiny Undone: The Complete Series Box Set

by Heartley, Amanda

  Gabe had ninety days to file charges, and he wrestled with what to do about Justin. He didn’t really want him to have a record or worse then, just before Thanksgiving, he came up with an idea. If Justin would volunteer at Sea Lab and toe the line for six months—sort of like community service without the court order—Gabe wouldn’t press charges.

  Gabe and Jonathan shook on it and they buried the hatchet between them forever. Jonathan assured Gabe that he would personally ensure Justin would fulfill his obligation, even if Jonathan had to kick his ass all the way to way to Sea Lab and back every day.

  And so Justin became a regular fixture around Sea Lab, and the change in his attitude was major. Some of the credit was down to Martin, as well. It turned out that Martin grew up in a Miami suburb and had been part of a gang in his teens, and Justin respected that. Not that Martin had a criminal record or anything—he had enough sense and self-respect not to get in too deep with the gang culture—but he had enough ‘street cred’ to win Justin over.

  When it came time to pick his groomsmen, Gabe even offered Jonathan a slot, and he accepted. How’s that for forgiveness?

  As Mills and I walked down the aisle, each of us holding Daddy’s forearms, I couldn’t have been happier. My life could not have been any more perfect. Dad’s face beamed with pride as we walked, but I could tell he was struggling with his emotions, too. Poor guy—he was on the receiving end of a double-whammy of emotion, but he also said it was the happiest day of his life.

  We walked past Mom and Charlotte, who were both in tears—happy tears I hoped. Evangeline was bouncing the baby in her arms, and I knew I was the luckiest girl in the world—it was like Mills and I had two mothers. I was so proud of the way they’d banded together to make this work—avoiding any pettiness or rivalry in the process. They’d put aside their own egos to make Mills’ and my big day perfect, and they’d succeeded beyond anyone’s expectations.

  And when I stood next to Gabe, and Mills stood beside Fallon, it felt like we were standing in a magical circle. I’m not a super-spiritual kind of person, really, but I felt this energy—call it love—connecting the four of us with something beyond ourselves. It was other-worldly.

  I looked up at Gabe and he squeezed my hand. He was so handsome and calm. I looked over at Mills, who stood next to me, and knew she felt the same way about Fallon. She turned to look at me and we smiled excitedly. This really had been a brilliant idea on her part. Could a sister be any cooler?

  As we exchanged vows, the Bishop had Gabe and Fallon respond simultaneously to the question, ‘Do you take this woman to be your wife?’ I swore that I heard Fallon say, ‘We do.’ He and Fallon denied that he did, but I know what I heard! I thought it was funny.

  And, of course, Mills and I vowed to love, honor and cherish our men, and each of us sealed it with a kiss. Our dreams had at last become a reality.

  Chapter Nine — Gabe

  If I’d had any lingering doubts about my commitment to my relationship with Pepper, they were banished when we took our marriage vows. I couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful bride, or wife, and by beauty, I meant both inside and out. Her character and inner strength had grown since we’d first met, and that inner beauty added depth and dimension to her exterior attributes.

  The only downside about the ceremony was my parents couldn’t make it back in time for the wedding. I tried to be understanding about their absence—after all, the Syrian refugee situation was one of the major humanitarian crises of the century—and the European governments were doing the best they could to keep up with the demand for entry into Europe. It wasn’t a nine-to-five job, by any means.

  Though I admired their determination to play a part in helping others in need, I was disappointed, and Pepper was too. I couldn’t help taking it personally either. When they finally called to confirm that they couldn’t attend, however, they did offer a consolation—they’d pay for our honeymoon.

  “Oh, you don’t have to do that, Adrian,” Pepper sighed. She was glad that she’d finally gotten an opportunity and a clear reception signal to bond with Mom over the wedding. Her response to my parents’ offer was gracious, but I knew Mom wouldn’t take no for an answer.

  “I know we don’t have to, sweetheart,” Mom said. “That’s why it makes us both so happy to do it. Now, that’s the end of the discussion. You just decide where you want to go and then enjoy yourself. You do that, and we’d feel much better about being no-shows for your big day.”

  Among a myriad of potential locations, Pepper had been scouting resorts in the Maldives and elsewhere which offered underwater hotel rooms. The photos looked fantastic, luxurious rooms with glass walls revealing the sea and fauna and fish providing organic ornamentation, but upon further investigation, they turned out to be just that—fantasies. Most of the sites, including the Conrad in the Maldives, and other sites in Fiji and Dubai, were only in the planning stages and most were long past their proposed completion dates.

  There were, however, two undersea restaurants in the Maldives, as well as a charming resort with seaside villas. Again, the photos looked spectacular and other-worldly, and I was a little geeked at the prospect of exploring the aquatic life in the region during the day. After all, Pepper and I couldn’t expect to have nonstop Newly-wed Sex the entire week, could we?

  It was going to set my folks back a pretty penny. I knew that I’d never hear the end of it once they got the bill, but the devilish part of me relished taking Mom at her word and seeing their reaction.

  The reception was a blast, and we had fun partying with Fallon and Mills. Even Jonathan was okay, confining himself to a single congratulatory kiss with Pepper—not that I was monitoring what he was up to. Okay, maybe I was. Pepper and I got plenty buzzed up at the reception as we danced the night away with our friends and family, but we made sure we didn’t lose it completely in readiness for the activities that lay ahead.

  I carried her across the threshold at my place, and went straight to the bedroom for champagne and wedding sex. As I filled our glasses, Pepper turned the lights down to a soft, sensual glow and we held hands and looked into each other’s eyes as we sipped.

  “You’re so beautiful,” I said. “How many times have I told you that today?”

  “Not enough. Never enough,” she said, her eyes sparkling.

  “Beautiful and sexy,” I growled as I ran my hand over her backside. “I wish there was a way to make love to you in your wedding dress, but that probably wouldn’t be practical, would it?”

  “Not really. Most girls like to save their dresses, or pass them down to their daughters. Having a big fat cum stain on it might sabotage that plan,” she giggled. “Besides, if I left it on, you wouldn’t be able to see what I’m wearing underneath.”

  That was an invitation if I’d ever heard one. She pushed me back until I was sitting on the bed. “You look pretty sexy yourself in that suit. Armani? You can take your coat off, but leave the rest on,” then she slowly pulled up her dress, revealing one white stocking-clad leg and she removed a garter and tossed it to me.

  “I thought I’d tossed that into the crowd at the reception,” I said.

  “This is my back-up garter,” she replied. “Wasn’t it funny how Jonathan caught my garter and Aven caught the bridal bouquet?”

  “It was... and I think I hear your wheels turning.”

  “If it’s meant to be, it’ll happen. Just like it did for us. Will you unzip me, please, Mr. Gregory?”

  “Gladly, Mrs. Gregory.”

  “Ooh, I like the sound of that!” she gushed. I unzipped the gown midway down her back and then she walked away. “No peeking,” she teased. Then Pepper stood back and slowly eased the dress down her body and carefully placed it on a chair.

  She looked magnificent! Her deeply tanned flesh contrasted beautifully with her blonde hair and her white corset sculpted her cleavage into a tantalizing topping of fleshy fruit.

  “Wow. It’s a good thing I didn’t know what you had on ben
eath your gown. The Bishop probably would’ve frowned on the groom having a boner during the ceremony.”

  Pepper reached down and her hand stroked upward from my knee. “Really? Do you have a boner now?” she said playfully, as she gazed at me. She soon learned the answer.

  She smiled and knelt between my legs. As she unzipped my pants and pulled them down to mid-thigh, a part of me felt like grabbing a video camera and recording this for posterity and I made a mental note to suggest a re-enactment at a future date.

  Pepper closed her eyes as her gloved hand guided my cock toward her lips. She licked and kissed the head, slowly, reverently. Pepper may not have been a virgin—but to me she looked absolutely angelic as she sucked me. I leaned back on my elbows and divided my attention between my senses of vision and touch as each of them were equally stimulated.

  Pre-come trickled onto her lips and tongue—a sure sign that I’d received enough pleasure for now—and it was time to give some back. I took her hands in mine and helped her up onto the bed. Our tongues explored each other’s mouths as she rubbed my dick along the wet seam of her panties. I slipped down and pulled them down with my teeth and fingers, then buried my face between her legs—she tasted so sweet, so warm.

  She coaxed me up and guided me inside her and we began moving together. It began urgently, with me peeling the corset back to feast on her breasts, my hands squeezing her ass cheeks and pulling her tightly against me. But then we slowed our pace—perhaps we both realized we had all the time in the world—the rest of our lives—to enjoy making love together.

  “Good morning, Husband.” Pepper smiled and leaned over to kiss me. “I hope you don’t mind that I don’t have breakfast ready but I couldn’t resist just lying here and looking at you.”

  “What, with my bed-head and morning breath, you mean? Lucky you.”

  “Yep, it’ll probably be all downhill from last night,” she agreed. “You do remember last night?”

  “Oh, yeah,” I said as she slipped into my arms, “But then again, it might have been a dream. How long till we catch the Honeymoon Express?”

  “We have to leave for the airport in a couple of hours. We need to shower, pack up some last minute stuff, eat… what else?”

  I wrapped my arms around her and asked, “Why don’t we shower together, wifey?”

  “Because we’ll never get out of here!” She got up and hurried to the bathroom, turning on the shower. When I thought I’d heard her get in, I snuck in there, hoping to get a glimpse of my bride, but she was too fast—she was already shutting off the water and ready to get out.

  “Damn!” I said.

  “No, not damn! Now get cleaned up! We have a plane to catch!”

  “Aww, man!

  Our bags were already packed, so we still made it to the airport with plenty of time to spare.

  As we checked in for the short hop to Miami, we were intercepted by Mills and Fallon, who were waiting for their own flight to Los Angeles and on to Hawaii. I was surprised to see them, but Pepper seemed aware that we’d all be meeting there. Perhaps she’d mentioned it, but I didn’t remember if she had.

  Over coffee, I couldn’t help saying, “I almost wish we were headed for Hawaii with you. That’s what? A six-hour flight from LA? With five hours over there, layovers and baggage, you’re looking at what? , Maybe fifteen to twenty hours?”

  “Wow,” Fallon said. “That’s a hell of a long time!”

  Mills smiled at him. “Haven’t you heard that old slogan, ‘Getting there is half the fun?’ You’ll be a member of the Mile-High Club by the time you get there!”

  We all laughed, and then Pepper asked mischievously, “So how was your wedding night, sis? I want to hear all about it!”

  “We’ll have to compare notes someday,” Mills vowed. Fallon’s face flushed as he stared at Mills in disbelief. “What?” she asked. “Don’t guys do that?”

  “Some guys who might share details pertaining to a… casual encounter,” I said, “but a blow-by-blow account of one’s wedding night is a different story.”

  Mills laughed at Fallon’s and my discomfort. “Maybe it’s different because we’re sisters,” she offered. “Anyway, if it makes you guys feel less violated, then we won’t discuss it. Promise.” She maintained an expression of sincerity for a few seconds before bursting into conspiratorial cackles with Pepper.

  Finally, Pepper composed herself and asked, “Aren’t you going to miss little Douglas?”

  “Oh, yeah,” Mills sighed. “But I know he’ll be in good hands. You know how you said it was like having two moms with Mom and Charlotte planning the wedding? Well, it’s also like having two doting grandmothers fussing over him. They’re going to work in shifts, sort of. Dad and Charlotte don’t really want Mom moving in, of course, but she’ll come over on some days. I told her she couldn’t take the baby to her place. I wasn’t comfortable with moving the baby around, and with Mom being a little psycho sometimes….”

  “Ugh,” Pepper concurred.

  The airport intercom announced their flight was about to start boarding so we exchanged handshakes and hugs as Fallon and Mills grabbed their carry-ons.

  “Well, you guys have fun,” Mills said. “We will for sure and I had to laugh when you first saw us out here, Gabe. I’ll bet you thought we were coming with you, didn’t you? Well, you can relax now knowing Pepper and I aren’t really joined at the hip.”

  “If you were, that would’ve made for an interesting wedding night,” I quipped. Mills laughed bawdily at that, though Fallon frowned as if he were even more anxious to get to their gate.

  “I can’t believe you said that,” Pepper mock-scolded. “How inappropriate.”

  “It was the least I could do after what the two of you just put us through. I thought Fallon was going to start crying.”

  Before long, they announced that our own flight was boarding and as we walked to the gate, I understood the significance of the honeymoon tradition in our culture. Yes, it signified an adventure that we’d undertake—sort of a metaphor for beginning a life together—but part of it was also saying goodbye to all of the relatives and friends who’d come to help and share the event. As much as I liked, and even loved some members of my new extended family, I was also looking forward to leaving them behind. Now, I could focus exclusively on the woman I loved.

  It was good to see everybody when we returned from the Maldives and at dinner with Doug and Charlotte, we swapped stories with Mills and Fallon regarding our respective trips. I didn’t think the hotel in Waikiki could compare with our own experience as the high concentration of tourists there wouldn’t have appealed to me, but we were careful not to sound like we were trying to upstage them.

  I told the story of how Pepper had felt so guilty about ordering a squid dinner at one of the underwater restaurants, but I’d agreed with her choice, pointing out that it certainly wasn’t an endangered species. Mills shared a particularly graphic tale of food poisoning that took her two days to recover and Doug and Charlotte were able to join in the conversation with anecdotes from their own recent honeymoon in Hawaii so it was a fun night and I was glad to be back.

  Work, on the other hand, was a slightly different story. Being away for just a couple of weeks had given me enough distance from the daily grind to feel estranged from my duties. Sea Lab had hummed along very efficiently without me, the visitor numbers had stayed steady since the new wing had opened, and with the whales settled in, there really wasn’t anything exciting happening on the horizon—just routine, administrative matters.

  I felt separated from the environment I’d helped to create. I rationalized that this was a typical reaction after all the excitement of late, but as each day dragged by, I wondered if I’d ever feel as connected to Sea Lab again as I was a few short weeks earlier.

  Pepper was ready to begin her second semester at school, and many of her evenings were spent studying. The one thing that seemed to engage me completely was when Pepper and I researched homes for sa
le. On weekends, we attended a couple of open houses, just browsing to get a feel for what each of us wanted in a home. Doug, of course, gave us lots of great advice and even a couple of interesting leads.

  But I’d found myself at a crossroads, not sure where we should settle because I wasn’t sure I wanted to remain at Sea Lab—and if I didn’t want to continue to work there, then we weren’t limited in searching for a house closer to work. We could go anywhere and, frankly, I enjoyed thinking about the many options that would open up if we were to leave Destiny Beach.

  One day, I received word that my cabin cruiser, Dolphin Girl, was out of the shop and ready to go to sea again though I didn’t know how Pepper would feel about that news. After what had happened the last time we took her out, I wouldn’t have blamed her if she never wanted to go out on the ocean ever again, but I was wrong.

  “That’s great,” she said. “We should try to make Sand Island again! I don’t know, I’ve always felt like we had unfinished business. We have to do it!”

  So we did—only this time, I made damn sure the forecast was favorable, and we left early so we’d have plenty of time to explore during the day, though when I suggested camping there, Pepper was initially hesitant.

  “I’m a city girl, Gabe. No mosquitoes, no flies, and I don’t want sand getting into my coochie.”

  “I’ll personally see to it that your coochie is free of sand, sand crabs or any other foreign objects—except for my dick, of course—and if we decide against it, that’s fine, too, but I’ll bring along the tent and sleeping bags, just in case.”

  “Bags?” she repeated. “Just how many do you think we’ll need?” she giggled.