But she was still making her way, so he didn’t seek her out. They had a second search scheduled, and there was no way she wouldn’t show up. So he’d loaded up his gear, driven to the search area and waited.
She arrived minutes after him. When she stepped out of her car, she had on her usual jeans, T-shirt and hiking boots. Her hair was pulled back in a simple ponytail. She wasn’t wearing makeup.
That was his Destiny, he thought with a smile. Honest. The shadows under her eyes were a testament to the fact that she hadn’t been sleeping. He would guess finding out she was pregnant had messed up a lot of things in her life.
“Hi,” she said cautiously when she saw him. Her expression was wary.
“No.”
She blinked. “No what?”
“No, I’m not going to talk about our personal business at work.”
“Oh.” She visibly relaxed. “Okay. Good. Are you ready?”
He held up his tablet, with tracking software installed. “I am.”
The rules were similar to what they had been for the first search. Cassidy had gone about a mile or so in from the main road. She would keep moving away from them for about a mile, then turn in a different direction and start walking in wide circles. A classic pattern for someone who was lost.
If this test went well, then they would expand the practice sessions. Volunteers would pose as the missing person, Kipling and Cassidy would run the search and Destiny would move to observation only. After each practice search, she would run the debrief.
“Where do you want to start?” Destiny asked.
He knew she was talking about their test and not her pregnancy. He pointed to the path. “We’ll take the obvious road first.”
They were each equipped with GPS tracking devices that would feed real-time data to the computer program. Destiny put in the data they had, including Cassidy’s approximate start time and the fact that she was being classified as a hiking novice. For their purposes today, she was.
Kipling watched Destiny work. She was quick and efficient then told him they could move out. He motioned for her to lead the way.
For the first few minutes, they didn’t talk. He walked easily, his injuries not bothering him today.
He and Destiny followed the path for a quarter mile before it branched out in two directions. He pointed to the left. There was no way of knowing which way Cassidy had chosen, but that was part of the fun.
The underbrush was thick, the air sweet with flowers and a light breeze. It was already warm and would get hotter as the day progressed.
Funny how a year ago he’d been lying in a hospital in New Zealand, drugged and broken, talking to Mayor Marsha about taking a job in a place he’d never heard of, and now he was here. A lot had changed. He’d given up skiing for good and while some days he had regrets, most of the time he was able to deal with what had happened. Had it been his choice? No. But he’d managed to move on. Sure he still wanted to battle the mountain, but he never would. He could accept that and live happily, or he could be bitter forever. The choice was his.
Somehow in the past couple of months, he’d started moving toward the former. Maybe it was time healing or maybe it was Destiny. Being around her made him feel better about everything.
It wasn’t love. He wasn’t willing to reduce what they had to empty words. Instead, he found himself wanting to be there for her. To take care of her. He knew she felt the same way. Destiny believed in action. Look at how she’d stepped up with Starr. They didn’t need love. They had each other and mutual respect. Even more important, they were going to have a child.
“We’d do well together.”
Destiny swung around to face him, nearly tripping as she turned. He reached out and steadied her.
“This is us not talking about it?” she asked.
“I changed my mind.”
“You don’t have to marry me,” she told him.
“I want to.”
“Why?”
“Because we’re having a baby. We’re both traditional enough to want to be part of a family. We could make that happen.”
He had no idea what she was thinking. She didn’t look away, and she didn’t say no.
“I have Starr.”
“I know. She’s part of the deal. Having us get married will give her a sense of stability. You won’t have to do everything yourself. You can depend on me, Destiny.”
Her mouth twisted. “You’re not going to try to convince me you love me?”
“No. I will tell you that we have a lot in common. I understand why you keep your passions buried, and I’m okay with that. But when you have to let loose and throw a few plates, I’m good at ducking.”
“I would never throw a plate.”
“You talked about it.”
“Not the same as doing it.” She drew in a breath. “You’re going to want sex, aren’t you?”
He did his best not to smile. “Yes, I am.”
“A lot?”
“It depends on your definition of a lot.”
She nodded, as if she’d expected the answer. “I’m not going to like it, but you can do it whenever you want. I won’t say no.”
Now he did smile. “Thank you for that.”
She had no idea what she was getting into, he thought humorously. Giving him as much access as he wanted. Once they were married, he would make sure she found out what all the fuss was about. Based on what he’d seen so far, Destiny was hiding more passion than even she was aware of. Unleashed, she would be unstoppable. And he couldn’t wait to get in the way.
“If you still want to marry me,” she said with a sigh, “then I’m saying yes. For the baby and for Starr.”
“Good. Sooner is probably better than later. Say toward the end of this week?”
She nodded. “Then we should probably get back to finding Cassidy.”
He pointed to the path. “I’m right here behind you.”
* * *
DESTINY HADN’T EXPECTED that a wedding could be pulled together in less than forty-eight hours, but it turned out it could. The fact that there were no guests helped. As did holding it in Mayor Marsha’s office in City Hall, with only the bride, groom, Shelby and Starr attending. Bailey, the mayor’s assistant, and Shelby were the witnesses. Before Destiny could catch her breath, she was married.
When Mayor Marsha smiled and said, “You may now kiss your bride,” Destiny realized she felt nothing. She was totally numb—both emotionally and physically. Kipling’s lips barely registered. After, when everyone congratulated her, she was pretty sure she smiled and said the right things, but it was all happening from a great distance.
The next couple of hours passed in a blur. Shelby was going to stay with Starr for the night while Destiny and Kipling had a mini honeymoon at Ronan’s Lodge. Destiny was aware of packing her overnight duffel and hugging her sister. There was a short drive to the lodge and the business of checking in. Then she was standing in the middle of a pretty hotel suite wondering what on earth she’d been thinking. About all of it.
The living room of the suite was bright and nicely decorated. A happy combination of sophisticated and comfortable. Beyond the open door, she could see into the bedroom. Technically, all she could see was the bed, but that was enough. Because she knew what was coming next.
The price of her one moral misstep gleamed on her left hand. A simple gold band. One Kipling had surprised her with during the ceremony. Because she hadn’t thought about rings. Or much else. In fact, since saying yes to his proposal, she hadn’t thought much at all.
He caught her gaze and walked over to her, then took her left hand in his. “I want to get you a different ring,” he told her. “But I’ll need your help in picking it out. I figured this would be a good start. Classic usually works.”
“This is fine. I don’t need anything else.”
He smiled. “It’s not about what you need, Destiny. It’s about what’s right.”
Nothing was right, she thought. Sure, sh
e was married and pregnant and she had her sister, so she was well on her way to the perfect family she’d always wanted. But everything was oddly distant. As if she was experiencing her life through a thick pane of glass. Or underwater. Or from another planet. She could see what was happening, hear it, even touch it. But it wasn’t real.
Her attention shifted to the large bed and how it loomed in her future. Dear God, they were going to have to do it, weren’t they?
“If we do the sex thing now, can we let it go for the next couple of days?” she asked, not quite looking at Kipling as she asked the question.
“Would that be better for you?”
“Yes. Then I wouldn’t be so worried thinking about ‘is it now?’”
His mouth twitched. “Sure. Let’s get it over with.”
Which sounded way too easy, she thought. “And then we’re done for a couple of days?”
He nodded. “I promise I won’t ask for sex while we’re staying at the hotel. If you want it, you’re welcome to tell me and then we can do—” he released her hand and made air quotes “—the sex thing.”
“Very funny.” As if she would be the one initiating that. “Okay, give me a couple of minutes, then come in.”
She picked up her duffel and walked into the bedroom. After closing the door behind her, she moved around the bed without looking at it then went into the bathroom.
Once there, she wasn’t sure how to prepare. She brushed her teeth, then changed into a simple cotton nightgown. The only one she had. She was more of a T-shirt over panties kind of sleeper.
She agonized over her underwear then figured that leaving them on was wishful thinking on her part. She tucked them under her other clothes then returned to the bedroom. After folding down the covers, she stretched out on one side of the bed and rested her head on the pillow.
“Come in,” she called.
The door opened. Kipling walked in and paused to look at her. One eyebrow rose.
“Ready to make the ultimate sacrifice?” he asked.
She couldn’t quite read the tone in his voice. Humor, maybe. Although she couldn’t figure out why he thought this was funny.
She nodded. “I am.”
He moved toward the bed. He’d taken off his shoes and socks but left on the rest of his clothes. Which was nice. Seeing him naked would have been jarring.
His dark blue eyes locked onto her face. She noticed he needed a haircut, but that he’d shaved recently. Probably for the wedding, she thought. He was the kind of man who would shave for his wedding.
He got in on his side and moved toward the middle. After patting the center of the big bed, he waited until she slid a little closer.
She’d thought he might say something or maybe simply get on top of her and do his thing. Instead, he brushed his fingers across her cheek before gently kissing her.
The feel of his lips on hers was both familiar and arousing. She knew about the kissing—liked it, in fact. So it was easy to close her eyes and relax. His mouth moved against hers. Back and forth. He settled one hand on her waist, which momentarily distracted her, but when he didn’t move it, she could focus on the kissing again.
The room was quiet, the bed comfortable. They were alone, and no one would be bothering them. Not that she was looking forward to what they were doing. Only she couldn’t help thinking about having his hands on her breasts. That was the part she liked.
His tongue brushed against her lower lip. She parted to let him in then sighed when she felt the first quivery spark ignite in her belly. She wrapped both arms around him, resting her hands on his back. He was broad and strong, she thought absently. Masculine. He would always keep her safe.
Their tongues danced and teased, touching, retreating, stroking. Her breasts began to ache, and she felt her nipples straining against the fabric of her nightgown.
Kipling shifted slightly, moving to kiss along her jaw then down her neck. He brushed his lips against her collarbone then dipped lower to the scooped neckline of her nightgown, but didn’t go beyond the fabric. The hand on her waist stayed exactly where it was. He returned his attention to her mouth and kissed her again.
She rolled toward him as she ran her fingers up and down his back. The kiss deepened. With every stroke of his tongue against hers, she felt herself melting. At the same time a particular tension emanated from various points on her body. Her breasts, which ached more each second, and between her thighs. There was an odd heaviness. An almost pulsing.
Images filled her mind. Of how he’d touched her before. Of him pushing inside her. She wanted that again, she thought hazily. She’d said she would do the sex thing, so why was he taking so long?
He broke free for a second time and kissed his way down her neck. This time he moved past the edge of the nightgown. He hovered over her breasts for a heartbeat, then two. Anticipation filled her, making her want to grab him by the shoulders and pull him down.
At last he lowered his head and took her right nipple into his mouth.
She exhaled sharply as she felt the warm, moist heat of his mouth envelop her through the thin cotton. His tongue swirled against her tight, sensitive skin. Nerve endings danced with joy and sent ribbons of heat shimmering down to her belly.
She was still in her nightgown, but the gauzy fabric didn’t get in the way at all. She felt the flick of his tongue then pulsing pleasure when he sucked, the coolness of the air on the damp material as he shifted to her other breast.
She wasn’t sure how long he went between them. First one then the other. When his mouth was on one breast, his hand was on the other. She learned there was a difference between what he could do with his tongue and his fingers, but both were very, very nice.
At some point she’d rolled onto her back, although she couldn’t say when. She’d moved her hands from his back to his shoulders and head. She trailed her fingers through his hair, and when he sucked a nipple in deeply, she groaned and dug into his shoulders.
The room had become very warm. She stirred restlessly, feeling the need for something more. She moved her legs against the sheet, squeezed her thighs together, but nothing helped. Relaxed muscles tensed, although she wasn’t sure why.
Kipling moved on the bed. She opened her eyes and saw he was removing his white long-sleeved shirt. She watched greedily, wanting to see his chest. He tossed the shirt away and, without thinking, she put his hands on the sculpted muscles.
His skin was warm and smooth. She saw his nipples were slightly raised.
“Does it feel the same?” she asked as she brushed her fingers against one of them.
He grinned. “I don’t know how it feels for you, but I like it.”
The anatomy was interesting, she thought. Similar but different.
He leaned in and kissed her as he tugged at her nightgown. She pulled it up to her waist, then he drew it off her.
Funny how a few minutes ago the thought of being naked would have made her nervous. Now all she could think about was that he was going to touch her without the impediment of fabric, and how good that was going to be. She sank back onto the mattress and wrapped her arms around him. He smiled then kissed her.
Her eyes closed as she lost herself in his mouth on hers. His hand returned to her breasts. She sighed as he cupped her curves. This was so nice, she thought. She could—
His hand was moving. Down her rib cage, across her belly, before settling on the top of her thigh. Because he was going to touch her there.
Destiny wasn’t sure how she felt about that. She was still kind of tense and hot, but also nervous. But the kissing was good, and when he didn’t move right away, she relaxed. Because so far everything he’d done had felt nice. Not earth-shattering like everyone said, but still pleasant. If this was sex, and it was important to him, she could certainly see doing it every month or so.
He let his hand travel up her thigh, back to her stomach then make the return trip. So slow and easy, she almost didn’t notice. The second time, he went all the way to h
er breast, where he stroked her nipples. The restlessness returned, and she shifted.
When he went back down again, somehow her legs opened a little, and he rested his fingers against her girl parts. Not pushing or actually touching, just kind of resting.
He broke the kiss.
“I want you to tell me if you don’t like what I’m doing,” he said softly. “If it hurts or makes you uncomfortable.”
She opened her eyes and found him watching her. His dark blue gaze was intense.
“If you want to tell me to go faster or slower, that would be good, too.”
“Why would I do that?” she asked.
He smiled. “There will be a point when you’re going to want to give instructions.”
“I doubt that.”
The smile turned into a grin. “Trust me.”
“Okay.”
He moved his hands against her, pressing down some. Warmth seemed to radiate from wherever he touched. An odd warmth that made her want to strain toward him.
“What do you know about anatomy?” he asked. “About this area in particular?”
“The usual stuff.”
He lightly kissed her. “Close your eyes.”
She did as he requested. His fingers parted her, then he touched her intimately.
That one night at the bar had been different. He’d been inside her, but he hadn’t touched her. Not like this. Not with fingers that seemed to find every nerve ending she had and set it tingling.
He pushed a single finger inside her, and she instinctively pressed her hips toward him. She liked the feeling of fullness. The in-and-out motion made her strain a little. She parted her legs even more. He stroked inside her, pushing up, and in and—
The good became great as he found some nerve knot or something. Her breath caught as he moved his finger back and forth against sensitive inner skin.
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