He sucked her clit into his mouth and bathed it with the tip of his tongue until she was pleading wordlessly for mercy. Just a little faster. Just a little harder.
“Oh God.”
He lifted her, kneading her against his face until the pressure became too much to bear, and she shouted his name. Her whole body flexed and bowed. Her legs shook with the force of it as she came hard against his mouth. He held her close until she stopped shaking, murmuring praise against her hip as he set her back against the rock. Her breath slowed, and she waited for him to come up there with her. To slide deep inside her and start the storm all over again.
“Whatcha waiting for, Mr. Thomas?” She asked when she could form a sentence.
She ran a lazy hand across his broad, tanned shoulders.
He climbed onto the rock, peppering her warm skin with cooler water. “I was trying to give you a second to prepare for this.”
He lay on top of her, covering her sun-warmed body with his chilly one, and she squealed. “Off! Off! I give!”
He laughed and rolled to his side, pulling her on top of him. “Forget it now. You asked for it.” She straddled him and sat back on her heels, glaring down at him.
“I was a little brain dead and didn’t think it through. You could’ve warned me.” Already, though, her body was warming his, and the urge to toss him back into the water was fading fast. He ground his bathing suit-clad groin against her, and she flexed back as the tingles started flowing again
“Seems like you’ve got something for me, husband,” she whispered. He treated her to a lethal grin and reached between them, tugging down the front of his shorts. His cock sprang forward, hard, thick and ready.
“Mmm.” She cupped his balls in her hand and squeezed, a sizzle running through her when he groaned.
The stone was rough against her knees as she rose high to take him in, but the sting was fleeting. She slid down over him, relishing every inch as he filled her. She rocked forward, seating him deeper, and he pulsed his hips to meet her.
“God, that feels good.” It was slow at first. The edge was off, and she wanted to enjoy every thrust—the pulsing inside her, the catch of his breath when she rolled her hips just right. But then he reached up and cupped her breast, tweaking her nipples between his thumb and forefinger, taking control, moving his hips faster and faster. Then it was all heat and need as she slammed down on him.
“That’s it,” he said through gritted teeth. “Take what you want, babe.” He released her breasts to grip her hips and used them to work her over him, the pace almost punishing. But he knew, because then there it was. Right there. She arched into him, the feel of his swollen cock taking her over the edge, sending her body clenching and pulling at him as she came.
“Fuck,” he grunted, and exploded right behind her, the hot spurts of liquid filling her.
When she finally got her breath back, she pulled in closer and burrowed into her spot in the crook of his shoulder. Absently, she caressed the firm muscles of his abs, relishing the heat and play of muscles even now. She loved this man. There were thousands, no, millions of people who didn’t even have that. The love of a good man. She needed to stop dwelling on the things she didn’t have and start focusing on the positive.
“I love you, Galen.”
He shifted and trailed his thumb over her collarbone before responding. “I love you, too, babe. And there’s something I want to give you.”
She slid away, and he led her back through the grotto pool and onto the lanai where he wrapped her in a fluffy white towel.
“Wait here.”
She sat on one of the cushioned chairs, soaking in the warmth of the sun and the scent of the hibiscus flowers.
She was so relieved that, even after her flip out, they were okay. Maybe it was better to just leave it at that, skip all the horrible ups and downs, and just get off the roller coaster for a while. Every day the phone didn’t ring, she felt a little more hopeless. Maybe it was time to just focus on her and Galen, and some day, if they were meant to be parents, it would happen on its own.
Galen came out onto the lanai with a box in his hand. His half-naked body rendered her speechless for a second. Thick-cut muscles covered long, loose limbs, and he looked like a frigging statue. No matter how many times she’d seen him, no matter how many times she’d touched, kissed, bit, or licked him, she’d never get used to it.
She flopped back against the chair and sighed.
“I want to talk to you about something.” He pulled a chair up close to hers.
His tone was so solemn she instantly stiffened. “It sounds serious.”
“It is,” he said with a nod. His jaw was tense, and she wondered if maybe he’d been thinking the same thing she had. Taking some time away from starting a family? The thought made her inexplicably sad.
“I did something. Without talking to you. If it was a mistake, I apologize, but I want you to know I had you on my mind the whole time.”
Lacey drew back like she’d been slapped, and a chunk of ice wedged its way into her chest. Why did that sound like a betrayal? “Y-you didn’t cheat on me, did you?” she whispered, shock and denial warring for center stage.
His eyes widened, and he shook his head furiously. “Jesus, no. I would never do that, Lace. No.” He ran an exasperated hand through his hair. “I keep screwing things up and saying things wrong lately. It’s not that, though. Never that.” He slid on the shorts and sat on the floor next to her.
The ice started to dissolve, but her whole body was still tense, on high alert.
“What, then?”
He held out the wrapped box. The happy peach- and green-striped paper didn’t seem like it carried bad news, and she stared at it. “What’s that?” she asked slowly, confusion clouding her already overloaded brain. They needed to have a serious talk, and he was giving her a present?
“I want you to open it first.”
She wrapped the towel more tightly around her body and took the rectangular package from his hands. It was heavier than she expected, and she resisted the urge to shake it. Usually, when he gave her a gift, she weighed it, turned it this way and that, and tried to guess the contents. It drove him nuts. But not this time. His heart was all over his face, and she knew whatever it was, it was no time for teasing.
She tore the paper away and crumpled it into a ball before looking down at a plain brown box.
“Go ahead,” he urged.
Why did she get the feeling that, once she lifted the lid, everything was going to change? She hesitated, and felt his body stiffen. Like a Band-Aid, she counseled herself silently, and yanked the top off the box.
A photo album sat inside, a picture of the two of them behind a plastic sleeve right on the leather cover. Okay, so that wasn’t so bad. It was actually really sweet and—
“Take it out and open it.”
She pulled the album out and set it on her lap. The first few pages were loaded with pictures of them as kids. Cat was in some of them; some were of them in school plays or on Thomas family vacations. The later ones were of her and Galen. Their first day as a live-in couple, pictures from their last visit to Puerto Rico. It was a history of them. She was already welling up when she turned to the last page, blown away by the thoughtfulness of his gift. There, a photo of a baby stared back at her. She squinted hard, trying to determine who that was. Not her. She’d never had black hair like that. And her cheeks had never been so round and perfect. Not him either. At about three months old, the face was already too feminine to be a boy. Who then?
“I don’t—”
“That’s Melina,” he said softly. “Katya’s baby.”
Emotions swamped her, and she reached a shaking finger out to trace her face. She’d wondered—for the past few months, she’d so wanted to know what the baby that had almost been theirs looked like. And here she was. So beautiful, so perfect, it was like the wound was torn open all over again. Tears clogged her throat, and she shook her head furiously. “I k
now you thought this would be nice, so we could at least see her, but I can’t—”
“She’s ours, Lace.”
The words battered at her broken heart, but she couldn’t process them. “She’s not. Katya changed her mind and—”
“They called a new agency three weeks ago to start the process again and asked for us by name. Apparently her boyfriend is back in jail, and Katya wants to move back to Budapest to marry her high school sweetheart. She doesn’t want to take the baby with her. I didn’t want to tell you until it was a sure thing. I couldn’t put you through that. But I got the call this morning. It’s a done deal. If we still want her, she’s ours. We can get her on Friday.” His strong throat worked, and he paused. “Tell me you still want her, babe. Because that face is fucking killing me.” He stared down at Melina’s picture and traced the shape of her chubby little lips. “I feel like she’s already mine.”
The feelings inside her couldn’t be contained. Tears streamed down her face unchecked. She set the book carefully to the side and launched herself at her husband.
“Yes, I still want her!” She was elated, excited, and terrified all at the same time, and her mind was moving so fast, she couldn’t keep up. What if something fell through? What if it was all snatched away again?
Galen squeezed her tight, and her fears fell away, leaving nothing but pure hope and happiness behind. She wasn’t alone, and whatever happened from here on out, they’d face it together. He was so strong, and now, so was she. But together?
They were unstoppable.
Wrapping her arms tightly around her husband, she held him close. She would love this man forever, through thick and thin, and couldn’t wait to spend the rest of her life showing him how much.
Acknowledgments
As always, thanks my editor Kerri-Leigh Grady for being an all around ninja bad-ass. I shudder to think of what my books would look like without you. XOXO
And to Allison Gatta, for all of your hard work on this book as well as the much-needed estrogen you bring to the sausagefest that is our house. <3 you.
About the Author
Christine Bell is one half of the happiest couple in the world. She and her handsome hubby currently reside in Pennsylvania with a four-pack of teenage boys and their two dogs, Gimli and Pug. If she gets time off from her duties as maid, chef, chauffeur, or therapist, she can be found reading just about anything she can get her hands on, from young adult novels to books on poker theory. She doesn’t like root beer, clowns, or bugs (except ladybugs, on account of their cute outfits), but lurrves chocolate, going to the movies, the New York Giants, and playing Texas Hold’em. Writing is her passion, but if she had to pick another occupation, she would be a pirate…or, like, a ninja, maybe. She loves writing fun and adventure-filled romance stories, but also hopes to one day publish something her dad can read without wanting to dig his eyes out with rusty spoons.
Christine loves to hear from her readers and can be contacted through her website, www.christine-bell.com or on Twitter under the handle @_ChristineBell.
Find out where it all began in...
DOWN FOR THE COUNT
book one in Christine Bell’s Dare Me series
“Every erotic romance reader needs DOWN FOR THE COUNT.”
- Tiffany Reisz, author of The Original Sinners series
When Lacey Garrity finds her groom in flagrante delicto in the reception hall closet with her bridesmaid, she’s saved by her best friend’s older brother—childhood tormentor, crush, and boxing bad boy Galen Thomas. Galen’s solution is both exciting and dangerous. What better way to forget the mess of her life than go on her honeymoon with a hot guy who can’t promise anything beyond today?
Galen had been counting on Lacey’s wedding to put her out of reach—and out of his mind—once and for all, but their steamy Puerto Rican escape is testing all his boundaries. Now that Lacey’s embracing her inner bad girl, Galen is tempted to throw in the towel and claim her for himself. But with the biggest fight of his career on the line and an important business merger threatening to derail Lacey’s resolve, their romance might be down for the count before it even begins.
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Check out Christine’s newest release...
DIRTY TRICK
the first book in the Perfectly Matched series
This matchmaker’s about to meet her match…
Grace Love is lousy with men. She can spot a match for someone else a mile away, and her balls-on instincts are why her matchmaking business is thriving, but finding her own Prince Charming? The only guy who makes her sixth sense tingle is her playboy best friend, Trick, and no way is she risking their friendship, no matter how hot she knows the sex will be.
SWAT officer Trick Matthews is a patient guy, but Grace’s inability to see what’s right in front of her is grinding on his last nerve. Yeah, he blew his shot at breaking out of the friend zone when he tamped down the urge to lick her from head to toe the day they met, but he’s got a plan that’ll change her mind. Incognito at Salem’s hottest Halloween party, he’ll show her exactly how good they could be…and that he’s the man for her.
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Also releasing this month...
FALLING FOR THE MARINE
the next book in the McCade Brothers series by bestselling author Samanthe Beck
Pretending to be in love has never felt so sexy.
USMC helicopter pilot Michael McCade has two goals: Get his damn back into alignment and keep his nose clean until his commanding officer clears him to fly again. The doctor-recommended massage therapy seems like a necessary step toward returning to the cockpit, but when his too-hot-to-handle neighbor, Chloe Kincaid, turns out to be his masseuse, he strays from the straight and narrow in a major way.
Chloe Kincaid is looking for a simple, no strings attached, ego-boosting hook up. But when her positively panty-melting neighbor, USMC Major Michael McCade, (aka “Major Hottie”), shows up on her massage table, she lets desire get the better of professionalism. Now they’re pretending to be engaged to avoid a whole lot of unanticipated consequences of a momentary lapse in judgment. But can a girl who avoids attachments at all costs fake an engagement to a straight-arrow soldier without falling hard?
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Also releasing this month...
WILDE FOR HER
the second book in the Wilde Security series by romantic suspense author Tonya Burrows
Friends with benefits just got hotter.
Former homicide detective Camden Wilde has been in love with his ex-partner, Eva Cardoso, for longer than he cares to admit. Not that it matters. She’s shoved him into the friend zone, and after living through the hell of his parents’ violent deaths, Cam’s unable to give her the idyllic life she secretly desires.
Eva’s never met a person who hasn’t let her down. Cam may be sex personified, but he’s the only man she can trust, and there’s no way she’ll risk their friendship on the off-chance they could be more. Especially not after the one scintillating night she’s trying—and failing—to forget.
When a murder-for-hire contract on his head lands Eva on his doorstep, Cam knows it’s time to put up or shut up. He’s done biding his time, and he’ll be damned if he lets the delectable detective ignore what’s between them, no matter the cost.
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Also releasing this month...
GAME FOR TROUBLE
the next book in the Game for It series by USA TODAY bestselling author Karen Erickson
He’ll play dirty to get what he wants...
Willow Cavanaugh would be happy if she never saw cocky football star Nick Hamilton again. Sure, their fling was the hottest she’d had, but he’s way too much of a playboy to settle down with one woman. Plus, she’s got her heart set on a piece of real estate for her catering business—and Nick owns that property.
Nick may be at the top of his game, but all he wants is a second chance with Willow
. When he offers to sell her his commercial space if she agrees to a series of dates with him, their chemistry is so scintillating that jumping back into bed seems like an inevitability. But Willow’s decided all’s fair in sex and blackmail. Little does she know, Nick’s playing to win…and she’s the prize.
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Also releasing this month…
SEDUCING HER RIVAL
the Brazen debut from multipublished author Seleste deLaney
She’s trapped with a man she hates…and can’t resist.
When cruise ship turbulence sends children’s charity guru Mercedes Vega—and her tropical cocktail—flying into a mysterious stranger, she’s convinced her free vacation is a dream-come-true. But Lucas Bellamy isn’t just sexy as sin and richer than God. He’s her business rival, determined to outbid her charity for the land she desperately needs…a fact she doesn’t learn until after a night of mind-blowing, toe-curling sex. Unwilling to give up, she formulates a plan to make the charming playboy fall in love with her and back out of the property deal.
Lucas is drawn to Mercedes, but he won’t stand down—after all, he has promises of his own to keep. But one scintillating night with the enigmatic brunette leads to another, and before long, it’s unclear who’s seducing who, leaving Mercedes wondering whether the man she’s supposed to hate is the only salvation from her past.
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Also releasing this month…
CRASH INTO ME
the first book in the new Shaken Dirty series by bestselling author Tracy Wolff
Down the Aisle (A Dare Me Novella) (Entangled Brazen) Page 7