The baby coos and spits and Channing laughs then takes off.
“Your mother is going to keep him overnight for us. Isn’t that sweet of her?” I ask my husband.
He glances at me. “Oh, why would she be doing that?”
I pull a card in an envelope out of my purse and flash it at him. “Because someone in this car is turning thirty-seven today. And his wife is taking him out to celebrate.”
He frowns as he looks straight ahead. “Oh, I was trying to forget that.”
“I know. But I’m done letting you do that. It went right by last year and I only figured it out a week later. I’m never letting that happen again.” I wave the card in front of him. “Don’t you want to see what I got in here?”
“I know it’s a mushy birthday card, Beth. And I know you’re going to try your best to make me cry like you did with our first-anniversary card. But I told you then when it made me cry that was a once in a lifetime kind of thing.” He gives me a sideways glance and I smile.
“Wanna bet?” I run my hand over his whiskered cheek. “How much do you have to lose?”
“I don’t want to bet a thing. You can’t make me cry over a sappy card again. I’m much tougher now. You had the whole giving me a baby thing in that card.” He turns to me and wiggles his dark brows. “And I know you don’t have that kind of news in there. Not yet, anyway.”
“Not for a while, for sure.” I look up and say a little prayer under my breath. “Guess who I saw picking up trash on the side of the road.”
“Who?” he asks as he pulls into the valet parking of his favorite restaurant.
“The evil bitch.”
He looks back at me and smiles. “Now that is a great birthday present!”
The valet lets me out and I go to the back to get our son out of his car seat. As we go inside, Channing takes the baby and holds him. “Let me hold my little man.”
I put my arm around his waist and lean into him. His large body fits perfectly to mine. This is a thing I never knew I wanted. A perfect little family.
How can one heart hold so much love?
Chapter 11
CHANNING
The place Beth’s taking me for my birthday we have to get there by boat. So she and I are on our way to a little club on one of the other Keys. I drive as she sits next to me.
Her dark hair flies back and her sunglasses make her look sexy as hell. I don’t really want to go to a loud club. I’d rather go somewhere secluded and make love to her until dawn.
But she’s young and likes to cut a rug every now and then so I’ll indulge her for a little while at least. But then I have a little surprise for her. When the night is done, as my mother is keeping the baby overnight, I’m taking Beth to another one of the Keys to spend the night somewhere I recently bought.
A place she knew nothing about. And keeping something this big away from my personal assistant was no easy task.
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 f
un 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.
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 let
s 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.
The Billionaire’s Lighthouse Series: A Billionaire, Bad Boy, Romance Page 67