Found

by Jodi Kae

“OhmygodToriI’msohappyforyou...wegettobepregnanttogether.”

  Derek laughs and then translates for his wife, and we all laugh together.

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Bliss:

  *to reach a state of perfect happiness, oblivious of everything else. *great joy.

  “Are you sure you’re okay with staying here for our honeymoon? I just love this place and need to be someplace familiar for a while.” His eyes soften, and his smile reaches his eyes.

  “I am happy wherever you are, Love. I am thrilled that you are comfortable here, and my goal for the rest of my life is just to make you happy. The villagers have agreed to stay away for a few days to give us some privacy, and I have you all to myself. Nothing could make me happier.”

  Our families and Jax’s team left yesterday and in a few days we are going on a road trip through Costa Rica. Jax wants to show me his favorite places. We are going to travel down the coast and explore some of the most exquisite waterfalls in this country.

  Jax has been very careful with me since I told him we are pregnant, and I miss his desperation. It has only been a few days, but I am worried that this is what it will be like for the next nine months.

  “Well, what would make me happy is for you to ravish me. I need you Jax, the way you were before you found out we are having a baby. I am so glad that I didn’t tell you until we were on the beach. Otherwise, I would have missed out on my wedding night.”

  “I’m sorry, Love. I guess I’m new to the whole fatherhood idea and maybe a little paranoid. I don’t want to hurt you, and I know I can be a little rough.”

  “Jax, women have babies all the time and continue to have a healthy sex life while doing it. You have done nothing while making love to me that would harm the baby or me. I just need to be with you, be close to you and know that you want me as much now as you did before.” The second that comes out of my mouth he stands up and prowls toward me. I squeal and try to run to the bedroom; I don’t make it. I had no experience before Jax and had no idea what kind of sex I would like: vanilla, BDSM, fetishes? My sister and I had a bet of who would lose it first and our friends would tell us of their uneventful sexual experience. I am so happy I waited for this man. Jax sex is the only kind I crave, and that is the perfect mixture of sex I need.

  “Oh my hell, Love, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”

  “Don’t you dare apologize for that. I loved every minute of what you did and do to me. I will be the happiest woman on the planet if I can look forward to this for the rest of my life.”

  “I didn’t hurt you or scare you?”

  “No and no. I loved it.”

  “I worry that I can be rough and sometimes I need to be. I know that I am intense with you, and that is because I need you so much. I hate losing control, but I can’t control myself when I do.”

  “I need you to be who you are with me, Jax. I love you and everything about you, including the way you make me feel when you are desperate to have me.” He kisses me softly and walks to our room. He lays me down gently and proceeds to make sweet love to me. This is the life.

  Epilogue:

  *a section or speech at the end of a book or play that serves as a comment on or a conclusion to what has happened.

  At 9:00 a.m. my phone starts ringing so I reluctantly slide out of bed and head to the living room, so I don’t wake Tori. “Derek, you better have a damn good reason for calling me on my honeymoon.”

  Hey, Jax, It’s 9:00 a.m. your time, why the hell are you still in bed?”

  “What part of honeymoon do you not understand?”

  “Sorry, Buddy. Do you remember when you gave me shit about being whipped and said you would never go there? The guys are giving me shit for infecting you because you won’t fly in for a card game.

  “I never said it wouldn’t happen to me. I said you were whipped and probably possessed because you were out of your mind in lust with a woman who didn’t even know her own name.”

  “You are whipped, Jax. You wouldn’t even let us throw you a bachelor party. Plus you fell in love with a woman just from her picture; who does that?”

  That’s because I didn’t need a bachelor party. I was taken the moment I laid eyes on her, and there was no need to celebrate the loss of something that was already gone.

  “Yeah, your balls. ”

  “Do you talk to your wife with that mouth? Look, tell the guys that we can play cards when I come in two weeks with Tori. They can’t smoke in the house or tell crude jokes, and I will be happy to take their money. And listen to you with all your big talk. You haven’t left Ren’s side in months so how are you planning on playing cards without her there.”

  “She’s going to be there; it’s at my house. You just made it sound like Tori had to be glued to your ass.”

  “No, I said I wouldn’t just fly in for a card game, and I would not come without Tori. Enough of this girl talk, how is The Safe House coming along? I heard you purchased an apartment complex, and it’s under renovation now.

  “Yes, it should be ready in two weeks and if Sav can get his ass in gear and find our friend, she and her son will be one of the first tenants. He claims she has evaded him two times now and questions whether she wants help or not.”

  “Well, Tori is excited to be at the grand opening and looks forward to helping out. See you soon.”

  I look over to see Tori standing in the hallway rubbing her eyes. “Come here, Love.” She comes without hesitation, and I pull her into my lap. “Did you have a good nap?”

  “I did until I woke up and you were gone.”

  “Sorry, Derek called to give me shit and ask if we can put together a card game when we fly out in two weeks. He said The Safe House is coming along and should be ready for the grand opening. Do you feel okay?”

  “I feel great, My Love, never better.”

  ∞∞∞

  The grand opening of The Safe House is a hit. Political figures, celebrities, and extremely wealthy people have come out to rub elbows and check out the newest Mason Enterprises charitable donation. We have collected enough money to open a second location on the west coast and are looking for a CEO to run it. Jax’s team is here trying to rub elbows, although they have spent most of their time running security. Maria, Amber, and Tina are officially moved in but didn’t stay long for the grand opening and have retreated to their rooms. When they were mingling, Snake couldn’t stop staring at the beautiful Maria, and I think it made her nervous, so she and the other women left together. The only one missing is Troy Savage. Apparently, he flew out again today, he says, on a wild goose chase but we will see. Ren is afraid that her friend Olivia is running for her life and she is desperate to find her before an ex-boyfriend does. Derek, of course, will not let Ren go to find her friend and is hoping Sav can pull this off before he has to go looking for the woman himself.

  “Well, Sis, this is an awesome turnout. I can’t believe this came together so quickly and so well. You are glowing, by the way.” She smiles at me and tears pool in her eyes.

  “I am so happy, Tori, for us both. I can’t believe that out of our personal nightmare; we have become so lucky. You are glowing too, by the way. Do you have any idea on how far along you are?

  “I think I got pregnant on a surfboard about five weeks ago.” We both laugh at the absurdity. “The worst part is, he wants to name our son after his surfboard, which is Hansen Boards. We would drop the boards of course, and I don’t really hate the name, Hansen. Another brand he has owned is Viking, which is fitting because I think of him as my Viking God. I just can’t see calling a child Viking so we could shorten it to Vik.” We both laugh again until we see the look on Derek’s face as he talks into his phone. Ren rushes over just as he hangs up.

  All the color has drained from his face. He bows his head and pinches the bridge of his nose as he takes several deep breaths. Looking up, he focuses on all of us and none of us at the same time.

  “That was Marge from the bed and bre
akfast. Troy was shot in the chest right outside of Olivia’s room, and life flight took him to Atlanta. She doesn’t think he is going to make it.”

  Sneak Preview of Reunited (Saved By Love #3)

  *come together or cause to come together again after a period of separation or disunity.

  Chapter One

  Fate:

  *the course of someone’s life, or the outcome of a situation for someone or something, seen as outside of their control. *be destined to happen, turn out, or act in a particular way.

  What happens next is a shocker, even to me. I have never believed in love at first sight, I mean come on, what guy would. Especially for one like me who grew up in the foster care system with no one to call my own. I was taught at a very early age never to want or ask because more than likely you would not receive. Wanting only ended in disappointment and heartache. Knowing I didn’t want to end up a statistic had me working my ass off for everything I have: a career, a home of my own, financial security and vacation time. At twenty-four years old, I’m all set.

  My new partner, Jax, is the typical badass FBI agent, and we get along great. His career started with the Navy Seals and mine with the Police Academy and even though we’ve had very different starts before joining the FBI, we think alike; both of us determined to rid the world of bad guys. The last few cases we have been on together involved abuse in foster homes and it hit too close to home for me. Jax put me in for an early one-week vacation, so I am headed to Miami to stay with my childhood friend, Tag.

  Miami is the place to go for single men, and with a view to die for on Miami Beach Boardwalk, you can’t lose. Nights of endless pleasure to be had with no commitments is just what I’m looking for. The ocean water is blue-green, and the beach is dotted with women who dress in very little making the views all around spectacular.

  Tag and I walk down from his condo, and neither one of us can look straight ahead because our bobble heads are looking at the women in all directions. I think it’s giving me whiplash.

  “Shit! Dude, I have lived here for six months, and the beach has never been this crowded.”

  “I have one word for ya Tag, spring break, well two.” Tag and I were in the foster care system together, and we stayed in touch after high school. He was the closest thing to a brother I’ve ever had. From the age of 12 to 18 were neighbors, both of us with foster families. Six years was the longest amount of time that either one of us spent in one home. I honestly believe that if it weren’t for him, I would have spent the last six years of my childhood in many different homes. We kept each other grounded and out of trouble. Hell, half of our neighborhood had one or more foster kids living with them, so we were dubbed Foster Lane. After high school, I headed to Boston in search of familial roots and Tag headed to Miami in search of a surfers dream, but we have always stayed in touch. He purchased a condo right on the boardwalk claiming his revolving door policy is working out well for him.

  “Holy mother nature! Would ya get a look at that?”

  Stepping down onto the sand, I glance at Tag to see that he has pulled his glasses off and is staring intently at the water. Turning my head in that direction, it is not the ocean that captures my attention, but the blonde in the red bikini barely containing the perfect rack. “Dibs.”

  “Goddammit, Bro, I saw her first.”

  “You shoulda called it.” I know it sounds childish, but Tag and I have the same tastes in women and the only way we didn’t end up beating the shit out of each other was to call dibs. It is an honor code we live by and the reason we have remained friends to this day. To both our disappointment, an overly tan, steroid freak with dark blonde hair, strolls up and plants one on my dream woman. Steroid Joe turns the blonde, so he’s not squinting into the sun, pansy, but I get the perfect view of a perfect ass. “Holy mother nature is right.”

  A wave of jealousy slams into me as Steroid Joe slides his hand down to cup said perfect ass, then dissipates when she slaps his hand away. He throws his hands in the air and begins a heated conversation with the perfect blonde. Anger swamps me as I see her curl in on herself as if she’s trying to make herself seem small and insignificant, less of a target. Before I know what I’m doing, I am marching across the beach to put this jackass in his place, but the last of their conversation stops me in my tracks.

  ∞∞∞

  This beach is pure heaven, and if I had it my way, I would move to Miami and live on this beach. I needed a vacation to take a break from school, work, and my pressuring mother. When I think of her, moving here sounds more appealing by the second. Jonathan brought me here for a different reason than I came. I am hoping to get to know him better, but he is here hoping to get into my pants. Six weeks is not long enough for me to know if he’s the one. He is nice and attentive but only on a physical level. He never asks me questions about myself because he is always too busy talking about himself and his gym schedule. He takes me to dinner or a movie at least twice a week, but it always ends in him trying to get a little and then stomping off when it doesn’t go his way. My mom has made me so nervous about men in general, saying, “They will use you and throw you away. None of the good ones stick around because there are no good ones.” For this reason, I have avoided boys and now men until Jonathan. He was so sweet and respectful in the beginning but two weeks into our relationship he started pressuring me about sex. He convinced me to come with him saying we needed time away from my mother and her influences and promised a pressure free weekend. He said he really wants to take our relationship to the next level, but I’m sure that means something different to me than it does to him.

  “Hello, Sexy. Have I told you how amazing that suit looks on you?”

  He presses his lips to mine and aggressively tries to force his way inside, all while sliding his hand down to cup my ass. I have no problem with the intimate touches, but right here on the beach where he makes me feel like an object is definitely not the right time. I reach down and lightly slap his hand away. “John, not here on the public beach; not with all the children around.” I laugh trying to lighten the mood but instantly see the explosion that’s about to come my way. Over the last few days, every time he has tried to take things too far for my comfort, I have put a stop to it. By the look on his face, his patience has just run out.

  “What the Hell, Liv. When will be the right time? We have been here for three days, and I’ve only gotten a little groping action and a few make-out sessions, but you brush me off every time. What the hell do I have to do to warm you up to me? I thought we came to Miami so we could have some alone time away from that prude of a mother you have. Now I’m afraid that she isn’t the only prude, and you plan to hang on to your v card until old age sets in. Well, I’m not waitin’ around any longer, you either meet me in the room prepared to show me how much you love me, or I’m leaving your ass here, and you can find your own way home.”

  “John, I’m sorry.......... I’m just not ready.” The last part of that sentence just fades into the wind because he’s already walking back to our room. Does he really think he can coerce me into having sex with him? Shit, shit, shit! I want to go back to our room and pack my things and leave, but with the way he’s been acting, I’m afraid he won’t let me leave the room until he has what he came for. Great, I’m stuck on the beach with no clothes and wearing a tiny bikini that showcases my ample ass and cleavage. This is why you shouldn’t let men pick out your clothes.

  Gathering up my towel and purse I head down the beach to look for a swimsuit cover or a dress. What the hell am I going to do for the rest of the day and tonight? Our flight is out tomorrow at noon, together. That will be a fun trip home.

  Liz, my friend at George’s Bar where I clean after closing hours, warned me not to come here with John alone. She says he’s nice enough, but he wants more from the relationship that I am willing to give right now. “I’m afraid he’s going to pressure you into giving up your v-card, and I would hate to see you waste that on the first nice guy to come along
,” she’d said. What she doesn’t know is that he’s the only guy who has come along. My mother has warned me away from boys ever since she noticed that I was interested in them. She has made me so leery of men that I would ignore them or walk away pretending I didn’t hear them talking to me. I think I started putting off a bitch vibe, and they began to ignore me too. Due to the lack of male attention, my self-esteem took a hit and had made me less confident. Liz said men like confident women and I just need to be aware of what kind of power I have over them, ya right. Calling her now is the right move. Maybe she can get me an early flight home.

  “George’s, Liz speaking.”

  Hey Liz, I need some advice.”

  Hi, Sweetie. How’s Miami?”

  “It was great until about twenty minutes ago. Jonathan got a little frisky on a public beach, and I pushed him away. He left me on the beach and threatened that if I don’t come back to the room with him, we’re through. What should I do? I mean, I’m definitely not going back to the room with him, but I can’t get my things either. Tell me what to do, Liz.”

  “That stupid prick. I knew there was something off about him. Sweetie, don’t you dare go back to the room until you need to get your things for the flight home tomorrow. I should send George down there to kick his ass but tonight’s karaoke night, and you know how rowdy things get on karaoke night. He wouldn’t dare leave his precious bar. Anyway, do you need me to wire you some money to get another room? I also have a friend who lives about an hour away that I could persuade to come get you for the night and take you to the airport tomorrow.”

  “No. Thanks, though. I can stick it out here for the night. I’m close to the airport, and I’ll just grab my things in the morning. If I need help figuring out a place to sleep, I’ll call you back. Love you, Liz. Say Hi to George for me and don’t let him corner you in the back room again; I’m not there to interrupt this time.” I hang up and continue my trek down the beach in search of more appropriate clothing.