by Silver James
“Yes.” Her acceptance dropped into a pool of sudden silence, but was quickly followed by more excited conversation as Poppy and Uncle Nino offered congratulations before turning their attention to wedding details.
Nick watched Peni’s gaze bounce between the Jamaican whirlwind and the Italian tidal wave as he listened with half an ear while they planned the wedding. He glanced at the man watching from the opposite side of the table, smiled and nodded. Nick knew what needed to be done. He recognized her heart’s desire and it was up to him to provide it.
****
THE WHOLE AFFAIR had been short notice but when the gals from Barefoot Brides were in charge, miracles happened. They’d found the perfect dress for Peni—and outfits for the twins. Her dress was simple, like her. The nice woman from Barefoot Brides, Gussie DeMille, described it for her.
“The styling is classic and perfect for a wedding in the sand. Sleeveless crinkle chiffon, key-hole neckline and just a little bling around the waist. Full skirt that needs nothing under it. I knew it would be perfect the moment I laid eyes on you.”
And Gussie had been right. As Peni stood there—fresh from an afternoon at Eucalyptus, Casa Blanca’s spa—she wondered who the woman in the mirror really was. Her hair had been artfully styled with an eye toward the sea breeze blowing in from the Gulf. Her pedicure included Pink Shell polish on her toenails. And her makeup was understated, much like she herself. But there was a confidence now to the woman who stared back at her. Peni smiled at her reflection, knowing where that new-found assurance came from. Motherhood. And loving a man named Nicholas Karras.
Poppy appeared in the doorway. “My oh my! Look at you.” She juggled Luiza on one hip and Luca on the other. “You two just look at your mama. She’s beautiful.”
Laughing, Peni reached for her children but Poppy would have none of that. “You won’t be messin’ up your wedding dress, Miss Peni. Not today. I got the little ones.”
Luiza, in a white lace dress adorned with a pink ribbon around her waist and in her hair, offered her mother a drool-covered fist. Peni bent from the waist to kiss her daughter’s hand, making sure her skirt stayed off limits. Luca, also in white but sporting a blue bow tie with his “dress” shirt and shorts, kicked his feet.
“He’ll have those shoes off before we get to the beach.”
“Then we’d best be getting there.” Uncle Nino squeezed past Poppy and offered his elbow to Peni.
Out on the beach beyond Villa Caralluma, Nick waited will ill-disguised impatience beneath the simple driftwood arbor which sported ivy vines and pale pink roses twined with blue ribbon. His cousin stood with him as his best man. Nick wore tan linen slacks with a white silk dress shirt. He felt absolutely ridiculous, but the wedding planners had assured him that Peni would love the ceremony. That’s all that mattered.
Ari McBain, the staging designer for Barefoot Brides, stood next to her husband, Luke, and Tom DeMille. She nudged Luke. “Will you relax?”
“I can’t. Until Karras and his bride are married, honeymooned, and gone from my territory, there’s no way I’m relaxing.”
“You know I blame Gabe for this.”
The man in question slipped up behind them and laughed. “You always do.” The woman at Gabe’s side smiled, holding the hand of the little boy standing between them.
Willow Hershey, the third member of Barefoot Brides’ triumvirate arrived with her husband, Nick. “Everything is set for the reception. All we need now is the bride.”
Gussie DeMille signaled from Caralluma’s gate then hurried across the sand to join the group, pausing to kiss Tom before announcing, “Uncle Nino is bringing her out. Poppy has the twins. We have a go, ladies.”
There was no music beyond the sound of shore birds and the rolling breakers on the beach as Poppy walked to the arbor and stood waiting as Uncle Nino escorted the bride. Peni held two pink roses, one with a pink ribbon, the other with blue, and two white roses with white ribbons.
Nick had never seen anything more beautiful in his life. The minister offered the standard disclaimers and vows. Nick managed an “I do” in a strong voice. Peni’s was delivered softly. He slid a platinum ring with four diamonds on her finger. She placed a stainless steel one on his. When the minister pronounced them husband and wife, Nick cupped her cheeks in his hands and kissed her. Then, holding Peni’s hand, he went to Poppy and kissed the top of Luiza’s head before doing the same with Luca.
A cheer went up from the small group of guests and the congratulations began. Barefoot Brides provided a wonderful reception but Nick was focused on his mission—getting Peni alone. He made it through cutting the cake and the toast. Then he scooped her into his arms. “She’s not wearing a garter so you sorry SOBs are out of luck.”
Poppy held up five fingers and Nick laughed. “I should still have plenty on my tab, Pop Star.” He smiled at his new bride. “If you’re tossing the bouquet, do it now. We have better things to do!”
Laughing as he strode through the sand toward Caralluma, Peni glanced over his shoulder and flipped her bouquet. Uncle Nino stuck out his hand—and caught it, much to the delight and amusement of the other guests.
In the villa, Nick carried Peni straight to the bedroom. With utmost care, he helped her slip out of the wedding dress. He wasn’t nearly so careful with the silk shirt he wore. Buttons went flying. He stalked toward Peni as she backed away, pouncing when the back of her legs hit the bed and she floundered. He placed her in the center of the bed and stood there, worshiping his new bride.
“I’m sorry, Peni.”
Her face scrunched up as she looked up at him. “What are you apologizing for?”
“I will have zero control tonight. I’m so damn crazy in love with you I’ll forget the rules. But you remember them, right?”
She nodded as he crawled onto the bed and prowled toward her.
“That’s not the way this works. The words, sweetheart. I need to hear them.”
“Yes. And I love you.”
Thank you!
If you liked this book, you might also enjoy the books in my Hard Target and Moonstruck series. Please keep reading to check my book list for links. Thank you for reading and I hope you’ll consider leaving a review on Amazon or Goodreads. Reviews help other readers find books to read and they’re a wonderful way to show support to the authors whose books you read.
Acknowledgements
Writing is the one profession where the voices in my head mean I’m not totally batshit crazy when I talk back to them. I love my voices, even when they argue with me. Which they do. Way more than they should. Silly buggers.
A very special thank you to Roxanne St. Claire for inviting me to walk on the beach at Barefoot Bay. I’ve long been a fan of her books and now I get to play in the amazing world she’s created.
As always, many thanks to my readers, the Facebook crew at Silver James: For Readers, friends, and my family. Y’all are the reason I keep writing the stories in my head.
I truly appreciate the help I receive from my critique partner Heidi, beta reader Siobhan, and cover artist Clary for the many “do-overs” until we get things right. I couldn’t write anything remotely military without the help and guidance of my wonderful husband aka Lawyer Guy. Last but definitely not least, I want to recognize the fans of each of my series. Each email, Facebook comment, tweet, and visit to my website convinces me that the Wolves, Nightriders, Hard Target Team, and denizens of the Penumbra Papers all deserved to see the light of day.
In addition, I need to acknowledge the copyright holders for the photos and fantastic cover design.
Cover design © by Clary Carey, [email protected]
Cover Images: Depositphotos.com © Wavebreakmedia
One last caveat: Any and all mistakes are my own.
About the Author
Silver likes walking on the wild side and coffee. Okay. She loves coffee. LOTS of coffee. Warning: Her Muse, Iffy, runs with scissors and can be quite dangerous. An award-winning aut
hor, she's been a military officer's wife, mother, state appellate court marshal, airport rescue firefighter and forensic fire photographer, crime analyst, technical crime scene investigator, and writer of magic and mystery. Now retired from the "real world," she lives in Oklahoma and spends her days at the computer with two Newfoundland dogs, the cat who rules them all, and myriad characters all clamoring for attention. She writes dark urban fantasy thrillers, time travel romance, and sexy contemporary romance.
To find out more about Silver and her books, visit her WEBSITE. She loves to connect with readers on Facebook and Twitter. Sign up for her Newsletter for announcements of new releases, subscriber-only contests, and free reads. Follow her on Amazon to get an email notice from Amazon when she releases a new book.
DISCLAIMER
This book is a work of fiction. References to real people, events, establishments, organizations, products, or locales are intended only to provide a sense of authenticity, and are used fictitiously. All other characters, and all incidents and dialogue, are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real.
Books by Silver James:
Moonstruck Genesis:
Moonstruck: Secrets
Moonstruck: Lies
Moonstruck:
*Blood Moon – Book 1
*Bad Moon – Book 2
*Hunter’s Moon – Book 3
*Wolf Moon – Book 4
*Bride’s Moon – Book 5
*Rogue Moon – Book 6
*Christmas Moon – A Moonstruck Novella (#7)
*Blue Moon – Book 8
*Moon Shot – Book 9
A Moonstruck/Hard Target Crossover Novel
Hard Target
Double Cross – Book 1
NIGHTRIDERS
Night Shift – Book 1
*Remember the Night – #1.5
*Night Moves – Book 2
Penumbra Papers:
That Ol’ Black Magic
Season of the Witch
The Devil’s Cut
From Harlequin Desire
Red Dirt Royalty
Cowgirls Don’t Cry
The Cowgirl’s Little Secret
The Boss and His Cowgirl
Convenient Cowgirl Bride (October, 2016)
Amazon Kindle Worlds
*Barefoot Bay: Double Trouble
*Dallas Fire & Rescue: Blood & Fire (October, 2016)
*Special Forces: Operation Alpha: Rescue Moon (November, 2016)
*Dallas Fire & Rescue: Crash and Burn (January, 2016)
From the Wild Rose Press:
Faerie Fate
Faerie Fire
Faerie Fool
Faerie Reign
(Digital boxed set at a special price)
*Faerie Faith (Twelve Brides of Christmas)
Class of ’85 Reunion Series:
*Fairy Tales Can Come True
*Promises, Promises
Dearly Beloved Series:
*Best Laid Plans
Other Novella:
*Café Midnight
(Paranormal Noir Mystery)
*Digital only