by Gail Hart
“Disneyland for adults,” Steve agreed. “I’m surprised you like the strip, though. I figured you’d think it was tacky.”
“Of course it’s tacky. It’s supposed to be tacky. Look at the attention to detail. It’s full-on, all out tacky. Tackiness with commitment.”
Steve rested his chin on Kathryn’s shoulder. “I love it when you laugh.”
“Know something? I love it too.” She heard the surprise in her voice. “I just realized, I’ve probably laughed more in the month we’ve been together than I had in the previous five years.”
Steve nuzzled her neck. “You needed someone to teach you to have fun.” You needed me hung in the air between them. Kathryn let it hang.
* * *
“Wake up, gorgeous. Enough stalling. Time to get hitched.”
Opening her eyes from a Saturday afternoon nap, Kathryn saw Steve sitting on the edge of the bed. His hair was wet from a shower, and he wore nothing but his gym shorts. Smart choice. The sight of his bare chest always put her in a cooperative mood. He smiled and held out a ceramic hotel coffee mug.
She sat up and reached for the mug. “You’re giving me coffee without busting my chops about it being bad for the baby?”
“This is ginger ale. Drink it fast before your stomach has time to get unsettled.”
Like that was going to work. But she had to love him for trying.
Love him? Did she? She wasn’t sure she wanted to go there. She drank a gulp of the ginger ale. “You take such good care of me.”
“Of course. It’s my job to take care of you and the baby.” He laid his head against her stomach. “Daddy loves you, princess.”
Kathryn ruffled his hair. “If it turns out the baby’s a boy, you may have warped him for life, calling him princess.”
“No. The message would still be the same, that he’s loved.”
Her expression turned serious. “You’re working your tail off doing things for me, and all I do is give you a hard time. I can’t believe you’ve been so patient. Especially since you could have walked away from the whole... situation.” She just stopped herself from saying, “mess.”
His smile vanished. “You’re wrong. I couldn’t have walked away. I wish you understood that.”
She laid her free hand on top of his. “I wish we knew each other better too. But I’m starting to understand. This ‘an officer and a gentleman’ business isn’t just words to you. It means something.”
His jaw jutted forward and he nodded. “Yes, it does.”
“You always do your duty.”
He frowned. “I try, but I didn’t ask you to marry me out of duty.” He grabbed the empty mug from her hand and laid it on the bedside table so he could take both of her hands in his. “If any woman before you had given me so much grief, I’d have given up a long time ago. But I’ll jump through any hoops it takes to win you over. I’ve wanted you most of my life. You’re worth the effort.”
“Wow. I’ll try to deserve you.” She pushed herself up off the bed, walked into the bathroom, and turned on the shower.
By the time she came back out, wrapped in a towel, Steve was dressed. When she saw him, for a moment she almost forgot to breathe. In his dress uniform with its silver braid and ribbons and medals, he was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. “Oh. My. God,” she breathed out.
He raised an eyebrow at her. “What?”
“I’ve never seen you in a real uniform before. Since you moved in with me, all you’ve worn to work is that canvas sack thingy.”
He grinned. “That canvas sack thingy is called a flight suit. Show a little respect.”
She laid a hand on his chest. Under her palm, his heart beat almost as fast as hers. “I like this a lot better. You look...” She couldn’t come up with a word that did him justice.
He cupped her face with his hand and stroked her cheek with his thumb. “You look pretty hot yourself. That towel suits you.”
Her cheeks grew warm. “Stop it.”
“I won’t stop it until you believe me. Wonder Woman shouldn’t doubt herself.”
“I don’t feel like Wonder Woman any more. I screwed up.”
“Yeah, you’re human, like the rest of us. Must be hard to take.”
Even though she knew he was teasing, the hint of criticism made her eyes mist. “You’re making fun of me.”
“No, baby. I’m trying to get you to stop being so hard on yourself. So things aren’t working out exactly the way you planned—big deal. You just adjust your plan.”
She looked into his eyes. “This new plan could be... really exciting, actually.”
He smiled and pushed up the corner of her lip with his index finger. Such a gentle touch for such a large man. “See, that wasn’t so hard to admit. Hurry up and get dressed. We have an appointment at four.”
“Where?”
“You’ll see.”
She frowned. “I don’t like surprises.”
“Trust me.”
There was the rub. How could she trust him? Then again, how could she not? They were about to start a major project, one that would take years—no, decades—to complete. She frowned again. “Do you have the rings?”
“What if I said I forgot?”
Something in his expression hinted that he was playing her, so she returned the favor. “I guess we’d have to stop at one of those pawn shops that seem to be on every corner.”
“A used wedding ring?”
She laughed at his horrified expression. “Rings are inanimate objects. They don’t carry their previous owners’ bad luck.”
He shook his head. “You’re one tough lady.”
“Yes, I am. Can you handle it, big guy?” she purred.
“I’m looking forward to handling it. Or at least, to handling you. As often as possible. And I have the rings right here.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out two plain gold bands, one thin, the other larger and wider.
Just as she’d suspected. She touched the larger ring that must be his. “This is a serious ring.”
“Damn straight. I don’t want anyone to miss it. Everyone needs to know I’m taken.”
She smiled then, a soft smile. “Okay. Give me a few minutes to get dressed and I’ll go wherever you want to take me.”
* * *
Katie made her usual efficient work of dressing, and in less than fifteen minutes they were in a cab heading down the strip. She wore a pale blue suit, just a shade away from white. Maybe deep inside she wanted some tradition after all. To him, the look said businesswoman more than bride, but he suspected she considered the outfit too feminine for the office.
Her smile said businesswoman too, one of those insincere smiles that didn’t reach the eyes, and her body was rigor mortis stiff. He slid an arm around her waist and rested his cheek against her hair. “Relax, baby.”
“I’m trying.”
“Try harder.” He ran his free hand up her leg, barely skimming her flesh with his fingertips, and smiled with satisfaction at her familiar shiver of response.
“Hey, it’s normal for a bride to be nervous on her wedding day. I wish Amanda were here. This feels a little sad. Even though I was the one who wanted the stealth wedding. We could still change our plans. We could spend tonight playing blackjack, and have the kind of wedding you probably wanted later, back home, in Our Lady of Peace, with our family and friends, and me in white lace. Only I don’t do white lace.” Finally running out of breath, Kathryn gave him a huge smile and laid her hand on his knee. “Let’s do this thing.”
Steve smiled back. “I’m worn out just listening to that. Thank God you came to the right bottom line.”
The cab turned left and pulled up in front of a hotel. Kathyrn read the name on marquee out loud. “Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel.” Her eyes widened. “No.”
“Yes.”
She shook her head. “I thought you were being sarcastic when you suggested we get married by an Elvis impersonator.”
“I was, but the idea
grew on me. And this way, there’ll be one familiar face at our wedding.”
“You know an Elvis impersonator?”
“My friend from the plane. I told you we’d catch his act.”
She gave him a great, dazzling Katie smile. “What fun! I love it. We can reword the vows. I’ll promise to love you tender, not to step on your blue suede shoes, and never to make you check into the heartbreak hotel, even if you treat me like a hound dog.”
“Hey, this is serious,” Steve protested, but he knew his eyes held a twinkle.
Her smile grew gentle. “I hope we’ll have a life like our wedding—serious, but fun too.”
“Amen, Sister Katie.” Grabbing her hand, he dragged her into the building, and the start of their new life.
CHAPTER TWELVE
The wedding was over and Steve and Kathryn were back in their hotel room in a total elapsed time of under an hour. As the door closed behind them, he grabbed her left hand, with its brand new ring, and held it against his cheek. “It’s done. You’re my wife.”
“That makes tonight our wedding night.” She drew her hand away and looked from his face to his crotch and back. “Did I mention you look great in that uniform? Though you’ll look even better out of it.”
“Go into the bathroom and change.”
The husky tone of his voice ignited her senses. She rolled her eyes. “It’s a little late now to be shy. You’ve seen everything there is to see.”
“I need to get the room ready.”
She ran her hands up his arms and pressed her body against his. “You don’t need to make a big production out of tonight, flyboy. It’s not like this is our first time.”
“Sure, it is. Our first time as husband and wife. Give me time to make things nice.” He lowered his head and nibbled on her neck. “Though I love how much you want me.”
“I do want you. Sometimes it scares me how much.”
“There’s nothing to be scared of, baby. I made you a solemn freaking promise today. Now go.”
In the bathroom, Kathryn opened a pink Victoria’s Secret bag and slipped on the wispy concoction Amanda had insisted she buy. A matching negligee and cover-up of white lace, nearly shear. Amanda knew she “didn’t do white lace.” Had her friend realized there was more to this weekend getaway than Kathryn was saying?
She examined herself in the mirror. Part of her said this getup belonged on someone a lot younger. But she needed to impress a sexy young husband who’d seen supermodels naked. And in her opinion, she looked damn hot for a slightly overage pregnant broad. Her stomach was still flat, but her breasts had already started swelling. Steve was going to love them.
“Ready when you are, babe,” Steve’s voice called out. Kathryn paused for a moment with her hand on the knob, then opened the door.
The curtains were drawn, leaving the room dim. Kathryn smelled the roses before she saw them. A path of dark pink petals led from the bathroom door to the bed, while more petals covered the bed. Kathryn’s eyes widened and her lips parted slightly. She touched Steve’s arm. “You did this?”
“Who else?”
The look in his eyes, so loving and so trusting, made her breath catch. She felt herself blushing. “I turned your life upside down.”
“Yeah. In a good way.” His voice was like warm syrup. He held out his hand. “Come to bed.”
“That’s the best offer I’ve had all day.” She took his hand and they walked across the petals in their bare feet, stopping next to the bed. He pulled her cover-up open. “You’re so beautiful, Mrs. Tyler.”
She shrugged out of the cover-up and let it float to the floor, settling around her feet like a cloud. In just the thin nightgown, she might as well have been naked. Suddenly she felt self-conscious. He was right. Things had changed between them. They were bound together by something bigger than both of them. She shook her head. “You’re my husband.”
“I sure am.” Smiling the smile that always made her wet between the legs, he pushed her onto the bed and moved her hands to the waistband of his white silk boxers. “I belong to you now. Take what’s yours.”
Her hands shook like a 6.0 magnitude earthquake as she tugged at the boxers, the material smooth to the touch, and slid them to his ankles. His cock peeked out from under his dress shirt, saluting her. Her mouth turned to sand and her heart pounded.
She scooped up a handful of rose petals and let them drift back to the bed. “No other man has ever done anything so romantic for me.”
“I’m the man you were meant to be with, baby.”
“Oh yes, yes, yes.” She tugged on his hand, pulling him onto the bed on his back. Grabbing a handful of petals, she rubbed them into his bare chest. “Mine.”
He pulled her down next to him. “Mine.” His hand slid under her nightgown, finding a hard, swollen nipple. “All mine. No other man gets to touch these.”
He cupped the soft tissue of her breast in his hand and swirled his thumb around the nipple. The shot of heat to her groin easily outweighed the twinge of pain from her tender breast. She moaned.
He drew back. “Am I hurting you?”
Damn it. He must have seen her flinch. “They’re a little sensitive. Nothing serious.”
“Do you want me to stop?”
“No, God no. They want your attention more than ever. Just be gentle.” She gave his a sly smile. “You have a very gentle tongue.”
Taking the hint, he took her nipple in his mouth and teased it with soft flicks of his tongue. Her pleasure was close to unbearable. She slid a leg over his and ground her pelvis against him. He pulled her nightgown to her waist, giving him access to the part of her straining for release, and stuck a finger inside her channel. She wouldn’t have minded prolonging the tension, but the instant his finger brushed her clit, her body convulsed and she screamed out her fulfillment.
“That’s my good girl,” he said, continuing to stroke her. The aftershocks rippled through her and she couldn’t stop coming. Not that she wanted to. She looped her arms around his neck, arching into him. “Steven,” she whispered.
He spread her legs wider. “Open up for me, Katie.”
Oh yes. At this moment, that was what she wanted—to open up every part of her to him—her body, her mind, her heart, her soul. To belong to him completely, without holding anything back.
“I love you, Katie,” he said as he entered her. She gasped. He was so big and so hot and so very, very hard. The ripples increased to waves and then to glorious full-blown climaxes, and she knew she’d been changed forever.
* * *
Steve awoke and realized the other side of the bed was empty. He sat up and saw Katie standing next to the window, naked and unselfconscious, staring out at the garish neon lights of the strip. He padded up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “I don’t like this bed.”
“What’s wrong with it?”
“My wife isn’t in it.” He rested his cheek against hers and plucked a rose petal from her hair. “What are you thinking?”
She pressed her hand against the windowpane and spread her fingers. “Once we leave fantasyland, I’ll have to face the music.”
“If anyone gives you a hard time, be the Ice Queen and stare them down. You don’t have anything to be ashamed of.”
“Not everyone would agree. I shouldn’t have seduced you in Cayman.”
“Seduced me?” His laugh tickled her neck. “As if. I seduced you. The moment you pulled that trick with your tongue and the cherry, I decided to take you to bed.”
“But you didn’t know it would lead to so much trouble.”
“What trouble? It’s all good. I gained a family.”
“A family...” Her voice dropped to a near whisper. “Steve... what if there’s something wrong with the baby?”
He stiffened. “Why would you think that? Did the doctor say something to you?”
“No, but the risks are higher because of my age, and I can’t have the genetic tests for another few weeks.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Sure I do. Maybe not scientifically, but I know it in my gut.”
She rested her cheek against his shoulder. “I wish I had your confidence. You’re so brave. Your job’s dangerous, but you’re never afraid.”
“The job’s not that dangerous. I trust my training, I trust my wingman, and I trust my equipment.”
All this worrying had to be bad for her, and for the baby. She needed distracting. He cupped his hands around her breasts, loving how heavy they felt, and pressed his erection into her back. “Relax.”
Her body tensed, but it was a good tense, a hot-and- bothered kind of tense. Her voice came out in a purr. “I can trust my wingman.”
“Roger that.” His fingers found her slick, wet core.
She wiggled against him. “And I can trust the equipment.”
“You can definitely trust the equipment.” He slid into her from behind. “Relax and let go, Katie.”
With a shudder, she did.
* * *
“Son of a bitch,” Kathryn said out loud. She’d just closed her PowerPoint presentation when she’d meant to close the Word document with her non-erotic to-do list, then compounded the error by clicking “no” when asked if she wanted to save the changes. An hour’s worth of work now resided in a black hole in cyberspace.
This so wasn’t like her. She didn’t lose focus at the office. Ever. And she couldn’t afford to start now. Even though she was still tingling all over, remembering how Steve had made slow, sleepy love to her that morning.
The office door creaked open and Janelle’s head peeked around the edge. “Sounds like you’re ready for your coffee.”
Kathryn gave her assistant a grateful smile. “More than ready. In desperate need.”
Janelle stepped into the room carrying a white and green Starbuck’s cup. “Venti decaf latte. You still want decaf?”