All the things they’d endured to get to this moment. Everything she’d went through. She hadn’t deserved any of it, which was why he was going to spend the rest of his life making it up to her. Protecting her. Worshipping her.
“I don’t know what I did in this life to deserve you,” he said, and dropped a kiss on the tip of her nose. “But I’ll never take it for granted. I promise you that.”
She pulled him in for a soft, sweet, meaningful kiss. “I love you so much.”
He braced a straight arm next to her head and leaned over her. “I love you, too. And I can’t freaking wait to make you mine.”
“I’m already yours,” she said, her eyes glowing.
“That’s right. You are.” He lowered himself, kissing her again, but longer and deeper this time. It was difficult to believe after three rounds his blood started to heat again. She shifted beneath him, allowing Luke to position himself between her legs.
She ran her fingers down his back, ending at his ass, where she gripped a strong handful. “Can we just stay like this forever?”
He snorted a laugh. “Hell yes. I’m good with it. But I think other people might have an issue. Your parents for starters.”
Cass’s nose wrinkled and she groaned. “Thanks for bringing them up while you’re on top of me naked.”
Laughing, he reached for the outside of her thigh and hitched her leg over his backside. “Don’t tell me you’re skittish about your parents knowing we have sex? Not after everything you put me through at Maybel’s, making me wait so long. Don’t tell me we have to wait until we’re married to have sex again.”
She blinked with a coy glint in her eyes. “Technically we’re already married, so…”
They’d gone to the courthouse in Cass’s hometown. Just Luke and Cass, with her mom, dad, and sister watching. Cass wanted Meredith to see them get married since her family wouldn’t be able to join them here in the islands for their destination wedding. Since Luke was in a rush to make Cass his, he agreed without any convincing. In fact, it was one of her best ideas ever. Aside from agreeing to marry him in the first place.
He made a sound of approval and pulled her other leg around him. “In that case, I’ve changed my mind. There’s no reason why we can’t stay like this forever.” He dipped his mouth to her neck, nipping the skin gently with his teeth.
A loud knock pounded on their hotel door, followed by a, “Are you two in there?”
Cass tensed beneath Luke.
Luke rolled his eyes at the sound of Tyke’s pissed off voice.
“Hello?” Tyke waited, and when Luke and Cass didn’t respond, he said, “Seriously, guys, answer me. Your wedding guests are wondering where the hell you’ve been. We all know what you’re doing in there, but come on. I think it’s time you call it quits. It’s been days since anyone’s seen you. Days.”
“Still not long enough if you ask me,” Luke whispered.
Cass let out a little giggle.
“Luke. Cass,” Tyke said louder. “Enough is enough. If you do it any more, your dick’s gonna fall off. Jesus, save it for the wedding night, man.”
“Do you feel a little bad that our guests are wondering where we are?” Cass asked.
Luke kissed his way up the column of her neck to her jawline. Into her ear, he said, “I already got what I wanted. I don’t give a fuck about our guests.”
“Luke!” she said, lightly smacking his bare shoulder.
“What?” He pulled back and looked at her. “I don’t. This is just a formality so our friends can see what we already know. That you’re mine. Forever.”
Her green eyes glimmered. “And you’re mine forever.”
“Damn right.”
“Guys?” Tyke said again in a voice close to a whine. “Seriously. You don’t have to rub it in for those of us who aren’t getting any this week.”
Cass frowned. “Maybe we should go out there soon. I kind of feel bad now.”
Luke ran his thumb across her cheek. “Please. Tyke’s not getting any because he chooses not to.”
Her eyebrows furrowed. “Really? Why?”
“Who knows?” Luke said. “It’s Tyke. He’s always talked shit about women and how much trouble they are. And now that I think about it, he’s right. Women are massive amounts of trouble.”
“More trouble than they’re worth?”
“Hmm, I don’t know about that,” he said, kissing the groove between her eyes. “Seemed pretty worth it for me.”
“Good answer.” She coasted one hand down his back and rested the other at his side. She raised her hips slightly, which immediately sent a signal to his brain that it was time for another round.
“How about two more times, then we’ll go out and greet our guests?” Luke asked.
Cass smiled, staring up at him with an expression that promised a future full of everything he’d always wanted, but never dared to wish for. She’d opened up his world to the reality of what loving someone really meant with full honesty and acceptance. They’d survived everything in their past so they could get to this moment. Just him and her, devoted to each other for the rest of their lives.
He was ready to start right now. Lifting himself enough to place his hand between them, he waited for that sweet sound she always made that told him she was ready.
And he began to move.
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Acknowledgments
I can hardly believe I’m typing acknowledgments for my second published novel! Definitely had to work for this one. I affectionately called this novel The One That Wouldn’t End. It was like pulling freaking teeth. Neither Cass nor Luke would cooperate and tell me their stories, so I worked for months coaxing them, pleading with them, and bribing them into talking to me. So, I have A LOT of people to thank for helping me to shape this thing into a semblance of a story.
To Keith, for listening to my constant complaints about how pissed I was at my characters for being so hard on me this time around. He told me to shut up when I needed to hear it and supported me every time I doubted my ability to finish.
To Jameson and Bennett, Jessie and Jim, Mom and Dad, my godson Nolan (who gets his name mentioned in this one!), and the rest of my friends and family (too many to mention by name, but I love you all!!). It means a lot to know you’re in my corner. Thank you for the emails, Facebook messages, and phone calls!
To Ninny, for giving me more love than I knew what to do with. As far as grandmothers go, you’re one of a kind.
To Jillian, for keeping me sane. There’s no other way to say it. Though you’re thousands of miles away, I know you’re there for me. Thank you for your friendship and for listening. Oh, and the wine. Wine always helps. If I could insert an inappropriate gif here, I would.
To Jessie, Kelly, and Cristin. For your support, encouragement, and misunderstandings at our book clubs. Thanks, Cristin, for recommending that murder mystery that turned out to be something else entirely. The poker night scene was all you!
To Misty Waters, Mary Cain, and Laura Ward for reading the first, second, third, and fourth version of this story, and for being brutally honest each time. It’s an awesome feeling knowing I have people who are much more talented than I am and are willing to share their knowledge with me.
To my amazing editor, Alycia. Girl, I appreciate you so much. Your support, expertise, and patience. You take my stories and make them sooooo much better. Sharing this experience with you is so wonderful. Thank you for being you. I look forward to more collaborations!
To Keith and Jim (again), for your insight into military operations, weapons, and for answering my random texts about killing people and not thinking I was planning your demise. Any technical oversight in this story is all on me.
To every single person who purchased and read book one in the Under Covers series. On Her Six was my first published no
vel and I will never forget the support you gave me as a new author. Friends, family, acquaintances, and new followers who reached out and expressed your love for the characters and the world I built. You mean so much to me. Thank you for making my dream come true!
To Chris Hemsworth. I saw you beefed up a little more for the third Thor movie. I appreciate that. Tyke’s book is next and he needs a real man with real muscles. You’ll do the part nicely.
To my incredible publicist, Riki Cleveland, who is THE BOMB. I love your enthusiasm and your willingness to think outside the box. Thank you for your help!
To Lauren Layne, and her husband, Anthony, for my gorgeous website. Thank you for taking care of all that tech stuff I didn’t understand and for not letting me feel like an idiot while doing it.
To Billy. When your BFF got married, you had no idea that meant you’d be reading his wife’s romance novels, huh? Thanks so much for doing a final read-through for typos and for your help with the Spanish. Any errors in the language are all me. I barely passed Spanish 101 in college.
To all the bloggers who gave my first novel a chance. Thank you! Your feedback was invaluable and helped pushed me to write an even funnier and more action-packed plot this time around. I hope I succeeded.
Thanks so much to Liz and the rest of the Entangled team. I couldn’t have asked for a better home for this series. Can’t wait for book three!
About the Author
Christina believes that laughter really is the best medicine, which is why in her writing she adds a healthy dose of hilarious hijinks with gritty suspense. She lives near Baltimore with her husband and two sons, who give her an endless supply of humorous material to write about.
When she’s not writing fun contemporary romance or quirky romantic suspense, Christina can be found devouring books in every genre, watching Chris Hemsworth on TV, playing board games with her family, working out, watching Chris Hemsworth on TV, napping, baking, watching Chris Hemsworth on TV, and shopping…for Chris Hemsworth’s latest DVD.
She is a member of Romance Writers of America and Maryland Romance Writers.
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In Walked Trouble (Under Covers) Page 28