by Joanna Blake
I shook my head. That wasn’t true. He hadn’t been bored. He’d been… thrilled.
That much I was certain of. He had wanted me then. He must have just moved on already.
But with Leah of all people?
That stung.
I knew they dated in high school. But he dated everyone back then.
Heck, so had Leah.
She was very sexy and she knew it. She had long blond hair like mine, but that’s where the resemblance ended. Her curves were exaggerated. Her lips, extra pouty. And from what I had heard, she was very, very good at what she did.
Which was basically everything.
I wasn’t one to gossip. It wasn’t Christian. But if you heard something over and over again, it was hard to ignore.
Sugar!
I banged my head getting into the car. Then the tears started in earnest. It was over. I’d had my little fling. Now it was time to pick up the broken pieces and start over somewhere new.
I’d visit with my mom and nana for a few days and then leave. Pack up my apartment in Miami. Then go… anywhere.
Anywhere but here.
I could get an annulment. I didn’t believe in divorce, but a 48-hour marriage didn’t really count. Especially when the groom moved on that quickly.
I felt an unfamiliar twisting sensation in my chest.
I knew what it was.
It was my heart breaking.
Chapter Twenty
Chandler
“Caro. Please answer my call.”
I slammed the phone down. She was refusing to see me. Still. It had been days.
I was still on bed rest.
I stared at the pain meds by my bed. I stared at the faded flowers that yet another friend had brought by my Grandmother’s house. I stared at the cheap wedding ring on my left hand. I’d finally found it in the bag of stuff they sent home from the hospital. It felt good to slide it back onto my finger.
No one had noticed that today. Or even asked. And no one had seen or heard from Caro.
Not even Katey.
It seemed my bride had had second thoughts about marrying me after all.
For all her love words. All her sweetness. All her passion… she didn’t want me.
I knew she was better than me. It was painfully obvious. She would probably be better off.
The thought of her with someone else felt like a knife in my chest. Cold and painful. I closed my eyes, clenching my fists.
Was I just going to give up on her? Let her walk out of my life? I felt like I didn’t have a choice. She wasn’t giving me one.
Fuck that.
I pushed myself to my feet. I was weak, sure. But that wasn’t going to stop me.
Nothing was.
Not even Caro.
“Where do you think you are going?”
“Out.”
My grandmother stared at me, her mouth pressed in a thin line.
“No, you are not!”
“I need to see Carolina.”
“That girl! When are you going to stop chasing every pretty little thing that comes your way?”
I pulled a pressed shirt on, buttoning it as I stared the old woman down.
“Caro is not a pretty little thing. She’s a strong, bright, independent woman. I’ve been in love with her since before I knew what that even meant.”
Gran’s mouth dropped open.
“And I’m the luckiest man alive. Because she deigned to be my wife.”
“You’re what???”
I grinned at her, bussing her cheek. I held up my left hand, wagging the fingers at her.
“I’m a married man, Gran. I hope you can be happy for me.”
She followed me to the door.
“Was this a proper church wedding?”
I slipped my shoes on and grimaced.
“Um, kind of. Does the chapel of love count?”
“No it does not! I expect a proper wedding.”
I stared at her. Was she actually on my side for once in my life? She shooed me out the door.
“I heard she’s leaving town. You better hurry up and get her back!”
I grinned at her as she held out her cane.
“You better take this.”
I hugged her tightly, surprised by how much it meant to have her approval for once in my life.
Then I strode down the front walkway, trying to look confident and not to fall on my ass in the process.
The sun was shining. Birds were singing. People waved as I walked as fast as I could toward the edge of town.
I was going to get my wife.
Carolina
“Chandler Jacobs?”
I nodded sheepishly. They glanced at each other, then back at me. My mother and nana were sitting on the porch, watching as I carried out another box of my childhood possessions.
It was time to put away childish things, as the bible said.
“It’s okay. I can get an annulment.”
“Excuse me Miss?”
I glanced at my Gran and blushed.
“It’s just that easy? Just like that?”
My mother smiled at me kindly. She’d mellowed out a lot in the past few years. I think living with her mother-in-law was good for her. Having someone to take care of again gave her life purpose.
“Are you sure that’s what you want, sweetheart?”
I nodded.
“It’s for the best. Chan’s a good guy. He’s just better off single I think.”
“What about you?”
I forced a smile.
“I’ll get over it.”
I went inside to get another box. Everything was going to goodwill. I wasn’t coming back here. Not for a long time.
Not if Chan was still in town.
I might be brave enough to walk away, but I wasn’t brave enough to watch him with other women. Especially Leah Polner.
I sighed, picking up my plane ticket. In 12 hours I would be back in Miami. Shari was picking me up. She knew the deal.
She promised to help me pack and find a place to go. Someplace I could get a teaching job. Anyplace that didn’t have so many painful memories.
She offered to get me drunk too.
I declined.
I pulled a sweater over my old sundress. It was getting chilly already. I liked it though.
It suited the cold spot in my heart.
“I think someone is here to see you sweetheart.”
My mother was standing in the doorway, smiling at me. I knew who it was without having to ask. It was Chan.
It had to be.
I sighed and nodded.
Might as well get this over with.
I walked outside, hugging my arms around my chest. My nana winked as she scurried past me inside. I stood up straight and walked to the edge of the porch.
Chan stood on the sidewalk facing me.
He was leaning on a cane.
He looked tired.
He also looked so handsome it made my heart ache.
I crossed my arms. Anything to protect me. I knew he was not the enemy. I wouldn’t have loved him so much if he were.
It didn’t mean he wasn’t bad for me though.
“Carolina Murphy! You come down here.”
“I’m fine here thanks.”
He scowled at me. Then he started forward. I belatedly realized how hard the stairs were for him. I reached my hand to him.
“Wait! I’ll come down.”
He shook his head and kept going. With each step he needed to lean on the cane. I felt my resolve start to crack.
I held my breath as he reached the top step. One more and he was standing in front of me, face to face. He was out of breath from the exertion. But his gorgeous blue eyes were direct as he stared at me.
“You’ve been avoiding me, wife.”
I sighed.
“You are off the hook Chan. It’s fine. You can be with Leah or whoever you want to be with.”
“Leah? What the hell does she have to do with it?
”
I stared at him. He had no idea what I was talking about.
“You looked awful cozy at the hospital.”
He shook his head in wonder.
“You mean when I was passed out on drugs? I thought I was dreaming that.”
“You thought you were dreaming about Leah? That’s not much better.”
“No. I thought she was you. And then I saw you in the doorway. I thought I was seeing double.”
I tossed my hair over my shoulder.
“It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t change anything. You aren’t the settling down type, Chan.”
He stared at me. His eyes were hard. And serious.
“If you don’t love me you, that’s one thing. But if this is something else, I gotta know.”
I stared at him.
“Do you love me Caro? Because I sure as hell love you.”
Tears started falling. I couldn’t help it. I wiped them away.
“Stop it Chan. I don’t need you to pretend. I’m leaving tomorrow. I’m going to - start over. Somewhere new.”
He grabbed me.
“Like hell you are!”
He grabbed my arm and started dragging me into the house.
“Chan!”
I looked around for help but my nana and mom were laughing as he dragged me to my bedroom.
He slammed the door and locked it. Then he stared at me.
“Carolina Jacobs. I have been in love with you since the moment I saw you. I spent more than half my life pining for you. Now that I’ve got you, there’s no way in hell I’m going to let you go.”
I stared at him. He meant it. He did love me after all. I felt like light was filling my heart. Making me whole again.
“If you don’t admit you love me too, I’m going to do something drastic.”
Tears were rolling down my face. I nodded and he smiled in relief.
He pulled me into his arms, kissing me deeply.
It was a while later that he finally lifted his head. I let my hands wander across his sweet, handsome face. He grabbed my hand, kissing the palm, then the wrist, then moving to my shoulder.
I knew what he wanted. He wanted me.
Not in my mama’s house.
I pulled his head up to distract him. His eyes had that glazed over look he got when he wanted to make love. I knew my man so well already. I shook my head at him.
“Like what, Chan?”
“What do you mean?”
He was trying to tug my clothes off. But I sidestepped him, keeping one arm out to hold him at bay.
“You said you were going to do something drastic.”
He grinned.
“I am. I’m going to marry you again.”
Chapter Twenty One
Chandler
I stared at my wife as she drove to the lake cabin about an hour from town. I couldn’t drive yet. I didn’t have my bike anyway, that was back at Brock’s airstrip.
Caro didn’t have a car here either.
So we were in her grandmother’s old boat of a car.
Caro was good with a stick shift. Yet another thing about her that surprised and impressed me.
She was quite a woman.
My woman.
I had asked her mom for a picnic basket, a bottle of wine, and a blanket. No one had asked me why. It was obvious.
I wanted to be alone with my wife.
Caro pulled up to the old fishing shack that her family owned. Her gran hired someone to clean it out once a year. Make sure it didn’t fall down. The lake was a popular place in the summer so she knew it was worth keeping up, even if they didn’t have a lot of fond memories of the place. Her dad had mostly used it to drink himself into oblivion.
It was off-season now and the lake was empty. No one ever came out here at this time of year.
Except horny teenagers.
I grinned. I certainly felt like one. In fact… I turned to look at Caro. Before she’d even taken off her seatbelt I was sliding across the seat and pawing at her.
“Chan!”
I nipped her neck.
“Want to do it in the car?”
She looked at me.
“I thought you wanted a picnic?”
I nodded seriously.
“I do. After.”
She giggled and blushed. Damn if I didn’t love making her blush!
I doubted that would ever get old, even when we were.
“Come on silly, let’s go down to the water and watch the sunset.”
“Whatever you want Princess.”
A warm feeling spread through me as I followed her down the path to the sandy beach. We were going to grow old together. That was pretty much the greatest thing ever.
I knew she’d be beautiful to me, even when we were old and gray.
And we had plenty of years of fun before then.
Staring now.
I watched her spread out the blanket. I tried to help but she shooed me away. Then she helped me sit down. I liked it when she fussed over me. I was going to like fussing over her even more.
I looked around. We were alone.
It was a bit chilly but it would do.
Besides, I would do my damnedest to keep us both warm.
I casually threw my arm around her shoulder as we stared out over the water. Little Miss Caro had no idea the kind of night she had ahead of her. But I did. I had lots of ideas.
The sun was casting a warm pink glow over everything. It was beautiful. But the color pink just made me horny.
My cock was already standing at attention.
I wanted to get my hands on her right now… and my mouth… and my…
I pounced on her.
“Eeek!”
She let out the cutest little squeal as I rolled her to her back. I growled, pawing at her clothing and biting her neck. She was out of breath in no time.
Hell, so was I.
I ran my hands over her body, staring down into her eyes. Then slowly I started to unbutton her blouse, spreading it open as I reached the top.
“Chan, what are you doing?”
I leaned down to kiss the supple skin above her bra.
“Making love to my wife.”
“But we are outside!”
I looked up at her.
“The great outdoors you mean?”
I went back to kissing her as I undid her jeans.
“Yes!”
I sat up and pulled my shirt off.
“That is the perfect place to enjoy nature’s bounty.”
She was giving me an outraged expression. So I slid my hand into her jeans. She shut her mouth abruptly. Then she opened it with a soft sigh.
“Oh… Chan…”
I grinned and lowered my head, tugging her bra down with my teeth. I went to work on her nipples as my fingers toyed with her delicate folds. I strummed the tiny nub above her opening, making her wiggle on the blanket.
I pulled my fingers out and licked them. I wanted to taste her, but I couldn’t wait.
“Can’t wait, sorry.”
She watched me hungrily as I stripped. I liked that. Her lips parted as my cock sprang free. It was harder than a telephone pole in a snowstorm. Her eyes grew wide with appreciation.
Damn if I didn’t like that even more!
I had her jeans off and her gorgeous legs spread in a heartbeat. I took a moment to appreciate the stunning beauty before me. Then I climbed between them.
“Chan…”
I groaned as I slid my cock head against her slippery folds. She was ready for me. I’d take care of spoiling her later.
This was an emergency ‘thought I lost my wife forever’ kind of fuck.
A ‘five alarm fire fuck’ if you will.
I plunged forward, making us both moan. I savored the feeling of her snug pussy for a few seconds. But then it was game on. I grabbed her hips and went to town.
I drove forward again and again. I couldn’t have slowed down if my life depended on it. Thank the good Lord that Caro
seemed to feel the same way.
It had been too long since I had her. Too long since I felt that sweet release. I had a terrible feeling this was going to be over in five minutes.
Or less.
I stopped, breathing heavily. My balls were twitching. I groaned, reaching down to grab the base of my shaft.
Caro was tossing her beautiful head beneath me. Her pulse fluttered in her throat. I felt a shivering, shaking kind of feeling everywhere our skin touched.
Even without moving, I was about to make her cum.
I felt the first wave hit as her body bore down on me, caressing my shaft with her silky walls.
She convulsed all around me.
I lost the battle to go slow.
Fuck making it last. This one was going to be huge.
I plunged into her hard and fast. I rode her, not being gentle, not able to stop and kiss her. It was just us, and our sweet spots, locked together under the stars.
I felt my shaft swell and knew it was time. I grabbed her hips and bellowed as my cock pulsed out, emptying my essence into her. Load after load of my seed came barreling through me, until I was spent. It was the hardest I’d ever come in my life.
By about a million.
Beneath me Caro was still shaking with the force of her release. Her lips were pink, her cheeks flushed, her eyes heavy with passion.
Damn, if she didn’t look fine!
Slowly I pulled away, kissing her naked body. Finally I rolled to my back, utterly exhausted. Making love to your wife was a serious business.
Caro nestled her head in my shoulder. I kissed her beautiful hair, holding her against me. The stars were clear and bright above us.
It was perfect.
“You meant it? About renewing our vows?”
I nodded. I sure as shit did.
“Yes, Princess.”
She smiled shyly, pulling her clothes back on. I hated when she did that. But I had to admit that the mosquitos were getting frisky.
“Because, I thought this would be a good place for our wedding.”
“Not in the church?”
She shook her head and gave me a look.
“I think we’ve had enough of church weddings don’t you?”