The Running Series Box Set: Books 1-3

by DeLaine Roberts

  After dinner, Grayson and I poured over the dessert menu. “What do you want, angel?”

  “Anything. Surprise me. I don’t know why I’m so hungry today. I think I could eat a mountain if it were covered in chocolate.” I looked at Grayson and instantly saw the glittery specks of his eyes light up. I was quite certain he was remembering the chocolate body paint, as was I. When he winked at me, I had my answer.

  When dessert arrived, he’d decided on the apple spring rolls with banana and caramel sauce, a house specialty, for us to share. He fed me bites in between kisses. I would’ve never imagined kissing in front of my parents, but my love for Grayson and the happiness that had come my way, left me unabashed.

  “Alex, before your mother passed on, she asked that I save her wedding rings for you and give them to you on your wedding day. She thought you might want them for your ‘something old.’ I was going to honor her wish, but Gretchen and I thought you’d want them ahead of time without everyone else around.”

  As he handed me the box, he continued, his voice raspy with emotion, “They’re yours, wear them or save them, it’s up to you. If you don’t want to wear them, I can have them put back in the safe for you until we get home.” I saw a small tear escape the corner of his eye. It took me a few minutes to garner my composure.

  “They’re beautiful, just like I remember. Thank you, Daddy.” My hands shook, trembling at her memory. “Mom’s hands were so small I don’t know if I can wear them.” I took them out of the box and tried them on my right hand. The round, solitaire engagement ring still glistened in the gold setting. The tiny, gold wedding band was encrusted with small diamond chips. The rings sparkled in the moonlight. My mom was a simple lady. She loved simple, romantic jewelry. The diamonds weren’t overly large, but they were still sparkling clear. I was able to wear the band, but the engagement ring was too small for me.

  “It would be an honor to wear her wedding band with her pearls and bracelet on Sunday.” I hugged them both. “Thank you both for everything you’ve done for us. This is a wedding fit for a princess. I don’t deserve all of this.” My voice cracked with emotion.

  Grayson scooted closer to me and wrapped his arms around me, pulling my back into his chest.

  “Everyone deserves happiness and you two deserve a world of bliss,” Dad said as he kissed my cheek and patted Grayson’s shoulder.

  “I’m grateful for everything you’ve done for us, sir, and the way you’ve embraced my family warms my heart.”

  “Grayson, I want your family to be our family. How about you stop being so formal and call me Pops or Dad, if you like?”

  Grayson’s smile was heartwarming. I knew he’d been close to his parents and their loss hung over him like a cloud. To see him warm to my Dad made me happy.

  “Pops, it is.” When Grayson said that, it came as a shock to me. I’d been holding his hand in his lap. I brought it to my lips for a tender kiss.

  “You know, Dad, I do have something I need to tell you about before you see it.”

  His glance indicated I had his attention, but I still had to muster my courage. “I thought long and hard about how to manage my grief over the baby and the fact that mom wouldn’t be here to share this day either. So… I talked it over with Grayson and had a tattoo artist design a beautiful flower tattoo on my lower back. You can barely see it even with a swimsuit on, but I wanted to tell you before everyone got here, just in case you got a glimpse of it.” His face was taut; I couldn’t read his thoughts.

  “I’d like to see it. I’m not a fan of them, but I can understand your reasons.”

  I twisted in my seat and lifted the back of my blouse. I heard him gasp, which almost made me want to cry. Could I have disappointed him more than I imagined?

  “It’s beautiful, Alex.” His words were tender.

  “You’re not angry with me?”

  “Not at all. I understand why you did it and it’s really sweet.”

  I hugged him so hard I almost knocked his chair over.

  With dessert finished, we spent time chatting about all the plans for the weekend with my parents’ day cruise, our couple’s massage, spa treatments, and then all the family and friends meeting up for cocktails at the Fare Hoa Beach Bar before dinner. We said our parting goodbyes with them, and Grayson walked me to my room.

  “I’d rather stay with you tonight because I have something on my mind for us.” He raised an eyebrow to me, wanting an answer.

  I gasped. Was he serious? Thank you mother-of-all-girls-trying-to-get-lucky. Finally!

  There was no time to waste. I got the door open quickly. We kissed heatedly, aggressively, fondling each other in less than two seconds. I couldn’t think of anything else at the moment other than skin-to-skin contact with him, when he suddenly pulled away from me and got off the bed.

  What the heck? “Uh-uh, you get back here. I’ve waited long enough. Where are you going?”

  He was beside himself laughing, but I was not.

  “I have something planned for you, but it’s not what you think. Get your swimsuit on!”

  “Ooh yum. What do you have in mind? Because I have a couple of cute swimsuits,” I said, raising an eyebrow or two at him.

  “Something easy on and easy off! Now hurry before I change my mind!”

  Okay, skinny-dipping and then sex. I could handle that!

  He led me out the back of the hotel and down to the beach where the hotel crew was waiting with a paddle boat. Although wider than a canoe, they were still easily capable of flipping, so we were told. They provided us a blanket, lamp, and directions to a cove just around the point.

  Where were we going? Sex in that boat was going to be impossible.

  Grayson assured me we weren’t getting wet, if we were cautious. He pulled me into the center of the boat carefully and began his planned seduction. His unshaven beard was coarse and prickly on my neck. It tickled and I began to giggle and wiggle.

  “You will just have to be still and feel it babe. If you move too much, we’re going over.”

  He wanted to slip me out of my bikini, but I felt uncomfortable. “People can see us!”

  “No, they can’t. If you can’t make them out, they can’t make you out. But I can work around your swimsuit if you aren’t comfortable.”

  He unfastened my top, leaving me covered, wrapping my shoulders with the blanket. He enjoyed his tantalizing exploration of my body, but I was just too tense to appreciate it. He was about to discover something had changed with my body, and I wasn’t certain of his reaction.

  “Try to relax. Turn around on the seat and lay back in my arms. Just enjoy the movement of the boat on the water.” He paddled us around the edge of the reef to a more private part of the cove. I couldn’t see anyone.

  The seduction started again. First, he kissed my neck and shoulders while grasping my hips. His lips teased both nipples into hard beads in the cool night air. He slid his hand around to my navel, where he used his finger to draw seductive circles on my stomach. There was no stopping him; he intended on going for third base. Only he was in for a shock—third base was no longer surrounded by grass.

  He took his other hand and slipped my bikini bottoms down under the blanket. His hand paused when he realized I’d had a Brazilian wax and was completely bare down there.

  “What on earth did you do and when did you do it?”

  Surprised? Yes, he was. Approving? I wasn’t sure.

  “Are you okay with it?” I was coy, eager to discover his approval. He was quiet.

  At that moment, I was ready to kill Monica, since it was her big idea in the first place. However, her life was spared when he uttered, “Sweet, I love it! Damn, I wanted you to try it, but thought you’d freak if I suggested it. I can’t wait to taste your sweetness!” His breathing came quicker, and I could feel his member growing stiff behind me.

  I wanted him. I wanted intimacy with him right then, worse than I could ever imagine. I needed him. I needed that sweet high that only
he had ever given me.

  Without saying a word, he pulled the front of his swimsuit down, freeing his erection. I could feel how hard he was up against my back. As he massaged my sex, which was very sensitive in its changed state, he inserted his finger into my wet channel. The movement caught me by surprise, but the moisture between my legs told him I was more than happy to receive him. He plunged his finger in and out of me, circling his finger until I exploded around it and into his hand. My body flooded his hand with moisture and he whispered, “That’s it, baby. I love it when you let go.”

  While he coaxed me, it was the nipple pinching with his other hand that had me moaning.

  “Finally, to hear you get loud is such a turn on. I love it. Now, it’s my turn. Just relax and enjoy it.”

  He slowly turned me to face him. He gently raised his body up, balancing himself on his knees, which left him towering over me. He stroked and gripped himself tightly, until he sprayed his happy ending all over my breasts and face. That was a first for me; I’d heard the term “pearl necklace”, and now I could say I’d experienced it.

  His moans were primal, and I heard my name through his raspy voice. I could only see him in the moonlight, but I could feel his semen on me, slicking my skin. This was the most erotic he’d ever been with me.

  Dipping his hand into the water, he washed the semen off of me and put my bikini top back on, before wrapping me up in the blanket.

  “I’m sorry, babe. I got carried away. Your slick heat got me so worked up I lost my mind.” He grabbed me to him and held me tight, not saying a word.

  “That was amazing,” was all I could utter, still smashed tightly to his chest.

  I pulled back. “I’ll stop you if it’s something I can’t do. I hate that I’m a prude, but I just don’t have the sexual experience to keep up with you. But I swear, I’m embracing and enjoying learning. It was hot watching you!”

  “God, I love you.” Our reverie was short-lived, he moved too quickly when he pulled me into a kiss.

  Over we went! Astonishingly, the water was quite warm. I could’ve stayed in it, but he got us back in the boat quickly before we became shark bait. The whole experience was so full of life that I wanted to stay there forever.

  The hotel crew gave us towels to dry off and laughed at our eventful evening, only there was much they didn’t know. Grayson and I shared a devilish laugh as we scurried back into the hotel.

  Opening the door to my room, I was surprised to find a beautiful arrangement of flowers from Drew and PMC on the table. The flowers made my room smell lovely.

  We put our suits out to dry on the patio. The breeze was fantastic, so I left the doors open to let the air come into the room.

  Grayson looked for a movie to watch, while I showered and got ready for bed. After his shower, he put on the silk pajama pants I had in my bag for him and jumped into bed with me.

  “It’s two nights before our wedding night, and we’re in bed together wearing pajamas, what gives?” I asked, teasing him with a “come here” look, but it didn’t work.

  “Behave Alexandra, or I may have to spank you!”

  “Ooh, bring it on, G.” I jumped up and ran around the room, but he was too quick for me.

  Crossing the bed in one roll, he threw me over his shoulder and carried me back to the mattress. The whop on my ass stung like crazy. Throwing me down on the bed, he proceeded to tickle me until I almost peed my panties.

  We were rolling around and having a great time until room service interrupted us.

  I looked over at him and mouthed, “Room service?” while he just shrugged his shoulders.

  He opened the door to find a cart of champagne, assorted fruit, and various desserts on the tray for us. There was a card, but I waited until he tipped the waiter with some extra soggy cash before I read the card aloud:

  Grayson and Alexandra,

  Congratulations and best wishes for a lifetime of happiness. Enjoy these treats until we see you soon. Bro, I couldn’t be happier for you! And sis, welcome to the family! Don’t do anything we wouldn’t do!

  All our love,

  Harrison and Monica

  “That is so sweet of them. I’ve been thinking that they might be the next couple to get engaged, don’t you?”

  “Agreed. I’ve never seen him like this. He’s head over heels for her. Relocating was a huge move for him. That’s turned his world, both personal and professional, upside down. Here, hold the glasses while I open it.”

  Pop, and the bubbly was poured. We sat in bed, eating and talking, pretending to watch a movie. He thought he would be cute and rent The Hangover.

  I just looked at him. “Really? Seriously, how many times can a guy watch this movie?”

  He shrugged with a mouth full of cheesecake.

  Somewhere in the middle of the movie, I found myself waking up from a brief nap, all cuddled up in my future husband’s arms. He was sound asleep. I slipped out of his grip and put everything I could fit in the fridge, then turned out the lights. I slipped into the bathroom to brush my teeth, when he opened the door.

  He rubbed his eyes. “Sorry, I fell asleep. I woke up, and you were out of my arms. I missed you.”

  “I’m just brushing my teeth and getting ready for bed. I love napping with you.”

  He joined me in the bathroom, but he hogged the counter. He was such a gorgeous man, and his presence occupied space in a beautiful way. I never tired of gazing at his body.

  In bed, all tangled up in each other, I drifted off to sleep once again thinking—no, make that fantasizing—about our upcoming wedding night.

  CHAPTER TEN

  The screeching of birds woke me early in the morning, and I got a glimpse of the sun barely making a crest in the distance, giving a clear sign that the day was going to be a beautiful one.

  Our room was filled with the music still playing from the night before. I was grateful Grayson was still sleeping soundly right next to me, since he had tossed and turned a good bit of the night. The loud birds were on my patio table, eyeballing the open entrance into our room.

  Lying still, not wanting to disturb him from his deep slumber, I took the time to just reminisce. He had endured a tenuous week at work in preparation for our wedding and honeymoon. He never complained, not even once, but I barely saw him, and we didn’t even have dinner together, not a single night.

  At one point, I’d thought he might be avoiding me on purpose because refraining from full intimacy had become extremely difficult for us, but we had promised to wait until our wedding night. So much time alone had allowed room for me to get settled in his place and get some extra work in for PMC before I cleared my calendar as well.

  We both knew that the minute we returned home from the honeymoon we would pay the piper at work. It would be a very busy, hectic time until the year’s end. The thought of PMC tugged at my heart. It was because of my job that I’d met this glorious man. Giving them notice was going to be extremely difficult for me and disappointing for Drew as well. But my final opportunity to work beside my father was here. It was take it or leave it time, and I wanted to claim that time with him.

  Not able to make it any longer, I slipped out of Grayson’s arms without waking him and decided on a hot bath. A few moments into my sweet soak in the warm, relaxing water, Grayson peered around the door.

  “Is there room for two in there?”

  Grayson taking a bubble bath? This, I needed a picture of for prosperity!

  “Sure, honey, will you bring me my cell phone before you get in?”

  He handed me my phone, while raising his brow in question. “Who do you need to call this early in the morning, love?” He gave me a quirky look, and I instantly knew he questioned my motives, always on to my schemes. It was rare for me to pull off any tricks on him. It must’ve been his acute military background.

  “I’m not calling anyone. I’m looking for something,” I replied, trying to get him off track. It worked.

  He slipped into the
water without even giving it another thought. Once he was settled in and enjoying himself, I picked up my phone and took a shot of him, much to his surprise.

  “Not cool, Alexandra. I knew you were up to something. If you’re planning to blackmail me with that, prepare yourself! Be warned, I’ll get my chance for payback!”

  “Oh, you know, just banking special moments into my memory!” I teased him back, but he didn’t buy it.

  “If I hear one word from Harrison about my bubble bath, I will pay you back. That’s a promise, Mrs. Brooks!” he touted, pulling my legs so hard I went under the water.

  After I surfaced and sputtered a bit, I cried, “You can’t call me Mrs. Brooks yet. It’s bad luck. Speaking of bad luck, you realize that tonight you can’t stay here either, right? It’s bad luck to see me before the wedding. So, tonight you’re banned, mister!”

  He laughed, coughed, and then laughed again. “First, I’m not superstitious. Second, I can see you if I want, and third, I dare you to keep me away!”

  “You’re forgetting I have reinforcements coming shortly. But, I promise to save you a dance if you behave!”

  “Are you becoming a bratty wife already? Well, prepare yourself for payback. Just saying,” he threatened playfully as he splashed the water at me.

  We took a morning stroll on the beach, enjoying the last little bit of our alone time at the spa with a couple’s massage. My spa day continued with the mani/pedi works, after which I found time for a short power nap during a facial. I’ve never been a spa junkie, so it was all new to me. Since it was a complimentary part of the bridal package, I’d decided to see what a spa day was like and I was hooked!

  There was nothing more special than the couple’s massage. I was curious whether big, manly Grayson would go through with it, but much to my surprise—and his—he relaxed and said we could make that a regular date.

  I loved this man, loved, loved, loved.

  “I’ve got some errands to run, angel. I’ll meet you upstairs.”

  “Errands? Without me?”

  “Yes, although it’s going to be extremely painful to be away from you.”