Jace smiled, enjoying the switching of roles. This time, it was Sam panicking that everything wasn’t going to go smoothly, and all Jace had to do was stand there and wait for his bride.
Married. A year ago, he would have laughed at the notion. Now, he couldn’t imagine spending a day without Sandi by his side.
A lot had happened in the last four months. In March, Jace had finally heard from the police that they’d captured the final Martin brother as he’d tried to sneak back into the country and had taken him into custody. Strictly speaking, Jace was free to come out of witness protection if he wished and return to his old life, but he and Sandi had made the decision to stay in Blue Penguin Bay. He liked his new life—he was happy at the law firm, and he loved the rugby club and all the friends he’d made there.
He turned and ran his gaze over the small group of guests waiting patiently in the rows of fold-up chairs on the grass. His heart thudded at the sight of his mother, as well as Lizzie and Beth, in the front row. Sandi had eventually encouraged him to talk to Jilly Dartnell, and he’d spent several hours on the phone with her, talking over the past, and discussing the future. When he’d told her and Lizzie he was getting married, and asked whether they’d like to come up to the bay for the wedding, they’d both cried and said of course they would come. Little Beth was wearing a beautiful pink dress that made her look like a princess. Jace had promised to dance with her after dinner.
Sam reappeared with a couple of umbrellas and stood them by the podium. “Just in case,” he said.
“Stop worrying,” Jace scolded. “It’s not going to rain.”
“I’m nervous,” Sam said. “Why aren’t you nervous?”
“What’s there to be nervous about?” Jace felt ten feet tall. “It’s a beautiful day, and I’m marrying the woman of my dreams.” It sounded corny, but he meant it.
He thanked his lucky stars every day that Sandi had been understanding enough to listen to his explanation and not just walk away from him because he hadn’t trusted her with the truth. He’d written his own vows, and in them he was going to promise never to lie to her, and never to keep a secret from her again.
“Here they come,” Sam said, and Jace turned to see Sandi, Ginger, and Fred walking across the grass toward them. Fred hadn’t even bothered to try to disguise her six-month bump, and the bridesmaid dress she wore flowed over her curves.
Sandi was holding Mac’s arm in the absence of a fatherly figure. She wore a simple white strapless gown, and her blonde hair hung loose in gentle waves down her back. His throat tightened as she neared, her lips curving in a smile. He loved her more than he’d thought it was possible to love anyone.
And now he had a chance to show her how much.
LATER, AFTER THEY’D exchanged their vows and had dinner, after the sun had set and the May evening had cooled, Sandi and Jace danced together under the light of the full moon. Next to them, Sam was dancing with Ginger, and Fred with Mac, although she had to turn to the side slightly so he could get his arms around her. It made Sandi smile to look at them.
She was married. Jeez. She’d finally made it.
“Hello, husband,” she said, looking up into Jace’s eyes.
He grinned. “Hello, wife. Do I get to call you the ball and chain now?”
“Her indoors?”
“The old battle-axe?”
“I quite like commander-in-chief,” she said.
He laughed. “Actually, I think my better half sounds about right.”
She tipped her head from side to side. “Maybe. But I don’t feel as if we’re two halves of a person. You do complete me, it’s true. But it’s more that I feel able to be fully myself. Does that make sense?”
“It does.” He kissed her nose. “Have you had a good day?”
“I’ve had a wonderful day.” She slid her arms around his waist and rested her cheek on his chest.
“We’ll have to do this every year,” he said. “Dance on our anniversary, under the stars.”
“Do you think we’ll be together forever?”
He kissed the top of her head. “Till death us do part, remember? We made a vow.”
“We did. That’s true.”
“I used to find the thought of committing to one person for the rest of my life terrifying.” He rested his hand at the base of her spine, keeping her tightly to him. “But now I just find it comforting. Is that odd?”
“No. I feel the same.” She looked across the darkening vineyard, toward the sea, which glittered in the moonlight. “On the day we told the others the truth about your past, I told Fred that love like this doesn’t come around often. And when it does, it’s as timeless as the sea.”
“That’s a lovely way to put it. You old romantic.”
“I want to be with you forever.”
“We will be,” he promised. “In this world and the next. How could I ever be apart from you, Alexandra Cartwright? You’ve set up camp in my heart, and I don’t think you’ll be vacating it anytime soon.”
She smiled, looking at the silvery path the moonlight had cast on the ocean. They’d all been so scared when they’d first come to Blue Penguin Bay—excited too, about the opportunities it afforded, but worried about what had happened with James MacDonald and the will, and nervous about meeting Mac. It made her laugh now to think about it. It couldn’t possibly have gone any better. They’d all met and married the perfect men, and the future shone brighter than the moon.
An evening breeze stirred the leaves of the grapevine that grew on the trellis work over their heads. It made Sandi think about her parents. Were they both watching their daughters? She hoped her father was pleased with what they’d done with the estate, and that her mother was happy about the way things had turned out for them.
Briefly, she thought of Brodie, and wondered if he was watching her too. Had he truly loved her? She couldn’t bring herself to think otherwise, and had decided to choose to think that he’d been terribly misguided because he’d wanted her so badly. Wherever he was, she hoped he was finally at peace.
But she wasn’t going to think about the past anymore. She had a whole new future to think about—marriage, and hopefully babies, and a lifetime with the man of her dreams.
Jace kissed her hair, and Sandi smiled.
Have you read the Like a Boss series?
Book 1: Taking Charge
Book 2: Taking Over
Book 3: Taking Liberties
Book 4: Taking Time
Like a Boss Box Set
Excerpt from Taking Charge (Book 1)
Sebastian
“ELENORA!” I WAIT TEN seconds, then yell again, louder this time. “Elenora!”
After a brief interlude, my baby sister appears in the doorway to my office with her hands on her hips and a furious glare. “Will you stop shouting? I can hear you all the way down the corridor.”
“That was the plan.” I bang my coffee mug on the desk. “Where the hell is today’s temp? It’s eight thirty, for Christ’s sake. I’m usually on my third cup by now.”
My last PA was inconsiderate enough to let her husband get her pregnant, and the secretary that HR has hired to cover her maternity leave can’t start for another five days, so at the moment I’m stuck with temps. It doesn’t improve my mood, which is never good anyway on a Monday morning, especially when I haven’t had sex over the weekend.
Elen purses her lips, and I’m sure her lips curve up a little at the corners. “Are you telling me you still don’t know how to work the coffee machine?”
“I’m a busy man,” I snap. “I don’t have time for insignificant details. Will you make me a coffee?”
“Absolutely not. The temp won’t be long. She’s stuck in the elevator.”
My eyebrows rise. “How did she manage that?”
“I’ve no idea, but maintenance is working on it, and she’ll be here any moment to satisfy your every whim. Except that one,” she adds at my wry smile. “You remember our rule about not banging the temps, right?”
“You need to start dating again.”
I run my hand through my hair. I’m not in the mood for being teased this morning. “Elen...”
She rolls her eyes. “I can’t believe you’re so frickin’ choosy with both secretaries and girlfriends. How long ago did you split up with Rachel? The sooner you get laid, the better all our lives are going to be.”
“Get out of my office!” I bellow.
Laughing, she leaves, only to stop a few feet from the door. I hear her greet someone—the new temp, by the sounds of it. I’m not in the mood for some dorky eighteen-year-old who can’t find her way out of an elevator. I throw myself in my chair and glare at the door as Elen reappears with her.
“Seb,” Elen says, “this is Colette. Please be nice to her. Colette, meet Sebastian Wright. You have the questionable honor of being at his beck and call for the week. Don’t mind him—his bark is worse than his bite.”
I turn my glare to the young woman who approaches my desk, and, for a moment, I can’t breathe.
She’s tallish for a girl, curvy, and wearing a smart, dark-gray suit. The skirt is a respectable inch above her knees, and the white blouse has the top few buttons undone, giving a tantalizing glimpse of pale skin leading down to what I’m sure will be even paler breasts. For once, though, I’m captivated by the view farther up. Her hair is blonde, pinned in what I guess is supposed to be a presentable style, but wayward strands tumble around her face in a way that makes me imagine her walking around my apartment in the early morning sunshine wearing only my shirt. She’s girl-next-door pretty, with freckles across her nose and a wide, full mouth. But it’s her eyes that hold me, the brightest blue I’ve ever seen on a real person, full of an audacious amusement that tells me she’s going to be trouble.
For fuck’s sake. This I don’t need.
Attack’s the best form of defense, right?
“You’re late.” I lean back in my chair and try to ignore my pounding heart.
“Got stuck in the elevator,” she replies, not intimidated at all by my glare. “Technology hates me. Although that’s probably not something I should tell my employer on my first day.” She winks.
Elen laughs. “I’ll get Mrs. Stubbs,” she says, referring to the head secretary. “She’ll show you your desk and run through the basics with you.” She vacates the room, leaving me alone with the sassy blonde.
We eye each other for a moment. I’m not quite sure how to handle her. Usually, a glare from me is enough to send a new secretary scurrying from the room with her tail between her shapely legs. I have a reputation among the secretarial staff as being critical and demanding. It’s taken me years to cultivate that, and I’m not used to being challenged.
“Was that you yelling?” she asks.
“I haven’t had a coffee yet,” I tell her by way of explanation, showing her my empty cup.
“Lost the use of your legs?” she enquires.
I get slowly to my feet. “Miss...”
She bites her bottom lip for a moment, then admits, “Watson.”
“Miss Watson, you’ve walked in late on your first day in a new job. Do you really think smart-mouthing one of the directors is the best way to begin your working day?”
She eyes me thoughtfully, and I can see her thinking about how to reply. She’s intelligent, this one—this is no naive school-leaver I can control by sheer force of personality.
“Sorry,” she says eventually. “My last boss was pretty informal, but I can see you like to work with a bit more... discipline.”
That just conjures up the idea of putting her over my knee. I narrow my eyes. Is she being purposefully impertinent? I get the feeling she’s trying not to laugh.
“What do you prefer?” she asks softly. “Seb or Sebastian?”
“Mr. Wright will do just fine.”
“Sure thing.” She wrinkles her nose at me. “How about I get you a coffee, and we start over?”
She approaches and reaches across my desk for my mug. I top her by about six inches and have to fight not to look down her blouse as she bends forward. The last thing I need is this minx suing me for sexual harassment.
She straightens and looks up, and I experience the strange sensation of time slowing to halt.
I hold her gaze for a long, long time.
To my pleasure, in contrast with her impudent behavior, the apples of her cheeks stain a pretty pink. Not quite as sassy as she makes out, then.
Book 1: Taking Charge
Download my Starter Library for FREE!
Other Books by Serenity Woods
For an up-to-date list of available books, please visit the Books page on my website.
Christmas Wishes
Book 1: Santa’s Secret
Book 2: White-Hot Christmas
Book 3: His Christmas Present
Book 4: If Kisses Were Snowflakes
Three Wise Men
Book 1: The Perfect Gift
Book 2: An Ideal Present
Book 3: A Secret Parcel
Three Wise Men Box Set
Love Comes Later
Book 1: My Christmas Fiancé
Book 2: My New Year Fling
Book 3: My Valentine Seduction
Love Comes Later Box Set
Serenity’s Standalones
Book 1: Kiss and Make Up
Book 2: One Hot Winter’s Night
Book 3: Set me Free
Book 4: Remember Me
Book 5: Mr. Insatiable
Like a Boss
Book 1: Taking Charge
Book 2: Taking Over
Book 3: Taking Liberties
Book 4: Taking Time
Like a Boss Box Set
Blue Penguin Bay
Book 1: As Deep as the Ocean
Book 2: As Beautiful as the Bay
Book 3: As Timeless as the Sea
Blue Penguin Bay Box Set
Treats to Tempt You
Book 1: Treat with Caution
Book 2: Treat her Right
Book 3: A Rare Treat
Book 4: Trick or Treat
Book 5: A Festive Treat
Book 5.5: No Way to Treat a Lady (Novella)
Book 6.5: A Taste of Things to Come (Novella)
Between the Sheets
Book 1: A Secret Between Friends
Book 2: An Ocean Between Us
Heartfelt
Book 1: Mr. Sinful
Book 2: Mr. Seductive
Book 3: Mr. Sensational
Heartfelt Box Set
The Four Seasons
Book 1: Seducing Summer
Book 2: Tempting Autumn
Book 3: Bewitching Winter
Book 4: Persuading Spring
The Four Seasons Box Set
Sensual Healing
Book 1: An Uncommon Sense
Book 2: Making Sense
Book 3: Talking Sense
Sensual Healing Box Set
Other Standalones
Something Blue
Holly’s First Noel
About the Author
SERENITY WOODS LIVES in the sub-tropical Northland of New Zealand with her wonderful husband and gorgeous teenage son. She writes hot and sultry contemporary romances with a happy ever after, and would much rather immerse herself in reading or writing romance than do the dusting and ironing, which is why it’s not a great idea to pop round if you have any allergies.
Website: http://www.serenitywoodsromance.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/serenitywoodsromance
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Serenity_Woods
(100%); -ms-filter: grayscale(100%); filter: grayscale(100%); " class="sharethis-inline-share-buttons">share
As Timeless as the Sea Page 18