Tsunami Crimes

by Chrys Fey

  With a teary nod, Beth took the boutique of white tea roses from Leighton and stepped toward her destiny.

  Donovan stood atop a stone monument. He wore a gray tux and looked delicious. His hair was slicked back, and his violet eyes reached out to her from across the distance between them.

  Thorn stood behind Donovan in a darker gray tux, and Leighton walked ahead of Beth in a violet, A-line dress. Meredith and Lilly, Donovan’s mom and grandma; Corissa, Beth’s assistant; and a few close friends of theirs were scattered over the lawn. They were all looking toward Beth with smiles on their faces.

  Standing on a patch of grass, with the hum of a harp touching her ears, Beth felt her father as if he had taken his place beside her, ready to walk her down the aisle. A small smile stole her lips. She dipped her head to her roses and whispered, “Are you ready, Daddy?”

  A tingling sensation cupped her elbow. Her dad was telling her it was time. He was ready to give her away. Her gaze lifted, locked with Donovan’s, and she took one step toward him. And then another and another until she stood on the platform beside him, and he held out his hands. She gave Leighton her roses and clasped Donovan’s hands. Her heart swelled at the contact. Swelled so big, she marveled it didn’t erupt from her chest. Her hands vibrated. Not out of fear, but with the force of sheer happiness. Donovan’s grasp tightened, steadying her hands. He lifted them one at a time to his lips and pressed a kiss to them. His smile, serene and loving, warmed her inside and out.

  She couldn’t hear a thing. Not the hum of nature or the wind rustling through the palm and cypress trees. She could see and feel, though. See Donovan’s violet eyes radiating love like solar flares. Feel the pressure of his fingers twined with hers.

  Then Donovan opened his mouth. “Beth.” His voice cut through the sound-proof bubble around her. “When I first saw you, I thought you were an angel. It could’ve been because I had just bashed my head against a steering wheel”—Beth laughed—“but it was because you are my angel. Fate tossed us together, but nothing that fate can dish out can tear us apart. No hurricane or earthquake will ever be strong enough. I promise to forever love you, to forever protect you, and to forever be your home.”

  Tears coated Beth’s eyes, making the image of Donovan swim. She blinked them away and cleared her throat when she was told to share her vows with Donovan. She smiled at him. Her heart fluttered in her chest, and her mouth was dry, but she managed to say what she had wanted to tell him for so long.

  “I thought I was strong before I met you. I could deliver a mean punch, there’s no question about that.” She grinned at him, and he winked back. “But I didn’t know what true strength meant until you came into my life. You’ve made me stronger than I could ever imagine. With you by my side, I can handle anything. Your love is like my armor. I wear it proudly. And I vow to return that strength to you. To be your warrior. To fight for us and our love every day of my life. To be your forever and always.”

  Donovan’s chest had started to rise more quickly. His gaze had intensified. He took a small step to her, closing the distance between them. She could feel his need to kiss her slam into her body as strong as a tidal wave.

  They both looked to the official.

  “Do you have the rings?” he asked.

  Thorn handed Donovan a silver ring. Donovan took it and slipped it onto Beth’s ring finger while repeating the words that would bind them together for life.

  Leighton passed a matching band to Beth. Heart racing, hand shaking, she eased it onto Donovan’s finger. Putting a ring on a man was an odd experience. The strangeness and intimacy behind it made her breath catch in her lungs. She had to take an unsteady breath to finish her oath. “For all the days of my life,” she whispered.

  “You are now husband and wife. You may seal your vows with a kiss.”

  A spark flashed in Donovan’s eyes. A smile lifted the corners of his mouth. He took her hands and tugged her forward. She fell into his body.

  She looked up at him; he looked down at her.

  The air around them thickened with the electricity of their passion. Whistles and excited yelps touched Beth’s ears, but she didn’t tear her gaze from Donovan. His hands lifted and framed her face, causing her heart to stutter. He dipped his head. Their lips grew closer but stopped short. His breath warmed her lips. Her eyelids drifted shut. She gripped him tighter as her breath hitched.

  “I love you,” she whispered.

  With those words, Donovan erased the gap between them and took her mouth. Cheers erupted.

  Their tongues twined. Their hearts joined. Their lives linked.

  ****

  Beth sat in the window seat on a plane in First Class. She wore a white track suit for comfort and to state her newly acquired title—wife. Donovan lounged next to her in jeans and a polo. They hadn’t had a moment alone to indulge in each other, to celebrate the start of their marriage. After the reception, they had changed into plane-friendly clothing and had rushed to the airport to make their flight.

  The plane hadn’t even lifted off yet, and Donovan already couldn’t stop touching her. He held her hand, and his teeth nibbled on her fingers. The sensation of his teeth scrapping against her skin was driving her mad. She shifted to him, pressing her leg to his. Laying a hand against his cheek, she nipped at his bottom lip, hoping to give him a bit of the insanity he was giving her. He caught her chin and took her mouth with a savage hunger. She inched closer to him. The armrest dug into her side, stopping her from climbing onto his lap.

  A throat cleared. “Excuse me?”

  Beth pried her mouth free. Her face burned with embarrassment. She covered her mouth with her hand. “We’re so sorry,” she told the flight attendant.

  “No, we’re not,” Donovan corrected. “We got married two hours ago.”

  The flight attendant beamed at him, forgiving their public display of affection. “Oh, congratulations! Would the two of you like some champagne once we’re in the air?”

  “That would be great,” Donovan said.

  The flight attendant left with a bounce in her step.

  After takeoff, they enjoyed their glasses of champagne, stole kisses, and murmured promises and seductions into each other’s ears.

  The flight took twelve hours with one stop. Too long. When they finally landed, Beth was ready to have their honeymoon night.

  They exited the plane and were greeted by gorgeous Hawaiian women with luscious, brown hair down to their hips. They had lovely complexions, deep brown eyes, and wore grass skirts around their voluptuous hips. A woman dropped a fragrant lei of pink, white, and yellow flowers around Beth’s neck. She kissed Beth’s cheek and said, “Aloha! Welcome to Oahu.”

  Chapter Nine

  Donovan drove a rental car to their hotel. They opted against a hotel on the beach for a less expensive one inland, in the middle of all the places they wanted to visit during their stay. Volcanic mountains rose in the distance; their peaks hiding in the haze of clouds. A riot of flowers grew wild everywhere he looked—the spiked and brightly-colored birds of paradise, the large trumpet-shaped hibiscus, and the showy spears of red ginger. Palm trees loaded with fat coconuts shot out of the ground every few feet, stretching up to the cornflower-blue sky. Other trees bursting with clusters of bananas, ripening papaya, and fragrant mango sprouted here and there. People of all different nationalities from Hawaiians to Japanese and Filipinos clogged the streets and sidewalks. They walked, rode bikes, and hung out in groups chatting in the sunlight.

  The hotel was a tall structure with trimmed bushes out front and an L-shaped pool in the back. The lobby smelled strongly of gardenias. At the front desk, Donovan got their keycard and pushed the button for the top floor. He opened the door to the penthouse suite and let Beth in ahead of him. She stepped inside and did a full circle. Taking up one wall in the living room was a widescreen TV. Across from it was a tan sectional. A full kitchen, a dining room with a wood table, a private porch with a hot tub, and a master bedroom compl
eted the suite. For the price he was paying for it for the month, it had everything they could want or need.

  Beth faced him. “You got us a suite?”

  “Of course I did.” He put his arms around her. “This is all ours. And the best part is we’re alone up here.”

  She smiled. “And how are you going to take advantage of that?”

  “Like this.” He swept her into his arms and carried her into the bedroom. The bed was enormous with a sea-green comforter and white pillows. As he walked with Beth in his arms, he could feel her body trembling. A frown pulled on his face. Was she scared? She had nothing to be afraid of; she knew him, knew what he was like when they made love. It wasn’t as though this were their first time. They knew each other from head to toe, inside and out. He set her on the edge of the bed and lifted her chin with his thumb. Her eyes shone with unshed tears.

  “Are you scared?” he asked. “Nervous?”

  Beth’s fingers curled around his wrist as she shook her head. “No.”

  He touched her shoulder. “You’re trembling.”

  “I know.” She gave a small laugh. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time. I’m excited and happier than I’ve ever been. This is the first time I’m going to be with a man who is as much mine as I am his.”

  Donovan cupped her face. “I’ve been yours since I first looked into your beautiful, brown eyes.”

  “But now we’re husband and wife.”

  His heart expanded. That was it. They weren’t just linked in love but life. They would forever be a part of each other. Beth wasn’t his girlfriend or fiancée. She was his wife, his other half. And from this moment on, they would be sharing a life. All the things he wanted for her, with her, swallowed him whole. He wanted every part of her, as he wanted her to have every part of him. Good and bad. Beautiful and ugly. He would love it all, and he knew Beth was the woman who would love all of him, too.

  Dipping his head, he took her lips. He kissed her with every promise inside of him, with every dream he harbored, with every bit of hope that beat within his heart.

  He kissed her as if he wanted to taste her soul.

  On the bed, she scrambled onto her knees, bringing her face level with his. Her arms looped around his neck, and her fingers dove into his hair. She deepened the kiss. Her intensity burned him.

  He matched her power, needing the heat as much as the softness.

  Their tongues knotted, and their lips molded. Moans escaped.

  His hands slipped down her body. The tracksuit kept his hands from her skin. With a groan, his fingers caught the zipper and whisked it down. The fabric parted, revealing the scar on her chest, the swell of her breasts, and the lace of a pink bra. His hands sought her warm skin. He marveled at how silky she felt beneath his palms, but he wanted more. She pulled her arms free of the sleeves, letting the jacket slip off. His eyes feasted upon her. Her skin glowed. Her body hummed. She was strong and sexy; everything he could ever want and more.

  She worked the pants off her legs and slung her arms around his neck. Her gaze was locked on his. She looked at him with all the passion within her, which was as vast and as deep as the ocean. A small smile tilted her lips, and she whispered one word, “Husband.”

  His hands caught her hips, and he lifted her knees off the bed. Her legs came around him, and he crawled onto the bed where he settled her in the middle. Hovering over her, he stared into her eyes. He saw so much there. Love. Trust. Joy. Anticipation. She was brimming with all of it, because of him, for him.

  “Wife,” he whispered back and brought his mouth to hers. He kissed her as if he could sink into her. When she purred, he drew back and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a long piece of black fabric.

  “Ah. So that’s where the blindfold went.”

  He winked at Beth as he slipped the blindfold over her eyes. He gently knotted it at the back of her head, not wanting her to be uncomfortable. Then he sat back and studied her. Her lips were pink and swollen. Her chest rose and fell with each excited breath. Her fingers curled into the comforter.

  He didn’t touch her or say a word, just enjoyed the sight of her as her excitement built.

  “Donovan?” Her voice was breathless.

  He leaned over her and lay his lips next to her ear. “Ssh.”

  He traced her lips with the tip of his finger. They quivered apart, wanting, seeking, ready to accept. But his finger trailed down the length of her neck, between her breasts. He skimmed the smooth skin of her thigh with his knuckles. Her fists tightened around the comforter. Her legs twitched. Each touch was brief, and yet, it was enough to have her quivering. He traced a heart over her breast and a line down her panties.

  A soft moan floated out of Beth’s throat. He looked up to see her biting her bottom lip. Deciding to change the game, to heighten her reaction, he laid his lips on her ankle. He kissed his way up to her knee, skipped her thigh, and planted kisses up her torso.

  Straddling her hips, he untangled her fingers from the comforter. He laced his fingers with hers and kissed her knuckles. As he bent over her, he lifted her arms above her head. With her hands caught in his, he hovered over her lips. They were parted as her breath escaped between them. He rubbed his mouth over hers. Her fingers contracted on his.

  With a smile, he nipped her bottom lip. Her hips elevated, bumping into him. He licked the inside of her lips. At the lightest contact, her mouth opened for him. He slipped his tongue into her mouth, meeting hers. Their kiss was greedy and roaring with passion. Her fingers unknotted from his and grasped his shirt.

  “If you know what’s good for you,” she panted. “You’ll take off this blindfold and let me rip off your clothes.”

  Laughter rumbled up his throat. He tugged off the blindfold. “Hey.”

  “Hey.” She shuddered beneath him a moment before she yanked the shirt off his body and started to work on his belt. Once their remaining clothes were gone, she pushed his back onto the bed. Seeing her looking down at him, her hair mused, her eyes gleaming, made him want her even more.

  She rose over him and paused to look into his eyes.

  His hands molded over her hips, but she didn’t move. The way she watched him, without a scrap of fabric on her body, succeeded in making him harder. Her hands flexed on his shoulders, and his hips contracted.

  “Beth.” His voice was an impatient groan. How could she be so still when he knew her body was yearning for him as much as his body craved hers?

  A smile formed on her flushed lips. She sank onto him.

  As he moved with her, he realized she had waited for him to say her name, to show he was as undone by her as he had made her.

  Mission accomplished.

  ****

  For two days, they did little that didn’t involve being locked inside their suite with the “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door. But on the third day, Donovan took Beth to the beach. They rented surfboards and went to Waikiki. Kneeling on the white sand, Donovan rubbed a bar of sex wax onto the surface of his board. Across from him, Beth had her surfboard on her lap. Her ponytail had fallen off her shoulder while she worked her arm in circles. She wore red board shorts and a black, long-sleeved surf top to protect her arms. She never looked sexier.

  “If it gets too rough for you out there, come in,” he said.

  She lifted her head and squinted her eyes against the sun. “I know, Donovan. I’ve promised you about ten times I won’t get crazy out there. I won’t take any wave that’s too big for me. I’ll be careful.”

  He nodded. He had to trust her to know how to handle herself on the water. For a year, he had been teaching her everything he knew. He turned his head to the waves in the distance. This would be a real test for them, though. Not everyone could surf the waves in Hawaii.

  “Watch out for the reef. It hurts like hell.”

  “That’s why I’ve got these nifty little shoes on. I’ll be okay.” She smiled at him and rose to her feet with the board under her arm. “Ready?”
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br />   They ran together to the shore, jumped onto their boards, and slid over the water.

  Side by side, they paddled out. When a wave blocked their path, they dove under it and broke the surface on the other side. Water sprayed Donovan’s back. His arms stroked through the water, pushing him and his board farther. On the way through the breakers, they had to dive under two more waves. Each time Donovan came up, he made sure Beth was beside him. Water coursed down her face. She sucked in a breath and surged on. Grinning, he pushed harder.

  When they made it past the cresting waves, he sat on his board. Beth pushed herself into a sitting position beside him. Her hands rested on the sides of her board, and her feet made gentle circles in the water. They caught their breath as they waited for the next set of waves to appear on the horizon.

  “The past few days have been amazing,” Beth said. “I can’t believe we’re going to be here for a whole month. We could surf every day.”

  Donovan laughed. He was glad she enjoyed surfing as much as he did. “I do have other activities in mind, but we’ll have plenty of surfing time.”

  She beamed at him. “Good.”

  He looked out at the water. It was strange to think they were halfway across the world, surfing in a different ocean. Beth had never been to Oahu, and although he had been indulging himself in her, he wanted to show her the island. He wanted their honeymoon to be memorable, in more than one way.

  A wave rose out of the water. He watched it as it moved toward them. From where they floated, it didn’t look too big. “Do you want to take the first one?”

  Beth glanced at him. “Really?”

  “Yes, really. Get going.”

  Without another word, Beth whipped her board around and started to paddle. The wave picked Donovan up and continued to follow Beth. When she charged it, his chest swelled with pride. Her form and speed were perfect. But then he noticed the wave grew taller than he had anticipated. Waves were unpredictable, and Beth had a beast on her tail. It lifted her up and when she stood, Donovan’s heart stopped. She could’ve let it slip beneath her, but she was making the drop.