“Is this real life?” I beamed, twirling around and not believing where we were. It was surreal.
Avery tipped the guy, and after the steward left, he walked over to me. “Yes, baby, it is.”
I threw my arms around his neck. “This totally beats Disney.”
He grinned. “Yeah, I’d say so.”
I kissed him.
I kissed him hard.
I loved this man with everything in me. He was my prince, and I was his princess. I didn’t need the castle—even the one at Disney—to feel like I was living a fairytale because I was. Together we’d build our own empire. It may be just him and me forever, or we might someday have the family we both wanted. Time would tell. We had the rest of our lives.
“While I want to test out the bed in the next room, I read that we need to go get our tender tickets early for the private island,” Avery stated against my lips.
I pulled back. “What else can we do there?”
“Tan, swim, snorkel, jet ski. Let’s go see.”
We left our cabin and went in search of the excursion booth. Once we found it, we grabbed our passes for the private island, and we booked a swim with pigs.
Yes, pigs.
I’d seen it on TV, but I never thought I’d be in the Caribbean swimming with pigs myself. The swim would only last for a fraction of the time, and Avery and I decided the rest of the time we’d soak up some sun and just enjoy the private island. Like on the cruise, all the food would be included. What more could I ask for? In Jamaica, we’d zip-line and take in the historic town. In the Grand Caymans, we’d swim with stingrays. Since we weren’t going to be long in Cozumel before taking the trip back to Florida, we decided to play it by ear. Plus, the ship had so much to offer, including an Aqua Park with five multi-story waterslides, shows, the spa, a rock wall to climb, miniature golf and so much more. We could also walk the plank while doing a ropes course, which I had to admit sounded scary. Of course, we’d be strapped to a harness and couldn’t fall in, but it was high up and made my heart race a little as I thought about doing it.
By the time we made it back to our room, our bags had been delivered, the ship had left Florida, and it was time to get ready for our scheduled dinner time. “You know, we could skip dinner and just go to dessert.” Avery wiggled his eyebrows at me suggestively.
I chuckled. “We have all day at sea tomorrow. I’m sure a lot of that time will be spent right there.” I pointed at the king-size bed.
He wrapped me in his arms. “Maybe I should have booked us a cabin in the snow and made it so we were snowed in for a week.”
I shook my head slightly and laughed. “First of all, you can’t just make us get snowed in. Second of all, we have snow at home. I need a tan.”
“You going to tan naked on our balcony?” He smirked.
I looked over at it. It was secluded as far as I could tell, especially when we were in the middle of the ocean. “Maybe.” I bit my lip.
He groaned, looking at my mouth. I knew biting my lip turned him on. “Then I don’t think you’ll get much of a tan.”
“There’s always the upper deck.”
“No, no. You can lay out there naked.” Avery pointed at our balcony. “I’ll just enjoy the view.”
A slow smile spread across my face. “Or you could join me, and we could kill two birds with one stone.”
He grinned. “Now that sounds like a plan.”
The ship pulled into the port at eight the next morning, and a tender boat took us from the ship to the island. The sun was already hot as our feet hit the exclusive property, and it was what I’d always imagined an island would look like. Palm trees were everywhere, and white, sandy beaches butted against turquoise water. It was heaven. Avery and I stopped to take a picture near a giant rock that had the island’s name on it before we took a speedboat to a different island to swim with the pigs. We were led up a wooden dock to tables where we had to listen to a safety briefing. Apparently, pigs were smarter than dogs—I had no idea. But the instructor stated as such, reminding us that pigs have hard hooves and we have soft feet and to be careful while feeding them because they might step on our feet and it would hurt.
“Excited?” Avery asked as we started to walk toward the sand. We’d stripped down to our swimsuits and put our belongings into a locker.
“Um, yeah. How could I not be? Who would have ever thought that we’d be in the Bahamas swimming with and feeding pigs? This is amazing.”
He grinned. “It is pretty cool, huh?”
I opened my mouth to respond, but stopped when I saw a giant pink pig walking toward us. It was clear that these animals were used to people swimming with them and feeding them chunks of apples on a stick. The pig sniffed me as we stopped walking and then looked up at me and smiled.
I blinked. “Is the pig smiling at us?”
“He’s smiling at you,” Avery corrected.
I reached down to rub the pig’s head. He was soft and hairy and adorable. “Great, now I want a pig.”
Avery laughed. “You want to get a pig? Where would he live?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know, but look how cute he is.” The pig rolled over and I kneeled, rubbing his belly. “They’re apparently smarter than dogs. I bet we could potty train it.”
“We don’t live on a farm, Nic.”
“Haven’t you ever heard of teacup pigs?”
“They don’t stay that size forever.”
“Sure they do.”
Avery chuckled and rolled his eyes. “No, they don’t.”
“Then why are they called teacup pigs?”
“False advertisement. Once they grow, it’s too late to return them.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
“Wow, I never knew that.”
“Come on, wifey. Let’s get your piggy fill here.” I fed the cute pig a few pieces of apple and then stood.
Avery and I walked out into the crystal blue water. We fed the pigs until it was time to go, and then we took a speedboat back to the private island where we feasted on tacos and margaritas, and soaked up the sun.
Exactly how a honeymoon should be.
The following morning, the ship was already on its way to our next destination, and Avery and I ordered room service instead of going to the dining room for breakfast. Even though there was so much to do on the boat, I wanted to spend the day in bed with my husband, or at least live out the plan of sex on the balcony since we were surrounded by nothing except water. Today was a day at sea while we made our way to Jamaica, and what better way to spend a day at sea than relaxing.
I stepped out of the bathroom naked. Instead of crawling back into bed where Avery lay watching TV, I opened the glass balcony door and stepped outside. The fresh sea air engulfed me, the breeze sending a slight chill across my skin. Having a balcony was so much better than the little round window Brooke and I’d had in our room.
The ocean was dark blue for as far as I could see. I peered to my right and then my left, checking to see if I could see the balconies next to me. I couldn’t, so I leaned against the railing—with a Plexiglas bottom across the entire length of the balcony—and waited for my husband to take the hint. I knew it wouldn’t take him long. I’d felt his eyes on me the entire time from when I’d walked out of the bathroom and out the sliding door. I was right. A few moments later a strong, naked body wrapped around me from the back and nuzzled my neck.
“What do you see?” Avery asked.
“Water. The sun.”
“You know what I see?”
I swallowed. “What?”
He rested his chin on my bare shoulder as he spoke. “My beautiful wife, my partner, my future. I see the sun, the moon, and the stars. I see the one I was meant to be with. The one who makes me happy. The one I’d do anything for. My one. My one and only. My one I’ll spend forever with.”
I’d always known Avery to be a hopeless romantic. He had a way with words, and that was one of the reasons I l
oved him. Every woman wanted romance, and my husband didn’t have to work to try and do it for me. He just did.
Avery started to kiss down the slope of my neck, sending shivers through me once again, only this time it wasn’t from the ocean breeze. It was from his lips brushing lightly over my skin as he made his way down the curve of my back. I heard the legs of the chair drag on the deck as he sat, and I stepped back, not breaking the contact of his mouth against me. He continued his kisses along the curve of my ass, to each butt cheek, and then he spread them, and the breeze whispered across the place that never got sun. The moment his tongue hit the puckered ring, I sucked in a breath. I’d never had anyone pleasure the tight muscle before, but it felt good. Really good.
“Oh, god,” I moaned as his tongue flicked around the area.
“You like that?”
“Yes,” I panted, and Avery returned his mouth to my ass, squeezing my butt cheeks as his tongue worked the darkened ring.
I placed my hands on the small table beside the chair, balancing myself and giving him a better angle. I didn’t know what was going to come next, but I was all for it. I was putty in his hands, and I wanted all the pleasure my husband was willing to give me. He started to stroke my pussy, slipping a few fingers inside of me as he continued to work the tight muscle.
“Jesus, baby. This is turning you on.” It wasn’t a question. I knew he could tell by the amount of arousal building between my legs.
I squirmed. “More,” I breathed. I needed more to find that release. More tongue. More fingers. More. More. More.
Avery took the fingers that had been working inside of me and pressed one against my tight hole. I bucked, not sure I was ready but also burning at the same time. “You want this?” he asked.
I hesitated, still not sure. Then, I went with it. “Yes,” I panted.
He coated his finger again with my arousal and then returned it to my ass, pressing slightly on the tight muscle. I looked out at the vast ocean, feeling as though we were the only ones for miles. I knew we had neighbors on either side of us because we’d heard them coming and going a few times over the last couple of days. But at that moment, I didn’t care if they could hear Avery and me. All I cared about was the pleasure building in my core as my husband slowly inched his finger inside at the same time he worked my clit with his other hand. Each push of his finger into my ass, along with each circle of his finger on my clit, brought me closer and closer to finding my release. Once his finger was all the way in, he began moving it in and out, the pleasure building faster and stronger as though there were a thousand nerves in my body all receiving pleasure at the same time. As though every cell in my body became alive.
“Oh, God,” I moaned again.
“Fuck, this is the hottest thing I’ve ever seen,” Avery admitted. “I want to see my dick stretching your asshole while I fuck you from behind.”
I swallowed. I wanted that too. Before that moment, I’d never really thought about it. I’d read about it, and talked with friends who had done anal, but I was satisfied with every position Avery and I had tried.
Until now.
Now, my body was craving to be filled more. To know what it would feel like with my husband’s cock in me. Stretching and filling me completely.
“We can save that for another day,” Avery went on. “I’m so fucking hard right now; I need to be inside of you.”
“Yes,” I agreed, still panting as he worked my ass with his finger.
The hand that was rubbing my clit stopped, and Avery lifted me upright, his arm across my breasts and my back facing his chest. He guided me back onto his lap and nudged his cock against my pussy, and I rose slightly before sinking down onto him. His finger was still inside of my tight hole. Never had I been filled in both holes until now. And I was enjoying it. My body was on fire.
Once his cock was in to the hilt, I started to ride him backward, bracing myself on the table again and lifting up and down on his shaft while he continued to use his finger inside me to make me moan. Pleasure coursed through my body, the ecstasy building and building with each drive.
“Fuck,” he groaned.
Reaching with my hand, I started to rub my clit, causing a shot of pleasure to vibrate through me instantly.
“I’m gonna come,” I panted.
Avery groaned again, and I picked up my speed, driving onto his dick faster and faster until I climaxed. I cried out, still not caring if the neighbors were there, or if they could hear us. All I knew was I’d just had the best fucking orgasm of my life. My body pulsed, twitched, and my legs shook, riding out the wave I was on. A few moments later, Avery removed his finger from my ass, held me against him and filled me with his cum. He kissed my bare back, and I sighed, happy and satisfied.
“Think the neighbors heard?” Avery asked as he leaned his cheek against my back.
I shrugged. “If they did, they’re probably jealous.”
I felt him smile against my back. “Hell yeah, they are.”
Our honeymoon was flawless. And when we returned home and back to our day-to-day routines, our married life was impeccable because I had the best husband a girl could ask for.
Twenty Months Later …
A lot had happened since we got married.
Our honeymoon was amazing and everything I’d imagined it to be. Nic and I both got good tans, spent a lot of time naked, and were in wedded bliss.
As soon as we were back in New York, I’d decided to give my parents a final call, to offer them one last chance to be in my life. After my mother’s voicemail beeped, I’d left her a message. “This is your son. You remember me, right? The one you gave birth to? The one you made sure didn’t die before I could fend for myself? The one you sent off to college? The one who owns a successful bar? Oh and”—I’d chuckled—“the one who got married about a week ago? Thanks for showing up, by the way. I truly appreciate it.” I’d paused. “You know what? I don’t appreciate it. It fucking hurts, Mom. I’d understand if I was a felon or some shit, but I’m a good man, and I married a good woman. It breaks my heart that you don’t want to meet her. She’s a nurse and takes care of people for a living. It’s in her soul to take care of people. Actually”—I’d sighed—“forget it. I don’t need to explain my life to you since you don’t want any part of it.”
I’d hung up without saying goodbye, and made a promise to myself that I’d never call them again.
Getting back into the routine, I’d met Easton at the gym before heading into Halo that following Monday. “Hey,” Easton had greeted as he came into the locker room.
“Hey.” I’d smiled at him.
“So, how was it?”
My grin had widened. “Amazing.”
“Yeah?”
“Well, besides the fact that Nic wants a pig now.”
Easton had slammed his locker shut. “A pig?”
I’d shook my head, and we started to walk out of the locker room. “Yeah. We went swimming with pigs in the Bahamas, and now she wants a fucking teacup pig or some shit.”
“Are you going to get her one?”
“Fuck no. If I get her a pig, she’ll want a goat, and before I know it, we’re living upstate in a fucking barn.”
Easton had chuckled. “Ah. The married life.”
We’d stepped onto two treadmills next to each other. “Yeah, you’re next.”
“Shit. I’m not taking Brooke to the Caribbean. She’ll want a farm.”
“No?” We both sped up our machines. “Where are you planning on going?”
“I’m thinking Paris.”
“France?” I questioned.
“No, Texas.” He’d given me a side eye as we’d started to jog to warm up. “Yes. France.”
“Damn. That’s gonna be sweet.”
“Yeah.” He’d smiled. “I figured I couldn’t do a cruise since you did one, and while Hawaii is alluring, I thought to myself, this is Brooke. This is the woman who had a fucking tumor and who has never been treated like a queen.
Figured I’d take her to see all that Paris has to offer. Stuff ourselves with pastries and wine and shit.”
“Yeah, sounds amazing. But first, we have to have your bachelor party.”
Easton had looked over at me. “And what do you have planned?”
I’d grinned. “I’m not telling you, and you know I can keep a secret.”
Easton had known about the cruise since the week after I’d proposed to Nic. I’d held that secret for months. At the time, I had no idea what we would be doing for his bachelor party. Back in the day, Easton and I used to shoot pool to have fun, so I’d thought we could have a low-key bachelor party for him like I’d had for mine. We were in our thirties. Getting drunk and dancing with random chicks just wasn’t our thing anymore. Little did we know, that night of pool would become known as the night we were almost scammed by a pool shark. That shit was crazy.
Over the last several months, I still hadn’t heard from my parents. Christmas had come and gone, birthdays, and my and Nic’s one-year anniversary, but no call.
Fuck. Them.
My wife, Easton, his parents, Brooke, and Cheyenne were my family. If my blood family didn’t want to acknowledge me, then I would focus on the people who actually wanted me in their lives.
Nic and I had decided to put starting a family on the back burner for now. We wanted to enjoy married life, and she’d stay on birth control. If she got pregnant again, it was meant to be.
Easton and Brooke got married and went off to Paris as Easton had planned. Halo was booming. Even my man Gary seemed happier, and I thought that had to do with Brooke’s sister, Bailee. Both of them denied having any sort of relationship, and Bailee was living in Boston. Even Cheyenne was excited about starting high school and hoping to make the varsity softball team.
The Halo Series Boxed Set Page 83