Beneath the Surface (33 page)

EPILOGUE

12 Months Later

D
o you have any idea how difficult it is to ride a horse in a wedding dress?” Quinn called to her husband, who had been leading them through a narrow trail for the last hour. He pulled Marley around and waited for her and Jack to catch up, giving her a smile that was pure sin and promised he’d make it worth her trouble.

He snagged Jack’s reins and guided the stallion a step closer before bending over to whisper near her ear, “Do you have any idea how difficult it is to ride a horse with a hard-on?” His husky voice sent a shiver of anticipation rushing through her.

Quinn laughed at his plight. “You get zero pity. This was your idea, honeymooning in your cabin.”

“Are you kidding? It’s a fabulous idea. You, me, and nothing but nature for six long days and nights . . .” There it was, that smile again that sent tingles all the way to her garter belt. “After the media circus you’ve been through, and now that the EO trial is over, I want you all to myself—no lawyers, no reporters . . .”

“No courtrooms . . . It sounds heavenly.”

“Oh, sweetheart, I’m going to show you heaven,” he promised. “Come on, we’re almost there.”

With a gallant sweep of his arm, he indicated for her to lead the way. She didn’t know where she was going, but there was only one trail, so she stayed the course. She’d never been to his cabin before. He’d spoken of bringing her many times, but this year had been a roller coaster ride of highs and lows. She was encouraged to discover this week that the US government was putting together a Special Ops team to go into Haiti and vet out the traffickers.

Asher had been offered the job of leading the unit, but it would have required reinstatement into the USMC-MARSOC division. After much deliberation, he’d decided to officially retire from any further military service work in favor of helping his father run The Rabbit Hole. But Quinn knew the real reason he stayed—Asher refused to leave her. He told her he’d served his country for fourteen years; now it was his turn to have the life he’d always wanted, the family he’d dreamed of but never thought possible until he met her.

Another team was going in, and they were leaving next week. The soldier heading the operation was an old friend of Asher and Nikko’s—Gunnery Sergeant Hunter Gerrard. He was a highly decorated Special Forces officer and more than qualified to find those bastards and shut them down. The second part of their mission was a search and rescue. She prayed they’d find those girls alive and get them back to their families.

It wouldn’t be easy, but Quinn knew she needed to put this behind her. She’d done what she could to be the voice for those girls and to see justice served for her friend Emily. She was eager to start her new life with Asher. And that was exactly what this would be—their fresh start, a chance to get away from the distractions of the world and reconnect with each other.

“How much farther?” she asked over her shoulder, more than ready to get out of this saddle and then out of her dress. She was looking forward to Asher’s assistance.

“Just through those trees up ahead.”

As they entered the clearing, Quinn brought Jack to an abrupt halt. The sight of the small cabin nestled on a flat plane of meadow brought tears to her eyes. White gossamer and LED lights wrapped up the two log posts framing the archway. Large white bows decorated the porch railing, and hanging above the door was a sign reading
Just Married.

“You like it?” Asher asked, stopping beside her.

“Like it? I absolutely love it! Asher, it’s perfect . . .”

“You should see the inside.”

“I can’t wait!” This was quite possibly the most romantic thing Asher had ever done for her. He wasn’t a guy who got hung up on the little details, or so she’d thought. He was good to her—protective, considerate, and passionate, but he was also pragmatic, and not just a little hardheaded. Decorating a cabin in wedding blitz and bling was . . . swoon-worthy romantic.

“Now I know what you and Jaxson were up to when you were gone for so long yesterday.” What was an even bigger surprise was that he’d gotten his brother to help him with all this. Now Fisher? That she could see. But Jax? Definitely not the decorating type. But over the last year, she noticed the efforts Asher had made to mend his relationship with his twin brother. And they were growing close—as close as anyone would expect twins to be.

Asher gave her a lopsided grin that was sexy as hell as he led the horses over to the lean-to and hopped down. After removing Marley’s bridle and saddle, he opened the gate to let him inside. Turning to Quinn, he wrapped his hands around her waist and plucked her from the saddle. Before her cowboy boots could touch the grass, she was in his arms. His mouth came down on hers like she suspected he’d been wanting to do ever since the pastor said, “You may kiss the bride,” but out of respect for the church full of guests, their parents, and the pastor, their union-sealing kiss had been G-rated and chaste.

But there was nothing innocent about this kiss—it was full of wicked promise Quinn felt all the way to her toes. Asher’s tongue swept past her lips, taking his first taste of his wife. His throaty groan of approval rolled through her like an electric current, lighting up every one of her nerve endings. He tasted more intoxicating than the Crown Royal his brothers had passed between them at the head table. The whiskey’s sinful bite teased her senses as his tongue plundered and possessed, laying claim to what was now in the eyes of the law, and God—his.

A forceful nudge on his shoulder made him take a step forward, knocking Quinn off-balance. Her arms flew up around his neck, steadying herself. Her laughter rang out, echoing off the Rocky Mountains and infusing into the air. She felt the vitality of nature in a way that could only be described as magical.

“I think someone wants us to get a room,” she teased as Asher reluctantly let her go and quickly removed Jack’s bridle and saddle. He opened the gate one last time, and the large black stallion slipped into the pasture and began grazing next to Marley.

Turning toward Quinn, Asher swept her up into his arms. As he carried her to the cabin and up the steps to the threshold, he dipped his head and whispered huskily, “That was my thought exactly . . .”

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

First and foremost, I want to thank God for blessing me with the opportunity to pursue my passion. Many thanks to my wonderful editor, Melody Guy, and the amazing staff at Montlake for your dedication and commitment to Asher and Quinn’s story. To my agent, Nalini Akolekar, you’ve literally made my dreams come true overnight. I can never thank my fabulous critique group enough for all your hard work. Sally, Mikayla, Linda, John, and Lyanne, you make my stories shine, and I love you dearly! Last but certainly not least, I want to thank my wonderful family for your patience and continual support, for all the times you’ve heard “In a minute” or “Just a second” and patiently waited for me, knowing it was going to be at least another hour. I love you with all my heart!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Melynda Price is a multipublished author of contemporary and paranormal romance. She enjoys writing stories that make her readers fall in love—over and over again. Her greatest challenge as a writer is making the unbelievable believable, while taking her characters to the limit with tales full of passion and unique twists and turns. Salting stories with undertones of history whenever possible, Price strives to plant her characters so deep into her readers’ hearts that they will live on forever. She currently resides in Northern Minnesota with her husband and two children. On snow-filled days, she likes to curl up in front of the fireplace with her Chihuahua and a hot cup of coffee to write.