Beyond Promise (27 page)

His hands ran up my spine, slowly tugging on
the zipper of my dress. I felt the tightness ease as the zipper
sank lower, and the gown dropped to the floor. My breath caught as
I watched his gaze canvas my body as if it were the first time he
saw me naked. He quickly threw his jacket on the bed. I slowly
unbuttoned his shirt and slid it off his shoulders. My tongue
tasted his shoulders, chest, and stomach before I began unbuttoning
his pants.

He sucked in a deep breath as my hands
fumbled with his pants, grazing him, as I slipped his boxers down.
His hands slipped around my wrists, and he pulled me to the bed
with him. The calmness we both tried to exude quickly slipping away
as our bodies tangled with one another.

He caught my lip softly between his teeth as
his fingers ran through my hair. Ayden slipped his mouth lower as
his hands slid my lace panties to the side. I sucked in a deep
breath as his hands slid down between my thighs. I clutched my
nails into his shoulders, his fingers controlling my every
whim.

“Ayden, please,” I almost whimpered, the
playfulness trading for pure want and profound desire.

“Please what?”

I opened my eyes. His gaze was steadied on
mine as he drove his finger deeper, commanding something from me
that we both needed.

“Deeper,” I moaned, his lips curling into
the expression I adored.

He moved his body over mine, kissing me
along the way. His mouth traced along my throat as he moved into
me, filling me with a sensation that immediately heated me all the
way through.

His body rocked harder into mine, and my
craving only intensified. An almost helpless noise escaped my lips
as my mind and body succumbed to the pleasure flowing through my
limbs.

Ayden drove himself into me, and my fingers
clutched into him. Tilting my hips slightly as his eyes locked on
mine brought an explosion of sensation to us both. His body tensed
and breathing quickened as we shared the overpowering awareness
running between our bodies. The pleasure surged through my body in
endless waves as I watched Ayden’s strong body thrust into me and
spin my love into a utopian existence for only us to share. I
succumbed to every part of Ayden as my body arched, and he held me
in his embrace. I licked my lips, feeling the sensation of where
his mouth rested only seconds before.

“Amazing,” I whispered.

He propped himself on his elbows, tucking a
smile behind his gaze.

“I guess you were right,” he confessed.

“About what in particular?” He slid his
finger along my jaw as his gaze stayed fastened to mine. His mere
touch made me lightheaded as I imagined the world I’d been blessed
with, the man I’d been blessed with.

“About waiting.”

“Pretty spectacular.”

“But nothing I want to practice often.”

“I don’t think I could ever hold out again.
It was pure torture.”

“Torture?” His brow arched.

I nodded and he rolled off, admiring me as
he stood up and tugged on the sheet, wrapping it around him.

“Do you know you always make me feel
amazing?” I asked.

“How so?”

I shrugged, still staying in bed. “Not sure.
I guess it’s the little things.”

He walked to the hotel door and slid the
chain. Turning off the lights, he made his way back to the bed and
crawled in beside me.

“Get enough little things and they add up to
the big things.” He ran his hand along the length of my body, and a
wave of shivers ran through me.

“I love you, Ayden. I loved you even before
my mind caught up to my heart, and I never want you to leave my
side.”

“I love you, Lily Rhodes.”

“I’m right here, and I always will be,” he
murmured, as we drifted to sleep like an old, married couple.

Lying on the beach, feeling dynamite in my
red swimsuit, I heard some teenager behind me whisper, “Is she
pregnant or just fat?”

I sat up in my chaise and turned to face the
troublemakers.

“The answer is yes, I’m pregnant, and see
that guy out there on the paddleboard? He’s my husband and he’s an
ex-fighter. Undefeated, actually.”

“Sorry, lady. We were only kidding.”

I narrowed my eyes at these two and realized
they were older than I thought, probably just out of high school,
maybe in college already.

“And do tell me what part is the funny part
if I didn’t happen to be pregnant? Do you think that’s very kind?
Did your parents forget to teach you manners on the way to
Bermuda?”

“No ma’am,” they replied.

“Word to the wise. Even if you’re positive a
woman is pregnant and might even give birth in front of you, keep
your mouth shut. You wouldn’t like it if I pointed out your
undeveloped bodies to the world. Oops. Just did.”

“Hey, girl,” Gabby said, running up behind
me from the water. “Trying to pick up men already?”

“Boys,” I corrected. “They couldn’t handle a
woman on their best day.”

The two guys stood up and apologized once
more before trudging down the beach. I dusted my hands off and
leaned back on my chaise. Tori was in the chaise in front of me and
turned around, giving me a thumbs up sign.

“What was that all about?” Gabby asked.

“Just trying to teach our youth some lessons
to live by.”

“Youth? They’re like in college.”

“And just think how much we’ve learned since
then, I thought I’d speed up the process.” I slathered more suntan
lotion on my belly and chest and slid my sunglasses on.

She chuckled and shook her head. “Why do I
think there’s more to that story.”

“Because there always is. So how was the
water?”

“I think you should at least get in to your
ankles.”

“We’ll see.”

“Do you know what I just realized?”

“What’s that?”

“With our weddings so close together, we’ll
be able to throw anniversary parties together. Can you imagine what
our twentieth will look like?”

A shiver ran through me. “Our daughter will
be in college,” I almost whispered.

“Crazy, isn’t?”

“It is.”

“Can I confess something?” Gabby asked,
sliding into the chaise next to me.

“Please do.”

“I almost envy Brandy’s method of getting
the deed done.”

“Are you serious?” I asked.

“Kind of. On one hand, I can’t wait to have
a big wedding. On the other, I’m dreading the headache.”

I reached over and grabbed her hand. “With
Carla in charge, there will be no headache, and Brandy and I will
be there every step of the way.”

My eyes connected with Gabby’s and a huge
grin was plastered on her face. “I. Can’t. Believe. I’m. Getting.
Married.”

I let out a squeal of delight. “You know the
feeling of excitement you have right now?”

She nodded.

“It doesn’t even come close to the level of
excitement on the big day. I’m still on a high.”

“Speaking of which.” Gabby spotted the
server and signaled she was ready for a drink. “I’m absolutely
parched.”

“I’m sure something with rum is in
order.”

“Absolutely.” She ordered her drink and I
ordered a tea. “By the way, you look stunning in that suit.”

I furrowed my brows and let out a sigh.
“Thanks. I needed to hear that.”

“It’s the truth.”

And I believed it. After all, that was what
friends were for: telling the truth and shaping our view of the
world.

Brandy bounded up with a plate full of
nachos. “This is the best breakfast ever.”

“Rum for a breakfast drink and nachos for
breakfast,” I joked. “How are we ever going to function in the real
world again.”

“I was wondering the very same thing,”
Brandy said, finding a spot to sit at the end of my chaise.

“Do you realize what a whirlwind the last
couple of years have been?” Gabby sighed. “Especially the last
year.”

I rubbed my belly again. “And something
tells me the fun is only beginning.”

Brandy crunched on a cheesy chip and glanced
out toward the water. “We’ve got something pretty special.”

“We do,” Gabby agreed.

Tori stole a chip from Brandy’s plate.

“I was wondering…” I stopped myself.

“What?” Gabby prompted.

“Nah.”

“Come on. Don’t leave us hanging,” Brandy
demanded.

Tori lifted her head up and looked
perplexed.

“Moi? Leave you hanging?” I teased. “What if
we set up Emily?”

My eyes widened in anticipation.

“As well as that worked for you with
Austin?” Brandy shook her head.

“I’m not touching that with a ten-foot pole.
No. Way. No. How,” Gabby echoed.

“And look at where that amazing plan led,” I
pointed out. “I married the man of my dreams and I’m with
child.”

“With child?” Gabby snorted. “The Madame is
with child. Let her rest.”

I grinned. “Seriously, guys. I think Emily
could use a little GBL magic.”

“What in the world is GBL magic?” Tori
furrowed her brow. “Oh, I get it. Gabby, Brandy, Lily,”

“The teacher strikes again.”

Tori began rubbing the sunblock on her fair
skin. “It’s the heat. I don’t function like others in the sunlight.
I prefer darkness.”

“A vamp,” Gabby cooed and Tori giggled.

“Seriously, I don’t know about this idea. I
learned my lesson.” Gabby shook her head. “Look at what a creep
Austin turned out to be, and we’ve all run out of brothers.”

A hearty laughed escaped and my sunglasses
fell to the sand.

“You’re missing the point. We’re on a white,
sandy beach in the middle of the Caribbean. Not because you chose
the right person for me, but because you let me stumble around the
idea of love on my own terms. All I’m saying is that I think we
need to be on the lookout. If we spot someone hot and with a good
heart—”

“Maybe we should reverse the order on that,”
Gabby interjected.

“Tomatooo…Tamatoh.”

“I get where you’re coming from, and even
though I retired from the matchmaking process, maybe I’ll keep an
eye out.”

Brandy raised her shoulders. “Couldn’t
hurt.”

Our waiter brought our drinks over and I
sipped on my tea.

“Exactly. A little GBL magic couldn’t hurt,”
Brandy agreed. “But this goes no further than us. We don’t want the
guys to get wind of it.”

“Let the fun begin,” Gabby gushed, sliding
her legs onto the chaise. Brandy stood up and found a trashcan for
her empty nacho plate and slogged back to the chaise next to
me.

“This is a tough life,” Brandy said,
dropping onto her chaise.

“Isn’t it?” I agreed.

“I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Gabby
said.

“Me neither,” Tori whispered, her eyes
closing.

My head lolled to the side as my body
relaxed, and I watched Ayden paddle past the boundaries toward the
open sea.

Of course he did.

Why wouldn’t he?

Mason was paddling right behind him as was
Aaron and Jason, and I shook my head.

There was no taming these men.

And I’d never dream of it.

THE END

(Almost)

BEYOND the MISTLETOE ~ Holidays 2015

I hope you enjoyed the sixth book in the
Beyond Love Series. As a special thank you to all the loyal readers
of this series and to commemorate the series end, I’ll be releasing
a holiday Beyond Love book, “Beyond the Mistletoe”. In addition to
reading about Gabby, Lily, and Brandy, we’ll get to experience
Emily’s journey to her Happily Ever After, and I’ll also be
including a special bonus novella of Gabby’s wedding in “Beyond the
Mistletoe”.

Don’t forget you can follow all your
favorite characters in the Island County Series, which is a
crossover series. Haven’t read how Mason and Tori got together?
Check it out in “Finding Love in Forgotten Cove”! Again, thank you
all for reading my stories. I hope they provide you with as much
happiness as they give me.