Beyond the Orange Moon (Mathews Family Book 2) (32 page)

After a few moments, he kissed her back as he gently guided her down to the bed and collapsed beside her. They turned to face one another, breathless and full of quiet laughter.
 

He pushed the long hair from her face and smiled tenderly as his chest rose and fell with each deep breath. “You, Lucy Marina Dalton, are the sexiest woman alive.”

Lying on her side, Lucy ran a finger over his abs and loved the way they flexed beneath her touch. “You kept your jeans on,” she said with a smile.
 

“You told me to,” he reminded her.
 

Lucy untied the side of her bustier and pulled the lace from her body. She slipped off her stilettos and rolled each thigh-high down, until she was completely naked. She sat up, stretching out her arms, and flashed a grin at him when she saw that he was watching her.
 

“Jacuzzi?” she asked with a wink.
 

Charlie nodded slowly. “Yes, as long as you stay just like that,” he answered with a smile. “No more clothes for the rest of the day.”

They pulled themselves from the bed and grabbed two towels before heading to the Jacuzzi out back. It was private, behind trees and a wall that secluded them from anyone walking along the shore, but it still gave them a beautiful view of the sparkling water.
 

“The sun’s going to set soon.” Charlie removed his jeans and boxer briefs. He slid into the hot water. “You’ve never seen a sunset like this, baby.”
 

“Better than home?” Lucy asked.
 

“No,” Charlie said, and extended his hand for her to climb in. “It’s just different.”

Once she was submerged in the steaming tub, she glided through the warm water to Charlie. She slid into his arms and sat on his lap, pressing against him. She leaned her head back against his wet chest and sighed when he ran his hands over her skin.
 

“This feels glorious,” she said.

He bowed his head and kissed her temple. “When we touch, everything is glorious.”

“I meant the water, but yeah, that, too,” she joked.
 

“Funny,” he said, and pinched her side.
 

“Ow!” she cried out, laughing.

He massaged her skin and soothed the ache. “Sorry.”
 

“I liked it,” she said, and grabbed his hand to urge him on.
 

The rumble of his chest vibrated behind her head as he laughed. He squeezed her tighter and pulled her wet body up so he could lick her ear. “When the sun sets, I’m going to make love to you again.”

“C’mon sun,” she teased.
 

“It’ll go down behind those trees way out there,” Charlie said, and pointed to the west.
 

Lucy looked out over the water and sighed at the beauty before her. The puffy clouds filled the sky with brilliant colors of white, blue, and gray. Off in the distance, above the orange sun and treetops, the pink sky touched the clouds and blended to the point where it was difficult to tell where one ended and the other began. Beneath the sky, the blue water of the bay shimmered and mirrored the beautiful scene above. He was right; it was different from a Phoenix sunset. The mountains always made the perfect backdrop for such a sight, but the glistening water of Lake Michigan only added to the effect.
 

She closed her eyes and let the sounds of the bay take over her senses. Over the whirr and bubbling jets of the hot tub, the waves and the seagulls along the shore blended with the hum of the boats that came in and out of the bay. She could feel the rise and fall of Charlie’s deep breaths, making her realize that they were in perfect sync with one another.
 

“There it goes,” he whispered in her ear.
 

Lucy opened her eyes and watched the top of the sun vanish behind the trees, leaving behind swathes of pink that stretched into the clouds as if they had been hand painted there. It was nature in all of its glory and she was witnessing it with the most perfect human being behind her.
 

It was, without a doubt, the most thrilling moment of her life.
 

“That was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” she said quietly. “The sounds, the water, the sky … I can’t believe how gorgeous the world can be.”

Charlie nuzzled the wet skin of her shoulder. “You have to be with the right person to appreciate that kind of beauty,” he said, and kissed her neck.
 

Lucy hummed as she sighed and closed her eyes. From the top of her head to the tips of her toes, she was in tune with every movement his mouth made.
 

“Lucy?”
 

“Hmm?”

“Move in with me.” It wasn’t so much a demand as it was a question. “If you’re uncomfortable, I’ll buy another house for us. Just live with me. Fall asleep in my arms every night and wake up in them each morning. Just don’t leave.”

She sucked in a breath and held it, replaying the last twenty seconds in her head over and over until she couldn’t stand it anymore. She let out the breath she had been holding and listened to the sound of her own heartbeat.
 

He pushed her wet hair to the side and rested his chin on her shoulder. “Is this too fast for you?”

“No. I mean, isn’t it too fast for you?” she asked.
 

Charlie pressed his forehead against her cheek. “I wouldn’t ask if it was.”

She gripped his roaming hands and looked out at the sky again. The colors had nearly disappeared with the sun. All that remained in the dark blue were slivers of pink and red just above the tree line.
 

“Lucy?” Charlie breathed. “A simple yes or no would be great.”

“I just don’t want you to do anything that you might regret, Charlie. It wouldn’t be just you who I would be starting a life with. What if you change your mind? It would be really hard to lose two people.”

“Wait, what?” He gripped her hips and spun her around in the water until she was facing him. He pulled her closer and wrapped her legs around his hips. “Why would you lose us?”

To give herself time to answer, she hung onto his neck and dipped her hair all the way back into the warm, bubbling water. When she raised her head she found his eyes on hers.
 

“I love you,” he said with curious eyes. “We’re only going forward, right?”

“Yes,” she answered. “That’s the plan, anyway.”

“I know we haven’t been together long, but I’m in. I love everything about you, Lucy.” He pulled her in for a kiss before pulling back and smiling. “Unless there’s some big secret you’re hiding, I think I know just about everything I need to know.”
 

Lucy wiped at a tear that she hoped blended with the water on her face.
 

“Do you need time to think about it?” he asked sweetly. “My mind is made up, so just tell me when you’re ready and I’ll be waiting.”

Lucy nodded quickly and tried to conceal another tear. “I love you,” she whispered, and kissed his lips.
 

She ran her hand through his wet hair and tried to capture the moment, etching it in her mind until the time came when she wouldn’t have the real thing to hold onto. As the time raced on in their happy little existence, she couldn’t escape the feeling that her days with him were numbered.
 

And it killed her.

* * *

The next morning, after oversleeping, Charlie and Lucy both raced around to gather their belongings and close up the cottage. They had only a few hours to pick up Jackson and catch their flight.
 

For Charlie, the weekend had gone by in a flash. He was ready to have his son back, but he could’ve kicked himself for wasting the first night with Lucy. They’d made up for it Saturday night about six times. It was romantic and everything he thought she needed to forgive him. So, why was she so reluctant to move in with them?

He couldn’t wrap his head around it.
 

“Oh, God!” she cried out when they pulled up to the Monroe’s condo.
 

Startled, Charlie looked at her, smiling a little when she covered her mouth. He raised his eyebrows.
 

“The G-string—I left the G-string at the cottage!”

Charlie roared with laughter. He thought about the tiny black underwear made of string and grinned even wider. “Well, we put it to good use, I guess.”

“It’s not funny, Charlie. The people who own that cottage are going to be appalled. We’re never staying there again.”

“Baby, it’s not like we’re ever going to see them again.”

“They’re going to know that we had sex in every room of that cottage and call in for it to be fumigated or something. We’re going to be blacklisted from all rentals in Michigan.”
 

Charlie had to look away to hide the look on his face. Jesus, she was so cute when she was irrational. “I think we might be overreacting just a little bit.”

“That’s so embarrassing.” She crossed her arms and looked out the window.
 

Charlie pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. “No, it’s not. I’m sure they get a lot of tourists who are in love, like we are. I’m sure it’s not the worst thing that’s ever been left behind.”

She gave him an adorable look and her cheeks flushed. “I’ll have to buy more now.”

He ran a hand through her soft hair and said, “Please tell me you remembered the outfit, though. I want to see you in that again.”

Cupping his cheeks with her hands, she laughed and drew his mouth to hers. “Of course I remembered that,” she said, and pressed her plump lips to his.
 

He held onto her as she pushed her tongue into his mouth and slid it against his. “We have such a long trip ahead of us,” he said against her lips. “I should’ve found a way to be inside you this morning.”

“Speaking of the trip,” she said with a groan, “we need to go inside and get Jack.”

They got out of the car and headed toward the porch. Feeling eyes on him, Charlie snuck a glance up at the balcony above them and his chest tightened at the sight of Tom Monroe.
 

“Tom,” Charlie said with a polite nod. He was well aware that Tom had been watching them in the car.
 

Tom took a long sip from his mug and then flashed an arrogant smile. “Being disrespectful as usual, I see. Young lady, are you aware that my daughter is his dead wife? Do you think I want to see that little display you just put on?”

Lucy froze next to Charlie. He grabbed at her hand and tried to reassure her with his grasp. “I should wait in the car,” she said, looking worried. “I don’t want to upset him more.”

“No.” Charlie tugged on her arm. “I love you and that’s it. You go where I go.”

“Charlie, no,” she said, shaking her head. “I don’t want him to do this in front of Jack. Let me wait in the car.”

The front door opened and Marie came out holding Jackson in her arms. “Da-yee, Bee!” he said, and waved both hands excitedly.
 

Charlie pulled on Lucy’s hand and stepped up to the porch. “Hey, buddy!” he said, and took Jackson out of Marie’s arms.
 

Lucy ran a hand through Jackson’s hair and gave him a little smile. “Did you have fun, Jack?”

Charlie snuck a look at Marie. She looked a bit happier since her time with Jackson. The dark circles that usually shadowed her eyes were absent; she actually looked at peace.
 

“Oh, he had lots of fun,” Marie said, and looked up at the balcony nervously. “He played in the sand and Grandpa took him on a walk. His bag is all packed and ready to go.”

Even Marie could sense the blowout coming when Tom finally appeared behind her. The lines of her mouth went straight and she tensed when Tom said, “I put a picture of my daughter in Jackson’s backpack.”

Charlie handed Jackson to Lucy, and said, “Take him to the car, please.”

He watched as Lucy and Jackson made it to the car. She didn’t have the car seat yet, so she just got in the front seat and closed the door with Jackson nestled in her lap.
 

Charlie turned his attention back to Tom. “His room is filled with pictures of his mother, but thank you. He could always use more.”

Tom raised an eyebrow at Charlie. “I assumed you threw them all away.”

“Tom, please,” Marie said, and shook her head.

“I would never do that and you know it,” Charlie retorted. “I want him to know every part of Meredith.”

Tom crossed his arms and glared at Charlie. “Is that right?”

Charlie nodded once. “We talk about her every day. And every night we say goodnight to her picture.”

Once again, Marie attempted to intervene. “Tom—”

“And then you crawl into bed with that one over there and my daughter’s memory just goes away, right?”

With his fists at his sides, Charlie stepped closer. “That’s once and it’s all you get. Don’t say another word about her.”
 

He had to continuously remind himself that his son was in the car behind him and that this was Meredith’s father, no matter what. However, his self-control was wearing thinner by the minute. It was time to leave.