Elude (29 page)

"It's beautiful," she whispered in reverence.

Slowly, I let her go.

When she turned to face me, I was already on my knees.

Andi covered her mouth with her hands.

"I never asked." My voice trembled. "I never had the honor of asking you to be my wife." I reached into my pocket and pulled out a three-karat princess-cut diamond ring. "And I wondered, if you felt as cheated as I did, that we never had this moment."

Tears poured down her face.

"So Andi…" I held up the ring higher. "…will you do me the greatest honor of my life — and be my wife?"

"Yes!" She didn't even grab the ring but grabbed me instead, kissing me so hard on the mouth that I stumbled backward. "I love you."

Laughing, I swung her around. "I love you too."

I swung her around again, knowing she liked more than one twirl, and placed the ring on her finger. "So, did you really want to work on number four now, or did you want to ride the Ferris wheel?"

"The Ferris wheel can wait." She pulled her shirt over her head and tossed it at my face. "I can't."

Sergio

I THINK, LOOKING BACK AT THIS MOMENT,
I would always struggle with fully describing the way my heart hammered against my chest, the electric feeling of my hands as they roamed freely across her body.

How do you describe something that's indescribable? You don't. You can't. It's impossible. And I knew, five years from now — or ten, maybe twenty — I'd still be walking around with a smile on my face when I recalled the moment she was mine — the moments I owned her, and she owned me, the moments our hearts were one, our souls united.

"Sergio…"

Her shirt went flying, her bra followed, her jeans. I'd never seen someone undress so fast and was slightly humiliated that I couldn't keep up, that I wanted her to go slow so I could savor every second my eyes were allowed the pleasure to gaze upon her beauty.

"…make love to me. Make it good."

"I can make it good," I whispered. "But you'll have to forgive me."

She frowned.

"Forgive me…" I smiled. "…if I stand here a moment longer than I should — because I feel like you deserve to be stared at. Hell, you deserve to be worshipped, but I'm not that patient of a man, so at least give me this — one minute, sixty seconds — give me that, and I'll make love to you. I'll make it so good you never forget."

"Even in my death."

"In life or death." I shook my head and licked my lips as I took a cautious step toward her. "You'll never forget this — or forget us. I swear it."

She nodded, her eyes pooling with tears again.

I reached out and touched her arm, my hand slowly caressing up toward her shoulder. I could never understand how her skin could be so soft. "Every touch feels like the first."

Her eyes closed. "It does… it really does."

"I think… I'll remember this moment…" I sighed. "…forever."

Andi pulled back, then twirled once, twice, and winked. "Since it's forever, I figured I better make it good."

"It's a two-twirl moment," I agreed.

She giggled. "I thought so."

"Come here." I held out my hands.

Tentatively, she walked toward me, naked, her perky breasts like a siren call, her curvy body my ultimate demise.

"This," I said once she reached me and I was able to press a kiss against her hot lips, "this is what people wait for."

"It's fair." Her forehead touched mine.

"What?"

She shrugged and then wrapped her tiny arms around my neck. "I've been saying it over and over again. How is it fair that I only get you for a few short weeks, a month, maybe two?" She sighed against my mouth. "But in this moment, right now, I can honestly say it's fair."

"Yeah?" I croaked. "Why's that?"

"Because we get to live… we get to love… together. We get this." She pressed her palm against my chest. "Regardless of the journey, of how hard it was, of how hard it is or how short we— The time — we still had it — and that, my friend, is a beautiful ending."

"I've always loved the end." I fought to keep my tears back. For her, I smiled when I wanted to cry.

"They're my favorite too," Andi agreed, her lips teasing mine. "Because you know, after everything, they'll be okay."

I nodded. "They'll be okay."

"You will be." Andi cupped my face. "You know that, right?"

"No," I blurted. "But for you… I'll try."

She crushed her mouth against mine, and I savored it. I lived for that feeling right there where everything was right in the world, where sex was making love, and making love to my wife, Andi, was my destiny, my purpose — the reason I'd been spared.

The reason I hadn't been killed up until this point…

Was in order to love her.

Amazing, I'd always wanted a higher purpose. I'd had no idea it would be my wife.

Yet it was.

"I love you…" I choked. "…so damn much."

She wrapped her legs around me as I walked us back toward the bed. The back of my knees touched the mattress. She jumped down and crawled on top of me as I scooted up on my elbows.

"Show me…" She winked. "…just how much."

"Pretty sure I just did." I pointed around the room.

She burst out laughing. "Aw, Italy, you can do so much better."

"I can." I gripped her hips and tossed her next to me. "Wanna see?"

Andi laughed as I made quick work of stripping my body of the rest of my clothes.

I started at her foot.

It made sense.

To start at the bottom, work my way up.

She tried to kick me. I pulled her leg tighter. "Hey now, let me do my job."

"But it tickles."

"Good." I kissed the inside of her ankle. "Shh… you're going to wake up the animals."

"What?" Andi squealed. "They're stuffed!"

"Shh, they'll hear you!" My lips met the inside of her knee.

The covers bunched up in her hands as her head thrust back. "You're the devil. That really, really tickles."

"Andi, Andi, Andi…" I licked the inside of her thigh. "…you taste so soft."

"Mmm…" Her body arched.

My mouth inched higher.

Every muscle tensed.

"Shh..." I blew across her skin. "Enjoy this. I know I am."

"Sergio," she panted, "hurry up before I kill you."

"Please, I hid all the knives." My mouth licked at her core.

A yelp and then, "You're evil."

"I'm your husband." I sucked until she squirmed. "Your fault."

No more words, just panting and cursing.

Andi fisted my hair into her hands and tugged my head up then slammed her mouth against mine.

I rolled onto my back as she straddled me. "You were going too slow."

"Oh?" I choked out a laugh then stopped when she slowly lowered herself onto my body, inch by aggravating inch.

"Who's laughing now?"

I lifted her up, then slowly down. "Not me."

She gasped. "Me either."

"Faster."

I tsked. "Slower."

"Damn you, Sergio!"

"Let me enjoy this." I rolled my hips.

She cursed again, her nails making permanent marks on my chest as she pushed against me, her way of trying to go faster.

"You feel amazing." Her eyes closed.

I moved faster. She kept my same tempo and then threw her head back, her hair flying across her shoulders, whipping my hands where they were placed against her skin, causing such an erotic sensation and vision I had to grit my teeth to keep from finishing.

"Let go," I said through clenched teeth.

"If I let go…" She blinked open her eyes.

And I knew the truth; it was just another moment passed, another second closer to the end, which is why she wanted fast. Because she wouldn't have to think. With a growl, I pulled out and tossed her onto her stomach and covered her with my body, with my warmth, my strength. I gripped her hands and slowly inched into her then moved.

Seconds went by.

Minutes.

Hours?

Who knew?

It was a moment that didn't need definition, that just was — perfection as I felt her body tense then ease under mine, as I followed and experienced such completion at our joining that I knew I could follow her into heaven and know—

—I'd done good.

I'd done good by her.

By me.

And I'd accomplished what I'd been set on Earth to do.

Love Andi.

Andi

"DUDE!" TEX STOOD FROM THE TABLE
and stretched. "You look like you got some last night. Well done, Andi. Always get yours, that's what I say."

"Oh is it?" Mo countered from her end of the table. "Is that what you always say, baby?"

"I sense a fight." I held up my hands. "Don't put me in the middle of your drama. I'm too small."

"Please." Sergio snorted and met us with a bowl of popcorn. "You pack a punch and stole Tex's gun right out of his hands."

"Oh?" Mo's eyebrows shot up. "Baby, you didn't tell me that. Had something in your eye, did ya?"

Tex shot me a glare. "Whatever happened to you being my bitch, and I'm your bro, and you don't go blabbing to my wife?"

"Oh, I'm sorry." Sergio grinned and tossed a piece of popcorn into his mouth. "I was unaware of the rules."

"Rules." Mo flashed a smile. "Who likes those?"

"Nixon." Trace waltzed into the room. "Dibs on popcorn — oh, you know what would be great?"

All eyes fell to her. For the past week, since my return from the hospital Trace had been eating peanut butter like it was going out of style and chomping down on every piece of fruit in the house; she was constantly eating, and I do mean constantly. It was weird, though a bit hilarious, considering Sergio had finally sent his housekeeper out to get groceries on account that Trace and Bee had eaten everyone out of—

"Holy crap!" I jumped out of my chair and covered my mouth with my hands. "Trace!"

She frowned, reaching a fist into the popcorn and stuffing it into her mouth.

I shook my head. "You're pregnant."

She paled.

Tex burst out laughing. "Nixon, you dirty dog…"

"Huh?" Nixon walked into the kitchen, a gun in hand

Seriously, did the guy ever turn it off? Or put it away? Probably why Trace was preggers. I smirked at my own joke.

"Why am I dirty?"

"Trace!" Mo pointed an accusing finger in Trace's direction. "You got your wife pregnant. Well done, evil twin. Well done."

Nixon's face broke out into a smile. "Oh…" He winked at Tex. "…that."

Popcorn fell out of Trace's hand as she started counting on her fingers.

"Six weeks," Nixon said, looking bored.

Trace's eyes widened.

Nixon shrugged. "What? I know your cycle better than you do. You're about six weeks along. I was waiting for you to say something, thought maybe you didn't know." His grin was shameless. "Apparently, someone's been distracted."

Trace launched herself at Nixon, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Nixon kissed her across the mouth. "I honestly thought you were just waiting to tell me until you were further along — until you knew. Don't girls do that?"

"No…" Phoenix stumbled into the room, his eyes tired. "…they tell you right away and then cause you to freak out at the exact same time they find out, making you lose sleep and wonder if your child is going to inherit the same awful tendencies to stay up ALL THE NIGHT LONG!"

"Just me?" Tex frowned. "Or did Phoenix just say 'all
the
night long'? Like he was born in the eighteen hundreds."

"Coffee," Phoenix croaked.

"Bee not sleeping well?" I guessed.

Phoenix shot me a glare. "Insomnia. Which means I don't sleep either. Which means nobody's happy."

Bee entered the kitchen humming.

"Ha, someone's happy." I pointed.

Phoenix sighed and glanced at Sergio. "Tell me you have coffee, man, or else I'm heading to Starbucks, and nobody wants to see me drive into a tree because I can't keep my eyes open."

"Same cupboard." Sergio pointed.

Phoenix mumbled a "Thank God" into the air and started making coffee.

Nixon was still kissing Trace.

"Get a room," I called.

Trace blushed and pulled away from her husband. "Sorry, I just… this is crazy, right? Me and Bee at the same time."

"Same time what?" Bee said mid-mouthful of popcorn.

"I think I'm pregnant." Trace bit down on her lower lip. "I mean I—"

"YES!" Bee jumped into the air. "I was wondering if you'd be next, though I honestly thought my brother's sperm would have found their way to Mo. Weird… must be slow swimmers."

"Now see here," Tex said in a booming voice as he stood. "My swimmers are just fine, and please, don't think about them, or talk about them, or—"

Bee waved him off. "I'll believe it when I see it."

Tex turned bright red. "You aren't seeing jack shit."

"Chill." Bee rolled her eyes. "I meant the pregnancy, bro. I don't actually want to see
it
." She scrunched up her nose. "This conversation just took a turn for the worse."

Sergio snorted. "Good thing Chase isn't here."

"Ladies, I have arrived," Chase announced from the bottom of the stairs. "Who's the siren that made the call, because I could have sworn I heard my name."

"Tex." I nodded. "He needs reassurance his swimmers aren't crap."

"Tex swims just fine." Chase nodded his head then tilted it. "Wait, are we talking swimming or…" He swallowed then grinned. "
swimming
."

"Oh, good Lord." Tex hung his head. "Trace is pregnant!"

"What?!" Chase's eyes widened. "No way! Who's the father?"

Nixon growled.

Chase inched past him and pulled Trace in for a giant hug, lifting her off the ground. "Just kidding." He kissed her cheek. "Congrats, Trace… I can't wait to be the godfather."

Nixon let out a groan.

Chase shrugged and wrapped his arm around Trace. "It only makes sense," he whispered in Trace's ear. "Go ahead. Tell him."

"Er..." Trace giggled. "…it really does, Nixon."

"Family's fun." Tex chuckled. "Don't you think, Serg?"