The Dare (30 page)

Beth had forgotten too.

So we walked hand-in-hand. She on Donkey and
I next to them, you know, just in case the little shit got spooked
and took off running with my future bride on tow.

"I see you've found it." The ship captain's
face lit up with a smile, helping Beth off the donkey and into the
boat.

"Found it?"

"You're keiki."

"Keiki?" Beth repeated.

"Long story," I muttered, jumping into the
boat.

The captain took us out into the middle of
the water and turned off the engine.

"Alright, let's make this quick, shall
we?"

"Not very romantic is he?" Beth winked.

"I told him to make it quick," I
admitted.

"Why?"

"Because I couldn't care less about saying
the words
—
I just want to show you, what
you mean to me. I'm sick and tired of words, Beth. I've been using
words my whole career. I think it's time for a little action, don't
you?"

"Yes," she said breathless.

"Do you take this woman to be your bride?"
The captain asked.

"Yes." My voice rang out loud and clear in
the warm afternoon air. "I do."

"And do you take this man to be your
husband?" The captain cleared his throat. "You don't have to take
him, you know."

"I do." Beth grinned and then said "Thor"
under her breath.

"With the power vested in me by the state of
Hawaii, I now pronounce you man and wife!" The captain grabbed two
beautiful leis and placed one over each of our heads.

"May your womb be fertile," he said
happily.

"Um… let's not get carried away." I laughed
nervously.

"Grandma specifically said that in order to
break the curse, I had to give you a blessing." The captain grinned
mischievously. "I bless you with children
—
lots and lots of children."

"Take it off! Take the lei off!"

"Let it go," Beth whispered. "After all, it's
best to just go with it when it comes to Grandma."

"Fine," I grumbled, fingering the damn
fertility lei.

"Look on the bright side." Beth wrapped her
arms around my waist. "If getting married was going to help your
polls, imagine what children would do. Plus, that means we get to
have all the sex."

"Side note." I cleared my throat. "If you
keep quoting Grandma, I'm going to need one of her magic blue pills
in order to perform."

"Aw, no inspiration?"

"None," I grumbled.

"I'm pretty sure I can take care of that."
Beth's hot mouth pressed against mine, her tongue coaxing my lips
apart.

"Where to?" the captain asked.

I swept Beth into my arms and pointed back to
the shore, not wanting to pull my mouth from hers for one damn
second. I was going to love her, cherish her, and honor her, and I
was going to damn well remember it this time!

"Alrighty, then." The captain chuckled. "Back
to the hut it is."

"Hawaii? This whole time? Are you saying
you've successfully evaded the FBI and put us on a wild goose
chase, all because you wanted to give the senator time to…"

"Play." Grandma stretched "But, of course.
Every couple deserves time to discover one another. And I gave them
that time."

"But we're the FBI."

"And I'm Grandma." She winked. "It's best to
know your place in the world. Oh, and be a dear." She sighed. "Tell
the president to call me back when he has a free moment, such a
lovely dear man."

The agent blinked and then stood.

The door to the room opened. "Let her go. Her
information checked out."

"But
—
"

"Nadine, we are so very sorry for this
inconvenience."

Grandma patted him on the back. "It really is
nothing. I'm glad Gus and I could spend some time together. I do
love a good love story."

He grinned as Grandma waltzed out of the
federal building.

"She's insane," the agent remarked to his
superior.

"That woman helped us win the Cold War.
Insane does not even begin to describe her."

Beth

Jace slammed the door to the hut behind him
and stalked toward me. His hands moved over my white dress and down
my bare arms.

"Are you attached to any thing you're
wearing?"

"What? Why?" I shivered.

"Yes or no?"

"No."

"Good."

With a rip he pulled the dress from my body.
You've got to be kidding me.
That crap happened outside of
movies. I was witness to it.

Let that be a lesson to women everywhere:
When your man looks like Thor, he has superpowers in the
bedroom.

The dress fell to my feet, leaving me in
nothing but my white wedge heels and my lacey underwear.

My entire body felt heavy with need.

He reached out and fingered the lace
material, his fingers grazing my breasts, making my entire body
ache with need. Jace's eyes darkened and then turned questioning.
"And this? Are you attached to this?"

"N-no."

"Good." With a tug, he had my bra off and my
panties in a bunch on the floor.

"Holy Thor."

"What?"

Crap on a stick! Did I just say that out
loud?

"Did you just say Holy Thor?"

Instead of looking horrified, Jace seemed… I
looked down… quite inspired at the thought. Apparently, visions of
Grandma were long gone.

"Yes, yes I did."

"Hmm." He bit down on his lip and grinned. "I
think I like it."

"Yeah?" I felt myself blushing. Not only was
I standing in front of him naked as a jaybird, but I'd just totally
turned our first sexual experience, that we would remember, into
something mildly embarrassing.

I licked my lips nervously and waited for him
to touch me.

He stared instead.

I was getting more and more fidgety. Why the
hell did he get to keep his clothes on? I moved to cross my arms,
but he jerked my hands away, his eyes drinking in every inch of my
naked skin until I was ready to squirm. He made me want him by just
looking; one gaze and I was ready to jump him.

"I would have remembered this
—
I should have remembered this." Jace traced the
outline of my breasts and moved down to my hips, worshipping me
with his hands as he pulled my body against his. "Drugs or no
drugs, a man should never forget perfection."

"I don't remember either," I said shyly as I
wrapped my arms around his neck. "I remember the cookies." Lame,
someone shoot me now.

"You remember cookies, but not me?" He
grinned.

"They were good?"

"I'll show you good."

"Show me great," I dared.

"I can do that."

He gently pushed me away and started doing a
naughty striptease. Okay, so it wasn't naughty, but in my head it
was, because every movement was slow, teasing me with glimpses of
golden tan skin and rock-hard abs. I wanted to pinch myself.

By the time the last shred of clothing was
thrown to the floor, I was almost panting.

And then he touched me.

Our mouths collided.

Yeah, we would have remembered this? Wouldn't
we?

His hands dipped into my hair as his tongue
drew lazy circles down my neck. My knees buckled just as he swept
me into his arms and carried me to the bed.

I closed my eyes when his godlike body
hovered over me. "I'm only going to go slow once." His face was
strained. "And then I'm taking you in the pool."

"For a swim?" I said innocently.

"Right." His eyes darkened. "For a swim,
followed by taking you in the shower, something I've been dreaming
about since the day you pressed your naked body against mine."

I gasped when he pushed inside me.

"I'm not a patient man when it comes to you,
and the way I see it, I have three whole days to drive you
wild."

He pressed further.

I winced in pain.

And froze.

Jace's eyes widened. "Well, hot damn." He
gave me a smug grin. "It seems all we did that night was eat
cookies. How about that?"

"But
—
"

"So maybe I'll have to go a little bit
slower."

"I'd rather you go fast." I winced even
more.

Jace laughed. "How about I just make you
forget?"

His mouth was on mine, and I was flying as
his body fully joined with mine. Yes, yes. I would have remembered
this. I would have remembered the way our bodies fit perfectly
together. I would have remembered the way I wanted to cry with each
movement, not out of pain but sheer pleasure.

"I love you." The friction of our bodies was
seriously going to be the death of me; it felt too good. I thought
I was going to explode.

Instead, I gave in, gave in to my husband, to
my future, and joined with him in what was sure to be one of many
times we worked on those great-grandchildren for Grandma.

"
The coast is clear." Grandma checked her
watch. "Tell me, dear, just between the two of us, did he perform
well? If not, I managed to save a few of those nice little charts.
I'd be happy to book you for a morning session where we can pow-wow
on ways to better communicate with your body?"

"Bye, Grandma."

"But dear! Do you even know what you're
doing?"

"We'll figure it out."

"Beth, really, be reasonable! This old bird
has been around for ages! Trust me, I know the sex."

"I'm hanging up now."

"Oh well, I'll send some photos just in
case you get confused about which parts go where. Hell, the first
time I was in a bedroom I
—
"

Beth

Chuckling, I hung up the phone and shook my
head. "So, that was Grandma." I laughed. "She said the coast was
clear." I wasn't about to tell him about the advice she'd given me
or the pictures that were going to traumatize my cell phone for
life. Talk of Grandma had a way of making my husband less
godlike.

Jace yawned and stretched out next to me,
completely naked. Thank Thor.

"And?"

"She said that if you ever get elected
president, she wants to make some guy named Gus your…
vice-president?"

"Tell her I'll think about it." He smirked.
"And what the hell does she mean
if
I get elected?"

"Aww..." I patted his firm stomach, "I'm sure
she was teasing."

"Damn straight. I have to be president, if
only for the purpose of making Brett's life a living hell."

"Let it go, babe."

"Nobody messes with my wife."

"I like the sound of that."

"Babe?"

"No."

"Wife?"

"That one." I sighed happily and patted his
chest. "I think I'm ready now."

"Are you sure?" Jace's eyebrows drew together
in concern. "I mean, it's normal to take a break, Beth. Really,
I'll understand."

"Nope. It's time."

"Fine." He held up his hands in
surrender.

"Cookie me."

Jace pulled a chocolate chip cookie from the
box and placed it in my mouth. "Your wish is my demand. Damn, you
have a nice mouth."

"You should know." I blushed.

"Yes, I should."

A piece of hair fell across my face. He
brushed it away and chuckled.

"What? Do I have cookie on my face?"

"No. It's not that."

"What is it?"

"Can I pull your hair?"

"Will you wear that Thor costume you brought
while pulling it?"

"Only as long as you wear the She-Ra one and
pretend to drown while I save you and your cookies."

"Deal."

Five years later

"Damn it, Grandma! We said no ponies!" Jake
looked about five seconds away from losing his mind.

Travis chuckled and took a swig of eggnog,
not caring that his house was getting blown to shreds by four small
children or that Grandma had, in fact, bought each child a pony.
Two for Jake's twins, one for Travis's little girl, and one for
Jace's little boy.

Grandma had said every child needed a
pet.

Travis had been thinking more along the lines
of a turtle or something. Not a horse. But arguing with Grandma was
ridiculous
—
she'd always win. And he was
done fighting; he was too exhausted after staying up with their two
year old last night when she'd had a nightmare. To be fair, the
nightmare had been Grandma's fault anyway. She'd let Arabella eat
her weight in cookies, and sugar had a way of making her have bad
dreams.

"How about I tell everyone a story!" Grandma
shouted.

Travis winced.

Kacey gathered all the kids around in a
circle, though it looked more like a corralling of adrenaline
junkies. Sasha was pulling Taryn's hair, Arabelle was yelling
fornicate
—
a word Grandma had
mistakenly used a few minutes previous, and little George was
eating popcorn off the tree.

"Come on, kids." Jace took pity on Kacey and
helped her round them up while Grandma grabbed a storybook.

"Now." Grandma smiled, she was nearing
ninety-two but still looked beautiful. "I'm going to tell you each
a story. A special story about your mommies and daddies. You see,
they weren't always married, a long time ago, in a land far, far
away
—
"

"Portland." Travis coughed, earning a
glare.

"In a magical land," Grandma's eyes narrowed,
"there was this beautiful grandma who decided that her grandsons
needed a bit of help. So she did what any grandmother would do. She
created special stories for each one of them, even taking pity on
Uncle Jace when he was sad."

"Why was he sad?" the eldest twin asked.

"Yes, why was he sad?" Beth said in an amused
voice.

"That's easy." Jace smirked. "Aunt Beth ate
all my cookies."