She turned her head to look up at him. His words had struck a chord in her, because as she reached out and trailed her fingers along his jaw, it was as if she were touching him for the first time, or reaching out from a dream. He didn’t like that sense of distance, so he clasped her hand, giving her heat. It brought her back to him. Her words were soft.
“Do you know, sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and curl myself around you as tightly as possible, because I remember the person I was before, how cold and lonely her bed was… It makes me want to weep for that woman's loneliness, that she didn't see what a gift you were offering to her.”
His hand tightened on hers. “I should have been like a conqueror in truth,” he said, with sudden resolve. “Taken you from your father the first time I saw you, Savannah. Taken you to my house in Texas, kept you there like a captive falcon until you learned to trust my hand…"
Breaking off, he blinked, registering her slight smile.
The fantasy wouldn’t have persisted so strongly for her if she didn’t see elements of it in you every day.
“I suspect only the thinnest veneer of civility kept you from that very course,” she said lightly. “But I’m glad you went with a different plan. Else you might have gone to prison before I realized I love you."
He chuckled, shaking his head at himself, but then he brushed his lips over hers. After he did, she looked at him, all her heart in her eyes. "I wouldn't have understood or known that I was ready until the night you did confront me with your feelings and my own. I know that. You know it. Because we both know the value of timing. Putting aside instant gratification for the long win. A promise of forever was worth years of loneliness, Matt."
He touched her face. "I believe you, but thinking of you lonely breaks my heart. Even in the past. I’d do anything to prevent that. Even face prison.”
He heard the smile and the love in her voice. “We can face prison together. After we find the right spot to bury Ben’s body.”
“That’s a lot of work. Why don’t we just have Lucas figure out the numbers and let Peter do the grunt work?”
“Works for me.” She nestled her face against his arm. “Jon wouldn’t be involved?”
“Naw. He’s into that whole ‘all life is sacred’ crap.”
She chuckled and was silent for a few more minutes. Matt released her, but only for the time it took to press the button of the control box, mounted on a post discreetly placed behind the mattress. It notified the staff the session was over and they were released from their duties. He’d reserved the tent for the night, so they wouldn’t be disturbed until late morning, when one of the regular Resort staff would bring in breakfast. He thought about a midnight walk on the nearby ocean shore with his gorgeous wife. Or making love to her again. Or both.
“I love you,” she said quietly. “More and more.”
He wound both arms around her again and held her close. “I can’t think of anything better on earth or in Heaven than hearing that. So, you liked your fantasy?”
“Always.” She smiled against his arm, pressed her face more deeply against his biceps, her hands coming up to circle and caress his forearm, his hand. “Every day.”
Girls’ Day Out
“It’s not the money. It’s that they’re making me shop with them,” Ben said mournfully. “That’s the punishment. Every two steps: ‘Ooh, look at this.’ ‘Oh my God, look at that.’ ‘Isn’t this gorgeous?’ ‘Isn’t that the cutest thing? Go try that on.’ It’s sheer and utter hell.”
“Anyone else unsettled by how well he did that feminine squeal?” Peter asked.
They were outside behind Lucas and Cass’s plantation house, hanging out on the new outdoor living space the couple had created. The wide brick patio had a fire pit at one corner, encircled by a circular low wall of stone. The opposite corner housed a gleaming monster grill. The area in between had wicker furnishings cushioned in cream, brown and black tones. A stone wall perimeter on two sides doubled as additional bench seating. However, right now the men were all standing, drinking beer and clustered around the grill. They were preparing for an afternoon of football, meat and beer. All except Ben.
“Laugh it up,” he said darkly. “But when they decide to go lingerie shopping and want me to personally evaluate their choices, you’ll be sorry.”
“They better not be anywhere near a lingerie shop unless you’re modeling a teddy for them,” Matt advised.
“In which case, we want video, so we can share and snicker,” Jon added.
“What happens on the Ben-guided-tour-shopping-trip stays on it,” Ben said airily. “You don’t go, I’m not responsible for where we end up. There’s Hot Toddy, the sex toy store off of Jackson Square. I like that place. We may have to hit that one up.”
“And while you do that,” Peter pointed out, “we’ll be here, watching the game, drinking beer and maybe taking a croc tour in the swamp.”
“Definitely hitting lingerie and sex toy stores,” Ben decided. “You know, your girl Dana will try on anything I tell her. She’s blind, so she won’t know it’s see-through. And she’s always excited about trying a new vibrator, particularly one with a bigger dick than the live one she’s got. Plus…”
He countered Peter’s lunge, but the big bastard anticipated him. Ben could have broken the head lock, but not without doing damage. With women nearby, they had to be on their best behavior. Plus, Ben wasn’t getting blood on his shirt. Then he cursed as Peter hefted him off his feet, obviously intending to throw him into the bushes edging the perimeter of the patio.
“This shirt is worth your life, asshole,” he protested. Peter scoffed and prepared to toss.
“Hey, hey, hey. Put him down and don’t break him. At least not until we’ve emptied his wallet,” Cassandra said. “Plus, he’ll mangle my rose bushes.”
The women had emerged from the sunroom adjacent to the patio. Cass’s admonition was enough to have Peter change his plan. He dropped Ben onto the black wicker framed sectional sofa, amid a cluster of throw pillows. For form’s sake, Ben managed to plant a side punch into the behemoth’s side on the way down. Peter brushed it off as if a fly had landed on his black National Guard T-shirt. After he helped Ben to his feet and brushed him off with exaggerated movements that had Cass’s lips twitching.
As distractions from blood mayhem went, there were none better than their cherished group of females. Savannah, Cassandra, Dana and Rachel brought a wave of appealing scents and colors with them. Each woman possessed a tempting figure, clad in the way she preferred. Everything from elegant silks to stressed denim, enhanced with the accessories that underscored her unique beauty and confidence.