Beauty from Surrender (43 page)

"Nope—only that we have almost eleven hours of flight time ahead of us." We're still buckled into our seats from takeoff, but I put my hand on her knee and begin sliding it up her leg. "What ever shall we do with all this time we have on our hands?"

She pushes my hand down her leg. "Jack Henry! You really have no shame, do you?"

"Were you really ever under the impression that I did, Mrs. McLachlan?"

"We've barely even gotten off the ground and the flight attendants could walk this way any minute."

The captain announces overhead that we are free to move about the cabin. I wag my eyebrows at my wife. "That means we can take this to the bedroom."

The flight attendants enter the cabin but I stop them in their tracks. "You may leave the food and champagne. We'll serve ourselves and call if we need anything."

"Yes, sir," they say in unison before exiting the cabin.

"Well, you're going to make this the easiest assignment they've ever had."

If I don't see them again, that'll be just fine. "That works for me."

I'm out of my seat and pulling her up from hers. "Come on, L. Let's consummate this marriage in the sky so it'll be something we'll never forget."

She rises from her seat. "You are something else."

"I think you've told me that before."

She stops at the door and puts her finger against my chest. "Can I at least have a minute to get ready?"

"So you can slip into something special for me?"

"Yes. And take care of the birth control issue before you have a chance to negate it since you've proven to be a repeat offender."

I lean forward and kiss her neck. "You know me so well, wife."

She pushes me away as she slides the door open. "Yes, I do, husband. I won't be long."

"I'll be in there in two minutes."

"That only gives me time to get out of this dress."

"Sounds perfect to me." I love teasing her.

"No. You'll come in when I tell you I'm ready, and not a minute before." She grins before she leans forward and gives me a quick kiss. "You're cute when you pout."

I stick my head inside the door before she closes it. "Hurry. I'm anxious to make you my wife in all ways."

She puts her hand on my chest and pushes me back. "Hold your horses."

"I can't help it. My horse is trying to get out of the barn. He wants to play with your mare."

She reaches down and runs her hand over the crotch of my pants. "Down, boy!" That doesn't encourage him to relax.

I step back inside and reach around to smack her on the ass. "He's a bad listener, so hurry!"

"Okay. Okay."

She almost has the door closed when I remember we didn't make a plan for how I'll know she's ready. "Hey! How will I know when you want me to come in?"

"I'll call out for you when I'm ready."

That plan has all kinds of holes in it. "What if I don't hear you?"

"You think you need to make a plan B? Really?"

"Yes. I can't calmly sit here unless I know I'm getting in when it's time."

She shakes her head. "Good grief. I'll open the door if you don't hear me. I won't let you sit out here in the cabin by yourself for ten hours if you don't come when I call for you. Promise."

I slap my palm on the door and growl, "Hurry. Please," as she slides the door closed. I can't help it. I've never been more ready to have her.

A minute passes and it feels like an eternity. I'm watching the time on my phone and I swear the numbers have never moved so slowly. We're at twelve minutes and I'm restless, so I get up and walk the cabin because I know she'll call for me any minute now.

Fourteen going on fifteen minutes in, and I finally hear her voice. "Mr. McLachlan…Come and get me."

Fuck! That took long enough, but I know she'll make it worth my wait.

I slide the door open and she's stretched across the bed on her side. She's wearing white bridal lingerie—satin and lace cups conceal her breasts and sheer fabric veils her stomach, but I can still see her next-to-nothing knickers beneath. She rises to her knees and spins around to show me the back—a thong with a large satin bow sitting at the top. She swishes her bottom back and forth, causing the ties of the bow to swing, and looks over her shoulder at me.

"You like?"

"Fuck, no! I love!" I lock the door behind me and cross the room toward the bed. She turns around and meets me at the edge. I hold her face in my hands and kiss her slowly and gently because I'm about to do something I've never done before—make love to my wife. "You are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. I don't know how I'm lucky enough to call you mine, Mrs. McLachlan."

"I love hearing you call me that."

"Good, because you're going to hear it a lot." I kiss the side of her face. "I'm going to say it every day." I move toward her neck. "And you're going to hear it every night."

"Promise?"

"I swear."

I examine the tie between her breasts. "What happens if I give this a little tug?"

"I don't know. Maybe you should see."

I grasp the satin between my fingers and pull until the bow is untied and the front of her lingerie falls open. "Oops. I just made my wife's clothes fall off."

"Yeah, and you thought it'd take tequila to do that," she laughs.

"No, Mrs. McLachlan. I was never under the impression that tequila was needed for that."

She puts her hands on her hips. "Are you saying I'm easy?" she laughs.

"No. I'm saying you're always my sure thing."

I push the straps from her shoulders and the barely there top falls to the bed. I cradle her breasts in my hands and rub her nipples with my thumbs. "I wanted to do this so bad today when I saw the way these looked in your wedding dress. It was torture to not touch you. And then the reception in the wine cave…all I could do was think about hoisting you up on the table and diving head first under your dress."

She rubs her thumb over my bottom lip. "You and that mouth of yours."

"You love the things that come out of it."

I lower my mouth and take her nipple in between my teeth and run my tongue over the tip. "Yes, but I like when things go in it and against it too."

I give her a hard suck and break the suction with a loud pop. "Mrs. McLachlan. You're a feisty one tonight."

She begins with the top button of my shirt and works her way down. "You haven't seen feisty yet. But you're about to."

"Mmm…As much as I love your feisty side, I was hoping our first time as husband and wife might be something a little slower. And sweeter. We've done almost everything in the book, and I want tonight to be different. I want to make love to my wife."

She slows her fingers at work on my buttons. "Anything you want." When she unfastens the last one, she pushes my shirt from my shoulders onto the floor. She puts her palms on my chest and rubs them over my nipples, hardening them. "You're beautiful. I hope our babies look like you."

"And I hope they look like their mother with her golden-brown eyes." I pull her close and press my forehead to hers. "I mean every word of my vows. Everything I've been, I am, or will ever be, I surrender it all to you."

"You're surrendering your all to me, and I can't think of anything more beautiful than that. I once thought of you as my beauty from pain—when I thought I'd never see you again—but you're something entirely different. You're my beauty from surrender because that's what you're doing—relinquishing the person you once were to give yourself to me wholeheartedly. And I love you so much for it. I couldn't think of a better gift to give your bride."

I kiss her mouth slowly. It's true; I am a different man because of how much I love this woman. She's my everything and that's what I plan to give her—everything her heart desires. All she has to do is want something and it will become hers. I have so many wonderful things planned for our future together, and this is only the beginning—today is the start of our happily ever after.

***

I want to begin by saying thank you for the outpouring of love for Jack Henry and Laurelyn. I have been shocked by the degree of adoration my readers have for them and their story. A large population has contacted me and pleaded for a third book, so I'm going to address that now.

I have spent months wrestling with the decision of continuing or ending this series. The majority of my readers want a third book and aren't shy about telling me so (or demanding it!) A much smaller group asked for The Beauty Series to end with this book, saying they simply didn't like series or the wait for another book. After weighing both options, I made the decision to give Jack Henry and Laurelyn their happily ever after in Beauty from Surrender. Those not interested in a third book can feel satisfied about the way it ended, but I do plan to eventually continue their story with a third novel or novella. I haven't decided which yet. So many novels end in the exact place where Beauty from Surrender did, but I think it would be nice to see what happens after the wedding bells have silenced.

When will I release the third installment? I have no idea—and I won't have an estimated date any time soon. I have other projects ahead of it, so it wouldn't be in the near future. But I love Jack Henry and Laurelyn, so I can't imagine myself staying away from them for long.

Again, thank you for your love and support. I couldn't guess at how many of you contacted me simply to let me know how much you enjoyed Beauty from Pain. You are my cheerleaders, and your encouraging shout-outs are so appreciated. I never get tired of hearing from you.

Love,

Georgia

***

I have made such wonderful friends along the way. It's impossible to name them all but thank you to some of the most special people in the world–my girls from The Beauty from Pain Support Group. I have enjoyed seeing the many friendships that have developed and I'm so honored to have been a part of that. I could not have asked for better cheerleaders. You kept me going on the days when I didn't feel like I had it in me.

Thank you to those that contributed song suggestions. Good grief! I asked and boy…did you guys come through for me. The songs are countless. I received them in every imaginable way–through the Beauty from Pain Support Group, FB private messaging, my Georgia Cates page private messaging, my timeline, personal email, Goodreads and Twitter. Needless to say, I found new music to influence me. I want to acknowledge those people that suggested songs I used for the inspiration of Beauty from Surrender: Ani Markarian, Beon Tamoukian, Sharon Luth (Shaz Za), Gi Jewett, Nella Durham, Ruth Secrist, Susan Graves Vousden, Reiza Eis, Angie RockChick Reyes, Mandy Ireadindie, Emily Beach Thomas, Ashley West, Kim Huddleson, Carol Owen, Kelly Whalen, Amanda Gonzales, Kristina Amit, Kirsty Robinson, Natasha Paul-Ollivierre, Lou Gut, Nikki Sholar Geloneck, Angela Trenholm, Brooke Bailey, Laura Rodriguez, Laura F Pankow, Kimberly Schoeller Kimball, Tanya Spence Hall, Jamie Hillard, Virginia Rodriguez, Alicia Collins-Dennis, Crystal Rivera, Pamela Duddy, Nanci Nocito Tinkelman, Gloria Green, Happy Chin-Sang Driggs, K.c Budd, Ana Oxendine Moore, Trinity Higinbotham, Beverly Waldrup, Briseida Diaz, Sanaa Ouhessaine, Susan Mclaughlin, Heather DuBard, Abby Bowman Pyle, Tara Anderson, Anna Melissa, Tammy McGowan, Angela Page,
Amanda Dotson
(https://www.facebook.com/amanda.dotson.14).