Bitter Hearts (A Southern Loving Book 3) (25 page)

“Yep,”
he kissed her lips, as they both forgot about Natalie standing there gawking at
them. “Why do you want to spend a lifetime with me?”

“I
don’t’ have a crystal ball that will speak our future. I know that I will hike
with you, stumble, walk slow as a turtle and be there for ups and the down until
I’m no longer breathing.”  She rested her forehead against his. “For me, there
is no one is this world for me. You give me all of you and I give you all of
me. ”

“When
I hold on to you I feel like I have the whole world in my hands,” he said in a
low voice.

“I
can live selfishly…I finally embraced what you were trying to give me. You know
I’ve been running a long time and from day one you was patient with me.” She
licked her lips and continued. “You bring peace to my world. Hank, you’re my
everlasting love who makes me feel whole and healed. You’re my song in my
heart.”

“It’s
me and you against the world.” She licked her lips and hesitantly gazed up into
his alluring grey eyes. “I’m never going to let you go.”

“I’m
lucky man.” He cupped her face and kissed her.

***

Cabo San
Lucas

“This
is exactly what I needed,” Kari groaned, wiggling her feet into the warm white
sands. She was at peace, something that always happened when she came to her
favorite place.

“You
bought the house to be close to me and are never here,” Rita sighed. “It is
really a piece of heave here.”

Kari
smiled and looked over at Rita Gonzales, the woman who had a hand in shaping
her to the woman she was today. The elderly woman was still breathtakingly
beautiful with her long raven hair and tan complexion skin that was voided of
old age.

Adjusting
her designer shades, she stared at the cliffs in the distance. The emerald blue
sea seemed to go further.  The bright sun felt so good on her skin, she could
sit here all day sipping her frozen strawberry drink.

“How
things been since arriving here?” Rita turned her head to the side and look at
Kari.

“I
think this is what we needed,” Thinking about the making love on the secluded
beach had Kari reaching for her cold beverage to cool her down. “Do you think
it’s possible to fall in love quickly?”

Rita
laughed and patted her hand, “Oh
mi hija
, who can stop the burst of
happiness that happens when love comes into your life.” Rita took off her
sunglasses. “What did I always tell you about love?”

“You
can love him as I love myself but don’t make him mine everything, because when
he is gone I’m left with nothing.”

“Have
you lost yourself?”

Kari
dug her toes deeper into the warm sand. “No.”

“I
always told you to take a chance; it’s important when it comes to living and
loving.” Rita eyes softened, her voice was soft and full of love. “Always love
freely and openly even it if means you might get hurt in the end. The rewards
that love offers are worth it.” She sighed and looked at her. “Is Hank worth
it?”

Kari
looked out into the water, her sucking in the nice tropical air. “I can’t
imagine life without him by my side.” This morning when they woke up he told
her he was running into town with Rita’s husband Martin. “He changed my life
and my ways. I don’t recognize myself anymore. This man taught me love is
strong, kind and it sticks around.”

“Then
why did you leave him the first time?”

Kari
smiled and nudged Rita. “I think we needed a break,” she said truthfully. “Plus,
it was nice having Hank sweating it out and now look.”

Rita
picked up her glass and held it in the air. “Never chase a man.”

“Amen.”
Kari raised her glass and clicked it against Rita’s.

“Love
is a choice,” Rita reminded her before getting up and walking back to the white
three story house near the sea.

Leaning
her head against headrest of the lawn chain. Kari gazed out into the distance,
she was alone on the private beach. For as long as she could remember she would
always indulge in sadness by allowing it to wash over her and eventually she
moved on the better things.

The
happily ever after that she thought would never happen to her was just in her
reach, just like the sun setting in the horizon. Part of her was now musing
over her future, life with Hank and the kids they would have. After a history
of disappointments and fear, she was ready to jump into the sweet unknown with
Hank even though it might hurt her. This was the risk that Rita spoke about a
few minutes ago.

Being
the ice queen that Corey talked about didn’t fit her anymore. She now believed
in love, she needed and wanted it. Kari had that love that thrilled her and
challenged her in the best way possible. It gave her moments and memories that
she cherished and held near and dear to her heart.

***

The next morning Kari woke up to
the soothing sound of the waves crushing against the shoreline as the cool
ocean breeze blew the white sheer curtains in the air. She looked over at Hank
who was sound asleep with a calm expression on his handsome face. 

“Hank,” she whispered, straddling
him.

“Yeah baby.” He stirred slightly
and went back to snoring.

She laughed and kissed him all
over his face. “I’m going for a walk along the beach.” She nibbled on his ear.

Kari shrieked as Hank pulled her
back on the bed and hovered above her. “Where you going?” he asked, his voice
filled with sleep and lust.

“Sex on the beach, I mean, walk
on the beach,” she stammered as Hank began to kiss each and every part of her
body. A moan escaped her lips as his teeth grazed over her breasts, sucking and
licking her until she felt her pussy dripping and her body shaking and craving
for more.

“Sex in the bed,” he laughed.

The sunlight shined brightly into
the bedroom causing this beautiful glow around Hank, his grey eyes captivated
her. Reaching out, she ran her finger down his broad shoulders, flat abs and
narrow hips. He captured her chin to draw her face to his.

 “I miss you even when I’m with
you.” He sucked her earlobe into his mouth, as he settled his weight between
her spread legs.

“I want you now,” she begged,
arching up off the bed.

Hank slid the head of his
throbbing erection into her. Inch by inch, he filled her to capacity allowing
her to adjust to his size.  Hank groaned in pleasure as he nipped the side of
her neck.

“Oh God!” she cried out.

When Hank withdrew from her
sopping wet pussy and quickly slid back in drumming up another moan from Kari.
He could feel her muscles constricting around him, he began to move faster.

Kari’s moans became screams as
Hank drove into her lush sweetness. Faster and faster. Deeper and Deeper.
Harder and Harder.

Their bodies glistened with sweat
in the early morning rays. Kari shouted her release with Hank right behind her.

Hank collapsed right on top of
her. The room smelled like sex, tropical flowers and sweat. When he rolled over
Kari immediately missed the warmth that he provided.

“Wow,” she laughed, yanking the
cream sheet on top of them.

“Amazing.” He reached over and
pulled her closer to him.

Laying in silence next to Hank
was magnificent, there was this overwhelming feeling that this was right. She
traced her fingers on his chest as Hank’s breathing changed letting her know he
was drifting off back to sleep.

“I can hear your mind thinking,” he
mumbled.

“Really,” she smiled. “What is it
saying?”

Hank covered his mouth as he
yawned. “It’s unbelievable that you found someone that you want to spend your
life with and to procreate with.”

Kari bit on the inside of her
cheek to keep from smiling. Commitment, monogamy and making a new family came
to her mind as she laid next to Hank. “You’re the light at the end of my tunnel.”

Hank eyes pop open. “Are you
ready to take the most important walk that you will ever take in your life?”

“Besides when I started walking
at nine months?”

Hank placed his finger to her
lips, silencing her. “Down the aisle?”

Kari didn’t know what to say, the
word no couldn’t form on her lips. “I…I…”

“Wait one second.” He got up from
the bed and rushed to his suitcase and pulled out every article of clothing
before he found what he was looking for which was a balled up Dallas Cowboy
shirt.

“If you think I’m going to be a
Dallas Cowboy fan than you have another thing coming…” She stop talking when he
kneeled down holding a stunning diamond ring. “That’s not the same ring,” she
gasped.

“It’s not,” he smiled and intertwined
his finger with hers. “I purchased this ring yesterday when I went out with
Martin. Do you know what infinity means?”

Kari’s heart soared. “Endless.”

“The infinity symbol means
forever and endless. The man at the jewelry place said that a diamond infinity
ring is a symbol of unending or unbounded.” Hank slipped the ring onto her
finger.

Kari examined the diamond twisted
band with the shiny sparkling diamond in the center. “I don’t know what to
say,” she said in a shaky voice.

“Allow me to show my love and
commitment to us and one another.” Hank looked up in her eyes. “I love you…I
want you to be my family.”

“Even if it’s a simple piece of
paper?” she mused.

“Sugar, that legal document tells
the world that this beautiful creature is my family…I want to be able to spend
the rest of my life with you. The person who loves me-I honestly can’t see
myself finding anyone like you...Say you will marry me?”

“I get to spend my life with my
best friend, whom I admire and love tremendously…that’s an easy answer.”

“Is that a yes?” he asked.

She nodded her head and squealed
when he picked her up and twirled her around. “Yes! I will marry you,” she
giggled as Hank pulled her into a long sweet kiss.

After coming up for air, Hank
held Kari in a tight embrace. “I thought you were going to say no, I proposed
once and you said no then.”

Kari sighed. “I wasn’t ready to
ride this Chevy down a little dirt road.”

He looked at her with a puzzled
look on his face. “What? Where did you get that from?”

“I’ve been learning how to sound
a little country,” she laughed as Hank shook his head vehemently. “It didn’t
sound right.”

“Now, all we have to do is get
hitched.” Hank wagged his eye brow at her.

Hank sat on the bed and pulled
Kari onto his lap. “My attorney already filed for divorce in Texas all we’re
waiting for his for Natalie to respond back to the petition.”

“Oh God!” Kari put her hands into
her face. “Getting to the altar is not going to be easy.”

“Natalie will sign the divorce
papers.”

“I’m not going to ruin this
proposal by talking about her,” Kari said, standing up. “I’m going for my walk
along the beach.”

“Want me to come?”

“Nope just need time to reflect
and show my ring off.” She kissed him and walked out the room.

“Breakfast on the terrace in
thirty,” he called out.

Kari paused as she stood outside
the bedroom door. “Make sure there are waffles.”

“Anything for you, princess.”
Hank laid back on the bed to get more shut eye.

***

Later
that morning, Hank took a tour around the oceanfront Mediterranean styled home
that was tucked away at the foot of the Baja Peninsula between Cabo San Lucas
and San Jose del Cabo.

When Kari
talked about the villa he never pictured something so enormous and
extravagant.  He walked past the living room, the house was magnificent with
the soaring cathedral ceilings with exposed wood trusses accented with
sparkling iron and crystal chandeliers. His eyes traveled up the scrolled iron
railing that was detailed and delicate on the curving grand staircase. He’d been
with Kari for two months and knew that she designed the railing. The living
room was richly furnished with dark wood.

“
Señor
,
breakfast will be served in the courtyard.” A maid smiled, as she carried a
pitcher of orange juice out the sliding door that lead to a marvelous balcony
that overlooked the golden beach and azure sea below.

Hank
began to follow the woman when he spied Kari walking alone the shoreline of the
white sandy beach, her lavender dress blowing in the wind. He laughed when the
hat she tried desperately to keep on her head flew away from her.

“You’re
in love with her? Yes?” A voice said in a thick Spanish accent.

“Yes,
ma’am,” He sighed, his eyes met those of a pair of beady light brown eyes that
belong to Rita Gonzales.

“Shall
we take a walk around the hacienda?” She took hold of his arm, steering him
towards the stone staircase. Immediately they was surrounded by lush tropical
flowers and the smoothing sound the ocean waves crashing against the cliffs in
the distance.