Intent (23 page)

“Oh, my bad. What was your name again, young lady? Are you Lana? Or are you Leslie?” He’s still teasing, trying to rile me up.

“Nah, they’re both long gone now. I ran them off. My name is Layne, and I’ll be the last one who comes here with him.”

Ralph looks at Ace, who’s beaming with pride at my retort. “I like her. You’d better keep her happy or some guy will come along and snatch her away from you.”

“They’d never find his body,” Ace asserts.

Ralph and Ace lock eyes and a knowing smile crosses Ralph’s face. “You’ve found the one for you, haven’t you?”

“I sure have,” Ace replies to Ralph but looks at me. “Found her and can’t live without her now.”

“Let’s get you two hitched, then,” Ralph replies.

With a simple ceremony under the branches of the shade tree, Ace and I exchange our vows, with an emphasis on “till death do us part,” after every phrase we recite. He slides a ring onto my finger that I didn’t even know he had, and I gasp audibly at how beautiful it is.

“You didn’t think I’d propose and not have a ring for you, did you?” he whispers.

When it’s my turn to put a ring on his finger, a moment of panic surges through me. Ace reaches in his pocket and retrieves a simple wedding band and hands it to me. “You thought of everything, didn’t you?”

He winks at me and I take the ring from him and recite the words after Ralph says them. “With this ring, I thee wed.”

“Don’t forget to add ‘till death do us part,’” Ace reminds me.

“With this ring, I thee wed, till death do us part.” I can’t help but giggle at his insistence, but I also can’t help but feel loved and cherished for it.

“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss your bride,” Ralph states with pride.

Ace crushes his lips to mine to seal the ceremony. His tongue slides across my lips and presses against the part until I give him full access. Our first kiss as a married couple makes me weak in the knees. It’s perfect—soft and sweet, with undercurrents of sexual tension and barely controlled passion.

“Mrs. Sharp, I’d love nothing more than to take you away now,” Ace murmurs against my lips.

“Mr. Sharp, I’m all yours.”

A
CE

I
can’t believe
she agreed to marry me.

That impromptu, ridiculous proposal wasn’t exactly the stuff dreams are made of. But she still said yes.

The ceremony wasn’t planned, her friends and family weren’t invited or even told about it, and it was held under the limbs of a huge tree. But she still said, “I do.”

The whole thing has to be the most unimaginative, unromantic proposal and wedding ceremony ever. But she still took my name.

We’re in my truck leaving from the chapel and I glance over at her. She has the most angelic glow and the most beautiful smile.

“Did I ruin your lifelong dreams of a big wedding with a thousand people in attendance?”

“No! Are you kidding me? I’ve never wanted a huge wedding with everyone watching me walk down the aisle. I’d probably trip and face-plant in front of everyone, embarrass myself to death. I’ve only ever wanted a small, intimate wedding. To me, it should just be about the two people making the commitment.”

“The appointment with the social worker isn’t until this afternoon, right?”

“Right. She’ll be there at four o’clock.”

“That’s not quite long enough for me, but we’ll have to make the most of it until tomorrow.”

“Not long enough? Make the most of what? What’s happening tomorrow?”

Her rapid-fire questions make me laugh. “Take a breath now, Layne Sharp.”

She takes an exaggerated breath and slowly releases it. “Done. Now answer me.”

“Have I told you today how much I love you?”

The broad smile on her face belies the thinly veiled threat behind her crinkled eyes. “You may have mentioned it when you married me.”

“Okay, I’ll give you a hint. It goes along with what you’d normally do after a wedding.”

“How is that a hint? That could be a dozen different things,” she complains.

“You won’t have to wait long to find out.” I point toward her window before turning into the driveway. “We’re here.”

“Ace, that house is stunning! I’ve never seen an actual old Southern plantation house.”

She’s right, the house is amazing. The two-story white plantation house is complete with tall white columns across the front and full wraparound porches on both levels. The red-brick driveway is lined with old oak trees that provide perpetual shade. But it’s what’s inside the house that I’m most excited about.

As we draw nearer to the house, she realizes all is not as it seems.

“Wait a minute. This isn’t a tourist attraction.” She cuts her eyes over to me, and I feign the most innocent look I can muster. Under the circumstances. “Why is it way out here by itself?”

“The women on the town council wouldn’t let her open it on Main Street,” I shrug.

“Why not?”

I want to kiss the area between her brows that’s adorably scrunched in confusion.

“Because then everyone in town would see them frequenting the store,” I laugh as I park the truck. “Let’s go find some sexy honeymoon lingerie so I can tear it off when I ravage you.”

“If you insist,” she replies. Her cheeks are suddenly flushed and she’s breathing heavier.

Serena’s Siren Song
is our town’s best-kept secret. Serena turned the entire bottom floor of her two-story Southern mansion into a naughty and nice lingerie shop. She only carries the top of the line in lingerie and adult toys. Not that I’ve ever been here myself, but since she’s my cousin, I’ve heard all about it. While Layne was in the shower this morning, I sent a text to Serena to let her know I’d be by with someone special.

The door swings open wide as we approach the first step. “There’s my favorite cousin! Who’s this beautiful lady with you?” Serena steps out onto the porch and hugs me. Then she turns and hugs Layne like she’s known her all her life.

“This is Layne, my wife,” I say to Serena. Before she can reply, I continue, “Layne, this is my cousin, Serena. She owns this shop.”

“It’s very nice to meet you, Serena.”

“Wife? What the hell, Ace? When did you get married and not invite me?” She turns to Layne. “It’s so nice to meet you, Layne.” Then back to me. “Explain.”

“Ralph married us a few minutes ago. We drove straight here after the ceremony. That’s how long we’ve been married, Serena.” I step behind Layne and wrap my arms around her, cocoon her in my embrace, and place kisses on her neck, just below her ear.

“At least you came to see me first. That’s some consolation. Congratulations to you both. She’s obviously the one for you, cuz. I’ve never seen you look at a woman like that before.”

“She definitely is the only one for me.”

“You two take your time in the shop. Whatever you pick out is on the house—my wedding gift to you both, even though I wasn’t
actually
invited to the wedding.”

“If it makes you feel any better, no one was invited. We got engaged last night and married this morning,” Layne replies.

“When you know, you know,” Serena replies. “Lock up when you’re done, Ace.” With a hug and a kiss goodbye, Serena trots to her car and leaves us alone in the store.

With my hand on the small of her back, I lead Layne inside and suddenly feel completely out of my element. There are see-through, lacy, racy lingerie sets in every direction. Each room has a different theme, some are sweet and sexy while others are provocatively racy. Each rack holds a different color. The dressing rooms are all in the back of the house, complete with elegant, brown leather chaise loungers, a full wall mirror, and a tri-fold standing mirror to provide a full-body view.

I can’t decide which one I want to see her in first.

“Oh, I like this one,” she exclaims.

I’m not sure what the thin straps of fabric are that she’s holding up, but I’m more than willing to learn. She picks out several others in different colors and fabrics before walking toward the dressing room.

“Hold up,” I call out as I jog toward her. “You’ll need help trying those on.”

“Uh-huh,” she replies. “What a good husband you are, volunteering to help me try on clothes.”

“I take my job very seriously.”

I take a seat on the lounge chair and intently watch her undress. Her eyes float to meet mine in the mirror a couple of times, but she’s focused on the task at hand. As soon as she gets the scraps of lace on, I’m instantly hard and ready to fuck her until neither of us can walk out of here. The white shelf bra only covers the underswell of her breasts, just enough to push them up and keep them on full display. The matching crotchless panties have me salivating uncontrollably. Add her high heels, making her legs seem even longer and leaner, and I couldn’t wait another minute if I tried.

“Living with you is hell on my figure. Look how much weight I’ve gained with you making me eat all the time,” she complains.

“You’re imaging things. I only see perfection in every inch of you. Come here and I’ll show you.”

Eager to get my hands on her, I shoot up from the chair and reach for her. She willingly steps into me, strips me naked, and pushes me back down on the lounger before the head on my shoulders can catch up. When she kneels in front of me and looks up from under her lashes, the impish grin she flashes me nearly undoes me. Then she takes me into her mouth, and the warm, wet sensation floods my entire body. With her soft lips wrapped around me, she quickly moves her head and hand in tandem up and down my length, bringing me closer to the edge with each stroke.

My head falls back involuntarily while my hands grip her hair. My hips automatically match her rhythm, thrusting up as her mouth comes down, until I feel the back of her throat. “Baby, you have to stop. Not like this.”

She slows her movements and meets my gaze. “You want me to stop?”

“Fuck no, I don’t want you to stop. But the first time I come as your husband, I want to be buried deep inside you.”

“How do you want me?” she asks seductively.

“On top. Climb on.”

I lean back and watch as she straddles me. The combination of skin and lace is driving me crazy. She guides me into her and I watch, mesmerized, as she slides down my shaft. She wraps around me with a perfect fit, her inner walls clenching around me as she grinds her hips. Pushing my hips up, I drive farther inside her with each thrust. Before long, the urge to empty myself in her is overwhelming and the way she throws her head back while screaming my name makes it impossible to wait.

“Now, baby. I need you to come now,” I growl through gritted teeth. I’m holding on by a thread. I drive into her harder and faster until her body contracts around me, soaks me, and milks me dry.

She falls forward until our bodies are flush. We’re both breathing heavily from all the energy we expended. “Layne,” I say softly. She lifts her head to look at me and I take the opportunity to claim her mouth. “You are incredible. I love you, my wife.”

“I love you, my hubby.”

Two outfits and two more rounds later, we’re finally ready to leave Serena’s shop. I drop a couple hundred-dollar bills on the counter to cover the extra two items we christened. We stop for a late lunch and arrive home relaxed, with a couple of hours to spare before we meet with the social worker.

After I unlock the front door, I scoop her up in my arms and carry her across the threshold. She looks at me with surprise and I wink. “Just a tradition,” I explain. “Nothing superstitious about it.” Once we’re inside, I kiss her softly and savor her unique taste before I put her down.

“Before we get busy with the home study, you should go pack for a few days. We leave first thing in the morning.”

“Where are we going?” she asks.

“Did you really think that was the only honeymoon you’d have? Make sure you pack those new outfits you just got.” I waggle my eyebrows at her. “We still need to get a lot more use out of them this week.”

The social worker arrives to conduct the home study and we share the news of our very recent nuptials. After several questions about our job security, reasons why we want to adopt, and how River will adapt to a new baby in the house, she unofficially says she thinks we’d be wonderful adoptive parents. When Zoe gets home from work, we share the good news with her and let her know that we’ll be away for a few days on our honeymoon.

Falling asleep with my wife in my arms after a day of lovemaking is the best feeling. She fills a part of me that has been missing my whole life. The missing piece of my heart, my soul, the part of me that makes me who I am. “Good night, beautiful. I love you,” I whisper to the darkness, knowing she’s already sound asleep.

“
W
here are we going
?” Layne asks excitedly as we climb in the truck.

“Do you really want to know? Or do you want to be surprised?”

“I want to know. Always. In general, lawyers don’t like surprises.”

I throw my head back in a laugh. “Touché. I should’ve known that. The next four days, we’re staying in a luxurious, five-star beach resort in Destin. We’ll be completely alone to do whatever we want. No kids, no job responsibilities, no teenage baby incubators. Just my wife and me. Clothes are completely optional.”

“Is it a nudist beach?”

I cut my eyes over to her and arch one eyebrow. “No, it definitely is not. No one else gets to see my wife’s nude body.”

“Just clarifying the clothes are optional comment.” Her tone is so innocent it leaves no doubt in my mind that she’s messing with me just to see me riled up.

“You’re poking the caveman, Mrs. Sharp. Careful.” She knows all too well that my threats are only made in a fun and sexual nature.

“Did you say caveman? Is he coming out to play on our honeymoon?”

“Dammit, it’s going to be a long trip,” I grumble as I adjust myself. “We just got on the road and you’ve already caused this.” I point to my swollen crotch.

She leans over exaggeratedly and looks at it. Her lips are pulled to one side, and her eyebrows are drawn down in deep thought, like she’s trying to diagnose me. “That looks painful, pressing against your zipper like that. It’s more than a four-hour drive, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” I reply through gritted teeth. She’s leaned her head even farther over.

“As your wife, it’s my duty to tell you that more than four hours like that could be dangerous.” She puts her hand on my thigh, and a grunt escapes from deep in my chest.

“What a good wife you are, showing such concern for my health.”

“I am, right? I knew I’d rock at this job.” She slides her hand up my thigh and stops dangerously close to my stiff cock.

“I’m about to pull over on the side of the road before we even get past the county line,” I threaten.

“No need to do that, baby.”

She moves her hand higher, skimming over me on her way up to the button and zipper. In seconds, she frees me and my hardened cock stands up straight. Before I can comment on how much better it feels without the confines of my denim prison, her warm, wet tongue circles the head of my dick and I’m instantly unable to speak. Without warning, she takes me as deeply into her mouth as she can and gently rocks her head from side to side.

One hand grips the steering wheel, the other hand grips her hair, and I have to consciously concentrate to keep my eyes on the road rather than rolling back in my head. She swallows and her throat muscles clamp down around me. “Fucking hell!” She continues to change up her tactics, so I have no warning of what to expect next. One second, she takes my breath completely away and the next my tensed muscles can relax momentarily. Alternating between pleasure and pain, I am lost in the incredible woman who is my wife.

“Layne, baby, I can’t hold back. I’m going to—”

My admission only fuels her determination. Within seconds, she’s taken all I have and has left me in one hell of an afterglow. “Holy shit, baby, that was incredible. I think I need a cigarette now and I don’t even smoke.”

“It was my pleasure.” She smirks.

“Uh, no, I can definitely say that was all my pleasure. Your caveman can’t wait to return the favor when we get in our room.”

Several hours later, we’re finally pulling into the resort for our short honeymoon getaway. The long drive is lined with palm trees, ending at the circular drive in front of the resort entrance. The valet takes my truck, the bellhop takes our bags, and Layne and I get the keys to our honeymoon suite.