Made for You (22 page)

Johnson picked up a pen and tapped it on his desk. “If you’d carried this on while you were on the job, this conversation might not have gone so well.”

“Yes, sir,” Kelley said. “That would never have happened.”

Johnson pushed away from his desk and stood. Reese and Kelley got to their feet, too. Johnson held out his hand to Kelley who took it. He squeezed her hand before releasing it and shaking Reese’s, too.

“You come back to work Monday,” Johnson said to Kelley and she nodded. “I’ll give you your new assignments then.”

“Yes, sir,” Kelley and Reese replied.

Johnson waved them out of his office and Kelley breathed a huge sigh of relief as she and Reese headed through the station.

“Thank God that went well,” she said when they reached the front doors.

“What do you say to a stay in a bed and breakfast in Williams this weekend?” Reese asked as they strode out into the sunshine. “We’ll go to the Grand Canyon.”

“I’d say that sounds like a great idea.” She smiled at him. “I haven’t been to the Grand Canyon in forever. When do we leave?”

“How about noon?” he asked.

She laughed. “That’s in an hour.”

“Yep.” They reached his truck. “You’d better get packed.”

She raised her brows. “What were you going to do if I said no?”

“I’d planned to take you whether or not you said yes.” He opened up the door to his truck and she climbed in. “But I knew you wouldn’t say no.”

She rolled her eyes. “You McBrides are so arrogant.”

He flashed a grin. “We just know what we want.”

She couldn’t help a smile as he closed the truck door and she settled into her seat. Reese might be an arrogant McBride, but he was
her
arrogant McBride.

* * * * *

Williams was billed as the “Gateway to the Grand Canyon,” and Kelley liked the town and loved the area. At an elevation of 7,000 feet, the bed & breakfast Reese had chosen was nestled in the juniper and pine at the foot of Bill Williams Mountain.

It was early afternoon when they arrived at the B & B. When they climbed out of the truck, Kelley breathed in the scents of fresh air, pine, and loam. She loved the sweet, clean smells as they unloaded their bags from the truck and carried them inside.

The owner greeted them as they stepped inside the B & B. The entryway was quaint with rich wood flooring and cornflower blue walls with wallpaper that had tiny sprigs of pink roses. Once they’d checked in with the matronly woman and had taken their things to their room, Kelley and Reese headed for the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.

By the time they reached their destination and parked, the sun was sliding down the western sky. A light wind tugged at her blouse and whipped her hair around her face and it was starting to cool.

Reese took Kelley’s hand and they walked up a slope to the visitor’s area. Once they stood behind the barrier at the edge of the rim, he took her hand. His grip felt warm and firm, as if he’d never let her go.

Kelley’s breath caught as she looked out at the magnificent view. It was beyond awe-inspiring, nearly overwhelming, the magnitude of the canyon almost beyond human comprehension. She squeezed his hand as if somehow that would tell him how she was feeling at that moment.

The geological colors of rich red, brown, faded cream, and an almost purplish shade, were utterly beautiful. The width and breadth of the canyon were staggering to view and it was difficult to believe that such an incredible wonder could exist today. From a previous trip to the canyon, she’d learned it was over two hundred and seventy-five river miles long, eighteen miles wide, and up to a mile deep.

While she took in the awe-inspiring view, Reese put his arm around her shoulders. She loved the feel of his embrace and she tipped her head against his chest as they drank in their surroundings.

“I brought you here for a reason.” He squeezed her to him.

She drew back and looked up at him, into his brilliant blue gaze, and she smiled. “More than the amazing view?”

He nodded, slowly. “You are the one who’s amazing.”

The breeze tossed her hair about her face and she brushed strands from her eyes. “Funny, but I think the same about you. You are utterly amazing.”

“Kelley…” He trailed off for a moment and she tilted her head to the side. “I don’t know why I didn’t realize it sooner, why it took two years after you became my partner… Or maybe I did realize it, but wasn’t ready to recognize it for what it was.” He paused. “You were made for me and I was made for you.”

She felt a warmth in her belly that spread throughout her from the tips of her toes to the roots of her hair. “Yes,” she said quietly. “That’s it, exactly.”

He slipped his hand into his front pocket and he lowered himself to one knee she saw him pull out a small black velvet box. Her eyes widened. Her hands started to shake and she brought her palm to her mouth. He opened the box and nestled in black velvet was a simple diamond solitaire.

“Marry me, Kelley.” His gaze was sincere and filled with a kind of hope she’d never seen there before. “I want to be with you for the rest of our lives.”

She lowered her hand. For a moment she felt beyond words and could not speak. He looked so loving, so hopeful, as if everything he wanted in the world rested in her answer.

Her voice trembled as she nodded. “Yes.” She smiled as a grin split his features. “I would marry you a thousand times over.”

He slipped the ring onto her finger then rose and took her into his arms. “I love you, honey. I love you so damned much.”

“And I love you.” She held onto him tightly as they stood next to the rim of the canyon, her love for him expanding beyond the width and breadth of the place. She couldn’t imagine loving anyone as much as she loved him.

She wrapped her arms around his neck as he kissed her hard. Joy spread throughout her entire being as she kissed him back with everything she had.

When they parted and looked into each other’s eyes, she said, “I’ve never been this happy in my life. Ever.”

He pressed his lips to her forehead. “You are everything to me and I know I’ve never been happier.”

“How do you feel about a ready-made family?” Kelley smiled as she took his hands in hers. “Belle’s adoption will go through soon.”

“I think we should get married right away.” He squeezed her hands. “Then Belle will have a mother and a father to love her.”

“I know she’ll love that.” Kelley felt an excitement building inside her. “What do you say about Las Vegas?”

He tugged on a lock of her hair. “I say that Las Vegas sounds perfect.”

“Good.” She smiled. “That’s settled.”

They turned and faced the Grand Canyon as he settled his arm around her shoulders, holding her to him as she rested her head against his chest. The magnitude of the moment went even further than the magnitude of the sight that lay before them. Happiness filled her and expanded beyond what could not be comprehended, beyond what filled one’s soul with awe.

To two lives entwined and as ever lasting as what had existed for millennia and what would continue to exist forevermore.

Chapter 23

Kelley felt a swooping sensation as Reese carried her over the threshold of their Las Vegas suite. She laughed as he took off each of her high-heeled shoes and tossed them over his shoulder. As he lowered her beside the large bed, her silky sapphire blue dress slid to her upper thighs as he put her down before it fell to just above her knees again.

When he’d proposed to her yesterday, she’d thought she’d never be happier. But she was now, impossibly so. They had driven straight from Williams this morning. While she went shopping at a boutique for attire appropriate for a Las Vegas wedding, he’d gone to a western clothing store.

They’d tied the knot a mere hour ago but it felt like they’d been husband and wife for as long as she could remember.

“You are so beautiful, Detective McBride,” Reese said with a grin as he settled his hands on her hips.

She returned his grin and reached up to take off his cream-colored Stetson, which she tossed on a nearby chair. “You aren’t so bad yourself, Detective McBride,” she said as she ruffled his hair.

And he wasn’t bad at all. With his now mussed light brown hair, his vivid blue eyes and square features, not to mention the sensual curve of his lips…he was one of the sexiest men she’d ever had the pleasure of knowing.

He kissed her soundly, shutting down all thoughts in her mind of anything but being in his arms at that moment.

His kiss turned into something even more passionate and she matched his intensity. The desire to have him inside her was strong and it was all she could do to keep from ripping his western shirt open and unbuckling his belt.

She gave a little sigh as he moved his lips down her throat. Her sigh turned into a moan while he rubbed his thumbs over her nipples in circles that nearly took her breath away.

Even as she squirmed in his arms, he seemed determined to take it slow. She wanted him with an urgency that bordered on the frantic but she let him set the pace. She fell into it with a wanton abandon as he sent her mind spinning with desire.

He kissed lower, to where the neckline of her dress ended just above her breasts. She gave a little shudder of need as he dipped his tongue into her cleavage, teasing the sensitive skin between her breasts. She wanted more of him, needed more of him.

She shivered as he reached behind her and tugged down her dress’s zipper that traveled all the way down to the base of her spine. He pushed the dress over her shoulders and she let it slide down her arms before it dropped to the floor in a shimmering blue puddle. She stepped out of it and he carefully set the dress on the chair next to his Stetson.

He returned his gaze to her, looking like a man dying of thirst as he let his gaze drift over her petite form. She wore a black bra, as well as black panties and a garter with sheer stockings that she had purchased at the boutique to go under the dress she had been wearing.

When he met her eyes again, he said, “You know that you’re my everything, Kelley.”

She touched the side of his face, feeling the stubble along his jaws with her fingertips. “You are an amazing man. I feel blessed to have you at my side.”

He kissed her again, gripping her by her waist and drawing her up against him. She felt his erection pressing into her bare belly and the ache that had begun to grow between her thighs became sharper. He trailed his fingertips along the curve of her satiny bra and she gave a little gasp as he tugged her bra down, exposing her breasts.

With a rumble deep in his throat, he lowered his head and suckled first one nipple then the other. She slid her fingers into his soft hair and tipped her head back as the erotic sensations spread from her breasts to tingle in every part of her body.

He unfastened her bra and slid it down her arms then tossed the bra aside. He trailed his fingers from the curves of her breasts, down her sides to the top of her garters. “Let’s leave these on.”

She moaned as he slid his finger between her thighs over the damp satiny material covering her folds.

“I almost can’t believe you’re mine.” He moved his hands up and pushed his fingers into her hair and cupped the back of her head. “My beautiful, intelligent, sexy, kick-ass wife.”

She would have grinned if he weren’t doing such sensual things to her body. His every kiss, his every touch, was pure magic.

The fact that he still had clothes on made no sense to her at that moment. She reached for his cream-colored western shirt and ripped apart the pearl snaps, exposing the expanse of his muscular chest. She pushed the shirt over his shoulders and he shrugged out of it so that it fell to the floor.

Her heart beat faster as he toed off his boots and kicked them aside. In moments he had peeled his socks off and she reached for his silver belt buckle. She didn’t fumble as she undid the belt and then she was unzipping his black western dress slacks. She pushed down his slacks and his boxer briefs and he stepped out of them.

A sigh of pleasure escaped her when she reached for his cock. The soft skin felt silky over the hard length that she wanted to more than touch, she wanted to taste it too. But he seemed more intent on feeling her body against his, the heat of their need making it almost too much to bear.

He scooped her up in his arms, catching her by surprise, and carried her to the huge bed at the center of the room. He laid her on the bed and looked down at her. She felt warmth upon her skin, everywhere his gaze touched her.

“Come to me.” She held out her arms to him.

He lowered himself so that his arms were braced to either side of her.

His jaw tightened as he held himself still. “What do you say we give Belle a little brother or sister?”

Kelley smiled. “I say that sounds perfect.”

His hips spread her thighs further apart. He pulled aside the panties of her garter, exposing her folds.

She reached between them and grasped his cock, guiding him into her core. She gasped with pleasure as he filled her, his length driving so deep he reached her G-spot. He began rocking in and out of her, his cock making her crazy with the need to climax. He took her slowly, making love to her with his body and his eyes.

His strokes became firmer and harder and she moaned as she grew closer and closer to climax. She felt as if her mind was spinning, need growing inside her like a living thing that would soon take over her body and mind.

And then her body seemed to explode with heat and fire. She cried out, not caring about anything but the man between her thighs and her love and passion for him. Lights and colors flashed in her vision.

As she came down from her high, her core continued to spasm around his cock as he moved in and out of her. She looked into the face she loved and saw the fierceness in his expression.

She reached between them and brushed his balls with her fingertips and he seemed to explode, too, as he came hard. He closed his eyes as he thrust and his jaw was tense, his expression as fiery as the flames of her orgasm which continued to heat her body as he moved in and out.

And then he pressed his body tightly to hers and it was as if they were one, joined together in more ways than only marriage.