He responded by bringing her hand to his lips and placing a tender kiss on it. “We can start tonight, if you want.”
They didn’t, of course, because she was still on birth control, but they both agreed that she wouldn’t be refilling her prescription. She couldn’t wait to see Trent hold their baby in his arms. He’d be a wonderful father.
Trent reached for her as she drew near, not waiting for Max to place her hand in his.
“Impatient?” she asked.
Trent rubbed his thumb over her ring finger. “Very.”
The captain chuckled. “If you’re ready to begin . . .”
Everything else seemed to fade away as they said their vows and before she knew it, they were being pronounced husband and wife. He pulled her into his arms and gave her a kiss that wasn’t entirely chaste. Laughter bubbled up from deep inside as they both came up for air. She couldn’t remember the last time she was so happy.
***
Trent stood near the dock. Abby had gone to find Max so she could say goodbye. They’d socialized with their friends and family for close to four hours as the boat cruised along the Ohio River, but he was ready to get her alone. They were spending the night at a hotel in Covington, and then catching a flight tomorrow morning for St. Thomas. He couldn’t wait.
Gage snuck up behind Trent and slapped a hand on his back. He turned to face his youngest brother, but found himself surrounded. Gage wasn’t alone. Chris and Paul were with him.
“You guys going to jump me or something?” Trent asked with a smirk.
“Not at all,” Gage said. “Just thought we could impart some brotherly advice before you head off on your honeymoon. You know, since we all have the marriage thing down pat.”
Trent laughed. “Oh really? Is that why I saw Rebecca giving you the stinkeye earlier?”
Gage shrugged, unfazed. “Foreplay, man. Foreplay.”
Paul rolled his eyes. “More than we needed to know.”
“Hey. What can I say? I know how to keep her satisfied.”
“Do you two need a time-out?” Chris asked with amusement.
Trent caught sight of Abby. “You’ll have to excuse me. I need to get my bride alone and away from you yahoos.”
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” Gage shouted as Trent helped Abby off the boat and back onto dry land.
“Is there anything you won’t do?” Paul asked Gage.
Trent didn’t hear Gage’s response. He was too busy trying to get Abby to the parking lot and his truck.
“In a hurry?” she asked.
“The sooner we get to the hotel, the sooner we’re alone, so yes.”
It only took them ten minutes to get to the hotel, which in his way of thinking was still too long. He found a spot in the parking garage, and went to help her out of the vehicle. Luckily, he’d checked them in and dropped their bags off in their room before heading over to the boat. All they had to do was go to their suite.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered, making her way over to the window. It was dusk and the city was starting to light up.
He strolled up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “I’m glad you like it, but you haven’t even seen the bedroom yet.”
She laughed.
“What can I say, baby? I’m unable to resist you.” He placed a kiss on her neck.
Abby leaned into him. “Do you ever think how things might have been if you’d said something back in high school? I keep thinking that I’m so happy right now. What if I could have had that for the last fifteen years?”
He knew he could brush her question off, distract her, but he knew Abby. If he did that, she’d let it eat at her. “I don’t know. Maybe. We were young. Now we’ve grown up. We know what we want.” Trent turned her around to face him. “All I know is that I have you now and I don’t intend to ever let you go, Mrs. Daniels.”
She grinned. “I love the sound of that.”
“So do I.” Trent stepped back, taking hold of both her hands. “What do you say we do a little celebrating? I think maybe I need a little practice on the baby making. You know, just so we do it right when the time comes.”
“You don’t think we’ve had enough practice yet? We’ve been practicing a lot.” She followed him toward the bedroom, despite giving him sass.
“There’s no such thing as too much practice.”
“Oh, really?” she asked.
To prove his point, Trent bent down, tossed her over his shoulder, and marched toward the bedroom.
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Acknowledgements
A special thank you to my editors, Andrea and Wyndy, who make, what is a very painful process for most authors, tolerable. My stories wouldn't be as good without you.
Other Books by Sherri Hayes
Finding Anna series
Slave
Need
Truth
Trust
Finding Anna Boxed Set (Books 1-4)
Behind Closed Doors
Red Zone
Crossing the Line
Serpent’s Kiss series
Welcome to Serpent’s Kiss
Burning for Her Kiss
One Forbidden Night
Single Titles
Hidden Threat
A Christmas Proposal
Anthologies
Dominant Persuasions
About the Author
Sherri spent most of her childhood detesting English class. It was one of her least favorite subjects because she never seemed to fit into the standard mold. She wasn't good at spelling, or following grammar rules, and outlines made her head spin. For that reason, Sherri never imagined becoming an author.
At the age of thirty, all of that changed. After getting frustrated with the direction a television show was taking two of its characters, Sherri decided to try her hand at writing an alternate ending, and give the characters their happily ever after. By the time the story finished, it was one of the top ten read stories on the site, and her readers were encouraging her to write more.
Since then Sherri has published several novels, many of which have hit the top 100 in their category on Amazon. Writing has become a creative outlet that allows her to explore a wide range of emotions, while having fun taking her characters through all the twists and turns she can create. You can find a current list of all of Sherri’s books and sign up for her monthly newsletter at www.sherrihayesauthor.com.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Epilogue