I turned to him and gave him a sharp glare, which only made him laugh.
“We’re in Florence, Oregon,” I said. “Tiny little town off the coast. There are sand dunes here, Silas. Do you think Captain would love the beach?”
“Yeah, he would, definitely!”
“Then we’ll have to bring you both here for a visit. I’m sorry we couldn’t bring you this time.”
“Mia,” he said, sounding like an adult instead of the twelve-year-old-boy he was. “People who get married go on honeymoons. It would be weird if you’d brought me. You don’t bring kids on your honeymoon.”
My hand absently went to my stomach.
I’d just entered my second trimester and had only recently started to show. Joni had caught me throwing up on my wedding day and had called me on it. I’d finally come clean with her—the only other person who knew was Colt. I hadn’t been ready to share it with the Blue Angels. I was superstitious; whenever anything good happened in my life, someone or something came in to shit all over it.
“Mia? You still there?” Silas asked.
Colt came up behind me, placed a large palm on my belly, and yanked the phone from my ear. “Hey, Silas,” Colt said. “How’s it going?”
I looked up at him and caught him smiling and nodding.
“Atta boy. Knew you could do it. I’m about to take Mia out for a really romantic dinner. Can we call you tomorrow? Great. Take care, kid.”
He hung up and chucked my phone aside.
“He’s twelve,” I said. “Not an idiot. Pretty sure he knew you wanted to get into my pants.”
“You’re not in pants. You’re in a dress. And I can’t wait to get you out of it.” Colt quickly stripped me of my blue sundress and flung it aside. And then he tossed me on the bed.
I landed with a gentle bounce, and before I knew it Colt was gripping me by my legs and dragging me down to the edge.
He got on his knees and grinned.
His mouth devoured me, his tongue lapping at my center, making me thrash and moan.
“Damn,” he muttered between my thighs. “You’re more sensitive now than you were before you got pregnant.”
“Shut up and keep going,” I commanded.
He laughed and then did as he was told. His hands slid to my thighs, his palm grazing the scar on my thigh. It was hardly visible now that it was covered by a tattoo. I’d put a lot of thought into the artwork and had decided on a dandelion with its seeds blowing in the wind, and Shelly’s name spiraling up the stem.
Colt knew exactly what to do to make me scream his name, and while I was still crying out for him, he slid up my body and slipped inside me.
He was gentle, yet relentless in his thrusts. I could feel him everywhere as our open eyes locked on each other. He reached underneath me and held me against him. He ground into me, hitting all the right places, filling me up.
“Colt,” I whispered.
“I know.” His lips took mine in an insatiable kiss and didn’t stop plunging into me. Not until I was coming again. And then he was shouting my name. My heart felt like it was going to burst out of my chest from happiness.
After, he rested his head against my naked breasts, entwining his fingers with my left hand, his thumb grazing the ring finger tattoo. He’d given me a wedding band, which I never wore because I hated how it felt against my skin, but the tattoo…that was forever, something that couldn’t be lost.
I’d lived so much life in the past year.
I’d finished my degree. I’d rebuilt Dive Bar and renamed it Shelly’s. It was turning a profit—and not just because the Blue Angels used it as its unofficial headquarters to do business and launder money.
Once the smoke had cleared from Grammie’s house, I’d assessed the damage and realized it could’ve been so much worse. I’d lost a few mementos in the fire, but not all. Grammie’s teacup had survived, along with my favorite framed photographs.
I’d remodeled the house entirely and bought brand new modern furniture and then had Laura and Brock move in. They’d been living in less than stellar conditions because of a shitty slumlord. The Blue Angels had taken care of that problem, but I’d wanted her to have a home. A real home. With flower bushes and a roof that didn’t leak. Grammie would’ve been happy the house had become a home once again.
“Are you happy, darlin’?” Colt looked up at me, resting his chin on my breastbone.