“Noon works,” I replied. Looking to Van, I said, “We have that meeting with Officer Lawson and Patrol Officer Howard in the morning.”
Van nodded. “I saw Albert’s text message.”
Lena looked my way. “I’m sorry to say I didn’t prepare for a wedding. Is this formal?”
“No,” I said with a snicker. “We tried that, or close to it. This… Tomorrow will just be us.” I smiled. “All four of us.”
“Good night.”
As Van walked Lena toward the front door, Vicki leaned close and whispered. “You’re right. She’s gorgeous.”
And she stole Logan’s money.
I smirked as I lifted my wine glass to my lips.
Good for her.
Julia
Brushing my hair, I stared at my reflection. My face was washed and my teeth were brushed, and a satin nightgown that had been amongst the items Van purchased—my non-gifts—hung from spaghetti straps on my shoulders. As I stepped from our bathroom, I heard the hallway door to our suite open and close. Turning that way, I scanned the man coming toward me. He was tall and handsome, and his mere presence made my heart beat in double time. And yet I also saw the weariness in his expression.
“Are you all right?” I asked as his large hands reached for my waist, pulling me against him.
In place of an answer, his lips took mine. Slow and possessive. They sought what was theirs with unapologetic desire. Van’s hand slipped up to my hair as his tongue mingled with mine. Moans and whimpers echoed in the hallway as I pushed up on my tiptoes, wanting and taking as much as Van was giving.
It felt incredibly right to be where I was.
With Van’s body coming to life beneath his blue jeans and the thump of his heart against my breasts, I was home. Step by step, Van walked me backward until my shoulders collided with the hallway wall. Releasing my hair, his finger sought the hem of my nightgown. Breaking our kiss, he tugged it over my head.
My hand went to his chest.
“Stop.”
His body tensed as he took a step back. “What?”
My cheeks lifted as my bruised lips curled into a grin. “This afternoon was hot. But now we’re here in our suite.” I looked down at my lace panties—my only piece of clothing. “I get to see the man making love to me. All of him.” I reached for Van’s hand and led him toward the bedroom.
Climbing up on the bed, I grinned. “Strip for me, handsome.”
The golden flecks in Van’s green stare shimmered. “Oh, beautiful. You seem to misunderstand who’s in charge.”
“Not at all. I just want to see the man in charge.”
My smile momentarily dimmed as Van lifted his shirt over his head. The bandage was smaller than it had been. It didn’t matter. The white gauze and medical tape on his lower abdomen combined to create a neon sign.
Kicking off his shoes, dropping his blue jeans, and stripping out of his boxer shorts, Van came my way. With his thumb and forefinger, he lifted my chin. “Don’t think about it. I’m well and you’re well. I’m about to make love to my fiancée for possibly the last time. Tomorrow night, she’ll be my wife.”
I ran my fingertips over the grooves and muscles of his abdomen, up to his wide chest, and over his strong shoulders. “I’d marry you this minute if I could.”
Pushing me back onto the bed, Van crawled toward me and reached for the hem of my panties. Kisses and nips on my inner thighs and calves followed the fabric as he pulled them down my legs, throwing them to the floor below. After reaching my ankles, he lifted his head and grinned. “Nothing will stop tomorrow.”
“Don’t say that.”
“We’ll marry and one day when you want it, we can have a large reception proclaiming our love and union to the world.”
I shook my head as he eased his way over me, his body between my thighs. “I don’t need a reception. I need you.”
His scratchy chin contacted my sensitive skin as he nuzzled and kissed my neck and collarbone, sending chills over my skin while creating flames beneath it. I wiggled with wanton need as Van’s attention went to my breasts. One by one, he lavished attention on them until they grew heavy, and my nipples tightened to diamond hardness.