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“Your mate?” He was breathing heavily, his fingers slowly bunching up my dress.
“You. I want you. I love you. I’m ready to be emotional about it.”
He huffed, smiling and a little breathless. I pulled the sweater dress off over my head. His hands slid up and down my back. “Well, it only took eight years of waiting.”
I walked him backwards toward the bed, his shirtless chest flexing as I ran my hands over him. “You’re the best friend, and man, I could ever hope to find. There’s only one thing I’m wondering about.”
“What’s that?” His hands were gliding up and down my sides, pushing down the shoulder straps of my bra, then pulling my hips closer.
“How long can I keep you in bed?”
He fell backwards, pulling me along on top of him. We fell onto the bed and bounced on the mattress. His hands cupped and squeezed my ass while he groaned and arched up into me. “You’re it for me,” he said. “It’s you or no one.”
“I don’t deserve you.”
“Too bad.”
He rolled on top of me and with a delicious fierceness we kissed for a long time. I arched into him, tingling and clenching—and alive again, the giddy pleasure releasing a few tears down my cheeks.
He kicked off the rest of his clothing then thrust into me, our hands exploring skin, while we stared into each other’s eyes. I came and then he did too, pressing into me hard, my arms pulling him closer against me.
We cuddled together on the bed, catching our breaths. I raised myself up on an elbow. “Can you stay the night?” I asked.
He grinned, big and happy. “Yes.”
“Charley and I could go with you tomorrow morning to see the cabin. I’ll help you move in. As long as you’re not going to spend too much time there.”
“You might like it.” He ran a hand down my arm. “There’s a fenced yard for Charley to run in.”
“Speak of the devil.” I sighed, hearing doggie commotion out in the family room. Charley ran down the hallway then barked at the bedroom door.
I got out of bed to let in the fur baby. Hank and I cleaned up and put on our clothes. He petted and talked to Charley the whole time and I could tell that the furry scamp would have a new favorite human in short order. The corners of my mouth turned up. My little family was all here, together at last.
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
Two months later, I stretched out on my lounge chair, letting the warm Hawaiian sun soak into my pale skin. “Winter in Oregon has me questioning my life,” I said.
My mama patted my hand. “You don’t have to stay there forever.”
Amber adjusted her big sun hat. “This was the best idea. It’s been rain, snow, rain, snow—Mario refuses to discuss the weather with me. Can you believe that?”
“Hank loves the cold and tells me every morning what temperature range to expect, and when the clouds will bust open and drop more sludge. I’m like just hand me that big old parka, again.” I grabbed a piece of pineapple.
“So,” said my mama, in that voice that meant she was getting serious, “speaking of questioning your life. Have you figured it out, Spicy Spice?”
They stared at me. “I’ve got my man. I’ve got my dog. I’m sorted.”
“Girl,” said Amber. “You have enough energy for three people. What are you gonna do?”
Mama raised an eyebrow. “Honey, I see that smirk. We all know you’re going to do Hank. What else?”
I sat up. “All right, fine. I’ll answer this then each of you takes a turn. Question of my choice.”
“Dang,” said Amber. “You say it like that, and I got a few goosebumps.”
“Here we are, on the beautiful Kaanapali Beach in Maui,” said my mama, waving around her hand. “You couldn’t ask for a better place to open your heart.”
“That’s a good point.” Amber spread sunscreen over her shoulders. “And the guys are out fishing for another hour, so the distractions are low. Getting up at four in the morning to go fishing is wacky but they’re happy. Sorry—spill it.”
