“Is that what we’re going to be doing all weekend? Kissing?” Her eyes twinkled as she stared up at him.
“Hell, if you agree, I don’t know that we’ll get out of bed.”
“It is our first whole weekend together.”
“I’ve waited for this for a long time,” he said. Standing, he collected their empty plates as she gathered the glasses. They stood side-by-side at the sink as he rinsed them and placed them in the dishwasher. He opened the refrigerator door and pulled out two plastic-wrapped saucers, each containing a large slice of cheesecake topped with raspberry sauce.
“Oh, my goodness! You even have dessert!”
“What’s dinner without dessert?” he asked, handing one of the saucers to her. “I’ll grab two forks, and we can go into the living room.”
A moment later, settled on the sofa, he was once again distracted by the moans of delight coming from her. Forcing his cock to behave, he finished his slice and then set the dishes on the coffee table. Pulling her into his arms, he shifted their bodies so his back was propped against the padded arm of the sofa, his long legs stretched out on the cushions, and she was draped next to him, her head on his chest and her arm wrapped around his waist. She pulled off her glasses and tossed them gently to the coffee table.
“So,” she began, “what have you got planned for the rest of the weekend? Or are we really going to spend the whole weekend in bed?”
“Would that be a problem?” he teased.
She hummed as her fingers traced a pattern over his abs. “Not a problem with me. I’ve been so excited about us having so much time together.”
“Well, as much as I would love to stay in bed with you the whole time, we’ve been roped into a Lighthouse get-together tomorrow.”
She shifted around and held his gaze. “What exactly does a Lighthouse get-together entail?”
“Blake and Sara have a great house about twenty minutes from here. They have a huge kitchen that flows into a massive deck overlooking the woods and the water. Everyone will meet there, bring some food, grill out, and just have a good time.” He twisted slightly so that he could look into her eyes. “Is that okay?”
She nodded, her soft hair tickling his chin. “Absolutely. It sounds like fun, and I’m honored to be invited.”
“The honor is mine, Christina.” He kissed her lightly again and repeated, “Having you with me… being with me… the honor is all mine.”
They kissed again and all sense of time was lost as they pressed together, devouring each other. Finally, he lifted his head and somehow managed to get to his feet with her in his arms. With her carefully tucked into his embrace, he stalked down the hall toward the bedroom.
19
Christina walked into Blake and Sara’s kitchen to grab another plate from the counter. Clay had been right—their house was amazing. The water views were spectacular. The kitchen and deck layout were perfect for entertaining. She felt as though she were with old friends even though she’d only been around all the Keepers and their wives and fiancées at the Celtic festival. The camaraderie among the gathering was palpable, and it was not lost on her how comfortable she felt with them.
There were two new men she hadn’t met, and Clay had explained they were visiting while on leave from their military service. Rick was Rank’s brother and Knox was Drew’s brother. While Clay had not said more, she had a feeling those two men would one day work for Mace as well. A few of the men were single, but it appeared most had settled into loving relationships.
“Are you okay? Finding everything you need?”
She jumped, startled. Jerking her head around, she saw Sara standing nearby. “Oh! Sorry, I was lost in thought.”
Smiling, Sara stepped closer and glanced out toward the deck. “I’m sure we’re a lot to take in.”
“It is a bit overwhelming, but to be honest, I was thinking how comfortable it felt being here.” Turning, she held Sara’s gaze. “Does that sound strange?”
Sara continued to smile as she shook her head slowly. “That doesn’t sound strange at all. I knew that you’d fit in.”
She stared at the other woman, not understanding her comment. Unasked questions must have moved over her face, because Sara said, “One of the things that the men don’t do is bring someone to a gathering that they’re not serious about. In other words, there are no casual flings, one-night stands, friends-with-benefits, or any other women that would fall into those categories brought to a company get-together. I have no idea if it’s something that Mace actually declared or if it’s just the respect the men have for each other and the women.” She patted Christina’s arm. “I have a feeling it’s the respect that they have for each other and us.”
The two women smiled, then turned and looked out the wide kitchen windows as the large group of people milled about, talking and laughing.
“I know this might sound strange, but what you just said seems to add a little bit of pressure to me. Or maybe to me and Clay.” She chewed on her bottom lip for a few seconds before continuing. “We haven’t been dating very long. In fact, this is our first full weekend spent together.”
Sara laughed and shrugged. “You’ve just described almost all of our relationships.” They were silent for another moment before Sara added, “Clay has introduced you to us because you’re special to him. Very special. And because you are, you fit in very well with the rest of us. There’s no pressure, Christina. Just a heartfelt welcome.”
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Absolutely.”
“How did you meet Blake? I know that might seem impertinent but I—”
Laughing, Sara shook her head. “Oh, Christina, we truly have no secrets around here. I’m an interpreter and was in French Guiana at a conference. Blake was there as a bodyguard for one of the men. On the last morning, I was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time and was kidnapped right in front of Blake. I could have been lost forever, but he wouldn’t let that happen. I was taken deep into the jungle, and he found me, rescued me, and brought me back. We’ve been together ever since.”
Christina blinked rapidly, and her mouth dropped open. “Uh… I… uh…”
Sara laughed again and said, “I know, sweetie. It sounds horrible and it was. But it all ended well.”
Christina’s gaze shot out the window again, and Sara must have understood her unasked question.
“Babs works at LSI, but she’d taken a cruise and ended up stranded on an island. She and Drew had liked each other for a long time, and he flew out to help her when she had a run-in with modern-day pirates out to kill her. I’d like to say he went to save her, but Babs is pretty good at taking care of herself. Sylvie’s son witnessed a murder and was in danger, and that’s how Mace and she became involved. When they married, he adopted David.” She laughed again and added, “Rank was working undercover, and Helena dropped on top of him right when he was getting ready to gain some information in a back alley. From what I understand, they had a very auspicious beginning to their relationship!”