“Thirty minutes.”
I could work with that.
Teasing, I shook my head, covering her in a spray of seawater. She jumped back, but it was too late.
“Damien,” she scolded in her best teacher voice. “Now my dress is wet!”
“Oops.” I dropped the glass and grabbed her, throwing her over my shoulder. “Might as well finish the job.”
She gasped in outrage, smacking my back. “Don’t you dare!”
I strode back into the water, dunking us both. She came up sputtering and spitting in her anger. Then she launched herself at me, and I caught her in my arms. We kissed endlessly, the dinner forgotten, nothing else mattering but us. We’d be late, if we ever showed up.
We were newlyweds after all.
I’d married my Raven at sunset on the beach in front of our house last month. We were surrounded by our friends whom we considered family. Egan and Sofia were there. My mother and stepfather flew in, marveling at the beauty of the island, but luckily not interested in living somewhere so remote. Raven’s brother watched via Zoom with his family.
It was a perfect evening, filled with love. We ate under the stars and danced in the moonlight. There was much laughter, lots of hugs, far too much champagne, and at the end of the night, just my wife and me. As I had already stated—perfect.
Raven floated in the water, her dress discarded, her legs wrapped around my waist, anchoring herself to me. Moving here was the right decision. The memories were far away, banished by the sun and water.
Her long hair was spread out around her, and she was beautiful. I traced a finger down her torso, swirling it over her skin. She giggled and pushed my hand out of the way. She stood in the water, shaking her head. “We don’t have time for round two.”
“They’ll understand.”
She shook her head. “Marcus is making his linguine, Damien. With the lemon cream sauce and chicken. We can’t miss that.”
I began to laugh. “Already? You’re tired of me already? Pasta wins over sex with me?”
She moved closer, cupping my face. “The baby wants it.”
“Well, if the—” I stopped. “What? What baby?”
She moved my hand to her stomach. “Your baby.”
“Raven, you’re pregnant? We’re having a baby?”
“Yes.”
“How long? How far? Is everything okay?” I asked, joy filling my entire soul.
“It’s early, but everything is fine. I saw the doctor who works with Geo yesterday, and he says everything is good.”
“Did I miss something? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I wanted to be sure. And you didn’t miss anything but a blood test. You can come for the ultrasound.”
I picked her up and held her close. I kissed her until we were breathless, and she wrapped her legs around me again. “What’s another fifteen minutes?” she whispered against my mouth. Then her stomach grumbled.
I swung her into my arms. “Nope. The baby is hungry, and there is pasta waiting.”
She laughed. “How the tables have turned.”
I strode toward the house. “Food first, then sex.” I paused. “We can have sex, right? It won’t hurt the baby?”
“We can have lots of sex. I understand soon I’ll want nothing but sex. And food.”
“Then I’m stocking the fridge and staying home,” I replied.
I set her on her feet and dropped to the floor. I kissed her stomach, spreading my hands wide around the place where our child would grow. He or she would be safe and protected for the next eight months within Raven’s body. After they were born, I would protect my child and my wife with my life.
The Watcher once again, only different.
This time, it would be done for love—as a father and a husband.
There was no better job than that.
Thank you so much for reading THE WATCHER. If you are so inclined, reviews are always welcome by me at your retailer.
I enjoyed writing this couple’s story and hope to have the final installment of this series to you soon.
If you love a growly hero, Richard and Katy VanRyan’s story begins with my series The Contract. You meet an arrogant hero in Richard, which makes his story much sweeter when he falls.
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Enjoy reading! Melanie
SNEAK PEEK
of the final installment of Hidden Justice
CHAPTER 1
The hallway was dim, the walls crumbling. Dusty from years of unuse. The mold and decay were all around me. I traced the miles of cable, checking and rechecking every inch. Ensuring the charges were in the correct place, the amount of dynamite exactly as needed to bring down the building in a perfect synchronization of an inward sequence.
As always, I felt the thrill of anticipation. The high knowing all the work, the planning, and the intricate details would soon pay off. Shortly, where a tall building once stood, only a pile of rubble would remain.
Hours passed as I did the final inspection. Everything was perfect. I had overseen every detail, calculated and recalculated the explosives.
The building would fall faultlessly.
Outside, I headed to the control area. I was alone, which seemed odd, but I continued. I did one final sweep of the building, finding zero heat sources. I hoped no small animals wandered in at the last moment seeking shelter, but I knew it happened at times. The haven they sought became their final resting place, but better them than a homeless person or a curious onlooker. That had never happened, thank God.
I checked all the cameras, pleased to see them working. The implosion would be captured as the building went down, both inside and outside. I would use it to study, seeing if I could have changed something, if something needed fixing next time, or God forbid, it didn’t explode the way it should have today. But I was confident. Ready.
I looked around as dawn broke. The building would collapse as the sun rose. One life ending as another day began. Some sort of poetic justice there.
I flicked open all the controls. Checked the area. Began the countdown over the loudspeakers that was followed by the warnings. Had the thumbs-up and okays from all the people connected to the project. We were all clear. Far from the building on the edge of the site, some people gathered to watch the building come down. They were distant enough to be safe but have a great view as the building collapsed. For some, it was a hobby watching buildings being demolished—their fascination endless. Security kept them from getting too close. I frowned as I looked around, wondering why no one else was on-site with me. Usually, a few people watched from behind the controls, but today, it seemed I was alone. Once I had the final all clear, I pressed the button, the one-minute timer beginning to count down to one.