Chapter 29

Emi

6 months later

This is heaven… or, at least, it would be if I could sneak Maren’s phone and make one quick call to Walker.

“I know you’re eyeing my phone. Don’t even think about it,” Maren scolds me without even looking my way.

“There’s no way you can see me.”

“I sense the laser beams cutting through the air.”

“I don’t understand why I can’t even call him.”

“It’s your bachelorette weekend, Emi. You’re supposed to party with your girlfriends and celebrate your upcoming nuptials. Can’t you enjoy this beautiful day on the beach with us? Drink your daiquiri, lay back, and work on your tan, and in a few hours, we’ll have our last big blow-out before I deliver you back to him tomorrow.”

“Mare, I don’t understand why you won’t let me call him. What’s going on?”

She twists her head to face me, and I can read the answer in her expression.

“He doesn’t know where we are, does he?”

She purses her lips and shakes her head.

“I thought you said he was in on this!”

“Well, he is now! He’s figured out we’re not in Myrtle Beach.”

My stomach drops at this little tidbit of news. I was so excited about our change in plans, I believed her when she said he knew about the surprise. But now it all makes sense.

“He’s not going to be happy about this. When he finds out you kidnapped me to Miami for the weekend, he’s going to lose his shit.”

“I’ll deal with the fall-out.” She finally looks at me with a conspiring smile. “He’ll have to forgive me eventually. Besides, I’ve responded to the last sixty text messages he’s sent telling him you’re fine.”

“He’s texting you?”

“Texting, calling, threatening… all of it.”

“He can trace your phone.”

“Not if I disabled the function.”

Damn her!

Nina and Rachel start to giggle when I lunge for Maren’s beach bag, and she snatches it away.

I plop back on my lounger and try to think of a way to get to a hold of Walker without them finding out. I have to give it to my three friends; this was a well-executed abduction. When they picked me up at Walker’s yesterday, they didn’t let on that our pre-planned trip to Myrtle Beach was all a ruse. Maren even left details of our fake reservations and an outline of our plans for Walker.

Of course, I didn’t know our change of destination until we passed the sign for the airport. They glazed over the details, telling me it was a huge surprise everyone was in on.

That was a lie.

“Is this why you insisted on locking my phone and iPad in the safe?”

When I went looking for my phone last night, they convinced me I was too drunk to call and put it in the safe. Which was true since they’d plied me with alcohol the minute our driver picked us up from the airport. I passed out, highly inebriated, sometime after midnight.

“Yes, I wanted to try to hold you off as long as possible. This is supposed to be about us, and when Walker finds you, there’s no telling what will happen. I bet he’ll call in a favor and have some sort of off-duty police officer at our side for the rest of the weekend.”

She explains she overheard Marcus making plans for Walker’s bachelor party, and they were going to crash our trip to Myrtle Beach. Walker wasn’t into the Bachelor/Bachelorette party traditions and swore he’d cancel them both if we didn’t make arrangements in the same place.

I kinda already knew this information, seeing as Walker had told me the same thing. But I kept this to myself.

So, instead of being in Myrtle Beach, we are in South Beach, currently enjoying a gorgeous day with beachside service and an unbelievable ocean view.

I close my eyes and breathe deeply, trying to let the smell of salty ocean air and the sound of the waves crashing relax me.

It doesn’t work. The guilt is overwhelming.

“You know he’s going to track your credit cards, Maren. It’s better to let me call him.”

“I took care of that. Told you, even Marcus doesn’t know where we are.”

“This is going to be bad, bad, bad,” I grumble.

“You’re really killing my buzz.” Nina slurps the rest of her Pina Colada. “Can you at least pretend to have a good time? I’ve never been to Miami before, and I’d like to enjoy it.”

“You could give me your phone, and I’ll cheer up.”

“I don’t have it. Maren took them all.”

“Jeez!” I throw my hands in the air, exasperated.

“Let’s get your mind off it for a while. Want to try paddleboarding with me?” Rachel offers, pointing to the hut offering lessons and rentals.

“With my coordination, I’ll be in the water more than on the board.”

“So will I. Come on.” She stands and offers me her hand. “We’ll look like fools together. It’ll be fun.”

“All right.” I take her hand to help me up and slice my eyes to Maren before walking away. “I’m going to call him, Maren, so when I get back, get over it.”

“Fine! I’ll call him for you! Will that get the stick out of your ass? This is supposed to be a fun weekend.”

“We’ll have fun after I know he hasn’t engaged the Charleston Police force, SLED, and FBI in a search party. It’ll be really embarrassing to have our evening out ruined by a raid. I bet he’s already called in reinforcements.”

She chews on the inside of her cheek and then sighs in defeat. “You’re right. Marcus knew I was planning something sneaky, but even this will surprise him. One call—that’s it. Tell him we’re safe, we’re behaving, and we’ll be home by eight tomorrow night.” She hands me her phone.

The guilt from earlier is like a punch in the gut. It’s obvious she’s gone all out for me to have a memorable weekend with the girls. Since I moved in with Walker officially, it’s been a whirlwind.

We still see each other often, but with the wedding planning and Trixsters business, we haven’t actually had any girls’ time. Everyone has been looking forward to this weekend for a while.

Not to mention, she and I decided to give in to Marcus and Walker’s request and will be going after our PI licenses when I return from my honeymoon.

Looking at her now, I know she genuinely wanted to make this whole Bachelorette experience something I’d never forget.

“How about this? I’ll text him for now, and then we’ll all go paddleboarding. I can call him later.”

Her face lights up, and she and Nina leap out of their lounge chairs.

I shoot off a quick text to Walker, hoping like God he isn’t going to strangle her.

Me- Hey babe, I’m sorry about the change in plans, but I swear I’m okay. Will call you in an hour and explain everything. Please don’t be mad. Maren only wanted a weekend away. I love you more than anything and I’ll make it up to you.

“Come here and shield me.” I wave to my friends, and when they’re completely covering me, I slip down one side of my bikini top and snap a shot of my boob, sending it with the text.

“Those piercings are hot. I’m jealous,” Rachel tells me when I throw the phone in Maren’s bag. “I should have Rico do mine.”

“Walker likes them, so I hope that picture will help tamper down his anger. Nothing like a boob shot.”

The four of us go to the beach hut and request paddleboards and a quick lesson. Two of the guys agree eagerly to assist us and tell us what we need to do on the way into the water.

An hour later, as suspected, I’m drenched, spending more time in the water than on the board. But I’m having the time of my life. Our instructors spend more time hoisting us back onto our boards than they do actually instructing us.

We’re too busy cackling and joking around to notice the men go still. Unfortunately, they have their hands on Maren and me, trying to get us back on our boards.

“Fuckity, fuckity, fuck fuck fuck…” Nina babbles, and I scramble, scared she saw something in the water.

In a way, she did see something in the water, because when I find my balance on my hands and knees, I look up to see Walker and Marcus wading in.

Marcus’s face is stone cold, his stormy eyes on Maren.

But there’s no time to process him because Walker is looking between me and the man at my right with a murderous glare.

“Listen, you may need to swim away. Go help Nina or Rachel, but whatever you do, get far away from me,” I advise him quietly.

He doesn’t budge, so for the safety of everyone, I use the paddle to start toward Walker. My knees wobble as I try to remember to balance with my core and make my way forward.

“I should have thought this through better.” Maren sounds anxious as she paddles up next to me.

“Told you they’d find us.”

“I was sure I covered my bases. Our trail was solid.”

“Did you forget Walker consults with SLED now. He gets a lot of favors.”

“What are our chances of speed paddling right past them. If I can get to the beach, I can make a run for it.”

As if they hear her, both men dive under water, invisible to us. I estimate the distance and figure out in my head that I have about five seconds before Walker reaches me. He’s an expert swimmer, proving that this summer on our few trips to the beach.

Maren knows this, too. “You have to have sex with him,” she blurts.

“Now?”

“Yes, now. As soon as he gets to you, slide in the water and take his mind off of killing me.”

“I’m not having sex in the ocean with all these people around.”

“Stop being a prude. It’s not like you haven’t done it before.”

“Maren!” I yell right as the tip of my board dips underwater and Walker lifts himself on.

She yells as Marcus does the same. I fall forward to hold on, but she’s not quite so lucky, toppling to the side. The sound of howling comes from behind us as Rachel and Nina witness our clumsiness.

“Emi.” Walker glares at me, returning all my attention to him. Even the cool water doesn’t tame the heated anger rolling off of him.

Inch by inch, I crawl, holding on with a death grip until I’m close enough for him to reach out and steady me. “I thought you knew. I swear I did. Until an hour ago, I thought you knew where I was.”

I flinch at the confession, completely throwing Maren under the bus.

“Do you think I’d agree to you traveling to South Beach Miami without me? I didn’t want you in Myrtle Beach without me, but Miami? Fuck no.”

His lips are set in a straight line, his nostrils flare, and his eyes are hard as steel.

“Do you think, maybe just maybe, you’re being a teensy bit overprotective?” I dare raise my hand to squeeze my thumb and finger together.

Wrong thing to say, because now his jaw starts to tick. Maybe I should follow Maren’s plea and try to have sex… like right now.

“No, Emerson, I think I’m holding it together pretty well, considering I’ve watched you and this band of rebels the last fifteen minutes and that man couldn’t keep his hands off of you, and also considering your nipples are poking straight through, showing off your piercings in that sorry ass excuse for a bathing suit top.”

“You picked this out!” I defend.

“Yeah, for our honeymoon, where we have our own private bungalow!”

This is the first time he’s given me a hint of where he’s taking us on our honeymoon. I ignore his roar and the fury still surrounding us, scooting so I’m as close as possible.

“We have a private bungalow?” I whisper in awe, imaging all the commercials for exotic Caribbean islands. “I’ve always wanted a private bungalow.”

He blows out a breath and hangs his head in a gesture I know well; he’s battling back his anger.

“Those are the kind of surprises I support, Emi. The kind that puts that expression on your face. Not the kind that takes you two states and five hundred miles away.”

Here’s my chance to try and settle things, so he doesn’t lay into Maren. “Sweetie…” I skim my fingers down his jawline and cup his chin, urging him to look at me. “Maren wanted to surprise me, too, and do something different. I know she was underhanded and conniving, but her heart was in the right place.”

“She’s on my shit list.”

“She’s my best friend and our maid of honor. You need to get over it.”

“Not today, I don’t. She can deal.”

I peek over my shoulder and see her and Marcus in a very heated discussion. Her hands are flying in the air, and her mouth moving rapidly. Marcus can’t shut her up. Finally, he grabs her wrists, presses them to his chest, and lays his mouth on hers. She struggles a milli-second and melts into him.

“He’s a lot more forgiving than I am,” Walker gruffs, bringing my attention back to him.

“Maybe you should kiss me.” I move my mouth closer, still gripping his chin.

“Oh, I’m going to kiss you, and as soon as our room is ready, I’m going to do a lot more than kiss you.”

My already hard nipples begin to tingle as I moan against his lips. “Another thing to look forward to.”

He takes advantage of my mouth on his and shifts his hand from my elbow to my butt, slipping his fingers into the edge of my bottoms. I start to wobble when he runs his tongue among the seam of my lips and slides it inside. It’s hard to concentrate when he deepens the kiss, making me forget we have an audience and we’re balanced on a board. I try to remain stable but lose the fight when he squeezes my ass.

I squeal as I tumble over, tearing my mouth from his and going sideways into the ocean.

My arms flail as I find the edge of the board and hang on.

He starts laughing, sliding in beside me. “Babe, you weren’t lying about your coordination.” His arms wrap around me, helping me clamber back up.

“This was a terrible idea.”

“Do you want to paddleboard some more?”

“You’ve seen my efforts. I suck.” I pout.

“Let me rephrase, do you want to paddleboard with me?”

“Can we do that?”

“Yes, scoot midway to the front and hold on.”

I do as he says and he climbs back on, standing effortlessly, and bending back for the paddle floating beside us. “Why don’t you sit there and look beautiful, and I’ll take care of the work.”

He starts gliding us around the water until we’re back with our friends. Marcus actually has Maren on her feet, and the devilish stone face from earlier is gone.

The two instructors, now completely professional, get Rachel and Nina up and then swim back to shore, leaving us.

“Spill it, how’d you two find us?” Maren asks, avoiding eye contact with Walker.

“It’s not two, it’s six. Kelly, Oliver, Ross, and Collins are on the beach. Marcus and I knew you had something planned, so when you left town, we went to work. Using your mom’s credit card was clever, but Kelly found it quickly. By the time we figured you were in Miami, it was too late to get a flight out. Marcus chartered a plane this morning.”

“You chartered a plane?” My eyes bulge at Marcus.

“It was either that or risk Walker losing him mind, and since we didn’t go to Costa Rico fishing this summer, I had some extra money laying around.” He winks at me. It’s not a secret that Marcus has money, but the settlement from Jean Wills paid him generously.

“Our party of four just became a party of ten?” Rachel asks.

“Yep, the hen party is crashed. Hope you ladies don’t mind.”

“I don’t give a shit if they do mind,” Walker grumbles.

“On a scale of one to ten, how much trouble am I in, Walker?” Maren’s voice is laced with sugary sweet sarcasm, and I shoot her a look to cool it.

There’s only one thing I can think of that Walker could use as a revenge tactic.

Well, one thing besides joining her top-secret bachelorette party.

“If I can’t trust you with Emi, I’m not sure I can trust you with Lucky. He’ll be staying with my parents for the entire time we’re on our honeymoon.”

I swallow my giggle at the horror on her face. She loves my dog. We had to promise to allow her to keep him for half the time we were away, while he spent the other half with Leslie and Travis. It was a mystery to me why she was so insistent, but we agreed.

“You can’t do that! I have doggie play dates set up, and I bought him special treats! We were going to have a puppy spa day as a treat for when you returned. Lucky will be crushed if you don’t allow him to stay with me!” She fights, sounding like a child.

“Hope you have fun in Miami,” he mocks, steering us away from them.

When we’re far enough she can’t hear, I peek up at him. “You’re really going to keep him from her?”

“We’ll see. It was actually Marcus’ idea. He’s not keen on a seventy-five pound Great Dane sleeping in his bed.”

“He doesn’t have to sleep with them.”

“Tell Maren that.”

He has a point, but I see a way to ask him something I’ve wanted to know for a few weeks now but didn’t know how to bring it up.

“Do you think Marcus wants to marry Maren?”

“Yep.” He’s absolute in his answer.

“Do you think he’s going to ask her soon?”

“Maybe, why?”

“Because I’m happy for them, and I love them together.”

“What’s the problem?”

“I’m scared she’ll say no.”

He stops paddling and looks at me in confusion. “Why would she say no?”

“Because she’s Maren, and she was scorned. She’ll think it’s too soon since she was engaged at the beginning of this year.”

“He’s not stupid. He knows the challenges. He’s easing her into it. We all know she didn’t love Carlton; she was brainwashed.”

“Yeah, but she still thinks—”

“Emi, Marcus can handle it. He’s going slow, taking his time. Although, he did talk to her father last week.”

This is news to me. I whip around, causing the board to waver.

“Emi!”

“Sorry, but I’m shocked. What did Mr. Caine say?”

“He said to go for it. Apparently, you aren’t the only one who hated Carlton.”

“Wow, that’s wild.”

“Baby, you see them together. There’s no doubt they have a solid relationship.”

“Yeah,” I agree. “They’re wonderful together.”

“Can we head in now? As much as I like ushering you around out here, the image in that text message is burned in my brain, and I’m pretty sure our room is ready.”

I stare at him above me, his upper body on display, the tattoos glistening with water droplets as his muscles bulge with each stroke of the paddle. Suddenly, a fire erupts inside me, and the shoreline seems a mile away.

I nod my answer, and he starts to go faster.

I’m beginning to understand his aversion to Bachelorette parties. Who needs one last chance to celebrate your freedom when I have a lifetime of being with Walker?

3 Weeks Later

“Are you happy?” Walker asks, curving around my naked body and pulling the sheet over us.

“I’d be happier if we didn’t have to leave tomorrow,” I tell him honestly, inhaling deeply and smelling the Caribbean air fill our bungalow. “I love St. Lucia.”

“We’ll come back.”

“But it won’t be our honeymoon. This is a once in a lifetime trip.”

“Just because it isn’t our honeymoon doesn’t mean we can’t recreate every moment.” He kisses along my hairline.

“We had the most perfect wedding and the most kickass reception of all time. Those things can’t be replicated.”

“Have I told you how gorgeous you looked coming down the aisle on your dad’s arm?”

“Every day.”

“Anytime you want to put that dress on again and promise to love, cherish, honor, and obey me, I’m game.”

I slap at his hand. “I never said I’d obey you.”

“Pretty sure the band around your finger says otherwise.”

“Pretty sure you’re wrong.”

“A man can wish.” He nuzzles my neck, nipping the skin behind my ear. “Although, my Emi isn’t really the obedient type.”

“Nope, you married wrong if that’s your end game. Choose better for your second wife,” I tease, wiggling my ass against him.

“You think you’re funny, but I’m a one wife man.”

“Good answer.” I giggle when he swivels his hips, thrusting his hardness between my legs.

I roll into him, hitch my leg over his hip, and curl my hand around his neck. My eyes roam over his face, and my heart leaps in my chest at the vision of him so relaxed. For the last week, we’ve enjoyed everything this resort has to offer. Our first two days, we didn’t leave our bungalow, taking advantage of the private pool and butler service. I sunbathed topless for the first time in my life, and Walker hovered close until he was sure no one could see, then he thoroughly enjoyed the advantages of the freedom of nudity with our privacy. Both of us have a sun-kissed glow that can be attributed to the sun and endless hours of sex, anywhere and everywhere we wanted.

When we finally emerged, and decided to explore St. Lucia, I fell in love all over again. We ate, drank, and danced each night away until he brought me back to make love to me under the stars.

It’s on the tip of my tongue to beg him to stay, but we have to get back to reality.

“What’s on your mind?” He shifts his cheek to kiss my palm.

“I’m memorizing all of this.”

His eyes turn to liquid, and he uses my position to slide into me easily. My body has grown so accustomed to him, I accept him easily, arching into his chest.

“Emi, sometimes you say things that make me wonder if I ever had a life without you. You were put on this earth for me, I’m sure of it.”

My nose starts to sting, and I suck in a breath, trying to keep the tears at bay. “Walker, you can’t make me cry on our honeymoon, you promised.”

“No, I didn’t. Besides, tears of happiness are the best kind.” He starts to rock inside me, thrusting slowly.

“I need to tell you something.”

He stops mid-glide, and his eyes swarm with questions.

“I sent Carlton a text last week and thanked him for being a supreme asshole and bringing you into my life.”

“I’d already seen you, baby. Him keying your car wasn’t necessary.”

“That night you saw me in the restaurant, and I saw you for the first time, it was a set up. Maren and I hadn’t taken the GPS off his car, so we knew where he was. We needed to retrieve it and decided to make an entrance, flaunt Maren in front of him. If we hadn’t done that, who knows if I’d ever met you.”

His lips twist into a wicked grin, and he lowers his mouth to mine and surges back into me. “I’d have found you, Emerson Leigh Scott. That’s what being put on this earth for me is all about.”

My new name sends a warmth rushing through me. I know reality awaits us at home, but I’m not ready to give up our bubble of paradise.

“We’re not leaving tomorrow, Emi.” He reads my mind and speaks softly against my lips. “We’re going to bask in this for another two days. I’m not ready to give it all up.”

“How’d you know that’s what I was thinking?”

“I can read it in your eyes, and I feel the same way. I arranged for us to stay a little longer.”

“Is it possible for me to love you even more?”

“Why don’t we find out?”

He kisses me with such passion, I latch around him and begin to move in sync.

Two days will never be enough, but it will have to do…