Whenever I imagined him sitting in a tiny bland cell, I thought time would be a special torture.

Now that I'm living a small slice of what Cal went through, I know it is, but not for the reasons I expect.

I can't tell how long I've sat on this bench, staring through the narrow bars of my holding pen. It's a slow night, and there aren't many others locked up here. Just a woman with obvious issues a few cells down, and a drunk, murmuring the same thing over and over again in his dazed sleep.

Why? Why, why, why why?

He says it so many times it doesn't make any sense. It's like the world wants to give voice to the same question echoing inside me, the only clear thing piercing the confusion Cal left.

Why did he have to hide his trouble?

Why did he wait until it came to my family's doorstep?

Why did I ever fall for a man who's the same trouble he always was?

Why?

There are no easy answers. And none harder than the cold hard fact that I can't stop loving him even though he's locked away, cost me my career, and possibly my freedom, too.

Hours had to have passed since I was pulled into the squad car and life as I knew it ended. I'm tired, so tired, I don't know how to think. My brain can't take more shock. I'm starting to drift off for some badly needed sleep when a figure appears behind my cell, twisting the heavy lock.

“Ms. Middleton?” the man says, flashing his badge.

“It's Randolph soon,” I say, catching myself and letting the anger heat my blood only after it's out.

“Well, whatever, I need you to come with me. There's been a mistake.”

“What mistake?” I rub my eyes, wide awake by the time I'm on my feet.

The warden tells me nothing. He just takes me into a waiting area I haven't seen before, probably because they sent me through the back entrance reserved for processing future convicts.

I'm expecting the absolute worst: another group of cops, another police vehicle waiting to take me off to a real jail, rather than this police station. I'm sure I'll have a court date soon.

Oh, if only it were so simple.

Seeing Calvin in front of me, leaning on the wall the same way he used to when he lurked Maynard's halls, complicates everything.

“What's going on?” I'm afraid to put two and two together, turning to face the warden again.

“Honest mix up, ma'am. Happens often in these digital security cases. Another suspect confessed this morning to the cyber-attacks. You're no longer under investigation. Our sincerest apologies for the inconvenience.”

“Doll.” Cal lays a hand on my shoulder.

I close my eyes, taking a deep, filling breath before I turn. My already unsettled blood heats several degrees. I'm on fire by the time I look into his handsome, searching face. He's looking for a forgiveness I'm not quite ready to give.

“Fuck you,” I say, a split second before my palm crashes across his cheek so hard it makes me gasp. “Don't you ever 'doll' me again if you're going to keep secrets this hurtful.”

He reaches up, his smile gone, touching the tender red sunburst I've blasted on his cheek. “I deserved that. I'm fucking sorry, Maddie. It was wrong to keep a lid on Palkovich coming after us. Lesson learned, and I'll never forget how hard it was.”

He sounds so sincere. I look over his shoulder, desperate to catch a glimpse of my parents, Kat, anyone who might understand, and offer advice. I just see his friend, Spencer, sitting in a chair and pretending not to watch us over his phone, unable to resist the insane fireworks between us.

“You almost ruined my life,” I say, every muscle in my body tensing when he tries to approach. I put out my hand, trying to preserve my space. “Then you went and saved me again, didn't you? This was you, right? I don't suppose I'd be walking out of here so quickly, if it wasn't.”

“It's a long story,” he says. No, I won't let his infamous smirk save him this time. “I'll explain everything, if you'll just give me a chance. Danger's over now. We've won our peace. We'll never have to worry about anybody derailing us again.”

“Jesus Christ, Cal,” I whisper, shaking my head. I feel my exhaustion in every heartbeat, a lethal cocktail mixed with the adrenaline prickling my blood. “What do I do here? You're everything that's wrong for me and...and...” I'm tearing up, or maybe I've got brain freeze. I don't know which.

“I'm the best thing that ever happened to you,” he finishes for me. “At least, that's how it is on my end. I think we share it. I've done my time thinking, Maddie. Couldn't stop my brain from galloping if I tried when I went crazy to get you out. Every tragedy, every tear, every fuck up just brings me to the same conclusion: I'll always love you, doll. Always. Everything I've ever done, righteous or wicked, it's all been for you.”

What do I say to a man telling me he's staked the weight of his life on love? Words aren't enough.

“Think this through. Please. But I need a damned answer by the end of the day,” he says, closing the gap between us to just a few more inches, his blue eyes an ocean storming through me. “I can't live not knowing. I –“

“Shut up,” I tell him, wrapping my arms around his neck. “Here's your answer.”

My fingernails press into his skin when we kiss. It's the subtlety of lightning, just as strong and unpredictable, and it doesn't end until our mouths have pulled everything from each other.

This man may be the death of me yet. But I'd rather face it, and forgive, rather than ever contemplate a life without him.

* * *

“He'll always be a bit of a bastard, Maddie, I don't care what anyone says.” Dad gives me a look, adjusting his bow tie. It's attached to the most expensive outfit he's ever worn in his life. “But if you're certain he's good for you, then I am, too. Also can't say I'm sad about the fact he put that maniac behind bars. Our own city council...Jesus. Don't want to imagine what would've happened if he'd tried to screw you over without Cal in the way.”

“Yeah, and I guess he did promise you a lifetime of great pizzas for ruining several dinners.” I jab my father playfully in the side. “It's a little late for second thoughts. Guess I'd rather have you getting them out now, before the 'forever hold your peace' part.”

We both laugh. His thick, carefree chuckle is the last thing I hear before the music swells behind the door.

That's our cue. We step outside the church and walk into a pristine mid-summer day. The white flowers lead us to the aisle by the shore, bright and airy white, a perfect match for the shade of dress I've chosen.

I didn't think I'd find anything more stunning than the dress we destroyed together at the bridal shop – especially not with Kat being so on edge after my short-lived prison stint. But a single look across the gown tells me we did.

And we did good.

I never teared up during the rehearsal. Now, it's all too real, the piping notes of Here Comes the Bride chiming in my ears as my father leads me down the aisle, through our smiling guests.

Mom looks me square in the face when we pass. Kat flashes me a quick thumbs up, and the relief floods in when I see a smile replacing the nervous doubt on her face.

It's only been days since Cal saved me a second time. Not enough time to sell my family a hundred percent on his heroics, but there'll be plenty of time for that in the years to come.

Despite his mistakes, despite his doubts, he always ends up in the right place.

So much like the chaotic love that's led me straight to the gorgeous sight ahead.

My man looks stunning. That's a given most days, but at our wedding? He's like a god who's decided to grace mere mortals with his superhuman presence for an afternoon.

I can't take my eyes off him. The navy hued suit hugs his tall, muscular edges, forming a splendidly dark blue contrast to our ocean backdrop. His red tie gives him another splash of color, but it's not enough to pull my eyes off his. Today, his blue-eyed gaze shines so strong, so steady, so bright, I couldn't break it in a thousand years.

“He's all yours,” dad tells me, planting a quick peck on my forehead before he takes his seat next to my mom and little sister.

Then I'm at the altar, standing face to face with the man I love. I lay my hands in his, forgetting there's even a minister behind us until the man speaks.

“Dearly beloved, we're gathered here today to join this man and this woman...”

It begins so slow, but it's incredible how quickly the words drift by. My mind tries lingering on every phrase, reliving our joys and sorrows, wondering how many more there'll be ahead. Big, deep words tumble through my soul.

Holy matrimony...

Our entire relationship has been pretty unholy, hasn't it? But here we are. Free, in love, and defiant as ever.

In sickness and in health...

After the darkness we've lived, what's a sniffle or two?

Lawfully wedded husband...

It's like we were married since our fake engagement began. Making it official gives it a heavier air, but it lightens the load in my heart, grown heavy on the mischievous spark in his blue eyes.

Until death do you part?

I take a second to gather my words, squeezing his fingers with mine. “I do.”

Two words. So simple and powerful for two strumming hearts. I know I'm not the only one feeling it because Cal's pulse quickens against my skin, faster when the minister gives him his turn.

“And do you, Calvin Randolph, take this woman...”

In plenty and want...

We've had ours in spades.

In joy and in sorrow...

What sense would one ever make without the other?

As long as you both shall live?

For the first time, when I hear those words, I think I finally get infinity.

And I'm in love with it, as sure as it stares at me through his chiseled jaw and sky blue eyes.

I expect Cal to repeat the lines exactly. But that's not what my ears hear when he opens his lips, pulling my hand closer, fully surrounding my fingers in his. “Yeah, I do. Because this woman's the only one ever meant to tie me down, and make me love it. Because I can't believe it took seven years to get here, and because I'd live seven hundred to do it again. Because I love you, Maddie, and I'll swear in front of our family, our city, and God himself that I'll do whatever it takes to make you the happiest wife a man ever had. I do, because it's finally real. Finally.”

I'm too teared up to move, hot droplets rolling down my cheeks. Thankfully, I don't have to.

Cal's gone off script with his vow, and the results are beautiful. No different from how he breaks protocol before the minister says the infamous words, pulling me into his arms, our lips colliding.

Kiss the bride. It sounds like a whisper, somewhere that's a hundred miles away, just like the cheers and laughter breaking out among our guests.

I'm not sure whose lips come harder. Oh, but it's all too real, just like he said.

Achingly, intensely, forever real.

* * *

“Okay, I'm still not sold, but I've heard a lot of chatter going around. Palk-a-what's-his-face was bad news. I'll be a good sister-in-law. I'll give Cal a little credit for knocking him down.” Kat sits in the chair next to me at the reception, our first break as a married couple.

“I hope you'll give him more in good time,” I tell my sister, lifting my drink.

I take a long sip from the champagne flute, watching Cal in the corner across the huge reception hall, making the quick rounds with all the high profile people who've shown up on the extended guest list for one of the biggest weddings in Seattle this year. I let him do his thing, watching with a smile. It comes easy when I see the new found respect in people's eyes, finally freed from the same past that haunted us. That's what everybody knowing the truth about the councilman gives us.

Freedom.

“Yeah, well, he has to earn it. I want to see him treat you like a lady, Mads. Like, it'd go a long way if he ever let up on that silly 'doll' talk.” Kat knocks back her champagne like it's a whiskey shot. Five seconds later, a horrified looking waiter refills her glass for the third time.

“Nope. That's our thing.”

Sis takes another pull from her glass. It clatters when she sets it on the table. “Your thing is letting him talk to you like a toy? Hmm, kinky.”

Normally, I'd be annoyed. Today is far too happy for something so petty.

“It's the old nickname he gave me at Maynard. Hard as it's been to shake the past, there's a part of me that'll always want to remember. We didn't get here with roses and candy, Kat. Our love is a warpath.”

She's quiet, listening to the soft, happy people around us. I think we're actually having a moment before my sister leans over, grabs my ear, and pulls it open so she can whisper. “Don't tell anybody, but I think maybe you actually made the right choice for a hubby. And if you didn't, I'll find a way to hide the body.”

“Stop!” We're both laughing when I push her away.

My sister loves me in her own weird way, and it's good to know it. I also think she'll be a great sister-in-law to Cal in time. Also a wonderfully eccentric aunt to our future kids.

I mentally make a note to give her hell if she ever winds up married.

“What joke did I miss, ladies?” Cal appears behind me, laying his firm hands on my shoulders. His touch sends instant lightning through my skin, and I look up into the blue eyes I'm eager to spend my life falling into.

“It's nothing. Just old secrets between sisters.”

“Yes, very serious ones,” Kat says, sighing sadly into her almost empty champagne glass. “Thanks for the good taste in drinks here, Cal. I think I'm in love.”

“Seriously, you'd better slow down. You're going to limp home sick. Mom and daddy really don't need that.” My big sister instinct kicks in. I can't resist wagging a warning finger at her.

Kat smiles, rolling her eyes as she looks from me to Cal. “When do you guys leave for Beijing again?”

“Next week for the second leg of our honeymoon. Then it's back to work for both of us.” Cal brings his hand lower, rubbing the spot between my shoulders. It's secretive, suggestive, and way too sexy for our own good. “Speaking of honeymoon, doll, our ride'll be here in twenty minutes. Yacht is almost fueled up and ready, according to the guy at the dock.”

I wish my sister well and stand up, pushing my hand into his. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited to see what kind of surprises he has waiting for us later on his ship.

On our way out, we pay our respects to my parents one more time. Mom seems to be warming to him, which thrills me, and dad always gives a man another chance. I'm certain the worst of the drama is just a memory.

We're almost to the door, saying our goodbyes to the myriad guests along the way, when a big arm reaches out and slaps Cal on his other shoulder. “Heading out already, my man? Seems like the fun just started.”

“That's because you've been through at least five thousand shots of scotch,” Cal tells Cade. Spence appears on my other side, offering his congratulations.

“Welcome to babysitting him full time, Mrs. Randolph,” he says with a smile. “And seriously – congratu-fucking-lations.”

Cal swears off flinging their crap back at him long enough to share a brotherly hug. I step aside for a second or two and let them have their fun, touched by the bond between these three men. If it hadn't been for their help, I'm not sure he'd have gotten me out of jail as quickly as he did.

“You heard anything from Turner?” Cade asks. “Told me last week he was covering Palky's trial, about to kick up anytime.”

“Life sentence,” Spence growls, more than a little happiness shining in his eyes. “Not that he's too long for this world. Bastards like him who've thrived too long in riches never take to prison easy.”

“He'll pay, whether he likes it or not,” Cal says, more serious than I've heard him since we did our vows. “Justice is being done right this time, like it always should've been. I don't care about the case, boys. If I never have to see that snake's name in front of me again, I'll live happy. It's good timing we're heading off to China while he goes in front of the judge.” He looks at me.

“Yeah, just perfect.” I'm smiling, but part of me is morbidly curious.

There's no forgiveness on my end for the man who tried to frame me for a hack attack I had nothing to do with. I want him to pay, and I want to know how. But not if it poisons our future.

“We're going away. We're very happy. That's all that matters, right?” I look at the three men. His friends give me friendly smiles, nodding.

He's lucky he claimed me when he did. Spence and Cade are too easy on the eyes, even if they're missing the patented Calvin Randolph charm. I'm not sure what I should wonder about more – how long it'll take his friends to get hitched, or how the hell three insanely handsome men ended up rocking their family firm?

“Damned right.” Cal answers my question, raising my hand to his lips. The kiss he leaves on my skin fuels the steady, quickening burn between my thighs.

“Bro, take care of yourself on the water, and in China, too.” Spence says, slapping his back one more time. “We'll hold down the fort until you're back.”

“Yeah,” Cade agrees. “Can't wait to hear there's another Randolph on deck next time you're home.”

“The day will come. Enjoy yourselves, boys. I'll check in later this week.” Cal's grip on my hand tightens. It's hard, suppressing the urge in my ovaries to do what his friend suggested.

Babymaking time isn't here, not quite yet, but it will be soon. I know it.

As he walks me to the limo, all I think about is how much it doesn't matter tonight on our honeymoon. My body doesn't need a baby now to know it's going to savor every drop of pleasure he spills into me tonight.

Cal doesn't do anything small, or half-assed. I'll never forget our wedding night.

* * *

It's breezy, cool, and peaceful when I step onto the ship's upper deck. I take a seat next to him at the controls, admiring the black rose ink shifting on his arms as he steers us out of the harbor, into the sound and the Salish sea.

The ship sails into the night as the very last embers of sun slink below the horizon. My arms hug tight to his waist. He's never been warmer. I'm so cozy, so turned on, my hand drifts down his muscular abs, tracing every edge.

Cal stops me with a smile before I'm able to take my hand to the bulge I know I'll find just a little lower. “Patience, doll. I'm not that kind of man.”

I burst out laughing it's so ridiculous. “No? Then what sort are you?”

“The type who can't fuck his wife proper until she's more in love with him. Give me a couple more minutes.” It's then I realize he's put the ship on a deliberate course.

We're rounding Bainbridge Island's northern edge, and I see a familiar dark silhouette on the horizon. There's no reason for the detour since we're heading for the Orcas more than another hour north. Not unless...

“Wow!” I squeeze him tighter when the first blue sunburst streaks high and explodes in the sky.

Fireworks. Bright, numerous, and beautiful.

“But how? The Fourth isn't for a couple more days...” I lay my hand on his face, savoring his stubble against my skin, staring into his smiling eyes.

“Told you awhile back I'd make the whole city know our love. Dad's old place is still technically in my hands for a few more days. Didn't take much to find a crew and load up on the best rockets a man can buy. Going to give the city a serious need to step up their game, though.”

He isn't joking. I'm touched, as surely as the sky lights up like Independence Day has come early.

For us, embarking on our new lives, I suppose it has.

I see orange, red, and lily white. They flare wide in brilliant rings before flaming out, just in time for new ones to take their place, each spark brighter than the stars. Every explosion illuminates the sad old house on the shore, more distant than ever as the yacht rolls by its shore.

“Better take a good, long look,” I say, trailing his father's old place with my eyes. I catch a quick glimpse of the crew and their equipment on a hill near the water, launching the amazing display skyward. “Probably won't see it again while it's still yours.”

“I'd rather look ahead, doll,” he whispers, grabbing my hand. “Fuck the past. I'm glad dad and I came to terms before he died, but that place will never be anything except a black hole for me. Closing day can't come soon enough.”

He's right.

The weight lifting off him leaves him so light and vibrant it echoes in his pulse. I feel it when I run my fingers through his, laying my head on his shoulder, perfectly poised so I can enjoy our wedding fireworks up close and personal.

We're silent as the ship passes on. Even when the sky bursts are almost too small to see, I hear them booming in the distance, a grand finale left to the city to enjoy. For some reason, that makes me smile even more.

I'm sure most of the people watching from the shores who know why it's happening think I'm some spoiled, high maintenance rich girl. They'll never know how hard it was to get to our happy place, here on the tranquil sea, the ring on my finger sitting right in a way it never was before.

I'll take his advice about the past. I don't care anymore. It'll be in our history forever, sure, but it doesn't have to define us. Neither does what anyone in the present thinks.

We're sailing peacefully up the coast for another hour, enjoying our first drink alone as man and wife. The Dom flows freely, bubbly and delightful. I think about Kat at the reception, and hope she isn't blackout drunk by now.

We sip ours slowly, tasting its decadent richness.

It's good, but nothing like the lips I've been staring into all night. Nothing can ever drown the need building inside me except him.

“It's not polite to stare,” he says, narrowing his eyes. His grip on my hand tightens. “Especially when you won't tell your husband what you really want.”

Damn. A single tease is all it takes tonight to make my nipples pebble. “Whatever do you mean?” I tease back. “Cal, I really couldn't be happier. You've knocked about half the dreams off my bucket list tonight with the awesome wedding, the yacht ride, the fireworks –“

“Only half? Good.” He leans in, forcing me to feel his breath, torturing me every second he refuses to close with a kiss. “That means your other dreams must be filthy, doll. Let me teach you a thing or two about that.”

At last, his lips touch down on mine. I let go of the moan I've been holding in for the last twenty minutes. My hands are ravenous. They pull at his collar, but he bats my greedy hands away when they try to slip to his buttons, eager to pop them off.

Not fair.

Still, it doesn't stop me from taking everything I can get when his mouth attacks mine. Lust swarms my blood in waves, vicious and stifling, forcing my thighs together for fractional relief as I take his tongue again and again.

Somehow, he manages to steer us into port on the first stop of our honeymoon. It's a small, exclusive tourist spot with a private dock. There's a light on in the cabin, and a servant waiting to tend to our every need. We may not bother tonight, considering everything I'll ever need is in front of me.

“We have to go. Now,” I whisper, pinching his hand.

Cal helps me up, pushing his palm into the small of my back, and then a little lower to the ridge of my ass. My hips fold into his like a flower bending toward the light.

“No, doll. This ship has a perfectly good cabin. I'd like to put it to good use before we turn in for the night on land.”

No protest here. I follow him down the narrow marble stairs, trying not to trip on the edge of my skirt. I never thought I'd want to shed something so beautiful clinging to my skin so quickly.

But that's the power this man has over me on our wedding night. That's the strength, the beauty, and the prowess my eyes admire from every edge of his body.

He pushes through a small door on the lower level. It opens a master suite with all the amenities, a massive plush bed anchored in the middle. His foot kicks the door shut behind him. We don't say another word, just fall into each other, lost in our heartbeats, our breath, and tearing off these clothes.

I'm afraid he'll rip my wedding dress to shreds when he starts pulling it apart, but he's surprisingly gentle, never lowering the need throbbing in his eyes as he stares into me. “Do you have any clue how hard I'm about to fuck my wife for the first time?”

“Show me,” I whisper. My voice trembles, a dead giveaway for how bad I want him to.

Another push, and the elegant fabric falls, pooling at my feet. I shimmy out of my panties when his thumbs hook around them. His hands clasp my shoulders, digging his fingers in, bringing me down on my knees.

I'm face-to-face with his immaculate cock. Pre-come rolls out the tip when I grasp his base, rolling the smooth skin up and down, trying not to let my imagination overwhelm me. It's far too easy to imagine this inside me, doing everything I know it's so good at.

Has it really only been days since the last time we had sex? My heart drums, insisting it must be years, and holy hell, how I've missed stroking his cock with my tongue.

“Fuck, Maddie,” he growls, fisting my hair when I open my mouth and draw him in. “It's been an eternity.”

Yes, it has.

My mouth helps put a dent in the lost time we need to make up. Every inch I take is warm, pulsing, furious in the denial it's suffered. He finds his rhythm, thrusting into my mouth, helping my head each time he pulls on my hair.

Why didn't anyone tell me those pulls could feel almost as good as his kiss? My pussy drips between my legs, melting like a candle under a torch. Desire makes me dizzy, but I ground myself, sucking him faster, gliding my fingers to his base, pushing gently into his heavy balls.

His eyes are on me the entire time. I realize he's watching my hand. Whenever the dim light catches the ring just right, he sighs, his chest bulging, and he lets out tortured grunt. “Just fucking end me, doll. Seeing your hand like that wrapped around my cock...it's goddamned beautiful. Best sight I'll ever see.”

I moan into him, sucking faster. He growls louder. I know I've hit the mark when he twitches, throbbing faster, harder, grinding his hips into my face. I want to make him lose it, but it's no big surprise when he tugs my face off him by the hair, another rugged growl escaping his throat.

“All fours, Maddie. On the bed. Right fucking now.”

My pussy tenses more than I thought possible. I love how he's almost speechless, his brain a little closer to the caveman whiles of his body.

We're married now. This is how it is, how it was always meant to be.

No more thinking. That comes later.

This is sex built for emotion, for flesh, for souls. Not earthly intellects.

“Calvin, please,” I whisper, face down on the bed, lifting my hips to him, waiting for the heat of his fingers digging into my skin.

“Please what, beautiful?” He gives my hair another rough tug. His swollen cock tilts against my hips, holding me back with his knees so I can't grind into him. “Tell me, doll, is this what you want?”

His full length presses into my labia, catching the wetness leaking out of me.

Holy hell. I'm dying.

“You know it, hubby,” I whisper, throat turning into cotton because I know what he wants to hear. “Fuck me.”

God, it still feels dirty saying it. But, oh, when doesn't dirty feel good?

“Finally. Only took until our wedding night to hear you let go,” he rumbles, planting his arms on the bed, against my shoulders, bearing down. His hot whisper fills my ear, so warm and lush, I tremble. “Good girl, Maddie. And good girls get presents on their wedding night. Here's yours: I will mount you, I will fuck you, I will flood your sweet cunt until my balls can't. Let's fuck like man and wife.”

No words. He sinks into me with a feral grunt. My pussy hugs his cock, tightening around him, a shrill whimper escaping my throat as I realize how good I'm making him feel.

“Fuck me,” I whisper again, raising my ass to meet his strokes.

There's a savage energy in his thrusts. A longing, even though he's balls deep. I'm close to coming, my eyes fluttering shut, when he reaches between my legs, thumbing my clit.

His friction pushes me into the sun.

“Come for me, doll. Come like the hot little wife you always wanted to be.” His words are thunder in my ear. They shake me to my core, bring me into meltdown.

His hips move like pistons, pinning me against the bed. Slamming his cock deep, he holds it while my body convulses. I scream so loud I'm certain it leaves the ship, heading for any ears on the shore.

Orgasm consumes me. I don't know how he's still holding up when my legs stop shaking and he flips me over. There's a single, slow kiss to catch my breath, his forehead against mine, and then I see new fire in his eyes.

When he sinks into me again, I swear he's even harder than before. My nails rake his open shirt, finding his perfect abs, admiring the strength he's about to make me feel in my bones.

He pushes it off his body, leaning backward just long enough to lose his last clothing, giving me a magnificent view of his naked body.

It's inked. It's hard. It's about to be mine.

“Cal...” I still tense like it's our very first time when he's nude.

“Maddie, fuck, you're tighter than ever tonight. Very dangerous.” I lick my lips, opening my eyes, wondering what he means. A familiar smirk lights the space below his blue eyes, beaming down. “Makes me want to fuck you harder. Fuck you with the insane longing I've always had for this night, when I knew I'd own this pussy for good.”

“Do it,” I whisper, forgetting to be careful what I wish for.

I raise my legs. He hugs them to his shoulders and thrusts in, sliding deeper, pushing his tip until I'm achingly full.

We move. We collide. We join bodies in a primal rut, searching for release.

My body works for his seed. I move in ways I didn't even know I could, throwing myself into him, lacing my fingers with his when he reaches his full manic pace. I'm pinching him so hard my knuckles turn white.

“Cal, fuck, yes!” Words come without thinking. Pleasure overrides everything each time his cock strokes deep, wedding my flesh to his. I want to hold back, to keep control, to wait until he's found release before I let myself drift into storming bliss again.

“Fucking come! Come with me,” he commands, a split second before the swelling deep inside me begins.

His cock throbs, bursts, pours his heat into me. My pussy surrenders the second his seed hits my flesh.

We come together. So hot, so hard, so frantic. I see stars in the whites of my eyes, pure burning lust forged from heartbreak and shattered lives reborn. We beat the odds.

It's still hard to believe my husband's seed is filling me while I thrash underneath him like an animal, setting me off again. He drags my fingers into his, stretching the very bones in my fingers, growling his release while his cock hurls fire.

So much for control.

My soul feels lighter when I exit heaven, emptied like a cloth wrung dry. Then he lowers himself into a new sultry kiss, and I let my mouth frolic on his for what seems like another eternity.

“Best I ever had,” he growls, breaking away, catching his breath. “Fuck, Maddie. Knew I chose you for a reason.”

I flash him a dirty look and sink my teeth lightly into his ear. “Shut up, Mr. Romantic. You, with your seven year yearning for our wedding night. We've arrived, and it's so much better than sex.”

“Guilty. But the chemistry when we fuck is one hell of a perk.”

“Yes, well...” I run my palm on his face as he pulls out of me, crashing down on the bed next to me. “There's sex, and a thousand other reasons.”

“Better start counting, doll. You've got a couple minutes tops before I'm hard again, and too fucking horny for the flowery stuff.” He gives me another kiss, pressing my hand to his face when I graze his stubble against my fingers.

Oh, if I had the time to live seven years in an instant. I'd have never let him go, tragedy be damned. I'd seize every flirtatious word, every missed opportunity, and every tragic outcome. I'd re-live them all, experiencing the myriad what-ifs, just to lay here with him like this again, looking toward our long, happy future.

I'm not with a playground crush, or a fake fiancé who just happens to be amazing in bed.

I'm with my husband; my finer, inevitable half.

And until the day I die, I'll wear his ring, taste his lips, and call myself Mrs. Madeline Randolph. Happiest, luckiest, and most cherished woman on earth.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed Cal and Maddie's story! Read on for another novel included with this edition, Baby Fever Promise.