The Dare - Dyken Rachel Van. Страница 54

"You sure you're ready for this?" I asked, gripping Beth's hands in mine.

"Yes." She beamed. "I am."

"It's a big risk."

"It's worth it," she whispered.

"Well, then I guess there isn't anything more to say." I grinned. "Shit, shit!"

The donkey moved forward with Beth atop it. Perfectly content that if he were in a race with a turtle, he'd lose by a long shot. He made his way down the small aisle.

I decided to walk alongside Beth and the annoying little ass. It seemed right that it wouldn't be her walking toward me or me waiting for her, but us traveling on the journey together. Because sometimes, that's how love is. It isn't a man chasing a woman, it isn't a man storming the castle, and it isn't the girl waiting for love to happen.

It's two people making a commitment. It's two people realizing that they hold the keys to their own happiness in their own damn hands. The problem? Most people forget that they have the power to live the fairytale. I'd forgotten I had the power, and in the end, I'd been willing to walk away from my future.

Beth had forgotten too.

So we walked hand-in-hand. She on Donkey and I next to them, you know, just in case the little shit got spooked and took off running with my future bride on tow.

"I see you've found it." The ship captain's face lit up with a smile, helping Beth off the donkey and into the boat.

"Found it?"

"You're keiki."

"Keiki?" Beth repeated.

"Long story," I muttered, jumping into the boat.

The captain took us out into the middle of the water and turned off the engine.

"Alright, let's make this quick, shall we?"

"Not very romantic is he?" Beth winked.

"I told him to make it quick," I admitted.

"Why?"

"Because I couldn't care less about saying the words — I just want to show you, what you mean to me. I'm sick and tired of words, Beth. I've been using words my whole career. I think it's time for a little action, don't you?"

"Yes," she said breathless.

"Do you take this woman to be your bride?" The captain asked.

"Yes." My voice rang out loud and clear in the warm afternoon air. "I do."

"And do you take this man to be your husband?" The captain cleared his throat. "You don't have to take him, you know."

"I do." Beth grinned and then said "Thor" under her breath.

"With the power vested in me by the state of Hawaii, I now pronounce you man and wife!" The captain grabbed two beautiful leis and placed one over each of our heads.

"May your womb be fertile," he said happily.

"Um… let's not get carried away." I laughed nervously.

"Grandma specifically said that in order to break the curse, I had to give you a blessing." The captain grinned mischievously. "I bless you with children — lots and lots of children."

"Take it off! Take the lei off!"

"Let it go," Beth whispered. "After all, it's best to just go with it when it comes to Grandma."

"Fine," I grumbled, fingering the damn fertility lei.

"Look on the bright side." Beth wrapped her arms around my waist. "If getting married was going to help your polls, imagine what children would do. Plus, that means we get to have all the sex."

"Side note." I cleared my throat. "If you keep quoting Grandma, I'm going to need one of her magic blue pills in order to perform."

"Aw, no inspiration?"

"None," I grumbled.

"I'm pretty sure I can take care of that." Beth's hot mouth pressed against mine, her tongue coaxing my lips apart.

"Where to?" the captain asked.

I swept Beth into my arms and pointed back to the shore, not wanting to pull my mouth from hers for one damn second. I was going to love her, cherish her, and honor her, and I was going to damn well remember it this time!

"Alrighty, then." The captain chuckled. "Back to the hut it is."

Chapter Thirty-seven

"Hawaii? This whole time? Are you saying you've successfully evaded the FBI and put us on a wild goose chase, all because you wanted to give the senator time to…"

"Play." Grandma stretched "But, of course. Every couple deserves time to discover one another. And I gave them that time."

"But we're the FBI."

"And I'm Grandma." She winked. "It's best to know your place in the world. Oh, and be a dear." She sighed. "Tell the president to call me back when he has a free moment, such a lovely dear man."

The agent blinked and then stood.

The door to the room opened. "Let her go. Her information checked out."

"But—"

"Nadine, we are so very sorry for this inconvenience."

Grandma patted him on the back. "It really is nothing. I'm glad Gus and I could spend some time together. I do love a good love story."

He grinned as Grandma waltzed out of the federal building.

"She's insane," the agent remarked to his superior.

"That woman helped us win the Cold War. Insane does not even begin to describe her."

Beth

Jace slammed the door to the hut behind him and stalked toward me. His hands moved over my white dress and down my bare arms.

"Are you attached to any thing you're wearing?"

"What? Why?" I shivered.

"Yes or no?"

"No."

"Good."

With a rip he pulled the dress from my body. You've got to be kidding me. That crap happened outside of movies. I was witness to it.

Let that be a lesson to women everywhere: When your man looks like Thor, he has superpowers in the bedroom.

The dress fell to my feet, leaving me in nothing but my white wedge heels and my lacey underwear.

My entire body felt heavy with need.

He reached out and fingered the lace material, his fingers grazing my breasts, making my entire body ache with need. Jace's eyes darkened and then turned questioning. "And this? Are you attached to this?"

"N-no."

"Good." With a tug, he had my bra off and my panties in a bunch on the floor.

"Holy Thor."

"What?"

Crap on a stick! Did I just say that out loud?

"Did you just say Holy Thor?"

Instead of looking horrified, Jace seemed… I looked down… quite inspired at the thought. Apparently, visions of Grandma were long gone.

"Yes, yes I did."

"Hmm." He bit down on his lip and grinned. "I think I like it."

"Yeah?" I felt myself blushing. Not only was I standing in front of him naked as a jaybird, but I'd just totally turned our first sexual experience, that we would remember, into something mildly embarrassing.

I licked my lips nervously and waited for him to touch me.

He stared instead.

I was getting more and more fidgety. Why the hell did he get to keep his clothes on? I moved to cross my arms, but he jerked my hands away, his eyes drinking in every inch of my naked skin until I was ready to squirm. He made me want him by just looking; one gaze and I was ready to jump him.

"I would have remembered this — I should have remembered this." Jace traced the outline of my breasts and moved down to my hips, worshipping me with his hands as he pulled my body against his. "Drugs or no drugs, a man should never forget perfection."