Valorous(73)

“There’s no more room, so it can’t get any bigger.” And yet it does, and I can’t believe he laughs. He actually laughs. “That’s it. I’m done with you.”

His arms around me keep me from escaping. “You can’t ever be done with me. I’d die without you.” He nuzzles my neck and presses deeper into me. “Hold on tight.”

“For what?”

“This.” Grasping my hips, he turns us again so he’s on top.

“Smooth.”

“You like that?”

“I like it all.”

The statement seems to throw gas on his fire, and he lets loose. Still holding my hips, he drives into me, over and over again, until I’m screaming from the pleasure that seers me.

“That’s it, baby. God, you feel so good. So, so good.” He keeps up the pace until he’s coming, too, groaning as he heats me from within with his release. Opening his eyes, he studies me, looking for signs of trouble. “You okay?”

“I’m great. You?”

“Never better.” Still buried deep inside me, he brings his lips down on mine as he gazes into my eyes. “I can’t believe we get to do this any time we want to for the rest of our lives.”

“Not any time.”

He kisses me again. “Any. Freaking. Time.” Another kiss. “All. The. Freaking. Time.”

“Yes, dear,” I reply with a sigh of utter contentment.

“Now that’s what I’m talking about.”

I hold on tight to him, my heart full of love for the man who is now my husband.





Chapter 14





It’s almost noon when I drag myself to the shower the next day. I’m washing the conditioner out of my hair when Flynn comes into the bathroom, holding his phone and smiling widely.

“Natalie. Hurry.”

I nearly end up with conditioner in my eyes before I make it out of the shower. “What is it?”

He hands me a towel and the phone. “It’s Candace.”

I’m frozen in place. I can’t seem to do a single thing but stand there and stare at him.

He dries me and helps me into a robe and leads me to the bedroom, sitting next to me on the bed and nodding at me to go ahead and talk to her.

“H-hello?”

“April.” Her voice is more mature, but it’s her. It’s my little sister.

I’m immediately reduced to tears. “Candace.”

“Is it really you?”

“Yes, it’s me.” Flynn puts his arm around me, and I lean into him.

“And you’re really married to Flynn Godfrey?”

I laugh at the way she squeals even as I hear her sobs through the phone.

Flynn chuckles next to me and kisses my forehead.

“It seems that I am. Tell me everything. Where are you? Where’s Livvy? I’ve missed you guys so much.”

“We had no idea where you were. We’ve looked for you for years.”

“I had to disappear so I could have a chance at a normal life.”

“And how’s that working for you?”

I laugh even as I contend with a flood of tears. “It was working pretty well until I was waylaid by a sexy movie star and my well-ordered life was turned completely upside down in the best possible way.”

“I saw you last night on Carolyn. You look so different, but I knew it was you. Liv called, and she was screaming because you said you wanted to hear from us. I was dying waiting for it to be nine o’clock out there so I could try to call Flynn’s office… Oh, April, is it really you?”

“It’s me, I’m here, and I’m so happy to hear your voice.” I use the sleeve of the robe to wipe away more tears. “Tell me about you. Where are you?”

“I’m a sophomore at Colorado State, majoring in business. Liv is a senior in high school. She lives with Mom in Omaha now.”

“Wait, what? She lives with Mom? Where’s Dad?”

“I’m not really sure. They split about a year after the trial ended. We don’t see him anymore.”

“Wow… God, Mom actually left him?”

“She did. We couldn’t believe it either, but things are so much better now, April. She’s so different without him telling her what to do every second of her life.”

This news sends me reeling. I never for the life of me imagined her leaving him.