Dani “I love how close all of your family is with each other,” I told Marcus a few days later as we drove home from dinner at his mother’s house in Rocky Springs. It was a beautifully clear summer’s evening. Because we were riding in one of Marcus’s many sports cars, I could see the stars. The convertible gave me a perfect view of the Colorado sky. I relished the feel of being in the open air. My hair would probably end up looking like a bird’s nest, but to feel this way, so free and buoyant, it was completely worth it. “Your family is close,” he r eplied. I shrugged. “When we’re all able to get together. I think so much fell apart when my parents died so suddenly. We all sort of went our own way to deal with our grief. Your mom seems to hold everything together in your family.” “I agree,” he answered. “She’s been the glue that’s fused our family together since my father died. But traveling the world doesn’t help. We both have some time to try to make up with our families.” Marcus and I had talked a lot about what we wanted to do in the future. I would see a lot more of Harper since we were in the same town, and my sister and I had vowed to try to get together more with our brothers. Harper would still be traveling with her senator husband, Blake, back and forth to Washington, DC, and I wanted to travel with Marcus internationally so I could find my own stories to write. But Harper and I would both be home and in one place a lot more often, so we were determined to force ourselves into our brothers’ lives if necessary. I loved every one of my siblings. None of us had ever wanted to grow apart. It had just... happened. Marcus reached out for my hand, and I entwined my fingers with his as I finally promised, “We’ll make time in the future.” I already adored Tate, and his wife, Lara. Zane and his wife, Ellie, were both extremely kind. I’d met Gabe and Chloe for the first time earlier in the evening. And of course, Harper and Blake had been at the family supper, too. Honestly, I already knew that I was going to come to love Marcus’s family as much as he did. The Colter women were already trying to pull me into their circle by planning various activities together. It was going to be nice to have family again, but having Marcus’s family wouldn’t lessen my efforts with Harper to pull my brothers Jett, Carter, and Mason back into the fold. I smiled as we pulled into Marcus’s driveway and he took the small paved road that drove around the massive house and to the back where he had a ten-car garage where he stored his summer cars. There was a three-car garage attached to the house where he k ept his luxury vehicles that were appropriate for all-weather driving. As serious and sensible as Marcus was, I was delighted to see that he was still a boy who loved his toys. All ten spaces were full of luxury or classic sports cars. It seemed to be Marcus’s one big indulgence, and I wasn’t about to complain. He could afford them, and I got the benefit of riding in the
powerhouse vehicles. Eventually, I’d finagle him into letting me drive all of them. A girl loved her toys, too. After he closed up the garage, he took my hand and we walked to the house together. “It seems strange to actually have a permanent home,” I said in a thoughtful voice. I’d spent years running all over the planet, but I’d never invested in a home. Yeah, Harper and I had purchased the condo in Miami together, but that was more of an investment than a home. “If you don’t like this one, we can buy a different house,” he suggested. Oh, hell no. “You had this home built custom,” I scolded. “And I love it.” Marcus’s house was enormous, but it was a reflection of him, and I couldn’t have planned out a better home for us. He let me into the house and disabled the alarm before he turned back to me. “I don’t want this to be all about me, Dani. Hell, I don’t even know if you want to live in Rocky Springs. I can live anywhere, but I can’t live without you.” I threw myself into his arms, my heart so light it nearly floated out of my chest. “It’s not all about you. I don’t have a home, Marcus. I never bothered because I was too busy trying to chase stories. But this is where we both grew up, and my sister is here. It’s perfect.” His arms tightened around my waist. “I just want you to be happy,” he grumbled. I pulled back so I could look up at his face. “Tell me you love me,” I requested. His beautiful silver eyes were flashing fire as he said obligingly, “I love you.” I ran a hand along the dark stubble on his jaw. “That’s all I need to be ecstatically happy.” He nodded and shot me a wicked grin that immediately had heat pooling between my thighs. When Marcus smiled, my world turned upside down. He clasped my hand and pulled me toward the kitchen. “I’m glad you feel that way, love, because there’s more.” Bemused, I followed his lead. I wasn’t sure how much more happiness I could handle. I stopped abruptly as we entered the kitchen. “What in the world...” The kitchen table was full of items, but the first thing that caught my attention was two heart-shaped balloons attached to the most beautiful bouquet of red roses I’d ever seen. One balloon said “Marry.” The second said “Me.” I covered my mouth, my emotions close to the surface. “I already said yes,” I reminded him in a tearful tone. “How did you do this?” “I do have assistants,” he said. “You just haven’t met them yet. I had to enlist some help to get this stuff here while we were gone.” I gently ran a finger over the roses, and then noticed that nearly the entire table was filled with chocolate.
“You have good taste,” I said in an amused voice. I recognized most of the names on the boxes and wrappings. Everything on the table was the best of the best in chocolate, and pricey as hell. He’d gotten everything from master chocolatiers from Switzerland to France, and one from the East Coast of the US. More often than not, I’d settled for a candy bar from a convenience store. I wasn’t that picky about how I got my chocolate. But I wasn’t averse to trying some of the items Marcus had gotten. In fact, I was downright eager to tear into the collection. He st epped up to the table and drew a bottle of fine champagne from its icy confinement, and then uncorked it and poured it into a beautiful pair of crystal flutes. I acc epted the one he handed me, my heart racing at the thought of how much trouble Marcus had gone to just to please me. “Thank you,” I said in a tremulous voice. “It’s no more than you deserve,” Marcus told me as he took a sip of his champagne. “I never should have proposed in the bedroom of my damn jet. You deserve so much more than that. You’re my heart, Danica.” I opened my mouth to answer him, to tell him that he was my everything, but I closed it again as I heard a high-pitched bark. “One more thing...” His voice trailed off as he walked across the large kitchen and bent over to fumble with what looked like a crate of some kind. I was flummoxed as a bundle of fur exploded from its confinement and hurdled straight toward me. “Oh, my God,” I squealed, putting my wine glass on the table so I could catch the small canine body. “Who is this?” “You did say you always wanted a dog. Technically, this is a puppy, but he will eventually be full-sized,” he informed me. I cuddled the squirming, excited puppy as I asked, “So it’s a boy? Is he mine?” Marcus nodded. “Yours,” he confirmed. I beamed up at him. “I’ll share him with you. He looks like a German Sh epherd. Does he have a name?” “Not yet. But he will when you give him one. And he is a German Sh epherd. Tate has a male, and he wanted to breed Sh ep with a female before he got him fixed. This puppy is one of Sh ep’s offspring.” “He’s gorgeous,” I said emphatically, laughing as the pup left my lap and started bouncing around the room and then ran back to me. I stared at his collar for a moment before I reached out and tried to grab the shiny object attached to the blue collar. It took me a moment to understand what I was holding. “Is this mine, too?” Marcus moved forward and offered his hand. I took it, allowing him to pull me to my feet. “If you’re still willing to acc ept it and everything that comes along with being married to a guy like me, it’s yours.” I fingered the beautiful ring I’d snagged from the puppy’s collar, my eyes filled with happy tears. I got entirely choked up as Marcus took the ring, reached for my hand, and slid the incredible diamond on my finger as he added, “If you don’t want it, you’re too late. You’re mine now.”
“I want it,” I shrieked as he twirled me in the air. “I’m sorry that I wasn’t ready when I proposed,” he said huskily. “But you can cross another item off your bucket list. You got a proposal, even if it wasn’t all that slick.” He’d just put an absolutely amazing ring on my finger, and he was apologizing? “It doesn’t matter.” “It matters,” he argued. “I don’t want you to ever regret that you married a guy who isn’t very romantic.” Maybe Marcus wasn’t hearts and flowers every day, but I’d never doubt how much he loved me. This huge display just to propose to a woman who had already said yes was a perfect example of why I’d never think he wasn’t romantic. “I’d never regret you,” I said fiercely. “Never.” His mouth came down on mine so quickly that he took my breath away. I moaned against his lips, my body needy as I opened to him willingly, letting him plunder my mouth. I was on fire, and I wasn’t sure anything could ever extinguish the blaze. My arms tightened around his neck, I pressed against him, feeling his enlarged cock through the denim of his jeans. I hadn’t crumbled under his other assaults to my senses, willing to wait until he was completely recovered. They’d taken his sutures out earlier today, and I’d had a feeling that I wasn’t going to be able to resist our mutual hunger for each other much longer. “Marcus,” I gasped as he lifted his head. “I know, baby. Hold on,” he crooned as he lifted the cotton skirt of my casual sundress, and then stroked his fingers over my saturated panties. My head fell back as the heat of his touch consumed me. “Yes. Now. Please.” I couldn’t wait for him to fuck me after days of self-d eprivation. I wanted him inside me, his hips thrusting over and over until we were both spent. He crunched up the panties in his hand, and then tugged hard. “No more waiting,” he said, demanding. “No more waiting,” I r epeated as I felt the small piece of torn, silken material slip down my legs and to the floor. My core clenched ferociously as Marcus stroked through my folds and his fingers entered my wet heat. I moaned again as he teased my clit, ready to plead for mercy. His hands finally grasped my ass, and he carried me over to the table and set my butt down on the edge. He cleared space with a wide swe ep of his muscular arm, and I never mourned the expensive chocolate that hit the floor. I craved Marcus so much more than I longed for any kind of chocolate. I propped myself up on my arms and watched as he furiously freed his cock from his jeans. “Can’t. Wait,” he growled. “Put your legs around me.” “Don’t wait,” I pleaded as I obeyed his command. “Now.” I inhaled sharply as he pulled my body forward and buried himself inside me in one powerful thrust. “Yes. Just like that. No holding back,” I panted. “I couldn’t if I wanted to,” he answered in a low, carnal tone. It was hard and fast. Beautiful and frenzied. Marcus pummeled into me with a desperation
that I returned. “More,” I cried. He gave me more, and then he did it again. Ke eping up his punishing pace, my body started to tremble as Marcus pounded into me with no mercy. All I could do was ride the wave of desire that had flooded me, and then took over my body until all I could think of was the man that seemed eager to drive me completely insane. He tightened his hold on the cheeks of my ass, holding me in place while he k ept stroking into me over and over. “I need to come, Marcus,” I whimpered. “Then come for me,” he r eplied in a raw, feral tone. He took a hand from my ass, and then found the spot I needed him to touch with his fingers. “Yes. Yes. Yes.” I let go and let the force of my orgasm take control. I rode the climax to a crescendo, my body writhing under his ministrations. My core started to spasm. The muscles in my sheath were trying to milk him dry. “Marcus. I love you so much,” I screamed, my whole being trembling under the force of my powerful release. “I love you,” he returned in a groan of pure relief, surging a few more times as he emptied himself inside me. I sat up, threw my arms around his neck, and kissed him. It was a long, leisurely embrace. I speared one hand through the hair at the back of his head, sighing into his mouth as he held me tightly. “Marcus,” I said in a whisper as I pulled my head back. We clung to each other. I wasn’t sure how long we stayed in that position, but it took the puppy’s annoyed bark to snap us out of our own little world, both of us laughing as we finally pulled our satiated bodies apart. I picked up my destroyed undies and tossed them into the garbage can without a single ounce of remorse. I was rich. Marcus was rich. I could buy new panties. But nothing could ever r eplace what had just happened between us. Money could never buy this kind of happiness. I smiled as I watched Marcus give our new puppy the affection it wanted. If I had the man I loved, I could easily learn to just buy my underwear in mass quantities in the future.
Epilogue Marcus Several months later... “Harper is pregnant,” Blake announced without warning in a terrified voice. My twin and I were hitting a few stores in Rocky Springs before we met up with Harper and Dani for lunch. Strangely enough, we were at a specialty candy shop, and we were both looking. I wasn’t really surprised that Blake’s wife was pregnant since I was pretty sure he practiced at getting her pregnant a lot. He adored his wife, and I knew Blake wanted kids, so I asked, “And this isn’t a good thing?” He picked up a box of chocolates and then put them down again as he r eplied, “It wasn’t supposed to happen. She can’t have children, but I knew that when I married her.” “Then how did she get pregnant?” I was assuming he’d done it in the normal way, but I didn’t want to go there with my brother. “It just happened. I guess it was possible, but highly unlikely. We’ve talked about adopting. We didn’t expect this to happen.” “Congratulations,” I said as I clapped him on the back. “But you don’t seem happy.” “I’m fucking terrified,” Blake confessed. “Everything is normal so far, but anything could happen. She lost a baby after we s eparated over ten years ago. My child. Our child.” I knew women gave birth every day, but the whole situation seemed a little frightening to me, too. Hell, I didn’t know how I’d be feeling if Dani was pregnant. Someday, I’d probably find out, but I was glad right now that I wasn’t in Blake’s shoes. “I’m sorry,” I told my twin in a hoarse voice. I was sad that I’d lost a niece or n ephew, and that Blake had lost a child. “Thanks,” he said, his attention drawn away by an oversized candy bar. “I know it’s a good thing, but I’m afraid something might happen again.” That sounded like a legitimate concern. “Is the pregnancy high-risk?” “Not really,” he told me. “Everything is going well. I don’t want to tell Harper that I’m a wreck. We promised we’d focus on the positive, and she needs that right now.” Blake and I had gotten closer over the last few months, so it wasn’t unusual for me to answer, “Then focus on the fact that you’re going to have a baby, and try to forget about something you can’t control.” Easy for me to say, but I understood what loving someone as much as Blake and I loved our wives could do to a guy. Knowing his wife was pregnant and that she’d previously lost a child was probably eating Blake up inside. “I’m happy,” Blake said in a decidedly unhappy voice. “I just wish the pregnancy part was over.”
I picked up a box of Dani’s favorite candy and held onto it while I followed my brother around the store. “Are you going to buy something?” Blake startled like I’d just woke him up. “Yeah,” he said absently as he picked out a couple of different boxes and we moved toward the register to pay. “How long until it’s over?” I asked curiously as I paid for my purchase. “Six months, twenty days, and about twelve hours until her due date,” Blake said, st epping up to pay for his candy. Poor bastard. He’ll crack. He’ll never make it that long. We wandered toward the café next door after we were finished, neither one of us in a hurry since we were running ahead of schedule. I didn’t have words to make Blake feel better. I knew from experience that his anxiety wasn’t going to pass until Harper delivered a healthy baby. “It will be okay,” I finally said in a tone that I hoped was some kind of a voice of reason. “If it’s not high-risk, the chances are excellent that she’ll get through it just fine.” “I know. But I’ll be worried until she’s delivered,” Blake said as he looked at his watch. “What do you think our women are doing?” he questioned. “Probably in the children’s store,” I guessed. Blake suddenly grinned. “Highly likely,” he agreed. “Harper is buying things for the baby already.” For a moment, I saw Blake’s apprehension dissolve as he became focused on the pleasant parts of having a child. He looked... happy. Maybe I hadn’t understood his desire to marry before, but now that Dani was my wife, I was living in the same kind of “happiness bubble” as my other brothers and Chloe. Not that everything was perfect between Dani and I. Putting two hard- headed individuals together for a lifetime meant there were going to be some disagreements, but I’d decided a long time ago that I’d rather fight with her than screw any other female. Besides, there was always the makeup sex. Now that was worth the occasional fight. Honestly, I knew I was an asshole, and she was still my angel—even when we disagreed. Just the fact that she’d been willing to take my ass on for the rest of her life had been a goddamn miracle. I’d married her soon after I’d gotten a ring on her finger. Having a family as big as mine all in the same area had helped us say our vows within a few weeks, my mother and the rest of the family doing their share to help Dani and I pull off a nice wedding in record time. Blake and I were nearly to the restaurant when we were greeted by the sight of our wives coming down the sidewalk toward us. I watched Dani laugh at something Harper had said, her face lit up by the happiness she’d found here with our families. She was extremely tight with her sister, and had become close to all of the Colter women. I got together with my brothers on a regular basis. Blake and I were more like twins again, and we’d probably always have that certain affinity with each other now that we were together more often. He traveled back and forth to Washington, DC for his Senate duties, but we saw each other often enough.
“She’s so fucking beautiful,” I muttered as I watched her and Harper get closer. “They both are,” Blake corrected. Dani was still in counseling, but I knew she was getting more confident and sassy every single day. Not that she hadn’t always been audacious, but little by little, I saw less and less of the haunted look she’d once had in her eyes. She was still writing, and she’d even done some special interest pieces in the local newspaper. If something could be argued, my wife would do it with gusto, whether it was a regional issue or relevant to the entire world. Regardless of where she was publishing one of her articles, she put her whole damn heart into every single issue she wrote about. Dani finally looked up, and our eyes were immediately drawn to each other. Hell, I swore that I had a homing beacon that would always lead me directly to her. My heart started to accelerate as she smiled at me, beaming with a beautiful bright light that I always associated with her jubilant grin. Jesus Christ! How did I get lucky enough to get a woman who loves me as much as I love her? She increased her stride, and I caught her as she careened into my chest. My arms wrapped around her tightly, and of course, my dick responded accordingly. There was no way I could smell her sweet scent without my cock going into the completely ready mode. “I love you,” Dani said in a breathless voice as she pulled back and gave me a short, affectionate kiss. “I love you, too,” I answered in a husky voice. I doubted there would ever be a time when I could hear those three little words from her without feeling like I had a ten-pound lump in my throat. “Harper is going to have a baby,” she announced happily. “I’m so excited. We’re going to have a niece or n ephew.” I shot a grin at Blake and Harper, who had just finished their own intimate greeting. “I heard. Congratulations, Harper.” Harper smiled at me. “Thanks. Now if I could just ke ep Blake from worrying.” “It will never happen,” I told my sister-in-law bluntly. “Nothing wrong with wishful thinking,” Harper r eplied, placing a kiss on her husband’s cheek. “Dani is going to throw me a baby shower.” “Why?” Blake asked, sounding genuinely confused. “I thought those were held just for gifts. We’re rich. You can buy whatever you want.” I shook my head. Obviously my twin hadn’t quite figured out women yet. “There is usually junk food and cake,” I explained. “And it’s the perfect opportunity for women to get together and complain about us.” Dani gave me a playful shove. “That’s not the only reason. Being pregnant is a big deal, and it’s a celebration.” Really, for Harper, the pregnancy was a miracle, and she had more to celebrate than many other women. I’d been teasing my brother and Dani, but I was really delighted for my brother and Harper. “Then we’ll make it a real party,” I agreed happily. “Chocolate cake?” “Of course,” both Dani and Harper answered at the same time. I grinned at my wife and handed over the bag of chocolate. “Maybe
this will tide you over until we can order the cake.” She snatched the bag and held it to her chest. “Oh, God, Marcus, this is one of the reasons I love you so much,” Dani exclaimed. I put my arm around her waist, following behind my brother and Harper as we all made our way to the café. “You love me because I bought you chocolate?” I asked jokingly. “No. I love you because even when we aren’t together, you’re thinking of me. It’s the little things you do that make me love you so much.” “But buying your wife a box of sweets while you’re already in the store isn’t very romantic,” I drawled. “I don’t agree,” she answered fiercely. “It’s very romantic.” “If you say so,” I r eplied sk eptically. She opened the bag and squealed happily. “Okay. This chocolatier is fantastic,” she said enthusiastically. “This is amazing melted and warm. I love putting it on ice cream, but I have a better plan for it tonight.” I let out a startled cough. “And what would your plan be?” “I’ll surprise you.” I already had visions of us naked and Dani licking chocolate off one particular part of my body that already adored her. “I can’t wait. Are you really hungry?” “I’m starving,” she answered cheerfully. I’m fucked! “But I can eat fast,” she added teasingly. “Take your time.” I didn’t want her to have to choke her food down just because she had a horny husband. “I’ll make sure it’s worth waiting for,” she answered in a seductive tone that always made me crazy. I knew she’d make it worth crawling through hell for, which made it that much more difficult to delay the gratification. We stopped our banter as we arrived at the café behind my brother and Harper. Dani did indeed eat fast, but so did Harper and Blake, which made me wonder if they had a similar arrangement to mine and Dani’s. I inhaled my own food so fast that I hardly tasted it. Hell, what guy wouldn’t when he knew that he was going to spend his evening in a state of unimaginable pleasure? At the end of the meal, I pulled Dani out of our booth, dumping the check on my brother as we made our es cape, citing a previous engagement. “With who?” Blake asked sk eptically. “None of your business,” I grumbled. Blake snorted, but he picked up the tab so Dani and I could es cape. Someday, I’d pay him back by picking up lunches or dinners together, but my mind was set on one person only right at that moment. When we were finally in my vehicle and driving away from Main Street, I heard Dani sigh as she said, “Take me home, Marcus.” Hell, I couldn’t drive fast enough. Her words made me feel like I’d been sucker-punched in the gut. My house had actually become home to both of us, a mixture of old and new, hers and mine, and a place where I wanted to be all the time just because Dani was there with me.
I thought about my brothers and my sister, Chloe, each one of us finding love—one right after the other. Since I was the oldest, it really should have been me to settle down first. But I wasn’t complaining. It had taken a special woman to put up with my ornery ass, and Danica had been well worth the wait!