Authors: Lindsay McKenna
Beyond The Limit (28 page)
“I'm open to suggestions.”
Giving him a dirty look, Cali said, “I'll bet you areâ¦.”
“Hey, I'm the guy who fought you all the way, and finally capitulated to the fact I love you.” Pete pulled her back into his arms. “I can't conceive of a day without you, Cali. You brighten my life, you make me laugh and you make me happy.”
Nodding, she curled her hands around his arms, which held her snugly against him. “What about a winter wedding at the end of this year? Most of the outdoor work will be finished at the site by then. Logan and your assistant could easily continue the schedules without us at that time.”
Pete leaned over and pressed his lips to her soft cheek. “I like that idea. Let's discuss it with both sets of parents.”
“I want a small wedding, Pete. Just close family and friends. No huge extravaganza, okay? I'm a simple kind of girl.”
“Whatever you want, sweetheart. As long as I'm with you when we say âI do,' I don't care. You, your mom and my mother can plan whatever works. I'll just make sure to show up on the appointed day.”
Laughing breathily, Cali gazed at him. Pete's gray eyes were velvety with love and longing for her. “I never thought I'd fall in love, Pete. I had such a bad experience with Russ that I'd given up on having anything personally fulfilling like that.”
Caressing her arm, he said, “Me, too, for different reasons. But the first time I saw you, Cali, the doors of my heart just flew wide open. I thought I'd been in love before, but I hadn't. Not until you crashed into my life. Over the last year, I've discovered what love really is. Before, I didn't know what the word meant, or could mean. I guess I had to mature, go through a lot of rough experiences in other relationships, to appreciate what I finally have with you.”
Cali pressed a kiss to his rugged jaw. “And I had to go through that experience with Russ to appreciate you, Pete. Come on, let's take a shower together.” She looked at the clock on the bed stand. It was nearly 1:00 a.m. “We'll have a huge surprise for your family come breakfast tomorrow morning.”
Easing her out of his arms, Pete pulled the quilt aside. “My mother will be jumping up and down for joy. My father will just sit there and say, âSee? I told you so.'”
Sliding her feet to the cool, polished wood floor, Cali stood up. Pete joined her, and when she leaned up against his tall, solid frame, he slipped his arms around her. The boyish gleam in Pete's eyes sent a wave of tenderness through Cali. “I have a feeling that we're going to live a very exciting life together, Major Trayhern.”
“Oh, I think you're right, Ms. Roland.” He sought and found her willing mouth. Just the way Cali moved against him made him want to forget the shower altogether.
“You know what, Cali Roland?”
“What, Pete Trayhern?”
“I'm going to look forward to a globe-trotting life with you. Foreverâ¦.”
ISBN: 978-1-4603-0914-8
BEYOND THE LIMIT
Copyright © 2006 by Eileen Nauman
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