Temptation Island (37 page)

The last thing she wanted to do was leave Tortola without speaking to him.  Without telling him exactly how she felt.  But, if he didn’t show up soon, she’d have to.

Family’s everything. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. And Kate’s the only family she’s got.

Carm sighed and looked over her shoulder around Landon’s living room.  What the hell was she going to do?  Leave Marek a note?  Now, that sounded mature
.  Hi, honey.  I love you and want to make a life with you. I want more than anything to stay married to you.  By the way, I’m on a plane back to the states.  Just thought you should know.  We’ll chat later.  Love you.

Yeah, real cute.

Something this important, this pivitol, needed to be said in person.  And she’ll say it, just as soon as he gets his butt to Landon’s
.  God, please let his butt and the rest of him be safe. 
She hadn’t forgotten the fact that he was doing some recon work with the police.  For all she knew he could be lying in a hospital some where. 

“Stop it, Carm.  Don’t think like that.  He’s fine.  You know he’s fine.  And he’s going to pull into the drive any minute.”  It felt like the perfect time for a little pep rally on her behalf.  The right time to bolster her optimism. 

She felt like she was going to puke.

Everything was coming to a head.  Coming right down to the wire.  From Marek and their relationship to her sister.  Carm felt like she was going to lose it soon if something didn’t give. 

A moan escaped her lips and she cringed.  Carm pushed the heels of her hands into her closed eyes to stop the sting of unshed tears.  “How am I going to get on that plane if he doesn’t show up in time? How do I leave?  Oh God, what if he does show up in time and doesn’t want what I want?  What if he doesn’t love me like I love him?  How do I survive something like that?”

“I don’t think you need to worry about that, sugar.”

Carm dropped her hands on a small scream and whipped around.  There was Marek, alive and whole, standing just inside the door.  With her heart lodged in her throat and those unshed tears spilling over, Carm stared at the love of her life, unable to speak.

With eyes so green they glowed with emotion Marek stepped toward her.  “I love you,
cheri
.  More than my own life, more than I ever expected to love anyone.  You are all I see, Carmen.  You are everything.  And you’re not getting on a plane bound for anywhere unless I’m right there by your side.”

How could this be?  Is it real?
  Carm opened her mouth to speak and closed it again on a sob.  Every emotion came crashing down on her in that moment.  All of her hopes and fears.  All the agony and stress.  All the wonder of falling in love and discovering that love is returned just as strong and beautiful. 

A shaky hand lifted to wipe her tears from her cheek.  Large, hard fingers brushed whisper soft across her skin.  Carm watched Marek through watery eyes with amazement.  Such a strong, capable man—and his hands shook when he reached for her. 

The pad of his thumb traced across the seam of her full lips before moving to cup her jaw.  Marek forced her to look in his eyes.  His voice was thick with accent and raw with emotion.  “I was blessed by God and by fate dat night you walked into Big Bubba’s, Carmen.  I felt it when I looked at you.  I knew nothing was going to be da same for me.  You consumed me from dat moment, sweetheart.  I wasn’t expecting you.  I wasn’t looking for you.  I certainly haven’t done anything to deserve you, dat’s for damn sure.”  His other hand lifted to cup her face.  “But, I was given the most precious gift in you,
cheri
.  One that I promise to love and cherish for always.  You are the sun and the moon.  The earth and the sea.  You are everything.”

He placed a soft, warm kiss on her trembling lips.  “Now, tell me you’ll marry me.”

Confusion clouded her blue eyes.  She tried to shake her head, but he held her steady.  Gripping his hands with her own, Carm said, “We’re already married, Marek.”

              He grinned, the bandage over his eye turning the look mischievous.  “True.  But, I want a real wedding.  I want to proclaim you my wife to da whole world.  Then, I want to get busy making babies.”

That statement startled a laugh out of her
.  Babies?
  Then she sobered.  With her heart skipping in her chest and her head reeling from his declaration, Carm stepped into his embrace and tucked her head onto his shoulder.  “I love you, Marek Stokes.  I wish we could go home right now and I show you how much.  But, I can’t.”

She heard the confusion in his voice.  “What do you mean you can’t?  Of course you can, sugar.”

Carm shook her head and stepped out of his arms.  “No, I really can’t.  That’s why I came to Landon’s house in the first place.  I was looking for you.  Kate’s in labor, Marek.  And it’s way too early.  I have to get to her now.  I’m the only family she has.  I’ve already booked a plane and it leaves in just a few hours.”

Landon spoke up for the first time from the front porch.  He’d been trying to give them some privacy.  “How far along is your sister?  Has she already effaced and dilated?”

Carm had forgotten Landon was there, all she’d seen was Marek.  Startled a bit by his questions, she wiped at the rest of her tears and replied, “She’s just over seven months along. And her water broke this morning, so I don’t think there’s any stopping the delivery.  Why do you ask?”

Landon peeked his head in through the open front door and shook his head.  “Just wondering, darling.”

A sudden thought occurred to Carm.  “Do you have kids, Landon?”

His blond head disappeared and she heard footsteps on the stairs.  She thought he wasn’t going to answer when she heard his fading voice.  “Once upon a time, darling.  Once upon a time.”

His response shocked her.  Carm turned wide eyes on Marek, but he just shrugged.  “You know as much as I do, sugar.  There’s some things Landon won’t talk about.  I don’t pry.  Now, come here and give your husband a proper kiss.  I’m injured, if you haven’t noticed and desperately need some TLC.”

Carm flashed him a saucy grin and sauntered over to him.  “I did notice that. You’ll have to tell me how you got it later. I think it makes you look dangerous and tough.”

Marek reached for her hips and pulled her close as he lifted a brow.  “
Oui
?  You think so?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“What do you wanna do about it?”

A deliciously wicked thought occurred to her and Carm lifted on her toes and whispered in his ear.  Pure female delight rushed through her at his sharp intake of breath and rough groan.  His hands gripped hard at her hips.

Carm lowered to her feet again and cocked her head, waited for his answer.  It didn’t take long.

“I’ve always been a big fan of the mile high club.  Why are we still here?  Let’s get on that plane, sugar.”

Laughter bubbled up and spill over as Marek’s eyes heated and his grin was pure naughty.  It was good to be in love.

As Carm stood in front of her husband, the man she’d waited her whole life for, she realized something.  Something so great it filled her very soul with joy.

She’d screwed up big-time when she came to Tortola.  Made a muck out of everything.

Yeah, she’d messed up her life good.  Picked it up and dumped it upside down. 

And she couldn’t be happier.  Not when she was staring into the clear green eyes of her very favorite mistake.

EPILOGUE

“You sure you want to do this, sugar?”  Marek asked for the tenth time.

“Yes, I’m sure.  Now stop procrastinating and give it to me.  You know I promised Kate I would.  Are you going to help me or not?”

His lightning grin flashed the creases in his cheeks.  “I’m still thinking about it, cupcake.  You look so darned adorable in your little get-up I don’t want to ruin it.”

Carm cupped her hand over her eyes to cut the fierce glare of the tropical sun.  Warm water rolled over her bare feet as her toes sunk into the satiny sand. 

Her husband stood a few feet from her, his dusky skin glistening with pearl drops of moisture.  Water dripped off his blond streaked curls and trailed over his defined chest to the low waistband of his swim trunks.  Mossy green eyes teased her from beneath the thick fringe of dark lashes.

If she wasn’t ready to toss him in the ocean and dunk him a good long time, she’d admit he was the sexiest man she’d ever laid eyes on.  Alright, even though she was ready to kick him in the shins that fact was unavoidable.  The man did crazy things to her libido.

“Marek Stokes, give it to me.  Now.  I’ve become good enough the past few months that I’m not going to split my head open or anything.”

“No, but you might lose that excuse for a bikini top.”

Argh
!  Why had she ever though that marriage was going to be full of romantic, sweet moments of soft kisses and featherlight caresses?  Most of the time she wanted to wring his gorgeous neck.   Or have wild animal sex.

Right now it was one of those wring his neck moments.

Carm looked down at her string bikini top with bright hibiscus flowers on the small triangle patches and scowled.  She was not going to lose it, for crying out loud.  “If I have to ask one more time for you to give me that surfboard I’m going to kick you so hard you’ll feel it in your teeth.  I promised Kate I’d have you take a picture of me out on the water to show her how good I’ve become.  She doesn’t believe me and I want to prove to her that I’ve learned how to surf quite well.”

Marek laughed and grinned wickedly.  He held the yellow surfboard out to her.  “Fine, sugar.  Knock yourself out.  Just don’t go blaming me when you send her pictures of you surfing topless.” 

Carm reached for the surfboard and squealed when Marek tackled her and they fell to the soft sand.  Water lapped at their tangled feet and the warm sand felt glorious on her back.  Hot, hard hands slid up her waist and snuck under the tiny triangles covering her full breasts.  Instantly her insides warmed and her blood began to hum.

“Forget about surfing, Carm.  You are my everything, sugar.  I want you.  Right here, right now.”

Carm looked at Marek.  At the man she’d made the mistake of marrying and grinned. How could she help but love him to distraction—even when she wanted to kick him in the shins?

“You always want me, Marek.  You’re insatiable.”

Warm breath whispered across the side of her neck, sending shivers down her spine.  “I know, baby.  Ain’t it great?”

Yeah.  Yeah, it was.

THE END