Slow Burn: A Texas Heat Novel (10 page)

Harper’s legs slid down his back. Donavan stroked her breasts, his thumbs rubbed the nipples over and over again. The heat of his tongue plunged deep inside her. A guttural moan escaped her throat as dark, blissful sensations pulsed through her body. He rubbed her, licked her, kissed her, down there. The pleasure was too much. She felt searing heat as his tongue plunged in and out, in and out. She came apart in his arms. The blinding pleasure shook her, made her drown in heat and scream his name.

Then he told her with his body what his words failed to say. Donavan made love to her. Eased himself inside her. After the ache of virginal pain, he thrust deep, withdrew and thrust. God, she was so wet, her heat felt so good. He worshipped her body with his hands, his lips, his tongue. With every deep, hot thrust of his body he told her – I love you, I love you, I love you! They both climaxed in a blazing wave of intense heat.

After the hottest sex of his life, Donavan caught his breath and said, “Dear God woman, what are you doing to me?”

Harper laid her head over his pounding heart. Her glorious hair draped his chest. Donavan caressed her back and stroked her hair.

“Say it,” she whispered.

“I love you,” he said gruffly. A few hours later, Donavan told her with his body how much and how deep his love goes.

Chapter 19

Her parents were overjoyed to hear her voice by speaker phone. Mama sobbed too hard to be coherent. Daddy’s voice wavered but he forged on. “We’ll be waiting at the airport. I don’t think we’ll be able to stop hugging you.”

“I’m sorry for keeping you both in the dark,” Donavan said, “I couldn’t risk her safety or yours.”

Carl’s voice was thick with emotion. “Thank you, thank you for getting her back.”

Donavan held Harper’s hand in his. “She’s our girl,” he said. Harper smiled. She adored this man.

“I’ll call back with flight information.”

“Good, hey Donavan, what you asked me before? You made that request back in the first grade.”

Donavan took the phone off speaker. He gave Harper an enigmatic look. “No I didn’t.”

Carl chuckled. “Yes you did, you said and I quote, ‘Mister Grant, your daughter is huge, like the sun, she makes me feel warm when I’m cold, can I marry her one day?”

Donavan threw back his head and laughed. “I don’t remember that.”

“Well how could a dad refuse? I said yes then and I’m saying yes now. You are her match in every way. Thank you for loving her as much as we do.”

Donavan looked at Harper with such tenderness she blushed. “I always will.”

Before they headed to the airport, Donavan and Harper took a detour. As they walked through the outdoor antique market to the stately homes beyond, his gut twisted in knots. They arrived at his mother’s house.

“Shit,” he muttered. He held Harper’s hand in a death grip. She told him about his mother’s female partner and all his pictures framed about the house. Donavan cursed again. He hadn’t seen his mother in eighteen years.

“I’m right here,” Harper said, “By your side.” She gave him strength.

He kissed the back of her hand. “Let’s get this over with.”

The door opened before they could knock. Cynthia took one look at her grown son and burst into tears. Donavan hesitated at first, then took his mother in his arms. Even after all this time, it felt like the most natural thing in the world.

“Please,” she sobbed. He knew what she was asking.

“I forgive you,” Donavan said gruffly, “I forgive you mom.”

Two weeks later, the town of Aberdeen was all abuzz with the elopement of a certain police officer and paramedic. Sheriff Tate showed up at the fire station. “Pay up,” he said to the chief, after all, he won the bet.

Chapter 20

Donavan and Harper had a fun, goofy wedding at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. The guests were free to wear whatever costume they wanted.

A sober Allister beamed with fatherly pride. He escorted a blushing Mrs. Gilbert. They were dressed as King Tut and Cleopatra.

Cynthia sat among the guests beside her long time love, Amelia Carrington. Allister stayed clear of his ex-wife, but with Donavan’s forgiveness, he wished her well.

The groomsmen looked like the The Avengers. Seth was Iron Man and their friend Dylan Chambers was Captain America.

Pastor Rowan Camden wore full Scottish Highlander regalia complete with kilt from the clan he descended from.

One of the eighty year old twins, reported on her blog, Live from Vegas. “I don’t think a pastor is supposed to be sex on two feet,” Susie Q said clearly scandalized.

“God invented sex did he not?” her sister Penny May asked.

“Yes he did and orgasms too, bless him.”

The twins were decked out as Bonnie and Clyde.

Carl and Lindsey Grant kissed and hugged their daughter in turn. They murmured words of pride and unconditional love. Harper watched them adjust their Batman and Robin costumes.

The bride’s heart filled with love and overflowed. Harper clasped the hands of her bridesmaids.

“If I trip down the aisle and face plant, it better not end up on Facebook,” Emerson said. She was dressed as Super Girl.

Sawyer’s glossy brown curls, sparkling hazel eyes and Black Widow costume made the bride whistle. “You hot mama you, all the single guys can thank me later.”

“I look like a ho,” Sawyer mumbled.

“You’re welcome,” Harper said.    

The three women embraced. “Aw, group hug!” Emerson said.

“Dang it, I’m not gonna cry,” Sawyer said, of course she did. “You just deserve to be this happy,” she said to Harper.

“I love you girls so much,” Harper whispered. She kissed them both on the cheek.

“Donavan is going to pass out when he sees you,” Sawyer predicted gleefully, “You look amazing.”

For the first time in ever, Harper looked in the mirror and knew she was beautiful. “I am rocking this costume,” Even she had to admit.

Sawyer smiled, “You’re gorgeous babe.”

“Right back at ya! Come on ladies, let’s do this.”

Harper walked down the aisle on the arm of her beaming dad. She could hardly believe her secret dream came true. When she was five she prayed on her knees for a mom and dad who would want her, love her. Soon after, Carl and Lindsey Grant came into her life and became her forever family.

A year later, she met the prettiest boy she’d ever seen. Donavan and Harper were friends for about five minutes until they fought over just about everything. It wasn’t until that infamous kiss in high school that Harper discovered the mortifying truth – she loved him. She felt absolutely no hope back then that this day would ever come. She never imagined that Donavan McClain would look at her with deep, mad, true love stamped all over his gorgeous face. His blue eyes burned a slow path from her blue black hair that fell like silk to her waist, down her luscious curves and up again. She was the ultimate Amazon warrior princess, Wonder Woman. He was her man, her beloved Thor.

Carl Grant kissed her cheek before joining his wife in the front row. Donavan took her in his arms and kissed her passionately before God and everyone. The guests whistled and clapped.

Pastor Rowan Camden cleared his throat. “Oh, I’ll get to the – you may kiss the bride bit – first the vows man.”

The guests laughed. Harper blushed. Donavan couldn’t keep his hands off her. The pastor glared at him several times and finally sped up the ceremony.

“Do you Donavan Ethan McClain-”

“Yes,” the groom said as he nuzzled the bride’s neck. They exchanged rings with Donavan kissing her palms in turn. He slid a custom made, platinum yellow diamond, radiant cut, on her finger. In record time, the pastor pronounced them husband and wife. Donavan swept Harper off her feet, spun her around and kissed her so tenderly, several guests dabbed tears from their eyes.

During the first dance, Donavan whispered in her ear, “You look beautiful, Mrs. McClain.”

She blushed with pleasure. “Why thank you, Mr. McClain.”

“I’ve got a kinky idea for your lasso and cape, Wonder Woman.”

She laughed, delighted. “I don’t know Thor, how big is your hammer?”

His slow, lopsided dimpled grin made butterflies take flight in her stomach. It was a promise of things to come.

After making love for hours, Harper stretched like a cat in the sun. The man was insatiable, she couldn’t get enough of him either. She must have dozed off. She rolled over to cuddle. She turned toward him. The bed was empty. Harper sat up.

She knew something was wrong by the rigid set of his jaw. The tense stillness of him set off alarm bells. Harper draped a sheet over her body and approached him. The sheet trailed behind her and hung from her bare shoulders.

“Donavan?”

He stood before a massive window, overlooking the majestic Bellagio fountain below.

The water moved in rhythm to music. She could hear Harry Connick Junior’s silky voice, ‘We Are in Love.’

“I didn’t mean to wake you,” his voice sounded…odd, thick with some unspoken emotion.

Harper stood behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. His muscular six pack rippled beneath her fingertips. The man was positively delicious! She kissed his shoulder. He held her hands around him. “Babe, what is it?” she asked softly.

Donavan stared blindly at the view from their suite. “If, if at any point in the future you…meet someone else, would you let me know?” He turned his head to the side, his handsome profile guarded. “Tell me to my face, don’t just leave without-”

Harper turned him to face her. His eyes were downcast. “Look at me.” Her heart pounded. “I love you!”

She heard him swallow. “You think that now but if your feelings change-”

“No.”

He didn’t seem to hear her. “If you don’t love me anymore don’t leave our kids.”

“Donavan!” She felt his pain and fear like a living thing. “Damn it, I am not your mother. What she did was reprehensible. Look at me.”

He wouldn’t. “Don’t make me kick your ass like I did in second grade.”

He looked at her then, his blue eyes glittering. “I have loved you most of my life, I’m never going to stop.”

Donavan searched her face with unnerving scrutiny. “When I thought I lost you, I got drunk,” he said.

Harper gasped. She knew the significance of that. He never touched alcohol because of his father’s years of addiction.

“Oh my darling!” Harper stepped right up to him. She rubbed her nose against his, ever so gently. She kissed his forehead, cheeks, nose, chin. “You’re my everything,” she whispered, “When I thought biological monster was going to kill me, you kept me alive, I imagined you so many times by my side,” tears choked her, “Every time he punched me, burned me, threw me down the stairs for shits and giggles, all I wanted, all I ever needed was you.”

Donavan snatched her up in his arms. “I love you,” he said roughly, “I love you so much.”

Mr. and Mrs. McClain held each other tight, never letting go.  

Update from the blog of Susie Q and Penny May about The Sin City wedding of a certain police officer and paramedic:

Wedding Song –
By Your Side
by Sade

Honeymoon – Hawaiian cruise

Children – 1 Son

Pets – 2 retired police dogs, 3 rescue cats, a three-legged gecko and a potbellied pig