Too Grand for Words (BookStrand Publishing Romance) (39 page)

“Oh, my God,” Callie yelled from the doorway between the kitchen and the operations room. “Look at this, you guys, look.”

Everyone joined her around the TV.

“There she is,” Sasha said, grinning.

The reporter from a celebrity show highlighting the stars’ comings and goings waved to get Steven and Moira’s attention as they walked along the red carpet of the awards ceremony.

Callie hit the stop button on the microwave, putting someone’s lunch on hold so they could hear better. “My God, she’s just glowing. I don’t know if it’s the expectant mommy look or that dress, it’s gorgeous.”

“Yeah,” Mandy said, glancing at Patti and Marcus, “J.C. Penney gorgeous.”

They all laughed at her. “No way, J.C. Penney, not Lauren or Louis Vuitton?” Callie asked, but then again she shouldn’t have been shocked.

“That’s our Moira,” Patti said.

“But that necklace is real, isn’t it?” Callie asked. She couldn’t help but drool over the bed of blue diamonds that covered Moira’s chest.

“Oh yeah, those are real,” Mandy offered. “Steven gave them to her the night he proposed—officially. It matches her ring.”

“How much do you think it cost?” Callie asked, ogling the gems.

Keeping her attention on the TV, Mandy said, “You don’t want to know.”

“Yes, I do.”

“Well, put to it to you this way, squirt, more than you’d make if you worked for the government for the next hundred years.”

“Oh my gawwwd, oh my God,” Callie hissed. “Are you kidding?”’

Mandy crossed her arms. “You make a hundred grand a year, don’t you?”

“Holy shit.”

Patti clapped her hands over her mouth to stifle a laugh. “Ah, Moira, I love ya, girl. A ten-million-dollar necklace and a two-hundred-dollar dress. Friggin’ hilarious. Bet the shoes are from Sears.”

“Did Moira ever divulge what she got for her last book?” Sasha asked Mandy. “I tried to grill her, but she wouldn’t cave.”

Mandy nodded. “She told me when Steven asked how much they paid her for the first five books he’d scared the hell out of her. Moira said those blue eyes of his turned into icebergs he was so mad.” Mandy shrugged. “I guess he decided to take things into his own hands. Moira told me her agent just about melted when she met Steven, and gladly brought him in for the negotiations of the final book. Moira was ticked at first, but she knew he was doing it for her so she let him do what he does best.”

Callie asked, “What’s that?”

“Apparently Steven can talk a train into jumping off the tracks, as Moira puts it. No one stands a chance against him, when he wants something. Anyway, he brokered a deal with the publisher that meant Moira will never have to worry about working again,” Mandy explained.

“So we’re supposed to meet the plane on Tuesday, right?” Marcus asked, interrupting.

“Yeah,” Callie said. “I can’t wait. A corporate jet coming to get us for the wedding, it’s so cool.”

Patti, Marcus, Mandy, and Sasha looked at each other. “Yeah, pretty cool,” Sasha agreed.

Callie left the lunchroom, having to get back to operations, and the rest of the crew followed.

She watched Mandy as she hung onto the doorway for a minute longer. “You just roll with it, old girl,” Mandy said to the TV.

Callie took over in traffic as Mandy sat down in the safety position. With Victoria Coast Guard Radio working an incident, the radios squawked nonstop with responding vessels. Callie signed on duty and scanned her radars, cluttered with contacts, the Port of Vancouver having a busy day, with several deep seas shifting around the harbor, and the tug and tows trying to keep out of their way. She glanced over at Mandy who gazed across the harbor toward the Northshore Mountains until a voice broke her concentration.

“Mayday, Vancouver Coast Guard this is the Blue Wave, our vessel’s on fire, we’re one mile west of…”

Mandy slapped the headphones over her ears and sighed. “Wonder if Steven has a twin brother?” she called out.

Callie laughed at her. “If he does, I get first dibs.”

Mandy responded to the call, “Mayday, Blue Wave, this is Vancouver Coast Guard Radio, how many persons on board your vessel?”

* * * *

“Steven, Moira, could I have a minute?” the reporter said, waving to get their attention.

“Hi, Amy, of course you can,” Steven said, drawing Moira in front of him.

“This is a huge night for both of you,” Amy said, pushing the microphone into Steven and Moira’s face.

“It’s up there, but not the best,” Steven said.

“What do you think, Moira, about your books becoming a movie? You must be so proud.”

“Proud of Steven, it’s his and everyone’s hard work that’s made it a success, but he made it happen.” She gripped Steven’s hand for reassurance.

“The scuttlebutt is that this first movie of the series is going to do very well tonight, but really this month is big for both of you personally. What a love story,” Amy stated. “Moira, you’ve taken the most eligible bachelor off the Executive Hollywood list, and you’re getting married. Every woman wants to know your secret.”

“I didn’t know he was on a list. You were on a list?” she said. His hands crossed her growing stomach, protecting her as he always did. Steven looked so damn sure of himself. His rugged features and brilliant eyes, even his stance said he was in command, always. He was still romantic and always kind. She trusted him, and he knew it, and loved her more just because of it. “I did notice he was lousy at blackjack when we first met,” she said, breaking into a big smile.

His chest rumbled with a low laugh against her back, and he squeezed her tighter. Whispering to her he said, “Yeah, but I won the hockey pool now, didn’t I?”

“Moira, that necklace is amazing,” Amy said, leaning in to look closer.

“Thank you, it’s beautiful, isn’t it?” As she smiled up at Steven, her eyes said,
and
it’s too much
. She’d tried to make him take it back when he’d given it to her, but he’d kissed her until she couldn’t think anymore, and then he made love to her with it being the only thing covering her body, except for him.

Amy barely took a breath. “Your dress is a smash already. People are just in love with it. Who did it?” she asked.

“Oh, the dress,” Moira said, gazing up at Steven. He placed his hands on her shoulders, his face cracking with an enormous grin. “It’s something, too, isn’t it? I got it at J.C. Penny,” she declared. “It was a great deal.”

“Uhh.” The reporter’s words stuck in her throat. “Yeah, well—” She recuperated quickly. “I guess I should head down there myself if that’s what they’re selling.” Amy shook each of their hands. “Good luck this evening.”

“Nice talking to you, Amy,” Steven said moving them along.

“She looked a little stunned,” Moira said with a wry grin.

“You’re one in a million, sweetheart.” Still chuckling, he leaned into her ear. “At least I won’t feel bad when I rip that dress off you tonight.”

“Steven…”

“Moira, oh God,” he groaned, penetrating her to the hilt. He grasped her full hips as the passion consumed his body. With one slow, delicious last stroke he slid his erection from her. Wrapping his arms under her thighs, he grasped her hips.

“Steven,” She called his name with breathy little gasps, her fingernails clawing at the sheets.

“No, sweetheart,” he said as he caressed her hardened point with his tongue. “Doctor’s orders.” His fingers dipped into her channel, loving her with long, sensual strokes.

“I need you inside me.”

“And I want to be there, baby.” He flicked her clit then sucked it deeply into his mouth. Her body went taut, the orgasm jolting her as she cried out. Her hips arched in his hands, driving his mouth against her flesh. Wrapping one drenched hand around his shaft, he pumped himself. When her mouth slid over him he seized, locked in that sublime place that she could always bring him to. The orgasm paralyzed him as a groan of pleasure escaped him.

They both fell back on the bed, breathing heavily, letting the tropical breeze passing through their hut cool their bodies.

“You’re gonna kill me, sweet lady,” he sighed, folding her into his arms. “But what a way to die.” He laughed, curling her closer.

“Do you think we’ll empty the jellybean jar?”

He rolled her on top of him and spanked her. Holding her tight to his chest, he kissed her for a long time. When he finally released her swollen lips he said, “Mrs. Porter, we’ve filled about thirty jars. And I’m ready to start emptying them.”

“You’re gonna need a little blue pill darling.”

“Like hell I will.”

“Well,” she crowed, “you know what they say…you get old, you slow down.”

“In your dreams, sweetheart. I don’t need pills to love you.”

“I’m going to go for a dip.” She wiggled off him, and with a little reluctance, he let her go.

He propped himself up on his elbows and watched her sashay away from him. “You’re going like that?” he called after her with a grin.

“Why not? No one knows us here. We’re in the middle of the South Pacific.”

“Okay,” he said. “But if you end up on the cover of some rag, don’t bellyache to me.”

She swished her hand in the air as if it was nonsense.

Warmth filled him as he watched his wife cross the bamboo floor toward the deck. “My wife,” he murmured to himself, and the grin grew deeper on his lips.

Moira had warned him she might change if he took her away from her old life, and she did. She’d become even sweeter, softer somehow. She didn’t have to prove anything to anyone, especially not him. Once her body had a chance to recuperate from years of shift work she turned into a tornado with so much energy he had to sit on her to get her to slow down.

She threw herself into volunteer work at two different city shelters in central Los Angeles, one of the worst places to be. She served meals, cooked, cleaned, and cared for those who didn’t have anything. Those people who hadn’t conquered their addictions she helped without question. When Kyle started to go with her, the media caught on, and pretty soon the cat was out of the bag. It turned out not so bad for Moira.

He knew there was a hell of a lot of shallow people in Hollywood, but he found that there was a hell of a lot more good-hearted ones than he ever imagined. She had stars and executive wives taking off their jewelry and fine clothes to serve and cook right beside her. And most weren’t doing it for promotional reasons. She’d turned a critical eye on him as well.

“Just tell me how much, sweetheart,” he’d asked, opening up his checkbook.

With a smile, she tipped the cover closed with one finger, and then held her hand out, wiggling her fingers. “We need help in the kitchen tonight,” she said sweetly.

“The kitchen?”

“Yes, darling, roll up the sleeves on your Dolce and Gabbana and let’s go.”

And he just followed. The truth was he’d follow her to the ends of the earth, and right over the edge, he loved her that much.

Vince made the trip to LA often, and he always dropped by. They’d asked him to be the baby’s godfather, no pun intended, which he accepted gratefully with one condition—only if he could walk Moira down the aisle and give her away. His father wasn’t happy about that, and they actually argued about it one night. Moira broke the standoff by holding two straws out to the two men. Vince won. His father made some offhand remark like, “Hope you never end up in my courtroom.”

Mandy, her maid of honor, and the rest of her crew flew in a few days before the wedding. Kyle and Dane had a great time reminding him it would be the first time he had a house full of women he didn’t screw. But neither of his brothers was laughing when Sasha, Patti, Callie, and Mandy walked in the door.

Dane’s jaw did a quick drop when he saw Mandy, which was no surprise to him. He always thought he saw a lot of Moira in Mandy. Obviously so did Dane. Callie took one look at Kyle and her red locks were flinging over her shoulder, and her perky charm flowing into overdrive. Sasha and Patti, already married, let the single ladies go front and center. They got Mandy good though.

Moira never told Mandy he was a twin, never mind a triplet. Kyle came in first from one end of the kitchen, and then he came from the other.

The response didn’t disappoint when all the ladies gasped with surprise. But Mandy nearly passed out because Dane took it one step further and snuck up behind her, turning her and lavishing her with a long, sultry kiss. She went so red, Moira thought she was going to explode.

Two days ago, when Moira walked down the aisle in a service they held in their own backyard, he knew that he was the luckiest man alive. He had found the only woman he would ever love and who would ever love him for who he was, not what he was. She was so beautiful it took his breath away. Although there were a lot of guests, it felt intimate and warm.

He loved her fiercely. He never wanted her to doubt that she meant everything to him. His desk would certainly never be the same again either, nor any piece of furniture in their house or the backyard. They weren’t sure when they made the baby.

“How does ‘kitchen counter’ sound for a name?” she asked him.

When he gave her a look that said
“I don’t think so”
she didn’t even blink.

“Okay ‘grass’ or ‘bathtub’ then?”

That cracked him up. It was different now, because when she first found out she was pregnant she’d freaked out—literally. His normally calm, reserved fiancée didn’t want to go through with it, afraid something would go wrong, afraid her body would produce something terrible. When he finally looked into her eyes, and told her it didn’t matter what came out, they would love and care for him or her till their last breath, she finally relaxed. Everything was fine—until the doctor heard the second heartbeat, and then she really spazzed out, which called for bigger guns.

He called his mother and cleared the house. Taking over Hollywood was easy compared to dealing with a distraught Moira—much easier. After several hours of stern talking on his mother’s part, she calmed down and focused on being as good to her body as she could. The twins were due in August.

He gave Kyle a job at Palm Productions as middle management, and he caught on quickly. What surprised him was how good Kyle was at handling people. He promised Moira he would give him a chance. So far, he hadn’t blown it. They had become a whole family again, and it was because of her.

Kyle and Moira became very close in a short time. It had been bad enough with Dane coming every night for dinner. When Kyle started joining them, he had to stifle his comments. Moira was the perfect sister-in-law. She loved both brothers—from a distance. They had some great times together, and one night Dane and Kyle
almost
got their wish.

Relaxing after a crazy week, he and his brothers got half cut. Moira wasn’t drinking because of the baby.

She always stayed true to many of the Canadian artists like Nickelback, which was one of her favorite bands. When “How You Remind Me” began to play, she started to dance. His eyes were glued to her, and so were his brothers’. She was out of this world erotic.

With the alcohol dulling his brain, and loosening his brothers', he sensed something was about to happen between them. Luckily so did Moira. His brothers pinned her like a cookie, and she was the soft center. It was then that they received the honor of experiencing the old Moira for the first time. He’d witnessed it out in the desert when she’d turned her anger on him when they argued over him not telling her about the movie rights. Since then he’d done his damndest to keep
that
Moira at bay.

Moira jumped sideways to escape Dane and Kyle. “What the hell are you two doing?”

“Moira, why don’t we just let things happen,” Dane said, wrapping his arms around her waist.

“Let what happen? Are you saying what I think your saying? That’s it,” she shouted, pointing at the same time. “Out!”

Kyle backed up all the way to the kitchen counter looking like his mother had just bawled him out.

“Moira, we won’t hurt you,” Dane said, still trying to convince her.

She poked her finger into Dane’s chest. “You’ve got five seconds to get out. Do you hear me, Dane Porter? You’re going to be an uncle to these babies. Screw your goddamned head on right.” She jabbed him again, and he backed up. “Out, right now.” She jabbed him a third time. “Don’t you—ever—try that again.”

Her glare turned to Steven. His brothers looked helplessly at him. “I’d listen to her if I were you,” he said, tilting his head and laughing at their expressions. Dane and Kyle stood still.

“Out,” she yelled at the top of her lungs.

Both of them winced and put up their hands. “Moira, just calm down,” Kyle said, but he was already backing out of the room. “Come on, Dane, I think we’ve overstayed our welcome.”

When his brothers had vacated, he yanked on Moira’s hand, pulling her onto his lap. “Sweetheart, have I told you how much I love you?”

“About three times today,” she said, still fuming.

“Don’t be too hard on them. They’ll be back, and I want you to accept their apology.” She sighed and gave him a look that said, “
maybe
” but he knew she would.

Neither Dane nor Kyle came back for a whole blissful month. When they did, they brought her flowers and a big apology. He couldn’t be angry at them. He loved his brothers, and so did Moira.

He walked to the railing of the balcony and draped his arms across the ledge. His siren glided beneath the calm water like a creature born from the ocean. The soothing glow of the turquoise sea, illuminated by the moon, made her look mystical as if she truly was Poseidon’s daughter.

He knew in his heart that he would have given up everything to have shared Moira’s life twenty years earlier, but there was still much more life to live together. She was an amazing woman, and he felt like a whole man—a powerful man. He hadn’t known what that truly was no matter who he was or what he’d owned—until Moira loved him.

THE END

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