“Yes,” he muttered. “Try not to laugh or giggle anymore.”
Ivan nodded in agreement, making her giggle again before she settled down after she saw him wince.
A few moments later, Samson slowly withdrew and placed a soft kiss on her shoulder blade before rolling to his back. His knee let out a crackle that made her wince, and he stretched out his other leg and flexed his foot to ease the cramp in the back of his thigh.
Still straddling Ivan, who was evidently enjoying the view as he nuzzled her breasts with a big smile on his face, she patted Samson’s shoulder. “Can I do anything to help?”
He sat up and kissed her, barely wincing at all. “You already did everything. You said yes to us both.”
Ivan reached for the bedside table and removed the ring from the box and slid it onto her ring finger. “Yeah, you did. And we’re both moving home. Only…I think we need a bigger bed.”
“And new knees,” she added as she tried to lift up from Ivan and both of her knees twinged in pain. “I’m okay, I’m okay. All that wonderful grinding was worth it. I’m investigating side-lying sex positions and signing up for yoga classes this week.”
“You know I heard someone in town offers striptease classes, too,” Ivan said, laughing when she poked him. “What? You were the one who brought up grinding.”
“So I did.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
With the sun dipping into the Pacific in a glorious Hawaiian sunset of pink, orange, purple, and blue, Cassie gazed into the blue eyes of the man she’d loved for most of her life. She’d never gotten over Samson, could never get him out of her head or her heart, and never wanted to. She said, “I do.”
Samson knelt on the soft sandy beach with his khakis rolled up to his shins. His handsome face seemed to lose years as he smiled up at her and then wrapped his arms around her hips, pressing his lips against her stomach through the gauzy lace dress she’d shopped for when they’d arrived in Hawaii a couple of days before. Samson looked like a happy groom as he rose and stood at her side.
Ethan Grant, Grace’s husband, nodded at Ivan, who took his place, kneeling before her, the twinkle in his eyes making her giggle through her happy tears.
The small group clustered around them in an informal group, with Ethan officiating over the binding ceremony. In addition to Cassie’s mother, Natalia and Mason Cutter, and Joseph and Tamara, Grace had also made the trip with her men Adam Davis, Jack Warner, and little Rose Marie and her rambunctious toddler brother, Grant.
Ivan repeated his vows and slid the narrow diamond-studded wedding band next to her engagement ring then kissed her palm. He made her eyes leak more tears as he pressed her hand to his cheek and gazed up at her. “I love you,” he whispered.
She spoke her vows and slid a heavy gold band identical to Samson’s on his finger. When they both stood before her, she kissed each in turn, and the group surrounding them clapped and hugs were shared.
After the reception luau, Cassie, Samson, and Ivan would leave for a remote cottage on the island while the rest of the group would split off, with Joseph, Tamara, and her mom spending a few days with Mason and Natalia so the kids could get to know them. Adam and Ethan were taking their kids for several days and gifting Grace and Jack with time alone, something they hadn’t had much of lately. Cassie knew Grace’s secret, though. She was ovulating and planned to have so much sex she’d come home expecting Jack’s child. That was her hope anyway.
Everyone else had stayed in Divine and was planning another reception for them the weekend after their return from the honeymoon.
The sound of drums and traditional stringed instruments drew them down the beach to where torches were lit all around a pavilion with a thatched roof, festooned with white streamers and twinkling lights.
Samson and Ivan slowed their steps to match hers as she watched the group enter the pavilion, laughing as little Grant imitated one of the hula dancers. Not to be outdone by her little brother, Rose Marie waved her hands and wiggled her hips, also emulating the beautiful dark-haired dancer as she encouraged them both.
“You gave up having kids of your own to be with me,” she murmured, the pain bittersweet. “Thank you.”
“Hey,” Samson said softly, halting her so he could tip her chin up. “I haven’t given up anything. I love your kids as if they were my own. They’re part of you, and that’s enough.”
“We got the better end of the deal,” Ivan said. “And before you know it, Joseph and Tamara will have settled down and had some grandbabies for you to spoil.”
“But not too fast,” she replied.