Sparks Fly(Divine Creek Ranch 11)(37)

His whole body shook with the intensity of it, and he jerked against her as he panted, a deep, sensuous yet vulnerable sound. He released her mouth and held her tightly to him as he caught his breath. His long hair swept over her shoulder in a cool, silky wave as he bowed his head, and she placed her hand over the precious length. In all the years they’d been together, he’d never cut it off because he knew how much she loved every straight, silken strand of it.

Justin pressed his full lips against her shoulder and pulled out as he murmured, “Yes, I’ll take you with me, my wench, wherever I go, for all of our lives.”

“I love you, my Viking marauder.”

Justin grunted. “Nah, she needs at least five more chapters of crazy, Viking sex before she confesses her love, the cheeky wench.”

“I knew it! You got into my Viking romance books collection, didn’t you?” She giggled as she searched in the dark for her disassembled bikini bottom. She located it when Justin turned on the overhead light for her.

“Yeah. Sandra Hill is my friend on Facebook too.”

Charity laughed so hard she snorted as she put herself back together. Justin was a man on a mission with the Facebook friends list building.

“I have something for you, since this weekend is our wedding anniversary. I know I’m early, but now seemed to be the right time to give this to you.” Justin reached in the inner pocket of his swim trunks, meant for storing valuables, and pulled out a ring. “Happy twentieth anniversary, my sassy wench.”

Charity squealed when she saw the gold ring inset with at least a carat’s worth of baguette diamonds. “Oh! I love it!” She threw her arms around him and danced on her tiptoes then looked up at him as he grinned. “I love you more every day. I would marry you all over again! Thank you!”

Justin chuckled and squeezed her ass cheeks. “Make that squeally sound again. That was kinda cute.”

Charity giggled and kissed him again. Through the door she heard a loud screeching noise and then an amplified mumble. “Oh, crap! Is that what I think it is?”

Justin chuckled as he tied the drawstring on his swim trunks after repositioning his deliciously overabundant cock in them. “Sounds like Emma brought her karaoke machine with her.”

“Grace said they enjoy Emma’s so much that she was thinking about getting one.”

“Babe, you gotta talk her out of it. Grace is smooth and sweet as silk but her singing could curdle milk.”

Charity shook her finger. “Nuh-uh. I’m not saying anything. You’ve never heard Emma sing if you think Grace is bad. Grace may sound like Dolly Parton, but Emma sounds like squawking geese. No complaining. Rachel will take the mike from her and sing something we like.”

“Where’s my earplugs when I need them?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll distract you,” Charity whispered as she cracked open the pantry door, wondering once again why the pantry had a locking doorknob on it. They snuck out and made a pit stop in the bathroom before joining everyone as they enjoyed the blessedly final chords of Grace and Emma Rivers’s horrendous rendition of “Friends in Low Places” by Garth Brooks. They had maybe another hour before it was time to leave for Bowie Lake, and it looked as though the food had just been served.

“Damn, were we in the pantry that long?” Charity whispered as they slipped into a chaise lounge together.

Justin wrapped his arms around her as she settled against his chest, every nerve ending in her body vibrating with gratitude for her kinky husband. Admiring the ring as it sparkled on her finger, she sighed happily when Justin kissed the top of her head.

In her ear he whispered, “You were a very resistant, virginal serving wench, but you’re mine now.” His words were humorous, but she heard the deep love that resonated in them. He was willing to do just about anything to make her happy, including concocting a marauding Viking for her to role-play with. Feeling incredibly sappy, and for once having no snarky remark to say, she looked up at him and smiled, receiving his tender kiss.

The more musically blessed in the bunch seized control of the microphone, and Rachel asked Duke Rivers to cue “Respect” by Aretha Franklin, and then she pointed at Michael Martinez and said into the microphone, “I know that you know this one, Michael-baby. Come on up here and sing it with me.”

Utterly fearless, Teresa, Angel, and Joaquin’s six-year-old son jumped up. “You got it, Rachel-baby.”

As Rachel got Michael set up with his own microphone, Duke said, “Before there was Lady Gaga there was Lady Soul, right? Ready, Rachel?”

“Give it to me,” Rachel quipped sassily, and the music started. She copped an attitude and belted out the first line of the song.