Chapter 70

Sorry bout that, things have been a little hectic on the Tara/Tre front. On to the new chapter!




Elena held up her hand, the diamond winked and flashed against her sun kissed finger. Now that had been a surprise. The fact that he’d snuck away to plan the beautiful dinner was impressive enough.

They’d been joined at the hip since they’d stepped off the plane. Love at first sight was never something she thought was possible, not with her family. Not with anyone that even remotely resembled family on her end, to be honest. Until now—with him holding her so tight and the ring twinkling on her finger so brightly, she couldn't help but believe.

"So there's a bit of the gypsy soul living in you too, huh?" Richie rumbled from behind her.

She raised her hand to stroke his hair, sighing as the wall of heat behind her shifted closer. "Hmmm, gypsy soul?”

"You like the sparkles.” He nuzzled her neck, tracing his tongue along the shell of her ear. “Something you'll get used to—being around me, that is. I can't help trying to pick out something that could be half as beautiful as you.”

She felt the quick burn of tears as she turned in his arms. "You make me feel beautiful, not some stupid rocks.” She caught sight of the ring again as his soft hair slipped around her fingers. “Okay, so I’m enough of a girl to love the sparkly,” she laughed before pressing her lips to his. “But only because you gave it to me. It could have been a chip and I’d love it all the same.”

Curling his arms around her, he hauled her into the curve of his body. “Chip, my ass. That’s three carats of perfect right there, love.”

“Really?” she looked at it again, laughed when it tilted toward her pinkie and nudged it back in place. “I want to know how you managed to buy it under my nose. Or…” she trailed off. “Just how long have you had this?”

He brought her left hand down, lacing their fingers. “Nah, I actually bought it that day you wandered off in St. Thomas.”

She frowned. “I don’t think I was gone more than ten minutes.” She hated to be away from him, even for a second. Since the moment they’d stepped off the plane, they’d been in each other’s pockets—well, more like skin. But they’d been inseparable.

“I was walking by this little shop. Totally mom and pop sort of place…they had all this tanzanite,” he traced his thumb over the tiny purple stones on the sides. “St. Thomas is known for it, you know.”

She looked down, noticing the heather colored chips between the solitaire in the middle and the heart shaped baguettes along each side. “So, a little piece of our island is always going to be there,” she said and felt the tears again. God, it was the small things he thought of that made him so special.

“Well you know me and purple. I saw that ring and it just said forever and Elena and the here and now.”
She kissed his mouth, his cheeks and the dent in his chin before coming back to his mouth again. “How can I not be crazy in love with you?”

“Good deal, because I’m crazy in love with you too.” He waggled his eyebrows. “I got a matching belly ring too.”

She laughed as the tears faded. Only her man could bring it all back to a belly ring from perfect romance. “Oh, Pony.”

“What?” He circled her waist, his thumb brushing the little amethyst he’d given her already. “I like giving you stuff.”

She crossed her wrists behind his head, idly playing with his hair. "You just like my belly.”

With part laugh and part groan he tangled his legs with hers. "That I do, Lains, that I do." He nuzzled at her neck. "I could cover you in sparkles and spend a week taking them off."

She held his head against her skin, groaning through the light suction as he sipped from that little spot between shoulder and neck. "Only a week?” she asked on a sigh.

Time and Elena crashed together. "I'm not sure I can wait a week, babe."

She frowned at the gathered ceiling of the tent. "Okay, wait…” she lifted his head off of her neck. “Are we talking about the same thing?”

"Huh?” At her puzzled dark eyes, he laughed. “I was thinking out loud. Think it's too early to get married tomorrow?”

She had to hold onto the bed, it felt like it was spinning. “Tomorrow?” she croaked.

He nodded. Sitting up, dragging her with him, he went on quickly. “If we go now, we can get to the courthouse before lunch." On the island, you were lucky things reopened after lunch. Who could blame them with the kind of view they had 24/7. His fingers traced her back, idly. "I don't think I could even wait a week."

“You can’t?” she squeaked.

Watching the shock turn to straight surprise, he clasped her hands in his. “I don’t want to waste any more time apart. I want the whole world to know you’re mine.”

The stupid tears sprang to her eyes again. “Oh God, I’m never going to get used to that,” she said in wonder.
“The way you just say stuff like that. I want to be yours, Pony. I want it forever. Do we have to wait until tomorrow?”

"Really?" he hugged her tight. He'd been certain he'd hear at least a shriek or two about the timing, the dress, the plans. He hugged her in. "That's what I love most about you, darlin'. You’re just as impulsive as I am.”

She giggled, the big hotbox in front of her was just as excited as she was. God, how’d she get so lucky? To have a man that was just as excited about everything as she was. "They have dress shops here right? I’m sure I could find something white to wear. Umm I can still wear white, right?"

“It’ll only burn for a minute.”

She slapped his shoulder and wrapped herself around him. "Hell who cares, I'll wear nothing if you want."

"Now that's my idea of a wedding!" he dragged her up until she straddled him "But, I prefer if the preacher makes it through the vows, if that's okay with you."

"Well yeah, we do want it all official I suppose." She tilted her chest into his, watching his eyes darken and his lips part. Oh, her Richie was so easy. "So how do you propose we go about doing this?"

"Huh?" he said blinking out of the slow pool of lust that was building in his cock. Just a wiggle or two and he was ready—always ready for her. He cleared his throat and shook his head. "Well, if we're really lucky we can talk someone into giving us a license right away." He scratched his chin. "Maybe you should wear a bikini top," he said thoughtfully, trying not to smile.

She nipped his chin. "You wouldn’t be suggesting that your fiancé bribe an official with a bit of skin, would you?”

Richie peered down at the perfect curves of her breasts. "You have distracting tits, babe."

She threw her head back with a laugh. "I have a little white one in my bag…” she trailed off.

He watched them sway and hissed as the water soft curve and tiny, tight tips of her nipples pressed into his skin. Nope, that was definitely for him only. "Let's see if we can get the license on our own merit before I offer up your charms."

Elena grinned as she felt the treble of his growl. "For the good of speed and all of tha—“ she shrieked when he caught her mouth in a hard kiss.

“Nope—changed my mind. Maybe we should go with turtleneck instead.”

The quick flash of jealousy tickled her. “Well they gotta be worth something, a license would be a good prize."

“The only person seeing that prize is me.”

Swinging her leg off of his thighs, she walked to the purple sundress that was still in the same pool of wrinkles that it started with the night before. “You sure?” She stepped into it and her heels, tugging it up and over her hips. How she loved to tease her man. She could see the flush of jealousy climb up his throat.

When he stood—six feet plus of wide, warm, tanned male—she swallowed. He so wasn’t playing fair. He dragged her close, his hands cupping her ass through the cotton. “Positive,” he said hiking her up until their mouths met hungrily.

When she could think again, she felt her heels hit the sand again. “Right,” she whispered before clearing her throat. A deep throb of comprehension hit her that soon, this one man would be hers forever.

He hiked his wrinkled cotton pants over his hips, shaking the worst of the sand out. "Okay shake that gorgeous ass and let’s go get us a license."

The ring winked again as she reached back for him. All five feet nothing of her, just his for the taking. "Ready when you are."

He groaned and dragged her out of the tent. "Dangerous," he muttered and headed up the incline to the bike. He took one more look at the torches and the beach, the wide expanse of the almost painful blue water and the stark beauty that only the ocean could provide. He gathered her close for another minute, the smell of her and the ocean mixing perfectly—two of his favorite things. "Would you be okay with getting married on the beach?"

She tilted her head back, shielding her eyes from the blazing sun. "Anywhere, as long as your there.” She tried to see what he saw—the stark beauty of the water and the powder soft, white sand. Could there be anything more perfect? “The beach would make a perfect circle. You brought me here, you proposed here, getting married here too would just be…well, perfect."

"Here or our beach?"

She thought on that a moment, her gaze traveling back to the tent before returning to study him. "Here. I have some wicked memories of our beach.” She waggled her eyebrows. There had been a lot of naked time on their beach, but this one was theirs too now. “But here seems so…magical because of last night. Unless they won’t let us, then our beach. Honestly, Richie, we could get married on the ferry and I'd be just as happy."

"If you continue to be this easy, you're never getting out of bed or away from me ever again," he laughed. "Well, let's see if they let us take over the beach for one more day? Shame to waste it since it's already all set up."

She reached up and pulled his lips down to hers, "Something bout you makes me easy, haven’t figured that one out yet." Giving him a gentle kiss she hugged him tightly, "Not complaining though, keep me in bed, I kinda like it there."

He lifted her and slung her over his shoulder for the rest of the walk. "Kinda?" he let his palm come down on one round, perfect cheek. "Are you sure that's the word you were looking for?"

She giggled as she watched his ass while he walked. "Well I gotta keep you on your toes and with the urge to keep practicing right?"

"Practice anymore and I'm going to be a cardiac patient," he muttered and set her down on the bike.