“There’s just one condition,” he said, temporarily dousing the flames igniting in my belly.
“And what’s that?”
“We’re giving Liddy brothers and sisters. At least three more.”
“Threemore?” I cried in shock.
“Yep.” His dimples came out to play on a sinful smirk. “Just imagine all the fun we’ll have practicing.” That statement made the embers begin to heat once again. I was just about to agree to his condition when his face grew serious. What he said next sealed the deal. “I’ll be right there next to you every step of the way from here on out. You want a family, Gwen, and I’ll go to the ends of the earth to give you everything you want.”
That burning sensation returned to the backs of my eyes, and I sniffled to try and control the tears. “How about you start by taking me to bed. And tomorrow we’ll get started on everything else.”
He stood from the couch, grabbing my bottom to hold me against him as he carried me into the bedroom. “Now that I can do.”
EPILOGUE
TWO MONTHS LATER
I reclined on the soft,cushy lounger beneath the shade of the umbrella above me.
The sound of Liddy’s exuberant laughter carried in the subtle breeze blowing across my skin. I lifted my sunglasses to the top of my head and stared down the beach to where my monkey played in the white sand, dancing around as Garrett worked tirelessly on the sandcastle they were supposed to be building together.
I smiled at the sight of the two people I loved most in the world. It had been two months since Garrett made good on his word and made me his wife, and I still pinched myself when I woke up every morning, wondering how I’d ever gotten so lucky. Each day was better than the last, and when he came to me a week ago with three plane tickets to Hawaii and informed me we were taking a long overdue family vacation, it got even better.
“Mommy! Mommy! Look what Daddy made!”
I grinned at the lopsided piles of sand, unable to stiflemy giggle.
“That’s amazing, monkey. Daddy’s a master sandcastle builder.”
Having the attention span of a toddler, she quickly lost interest in the current conversation and moved a few feet away to start on another sandcastle while Garrett sat down on the chair beside me. He turned to face me, caging me in with one big, strong arm on either side of my waist. “Why do I get the feeling you’re making fun of me?”
Those dimples I loved so much made an appearance, and I took the opportunity to reach up and run my finger across them lovingly. “Never,” I laughed. “I meant every word. That’s the best sandcastle I’ve ever seen.”
“Hmm.” He cocked a skeptical brow.
I trailed my fingertips down his jaw and neck, continuing my path to the sexy tattoos on his arm. “Have I mentioned I love you in nothing but a pair of board shorts?”
A pleased hum rumbled up from his chest as he caressed the sun-warmed skin of my belly. “And have I mentioned seeing you in this bikini makes me hard as a rock?”
A pleasant shiver worked its way down my spine despite the heat from the bright sun. “I’m pretty sure I got the hint. You’ve shown your appreciation for my beachwear every night since we got here.”
“What can I say?” he whispered, leaning down to brush a kiss on my lips. “My wife’s so damn hot she drives me crazy.”
“Feeling’s mutual, honey.”
He pulled back and looked over at Liddy for a while. I followed his gaze and we watched our little girl dig holes in the sand in content silence.
I had eventually begun to doze when Garrett spoke, his voice pulling me from my slumber. “You happy, baby?”
I shifted on the lounger, sitting up so I could wrap my arms around his neck. “Couldn’t be happier. Tate’s in Seattlemanaging you guys, so I havetwofriends close by. And when she’s not fighting with Deck, she’s a ton of fun. The press has already gotten bored with us and moved on to something else. And I’m married to a sexy rock star who just so happens to be the love of my life. I went from having no family to one so big I spent most of Thanksgiving and Christmas stuck in the kitchen preparing enough food to feed an army.”
He gave me those dimples again. “Well, when you put it like that, it sounds like you’ve got a pretty awesome life.”
“Oh I do. Definitely. And it’s about to get even better.”
His eyebrows lifted as he studied me. “Oh yeah? Why’s that?”
I leaned in close, wanting to get the full effect of his eyes when I finally told him the secret I’d been keeping for the past few days. “Because in about eight months my family’s going to get even bigger.”
