Page 12 of Cord

He freezes. “Work emergency?”

“No, the company can run without me.” I get out of bed on jelly legs and hurry toward my bag that I tossed carelessly on the kitchenette counter. I’m naked, and I don’t care. “My dad has...health issues.”

I check my phone and slump, relief going through me. “It’s not him. It’s a reminder. I scheduled a couples’ hike for today. It starts in an hour.”

I blink at the blurry screen and blow out a slow breath, trying to calm my racing heart.

“Hey,” Cord is beside me, and I don’t even know when he crossed the room. He puts a hand on my back, rubbing in a slow circle. “You’re shaking like a leaf.”

“He has a brain tumor,” I explain and sniff. “Sorry. Had a brain tumor. They caught it early, and he’s doing great now. But sometimes when my phone rings, or there’s a text message, I still tense up.”

“It makes sense that you’d fear bad news a second time.”

I glance up at him, caught off guard by his quick compassion. I shouldn’t be. Cord has been nothing but kind since the moment we met. “You understand?”

“It has to feel scary.” He keeps rubbing my back in those same slow circles. He gives me a minute to collect myself before he says, “Now, tell me. Would you rather go on the hike or get breakfast and lounge by the pool today?”

He’s giving me an out. He knows my adrenaline surged, and the terror that went through me, and he’s not expecting me to go back to bed like nothing happened. “But we didn’t get to⁠—”

He sends me a look that tells me he’s not about to head back to bed, no matter the fact that his hard cock is still pointing straight at me. “We have a week. That’s a lot of time to spend exploring each other. Right after our first hike as a married couple.”

Chapter 6

Cord

Holy hell, there’s nothing hotter than a woman who can hold her own, and that’s Mira Moore to a T. This woman is not only an avid hiker who can quickly point out various flora and fauna, she’s also caring. She’s slowly drifted to the back of the group to keep a senior couple entertained.

The husband had hip surgery a few months ago, and it’s obvious that he’s not one hundred percent back to normal yet. But Mira doesn’t call attention to it. She just inserted herself next to them and has kept a steady stream of conversation going.

She’s the type of woman a man would feel proud to have as a wife in every way. She’s smart, compassionate, beautiful, and curvy. I didn’t know that when Lauren sent me on this mission that I would find my forever.

Now, I just have to convince Mira to give me a chance for real when this honeymoon is over. As it is, to get things moving in the right direction, I may have been a little sneaky.

When she asked about our first night together, I told her it was the best night of my life. That’s true, but we didn’t sleep together. I did undress, so she’d think we had.

Then there was the issue of me calling the limo company and canceling the scheduled drive to the airport. After that, I had to make sure that the news got back to her dad via other wedding guests. It wasn’t easy, but I’m a Marine. We don’t ask for easy.

“And these are our babies, Molly and Milo,” she explains, showing her phone to the couple. The two Jack Russell terriers are captured in a candid moment at the local doggie park. I make a mental note to get on their good side. I haven’t had a pet since I was a kid. Deployment isn’t exactly fair to a furry friend who doesn’t understand why you’ve left him alone for years, so I held off on getting one again.

I trail after them, making small talk with Fred, the husband, as we go.

“On your honeymoon?” He asks, having observed the ring that I can’t stop rubbing my thumb against. I like the slight weight, a reminder that I belong to the woman who’s eagerly chatting about our pups.

I found her interview in a business magazine. She’s not just one of the smartest people in the industry; she’s also launched a non-profit initiative to make sure that dogs in shelters have access to the highest quality foods. She mentors other women starting their own businesses, and she stays active by hiking. I’m going to spend the rest of my life trying to keep up with her. “Yeah, knew the moment I saw her she was going to be mine.”

He chuckles. “Sounds like me and my Sally. Sometimes, you just know.”

The four of us pass the rest of the hike in quiet conversation. It’s late afternoon by the time we make it back to the villa. We’re covered in dirt and sweat, but my girl is wearing the biggest smile. She beams at me. “Don’t you just love getting to hike?”

She takes my hand and tugs me into the bathroom, turning on the shower water to warm. The glass stall looks big enough for two, features dual shower heads, and even has a bench.

“You’re incredible,” I tell her, thinking of the way she zeroed in on Fred and Sally. She has a gift for finding others who need help and quietly showing up for them. While she’s busy taking care of everyone else, I want to be the man protecting her light and building her up.

“It’s the endorphins. I love endorphins from doing hard things,” she answers with a smile and reaches for her shirt. It takes her seconds to pull off her clothes. The sight of her naked skin has my cock tenting my pants. My mouth waters, thinking of the way she let me taste her pussy this morning.

She gives me a saucy grin that tells me she’s thinking about the same thing I am. “Come on, cowboy.”

She doesn’t have to say it twice. My clothes join hers in a pile on the floor then she pulls me into the stall. In the steam, I reach for her hair. I take my time, liking the way it feels around my fingers. She mews as I massage her scalp before rinsing it away. I like being the man taking care of her, the way it feels to know her body this way.