"I've already checked with Dierdre," he speaks up. "She can watch Theo."
"Is that why she's been giggling all day?"
"Maybe." He laughs. "I've booked a flight for tonight."
I can't help myself—I squeal, I'm so freaking excited. We laugh together as I exclaim I need to start packing. Kade wraps me in his strong embrace, whispering in my ear of some other plans he has with me before we leave.
The flight that night is peaceful and with no turbulence at all. I'm a nervous flyer, but I'm so giddy with excitement and happiness I probably wouldn't even notice a few bumps on the way to Hawaii. Kade grins at me every so often, responding to some last-minute work emails on his tablet. I gaze at him adoringly most of the way there, thinking that this is the first vacation we've managed to take together. We never even went on our honeymoon. Since we've been together for about three years now, it really is a shame. But that doesn't take away from my mood in the slightest.
Arriving at the hotel, I'm awestruck by the beauty of our surroundings. All lush greens and juicy looking fruit and flowers, it's like we've gotten lost and ended up in paradise. A kind hotel employee shows us to our room. I say room, but it's really a huge, beautiful suite. I fall in love with the space right away but am even more impressed when I walk to the balcony and admire the breathtaking view. It's all azure, crystal clear water, and a small island a few miles off the shore. It really is magnificent, and I wish we could stay here forever, just blocking out all the bad things that have happened in our lives so far. A pair of strong arms envelops me from behind as I hear the front door click, signaling that the receptionist has left.
"Junebug," Kade mutters in my ear, and I settle in his warm embrace for a few blissful moments, watching the sun set over the balcony. "My love." His words like soft caresses on my skin, I feel a little better—but Kade knows me better than anyone else, and he can feel the tension in my body.
"What's wrong?" he asks, and I bow my head. He won't take no for an answer, though. He takes me by the shoulders and gently turns my back to the fence on the balcony, so I'm facing him. He reaches for my chin, tilting my face up until we're looking into each other's eyes. "Tell me, Junebug."
I purse my lips and fight back the tears threatening to escape my eyes, biting back a scream of frustration.
"June," Kade says softly. "Come on now. You can't be thinking about this stuff with Parker, err, Nox, again?"
I raise my eyes defiantly to meet his. "How can you not be?" I whisper.
He sighs heavily, and his arms drop from my shoulders, leaving a cold darkness in their wake. "I can't keep talking about this. What happened should stay in the past where it belongs. Aren't we happy together, Junebug? Don't you love me?"
I can't help but nod, though this does not help the problem at hand in any way. "I just worry. We've let him back into our lives so easily."
"He won't hurt you again," he says, pressing a firm finger to my lips. He looks at me thoughtfully for a moment. "I'd never let him hurt you, Junebug. You know that, don't you?"
I nod, but I'm still worrying my bottom lip between my teeth. I say I'm not worried, but something still seems off about Parker coming back. And I'm done calling him Nox, too. He can try to outrun his past, but I'll never forget what we did.
"This would be a beautiful place to take our kids... Once we have more."
"Kade," I say with worry in my voice. "We've talked about this..." He raises his hands in the air defensively, signaling defeat.
"I won't bother you with it then," he says. Finally, he looks back into my eyes and gives me that mischievous grin I've always loved. His smile is infectious, and as hard as I try to fight it, my expression soon mirrors his. "I did get something for you before we left," Kade admits, and once again, my eyes widen with surprise. This day keeps getting better and better, and my heart swells with the love I feel for this man. The way he tries to make every single day special and beautiful for me.
Kade rummages in our luggage and comes back to the balcony with something behind his back.
"What is it?" I ask and am met by my husband's sexy, dark grin.
"Why don't you open it and see?" He hands me the box, and I recognize it right away. It's his mother's wooden, carved jewelry box—the one where they kept the butterfly all those years ago.