Pierced Hearts (Southern Charmers 1)
“Let me carry you to the ocean, and we can rinse you off. Or, better yet, let’s go shower.”
“Don’t you need downtime?
I roll to my side, raising my glasses, and almost swallow my tongue. Pierce looms over me, dripping wet, muscles rippling, his bulge outlined in his swim shorts, and he’s glaring at me with raw hunger.
“Did you take a pill? The kind that has warnings about erections lasting more than six hours should contact a physician?”
He rocks back, clenching his fist with no hint of amusement. “I don’t need a goddamned pill.”
“There’s no shame in it.” I wink.
“I can fuck on demand when it comes to you.”
“Oh, I know.”
“I have a fucking job to do, and I’m not going to fail.”
“We’re on our honeymoon. Neither of us is supposed to be working,” I throw back, enjoying the way his jaw sets and his eyes slit.
“Dammit, wife, I gave you the wedding. I fulfilled my end of the deal. Now, you have to fulfill yours.”
I smile, reaching my left hand to the sky. Diamonds sparkle so brightly I drop my glasses. He’s right. He gave me the wedding.
He gave me the most spectacular, outrageous, talked about wedding of the decade. Possibly the century. It had everything any bride could dream of. Brasher Resorts pulled out all the stops and created the perfect wonderland—dancing under the stars and twinkling lights, endless champagne, open bars with every martini ever made, anything and everything I could ever want.
It was beyond remarkable. Hundreds of people agreed.
Pierce takes my suspended hand and crouches next to me, bringing the diamonds to his lips. “What are you thinking?”
“I’m having flashbacks. Trying to figure out my favorite part of the wedding.”
“You’ve been doing that a lot.”
“There’s a lot to reminisce over. I think I’ve narrowed it down.”
“Why don’t you share them with me while I’m balls deep inside you?” He tugs.
“We have this private house for a week, and you’ve barely let me outside in two days. Let me enjoy the Costa Rican sunshine for a while.”
He glances up at the house, scans the property, and dips his chin. My jaw drops when he tears his trunks down and climbs on the bed of the cabana, pulling the back curtains to shield us from view behind us.
“Those are sheer. Anyone looking can make out body forms.” I gawk at his boldness.
“They see my ass, no big deal. I’ll handle hiding you.” He covers my mouth with a quick but wet kiss, stirring up the already active butterflies in my stomach. “Like you said, this is a private house. We are alone except for the women prepping for our evening.”
It would be useless to deny him, considering he had me on my back under the hut an hour ago. I was less inhibited because that was completely hidden from view, but this is much more open.
“Let’s go back to talking about our wedding.” He takes my hand back to his lips. “I had many favorites, but one sticks out the most.”
“Ripping my dress to shreds the minute the hotel door closed?”
He smirks. “That one’s at the top but not exactly number one.”
“Almost flattening my dad to get to me before he could officially give me away?”
“That should have been expected. One look at you, and he should have known to stand back.”
I grin with him, thinking of one more possible instance. “Was your favorite part being able to usher the kids down the aisle?”
We—well, mostly Pierce—decided to have an all-adult wedding party. Stephanie and Renee stood with me, while Miller and Evin were at his side. Renee was a new addition to our group since she decided to transfer to Charleston. During the months leading up to my wedding, she and I had grown close. She was the polar opposite of Stephanie in personality, but when those two got together, it was like the three of us fit.
I was scared Scottie would have his feelings hurt that we didn’t have him at the altar, but he was honored to usher the moms down the aisle and sat proudly by my mother’s side with his partner, Billy, next to them.
Pierce’s decision to have Maya and Cole sit with Jill and Warren was solely his. I’d mentioned having them as attendants, and it was the only source of tension that ever came up during our planning. Finally, it became clear he was protecting us all in his own way, with a few selfish motives.
He wanted it to be him and me, with no trace of Connie while we said our vows. At the same time, he found a sliver of sympathy left in his soul for Connie. He knew how badly it would sting her for their children to stand in support of him marrying me. He didn’t want that for them or her. Thankfully, the kids didn’t care because they were included in every festivity leading up to the event. And it worked out beautifully.