“Vegas.”
Epilogue
‡
Being naked in front of another man was a place Carrie Ann thought she’d never find herself again.
After Ryan Summer stunned fans by publicizing Ry-Ann had tied the knot in a secret ceremony at a private residence in Las Vegas, the Paparazzi stalked them relentlessly. The couple took painstaking deliberations to keep their relationship as tight-lipped as possible, blocking out all the white-noise. However, they wouldn’t be able to keep the rumor mongers at bay much longer. At sixteen weeks, she was already starting to show. Instead of allowing the press the power to ridicule the pregnancy of their first child, they decided to take the announcement of their baby-bump into their own hands.
Posing nude in front of the white sheet, Summer stood behind her arranging the big red heart-shaped pillow. She gripped the red satin like a scared virgin protecting her innocence.
“How much longer is this gonna take?” Summer growled nipping her ear. His semi-hard erection nudging her in the back, drew a sweet pull of desire at her core.
“Easy cowboy.” Tony, one of Hollywood’s renowned photographers, sassed in a pleasant playful tone. “You’ve got about ten more minutes. That should give me enough shots to choose from.”
Twenty minutes later Tony called it a wrap. Summer doted over her, assisting her into her silky robe, carefully slipping one arm into a sleeve and then the other. She bellied up to the kitchen table as Tony downloaded the images to his computer.
Carrie Ann and Summer, JC and Reed, plus ten other expecting couples donned the pages of this year’s Bare Your Soul Calendar. After thirty minutes, she narrowed the cover image down to the last shot of the day. In the photo, Carrie Ann’s arms were tastefully crossed over her breast, as Summer held the satin heart over her nether regions. His chin rested on her shoulder as she twisted to face him, eyes closed, foreheads barely touching.
*
The next afternoon, she leaned over the kitchen counter, her arms pressed along the outside slope of her breasts, posing to show off her ever-growing cleavage in a new pink bra and panty set she’d purchased earlier that morning.
Summer walked through the garage door and nearly skidded to a halt tripping over his tongue. His eyes, wide with delight, slid from her head to her toes. “Pink? Hmm? Not even a hint of red?”
Biting back a smile, she shot him a look of feigned outrage. “Very funny. You should be lucky…”
“Oh, I’m definitely lucky.”
“That I haven’t given you a heart attack or sent you to the hospital or wounded you…”
“I will gladly take all the sex you can throw at me.”
Blush warmed her cheeks as a timid smile curled the edges of her lips. “The doctor said my out-of-control lust filled hormones…”
“You mean your dirty-talking horn-doggedness?”
“Probably won’t last the entire pregnancy and that you should prepare for random outbursts of crying and/or yelling.” Carrie Ann smothered her brazen grin. “She suggested you take full advantage of me while you can.”
“Is that so?” His eyes narrowed wickedly as he slinked toward her. His lips made their way down the curve of her neck, nibbling until goosebumps skittered across her shoulders. “Sorry I missed the appointment this morning. I was stuck on the freeway for three hours. What else did the doc have to say?”
They’d already had several doctor appointments and this was the first time Summer hadn’t been able to go with her. He called, warning her to take a different route because the freeway had been shut down. He was so upset about not being able to make the appointment, she offered to reschedule, but he insisted she go.
A pinch of guilt mingled with overwhelming joy. Carrie Ann untangled herself from his arms. Rising to her tiptoes in a slow pirouette, she modeled the pink underwear for him. She tugged her bottom lip between her teeth, hoping to squash the goofy lop-sided grin from covering her face, but it just continued to grow until she let out a soft giggle.
Summer’s stare tapered in inquiry.
“I’m sorry,” she caved. “The doctor knew that we wanted to know the sex and she blurted it out without thinking.”
Summer shirked back in surprise, gawking at the lacy material. His literal shrill of excitement hushed her explanation. “A girl! We’re having a baby girl?”
She blinked hard against the swell of emotions collecting in her throat, robbing her of a reply. All she could do was nod.
Summer dropped to his knees, cradling her tummy in the palm of his hands, kissing every inch of the small bump. “Hey, baby girl. You need a name. Daddy needs to start calling you something besides baby.”
She ran her fingers through his thick hair. “Actually, I was playing with our middle names on the way home.”
“Let’s hear it.” Summer stood, scooping her up into his arms, placing her bum on the cool granite counter.
“I put a little twist to them and I really love the name…Anna Blakely Summer.”
“Anna Blakely Summer. Anna Blakely…”
“Anna for my mom and my middle name and Blakely instead of just Blake for your middle name and your grandpa.”
“I think it’s perfect.” Summer caressed her stomach, asking. “Anna, what do you think?”
Seeing a glimmer of wetness pooling on his lower lids, Carrie Ann broke, dissolving into his arms. “I love you, Summer.”
Summer’s mouth descended over hers. “Christ, I love you.”
This man, so strong and tough, had the biggest heart and it was filled with love for his family. He was more than her best friend. He was her protector, her lover, her soul mate, the father of her children.
Summer was her everything.
Look for these other novels from
USA Today bestselling author
BEVERLY PRESTON
No More Wasted Time
Shayla’s Story
The Perfect Someday
Surviving Broken
The Mathews Family Series Box Set
No More Wasted Time
After losing her husband to a sudden heart attack, Tess Mathews escapes to Bora Bora to lay her husband and sorrow to rest. What she doesn’t expect is a new beginning.
Tom Clemmins is an A-list actor whose life revolves around work and an onslaught of women. He travels to Bora Bora for a much-needed break. Tom has a few ideas of how he’ll enjoy his vacation, but love isn’t one of them. Until he sees Tess.
Reserving a private shark-feeding excursion to scatter her husband’s ashes into the lagoon, Tess is furious when Mr. Hollywood bribes his way onto the boat, leaving her no other choice but to share the boat ride.
Tess is torn between tremendous guilt and zealous lust when their boat ride turns into a week full of romance and desire neither thought imaginable. Utterly smitten with a woman for the first time in his life, Tom casts his commitment phobia aside and whisks Tess off to Malibu where he introduces her as his “girlfriend” on the red carpet.
As the paparazzi besiege, can Tess survive the media blitz that ensues in order to find her second chance at love?
Shayla’s Story
~ People come into your life for a Reason, a Season or a Lifetime ~
A Reason…
Questioning her relationship with a man who worships politics more thanher, Shayla Clemmins escapes reality for the seductive sunsets ofGreece. There she finds exactly what she didn’t know was missing fromher life, but fears she’ll lose him to her past.
A Season…
John Mathews works hard and plays even harder. When he finds a newpassion in the sensual warmth of Greece, he discovers that onelust-filled weekend of romance is just not enough.