In His Keeping

He scowled again. “Is that a challenge I hear? When it comes to taking care of my woman, there is nothing remotely embarrassing about doing whatever it takes to make her happy—to make her smile.”

“Glad you think so. I admit, watching my parents makes me jealous sometimes. I never dreamed I’d have what they have,” she said softly.

“Just wait until our wedding,” he vowed. “Then we’ll see who does the most spoiling.”

“I want my parents there,” Ari said wistfully. “I want my father to give me away. I want my mother to see me in my dress. To help me with my hair and give me marriage and wedding night advice.”

He looked horrified. “Of course they’ll be there. What would make you think any differently? And really, Ari. Wedding night advice? Have I not shown you I’m more than capable in the wedding night department?”

She looked laughingly up at him. “Maybe I was thinking more about advice for me. And well, as far as the wedding goes, I wasn’t at all certain you weren’t going to haul me out of the hospital and to Vegas or something so we got married more quickly.”

“It’s tempting,” he mused. “But your mother would kill me.”

“And not my father?”

Beau laughed. “He’s a man, honey. He’d probably buy our airline tickets if I even mentioned eloping. Hell, he might even buy us our own plane. We hate wearing suits and monkey tails, remember?”

She rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”

Then her expression went soft and serious and she shifted as much as she was able to free up a small area beside her on the small bed. He knew without her saying what she wanted.

Gingerly, he maneuvered his big body against hers, carefully lifting her head so he could position one arm underneath her head, the other free to roam and caress the rest of her body.

“You think you can live with my powers?” she asked quietly.

He went still and then leaned back just enough that he could see her face. With his fingertips, he nudged her chin up so her gaze connected with his.

“I love you, Ari. Everything that makes you who you are. Everything about you. And if you come equipped to ward off an entire third-world nation’s army then I guess I won’t ever have to worry about getting my ass handed to me.”

Her eyes sparkled in the low light of the hospital room as she reached up to trace her fingers down his jawline.

“Having this cast on sucks,” she said huskily. “But I guess it’ll make our eventual wedding night all the more sweeter.”

“Honey, I hate to be the one to break it to you, but after six weeks with you and no sex my balls will be so blue that I give myself thirty seconds tops inside you before I have the mother of all premature ejaculations.”

She leaned up to nibble on his chin, eliciting a soft rumbling groan from his chest.

“My cast may knock me out of the orgasm game awhile, but I don’t see why you should suffer. There’s nothing wrong with my hands—or my mouth,” she finished with a throaty purr.

“Have mercy,” he rasped. “You’re killing me here, honey.”

“Mercy?” She laughed. “I can assure you, Beau. Mercy is the very last thing you’ll want from me over the next several weeks.”

Damn if she didn’t prove to be right about that.