“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that you wanted to move to Florida instead of Kentucky,” Kevin chuckled as he watched Austin run in and out of the waves, though she made sure to keep hold of his hand. It was one of her better moves since the wedding was approaching with swift speed. Kevin attributed it to the fact that she spent two whole days alone with Cheyanne and Olivia without anyone being able to interrupt. And, he was relieved. There were no fights at the hotel when she had Cheyanne all to herself. Kevin just hoped the mood would continue to remain light and romantic as they spent the twilight walking along the shore. Though, his thoughts were interrupted with Austin screamed and launched herself into his arms. He stumbled in shock to hold her weight, falling backward into the small waves. “What?!”
"Crabs!" Austin squealed, clinging to him as a wave crashed over their bodies. "The little pissfuck pinched my toe!" she sputtered, sitting up to make a cursory glance of the area. "You okay?" she questioned suddenly, touching his cheek gently as he gave her a look that told her she was completely out of her mind. "I mean, you fell kind of hard—"
“Now that my balls are hiding inside my body, sure, I’m peachy keen,” Kevin muttered sarcastically, having had no intentions of getting wet that night. Though, now, he was soaked.
"But this is nice," she murmured, leaning to kiss him softly. "Very reminiscent of Deborah Kerr and Burt Lancaster in From Here to Eternity," she reminded him.
“Who cares about a fictional couple when what we have is real, Princess?” Kevin returned with a grin, craning his neck to kiss her once more.
Sliding her arms around his neck, Austin sank into his kiss, the worries and stress she had told Cheyanne about previously having slipped away for the evening. "If I said I wanted to move down here would you be upset?" she questioned against the corner of his mouth, her tongue flicking the saltwater from his skin.
“I might be slightly annoyed that I put all that time and effort into our home in Kentucky… But I guess we’d always need a summer home… Somewhere…” Kevin mumbled as he leaned back in the wet sand, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"And we'd spend a lot of time there, visiting Momma R," Austin reminded him, growing excited at the idea of being close to her Cheyanne. "And our children… They'll need a great place in the country to run and stomp snakes and make mudpies…"
“I thought that’s why we were moving to Kentucky in the first place?”
"Then why bring up moving down here?"
“I don’t know… I just don’t like seeing you so upset…”
Propping her elbows on his chest, Austin gazed down at him in the soft light coming from the oceanfront homes and the moon. "You've been upset lately too," she observed, reaching to trace his cheek with her thumb.
“Well, yeah… It’s hard for me to leave Howie and Angel, too. We’ve been this tight little family since the cabin and Howie’s my best friend… And I know you don’t want to leave Angel. You don’t want her to be so far away,” Kevin explained gingerly, not wanting to bring up their fruitless efforts to produce children.
"I supposed whacking them over the head and keeping them prisoner in Kentucky is out of the question?" Austin suggested in an attempt to lighten the mood.
“Even the hicks of rural Kentucky might frown upon that, Princess…”
"So I guess I better suck it up and realize how blessed I am that you'll be with me?"
“Well, yeah, you’re blessed to have me… But I would move to Florida if that’s what you wanted…”
"…Do they have a good fertility specialist down here?" Austin questioned hesitantly. Though she tried to push their unsuccessful attempts at pregnancy from her mind, it weighed heavily on her subconscious. Immediately she regretted mentioning it, seeing his emerald eyes darken slightly. "Pretty Boy—"
“I’m sure Florida has the best of the best…” Kevin interrupted, biting down hard on his inner cheek. It was such a heavy blow to his pride, knowing he couldn’t succeed in getting his wife pregnant. He just wanted a child so badly.
"Do you think we're trying too hard?" Austin murmured after a moment, lowering her head to his chest. When his arms tightened around her and she heard the steadiness of his heartbeat accompanied by the wash of waves against the sand, she felt comforted, closing her eyes.
“I think we’re stressing ourselves out by worrying about it so much. And I know your moods are mostly my fault, because I’m putting my frustrations on you.”
"I just want to give you a child, Kevin… That's my biggest wish, because I know how happy it'll make you," she admitted, curling her fingers in his t-shirt.
“It’s probably my fault we’re not getting pregnant,” Kevin chuckled ruefully, tilting to kiss her forehead. “Used up all my good swimmers in those condoms you insisted I wear.”
"Oh please," she muttered, sitting up to look him in the eye. "When did I ever insist you wear a condom?"
“Well, damnit, you have to take some blame somewhere!”
"Well maybe your engorged penis broke all my eggs!"
“Maybe your eggs aren’t woman enough to handle my engorged penis!”
"Not woman enough?! You piss—" Austin cut off, shaking her head with a sigh. "Why can't we ever have a rational conversation without bitching at each other?"
“Because what kind of fun would that be? Just rationally conversing…”
"True… Ain't like we've ever rationally conversed before…"
“Then why start now?”
"Because when you get that irritated fire in your eyes it turns me on, and somehow I don't think the old fogies on that deck up there want to see me and you having sex on the beach…"
“Who cares about the old birds, I ain’t getting any younger, Princess.”
"Something tells me you'll be singing a different tune when one of those crabs starts pinching your extremities," Austin teased, leaning down to kiss him gently.
“We can always try…” Kevin enticed, turning to roll her back into the wet sand so he could be dominant in his kisses, nipping favorably at her lips.
"You'll help me scrub the sand out when we get back to the hotel?" Austin requested, slowly peeling his wet t-shirt upwards.
“We’ll work together,” Kevin promised eagerly, reaching to untie the strings of her bikini.
Smirking, Austin arched against him, ducking her head to trail her lips over his chest. Shivering in delight when his mouth found her nipple, she slid her hands down his back, drawing him closer.
“I love you, Princess,” Kevin murmured softly as his tongue circled around her nipple, his hands moving to unbutton her wet shorts to pull them down her legs. He smiled when he felt her shiver again, releasing a hard moan. Releasing the nipple for a moment, he trailed his kisses to the underside of her breast before crossing the valley between her breasts to seek out the other.
"I love you," Austin returned in a whisper, sliding one hand through his hair. Tugging gently, she lifted his head for a tantalizing kiss, rubbing her heel against his calf as she reached to unbutton his denim shorts. Releasing a whimper of frustration, she tugged impatiently on the button.
“Do you need help before you break a nail?” Kevin murmured inside her mouth, nipping her tongue when she growled, actually popping the buttons to his fly.
"Not now," she assured him, pulling his bottom lip between her teeth as she pushed the shorts down his legs. "When the Hell did you stop wearing boxers?" she questioned in disbelief when she felt the heat of his bare backside.
“I wore my last pair the other day, Momma D promised to wash my clothes for me…”
"Just because I turned your favorite white shirt pink one time, I'm forever banished from washing your clothes, huh?" Austin teased, her fingers tracing his hips before finally grasping him gently.
“Holy Hell, Princess,” Kevin whined, the breath being pulled from his lungs like a vacuum as the blood rushed to his already erect member. Even after five months of marriage, he responded to her like no other. His mind whirled with the passion accumulating in his body, the cold waves beneath them doing nothing to assuage the heat, but merely create a zealous steam.
"Hmm?" Smoothing her fingers down his length, Austin smiled when she felt his reaction to her touches. Knowing she could cause such torture sent a thrill down her spine as she eagerly stroked him, rolling him to his back so she could have better access to her favorite toy.
“Two can play at that game,” Kevin warned with a shudder of anticipation, tangling his hands within her dark locks as if that would stabilize him.
"You want me to stop?" she questioned coyly, pausing in her ministrations to nibble at his earlobe.
“Hell no!”
Dragging her tongue over his throat, Austin nipped lightly at his moist skin, slowly kissing her way down his chest. His fingers tightened in her hair, and when she reached the tattoo on his hipbone she traced it with her lips before turning to offer him an intimate kiss.
“Oh…God…” Kevin moaned quiet loudly as he arched with disbelief, feeling her teeth trace down the length of his shaft, causing him to shudder with sheer anticipation.
"I've missed this," Austin admitted softly against him, gasping softly when she felt Kevin's hands tighten their hold on her hair. Sliding one hand over his stomach, she dug her fingers lightly in his skin as she tasted and nibbled him. Loving the fact she made him tremble. Lifting her head slightly, she slowly licked her lips, felt him shudder again as she gently moved her hand over his manhood.
“Me too,” Kevin actually whimpered in disbelief, reaching to cup her face in his hands, bringing her up for a gentle kiss.
Smiling against his lips, Austin slid her hands to his shoulders, lightly rubbing the tenseness there as he easily flipped her to her back. When she felt the tip of him pressing against her she shivered in anticipation, eagerly spreading her legs to grant him better access. Kevin lifted his head, gazing down at her with a fiery intent in his eyes, and she knew that, in the back of his mind, he was hoping the same as she.
Glancing over at Cheyanne after getting into his car, Howie squeezed her hand. She was nervously glancing at her cell phone, as though silently willing it to ring and be his mother, who was taking care of Olivia for the evening. They hadn't heard from his parents all evening, and Cheyanne kept checking her phone for a signal. "Why don't you call Momma and Dad and check on Cinnamon?" he suggested softly, pulling away from the curb. Checking the time, he smiled to himself, realizing they were finished with dinner earlier than anticipated. Which left plenty of time to reveal his surprise.
“You’re going to think I’m overly protective or crazy or something…” Cheyanne mumbled as she played with the antenna of her cell phone, making sure to avoid all eye contact with Howie. It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate having dinner alone with him. She loved when they were able to get away and float merrily within their own romantic fantasy, but Olivia had been so upset that she was leaving. It was a natural part of a toddler’s growth, but it hurt her. She always had Olivia near. Groaning, Cheyanne slumped in her seat. “God, I am overprotective and a nagging mother hen…”
"No you're not, Honey," Howie assured her as he weaved through traffic. "If you weren't worried about her, I would be a little upset. After all, you've never left her before." It had nearly killed him to see Olivia clinging to her mother, knowing that nothing he could have said to either of them would have lessened the stress. Lightly rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb, he gave her a quick sideways glance. "I love that you're overprotective of her," he murmured, merging into the line of traffic leading to the highway.
“But you’re not exactly jumping for joy when she begs to snuggle with me at night…” Cheyanne trailed softly as she shook her head, tossing her cell phone onto the dashboard. Olivia was safe with her grandparents for the night. Hoke and Paula absolutely adored the little girl. She was probably having quite a pleasant evening and would probably be even more ecstatic when her mother returned and took her to the big bed for the night.
"True… But I do jump for joy when she lets me take her back to her bed…" Lifting her hand to his lips, Howie lightly kissed her fingers. "So it's alright if we take a little drive?"
“Yeah, we can take a little drive,” Cheyanne encouraged as she finally glanced toward her fiancé with a warm smile. Her body tingled softly from the kisses he planted to her fingers, causing her smile to widen to a grin. She adored how he was so attentive to the tiniest of details, especially when it came to lavishing affection upon her. “Tonight is about us, right? I have to concentrate on my Sweet Tea.”
Grinning, Howie set the cruise control, shifting his leg slightly. "So if I said look into the glove compartment and put on the blindfold you wouldn't think I was a complete weirdo?" he questioned, nibbling gently on her fingertips.
Cheyanne’s sapphire eyes widened in surprise at the request. “What kind of kinky…”
"It's a surprise, Honey… But it's not that kind of surprise…"
“Too bad…” Cheyanne trailed innocently as she pulled her hand away from his, reaching into the glove compartment to pull out the black satin blindfold.
"Well, if you want, we can keep the blindfold for later on?" he suggested playfully.
“I think you’d have too much fun,” Cheyanne laughed as she did as he previously requested, sliding the satin blindfold over her eyes and securing it behind her golden ringlets with a knot.
"I could wear it…"
“Howie…” Cheyanne gasped softly as she moistened her bottom lip with honest surprise.
"You wouldn't tie me up and then leave me naked and wanting on the bed, would you?" Howie questioned, once again pulling her hand to his lips for a kiss, this time allowing his tongue to flicker over her skin.
“No,” Cheyanne promised, biting down hard on her bottom lip from the excited tingles racing down her spine as well as to fight the impish grin starting to appear. “…Not for too long…”
"You'd just take pictures of me and sell them on ebay…" Howie trailed with a chuckle, tapping the break lightly to take the next exit. "Have I told you tonight how amazingly beautiful you are, what a wonderful mother I think you are to Cinnamon, and how much I love you?"
“I’d pleasure you after the pictures,” Cheyanne promised as she brushed her thumb over his lips with a gentle smile. “…But no, you haven’t told me those things, but thank you…”
"I distinctly remember saying over dessert how much I'm looking forward to spending the rest of my life with you…"
“But I said it first?”
"Well, at the time you had a mouthful of that chocolate pie…"
“But it was French silk!”
"And I must say how much I appreciated you letting me get that one little taste when you skipped off to the rest room…"
“You’re welcome.”
"You're certain you can't see anything, right?" he questioned suddenly, making one final turn onto a secluded street.
“Why? Are you flirting with a girl in the next car or something?”
"No… I just want to make sure," Howie informed her with a chuckle, easing the car into the cul-de-sac and parking. Taking a deep breath, he cut off the engine.
“Okay… I can’t see a dad’burn thing… So now what?”
"Now you just sit there for a minute while I get out," Howie chuckled, climbing out of the car. Walking around, he opened her door, his heart tripping nervously as he reached for her hand. Helping her onto the sidewalk, he aimed her in the direction the ocean breeze was wafting from, his hands light on her shoulders. "Walk forward," he whispered softly in her ear.
“Howie, I ain’t so sure about this. I’m not exactly graceful when I’m sighted, so I don’t want to see myself without sight. Not that I could see myself to begin with ‘cause I’m blind but--” Cheyanne yelped as she felt Howie push against her backside to get her moving. “Okay! I’ll walk forward!”
Guiding her up the paved walkway, Howie caught her shoulders again, stopping her at the bottom of the steps. Biting his lip, he reached to untie the blindfold, slowly dragging it away from her eyes. "I intended this to be a wedding present, but I couldn't wait…" he trailed softly, holding his breath as he awaited her reaction.
Cheyanne blinked rapidly as she reached to rub her eyes to make the adjustment to her surroundings. Only, she wasn’t prepared for what lay before her. Howie had taken her to the threshold of a lovely Greek styled mansion that seemed to extend for miles. Lovely balconies graced the upper stories and layered gardens of beautiful flowers tracing the pathways. She could feel the cool ocean spray blowing and the churning of the waves out back, causing her to smile with disbelief. It looked as if she could step into the house and get lost for days without any chance of finding her lover. “…Whose house is this?”
"Ours… Actually, your name is on the deed, Honey. It's completely yours…" Howie rubbed her shoulders gently, kissing the top of her head. "Do you like it?"
“Like it?” Cheyanne was floored as she stepped back in order to get a better view of the spacious area. This house was the only house for miles, giving her complete privacy. Not to mention the beautiful silence except for the ocean waves, which she had been fearful of leaving since she had lived in the country all her life. She was overwhelmed. “You’re sure… I mean, this is mine? This huge… Tea, we were just going to live in your house. I liked that a lot…”
"Well… If you look over to the left, you'll see plenty of room on the lot to build a guest house…" Howie trailed. "Which starts construction during our honeymoon…"
“A guest house?” Cheyanne repeated, shaking her head in disbelief. “Howie…”
"What? What's wrong?"
“This is honestly for me?”
"Only if you truly want it."
“Tea…” Cheyanne whispered softly as she turned away from the house to glance into her fiancé’s dark eyes. “Do you really want to move here? From your old house?”
Nodding, Howie cupped her face in his hands. "I wanted a place where you would feel safe, Honey. A place that's quiet and peaceful and all yours. Somewhere we can spend the rest of our lives together. Cinnamon's going to have some brothers and sisters one day, and they'll need lots of room to grow… But most importantly, I wanted a house built for a princess, because you're the princess in my life."
“I don’t know what I ever did to deserve someone like you,” Cheyanne whispered as she threw her arms around Howie’s neck, burying a soft squeal within the crook before nibbling affectionately. “It’s so beautiful, Tea! And so quiet! And… You picked it out for me… Which makes it even more special… Oh, thank you!”
"Here," he whispered, catching her hand in his. Pressing the key into her palm, he rained kisses along her cheek. "Seeing as how it's yours, you should open the door…"
“I can’t believe you bought me a house,” Cheyanne groaned with a laugh as she kissed his cheek before offering a fiercely thankful kiss to his lips. “Have I mentioned how much I love you?”
"Not in the past five minutes… But I know," Howie assured her, returning her kiss before letting her pull away.
“Tea,” Cheyanne chided with a small smile, hurriedly climbing the stairs to the front door. Sliding it into the lock, Cheyanne turned the key and reached for the doorknob. Pushing upon the grand door, she gasped in disbelief as she stepped inside and Howie turned on the lights. Howie had been working for months to make sure it was perfection for the first time she stepped inside. The home was already completely furnished in delicate creams with accents of light blues, light greens, and light lavenders. Her belongings were even tucked away and unpacked. “Oh, Howie…”
"I had help… Badonkadonk and Kev make pretty good co-conspirators, y'know," Howie informed, unable to hold back the pleased grin. "Come on, I'll give you the grand tour," he insisted, reaching for her hand.
“Is the grand tour going to end in the furnished master bedroom?” Cheyanne suggested hopefully as she took his hand with both of hers, allowing him to lead her into the living room.
"Actually, that room hasn't been furnished yet…" Howie trailed with a sigh, glancing quickly to gauge her reaction.
“Oh…” Cheyanne answered softly, biting down on her bottom lip. “Why’s that?”
"I can't find a bed comfortable enough… Do you honestly think I'd bring you here without a fully furnished master bedroom?" he teased, pulling her into his arms. "In fact… What do you say to letting the tour wait 'till after the bedroom?" he suggested.
“Well, I didn’t know! Hell, I didn’t even know you bought a house and fully furnished it until now!” Cheyanne squealed softly with surprise, wrapping her arms around his neck to keep herself stable as he rushed up the grand staircase.
"You'll have your own sitting room off the bedroom," Howie murmured in her ear as he carried her into the bedroom. "Complete with a mini fridge for Pepsi and ice, so you can snuggle on a little couch with Cinnamon," he added softly, pushing the door shut. Setting her down gently on the plush carpet, he glanced to make sure Kevin and Austin had been by to fulfill his request. Sure enough, there were several dozen lavender roses around the room, complete with lit candles flickering in the soft breeze coming from the open French doors. The doors led to a small balcony overlooking the ocean, and Howie smiled when he saw they had turned down the bedcovers. "Surprise…"
“Oh my Lord…” Cheyanne breathed in sheer disbelief, clasping her hands to her heart, convinced that it was about to leap from her chest. Her sapphire eyes were misty with unshed tears as she turned to wrap her arms around Howie’s waist. “What am I going to do with you, Tea? It’s so beautiful… I don’t deserve this…”
"Yes you do," Howie promised, kissing the top of her head softly. "You deserve this, and so much more… I only want to make you happy, Honey—"
“I’m already happy, Tea. I have you,” Cheyanne interrupted quietly.
"Well, come to bed with me and I'll show you how happy you make me," he whispered, his hands moving in slow circles on her back.
“I would love to,” Cheyanne promised as she leaned up to kiss him softly on the corner of his mouth. Slowly, she brought her kisses toward the center of his lips, teasingly nibbling affectionately.
Drawing her closer, Howie moved to the bed, his lips never leaving hers as he slowly began to unbutton her blouse. Sliding his fingers across her bare stomach, he jerked away when her cell phone began ringing. "If that's Austin…" he trailed with a sigh.
“It could be Dad and Momma about Cinnamon,” Cheyanne objected, reaching hurriedly into her back pocket to withdraw her slim cell phone to see who was calling.
Glancing down, Howie raised a brow when he saw his parents' number flashing on the ID. "I hope nothing's wrong…" he breathed, all sorts of horrible accidents flashing through his mind.
“Don’t even start with that mess,” Cheyanne chided as she flipped open the phone, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Hello?”
"Howard's going to kill me," Paula stated immediately. "And I am sorry for disturbing your date, but someone wanted to say good night…"
Sitting next to Cheyanne, Howie heard his mother's words. "Cinnamon's not in bed yet?!"
“Apparently not,” Cheyanne answered with a soft laugh, cupping a hand over Howie’s mouth to silence him. “It could just be your father wanting to say good night, too, y’know?”
Howie rolled his eyes, contenting himself with blowing a raspberry on Cheyanne's palm.
Paula laughed softly. "No, not Hoke—"
"Mama!" Olivia cooed in the background. "Mama ni-night!"
“That’s my favorite baby girl,” Cheyanne cooed in return as the phone was shuffled momentarily. “You have sweet dreams, Cinnamon Sweetness. Momma will see you when I get home, okay? I’ll cuddle you extra.”
"Otay. 'Iss Daddy, Mama! 'Ove you!" Olivia squealed happily, apparently no more desirous of going to bed than she had been when she woke up that morning.
“I love you too, Cinnamon,” Cheyanne promised with another laugh as the phone call ended and the other line hung up. She knew she’d be having quite a sleepy baby that next morning to snuggle with. Reaching to silence her phone and place it off to the side of the nightstand, she glanced back to her fiancé with a rueful smile. “Cinnamon said that I should kiss you and she’s going straight off to bed immediately!”
"Right, she's going to bed… Momma and Dad probably have her so wound up she won't sleep for the next week," Howie murmured with a chuckle, pulling her close. "But at least we know she's okay?"
“She is more than okay… She is deliriously happy,” Cheyanne laughed, shaking her head with amusement.
"Speaking of deliriously happy…" Howie trailed with a smile, cupping her cheek in his hand. "I believe I was about to show you how happy you make me?"
“Oh…” Cheyanne trailed with an adorable innocence as she undid the remaining buttons from her blouse, allowing it to slip off her shoulders. “So that’s why my shirt was half unbuttoned…”
