Woman over the edge, p.23
Woman Over the Edge,
p.23
“Can’t help it. I have a smoking hot wife.”
He pounced on top of her, hands braced on the mattress at her sides, and dipped down to claim her hot mouth with possessive kisses and fervent hands. She responded in kind, always eager, always insatiable. Their happy ending had been a long time coming, and he intended to take advantage of every second he could get. He touched her until she buckled and sang his name like a prayer. She’d become even more stunning since becoming his bride, making the thrill of watching her come apart for him almost too much to handle. Before he lost total control, he claimed her with one deep, long stroke of his hips.
Mine, he thought happily. Mine until the end of time.
They spent the afternoon lost in each other, only stopping long enough to eat and hydrate. They’d already christened every remodeled room in the house months earlier when he’d first moved in, but they did it again, only avoiding Gwen’s bedroom and ensuite bathroom. Mia hadn’t known it was possible to start every single morning feeling so blissfully happy. Waking to Ben’s handsome face, always seeing him naked and smiling, nearly moved her to tears.
As a soft dusting of snow fell outside the A-line of windows overlooking the lake, and Agnes Obel played a mesmerizing piano melody from the speakers, they cuddled under a blanket in front of the crackling fire. The once cold, bland cement fireplace had been replaced with natural stone that continued all the way up to the ceiling, and was accented by a reclaimed wooden mantel. The right to resume ownership of her family home and the resort had been a long, expensive process, even when Gwen had championed the idea. But the remodel had been so effortless, so satisfying. Mia had added little touches reminiscent of her mother’s style, but otherwise softened the interior with a tastefully modern twist.
The muscles in her face ached from constant smiles and laughter as her fingers dusted over the peaks and valleys of his hard body. She gave extra attention to the phoenix inked on his arm. The first painting she’d started on canvas to capture the mystical bird had been destroyed in the fire, but she’d since finished an illustration on aluminum. She’d given it to Ben on their wedding day, and he’d insisted on hanging it over their bed. “I’ve been meaning to ask you forever…what made you decide to get this tattoo?”
His blue eyes shot to hers, lit with a severity that curled her toes. “I got it while in the Corps. I decided I’d rise from my mistakes, and be nothing like my father. I’d be a better man. The kind of man who deserved you.”
“Ben,” she whispered, moving her fingertips to dust over his lips. “That’s incredibly sweet. But you’ve always deserved me.” Tears filled her eyes. “Maybe I’m the one who didn’t deserve you.”
“Quit talking nonsense, woman.” He bent down to steal another kiss. “I’d hate to force you into submission…again.”
When he lowered his mouth to hers, she stopped him with a hand braced between them. “Wait! Ben! I just thought of something!”
“This better be good,” he muttered teasingly, rolling back to his side. “We’re running out of time to fool around before our daughter returns from her hot date.”
“What do you think of the name, Phoenix?”
“Depends. For the puppy you’ve been begging me to get, or the upstanding specimen growing inside your gorgeous belly?” He bent to kiss her protruding stomach, then turned to press his ear against the taut skin. “What’s that, Phoenix? You like that name? Oh, you also want daddy to tickle mommy to make you do your little dance?” Ben’s eyebrows wiggled as he pressed his fingers against the sensitive spots just above her hips.
“No, Ben! Stop! Stoooop!” Giggling wildly, she rubbed circles against her large belly when Ben drew away, and the baby began to move. “Great. Now the little turkey is going to start kicking my bladder.”
“How’s your back today?” He wiggled a brow. “Want a massage?”
“It’s not too bad, actually.” On a sigh, she began to stroke her belly. “What was I thinking, volunteering to have your child when I’m nearing forty and have another kid headed off to college soon? I must be crazy.”
“Don’t call yourself that,” he warned, eyes dark. “No one calls my wife that.”
Heart fluttering with his possessive tone, she framed his face in her hands. “That’s not what I meant, you beautiful man, and you know it.”
“Doesn’t matter. When you agreed to marry me, I was convinced I’d die of joy. When you joined me on the lawn right outside wearing that smoking hot dress on the day of our wedding, I was certain I’d already died and gone to heaven. When you asked if I wanted to father a child with you, I’d never been so terrified of anything in my life. I knew there were fifty ways I could screw up the fatherhood thing.” He removed her hands from his face, feathering kisses across each of her palms. “But I knew you would keep me in check. You wouldn’t let me fail. You’re my rock, baby. You’ve been through some heavy situations that tried to break you again and again, but you rose above it and became even stronger.”
“Sometimes I don’t feel so strong.” Her lip trembled with a rush of emotion. “Do you think…I mean if there was a way he was looking down on us…do you think Gavin would think I was somehow trying to replace him?”
“Hell no.” He slipped an arm beneath her and brought her as close to him as her bump would allow. The warmth of his strong arms instantly softened the knot of regret in her belly. She buried her face against his chest, absorbing his scent with an overwhelming sense of belonging. “Listen to me, Mia. I never met your son, but from what you, and Liz, and Gwen have told me, I’m confident he adored his mother. He’d know by the pictures and memorabilia strewn all around this place that he’s forever in your heart. He’s smiling down on us right now, relieved to see you finally happy and living a life without fear.” He paused to brush his lips over her forehead. “Your sister too.”
The mention of Bella reminded her of the painfully long search for her sister’s remains after Dr. Martin had given them an approximate location. In the process, they’d located her former father-in-law’s other victims. What was left of Bella had been cremated, and she’d been scattered in the same location outside of the resort as their parents. It had been the first step toward Mia’s never-ending healing process, and wouldn’t have been possible if Ben hadn’t been so determined to make it happen. She’d been through so much heartache that sometimes paranoia that something bad was bound to happen at any moment became crippling. But she stayed on her medications, and was selling more paintings than ever before. Plus Gwen was thriving, which had calmed some of Mia’s worries. Her heart would always ache for her oldest son, but having Ben in her life made it a little easier to move forward.
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ALSO BY QUINN AVERY
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BEXLEY SQUIRES MYSTERIES
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What They Never Said
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Woman Over the Edge
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QUINN AVERY is an award-winning and Amazon bestselling author who has written over 38 novels, both romantic suspense and mystery/thriller. An avid fan of the beach, a good book, and Dave Grohl, she enjoys spending her free time with her favorite people and biggest fans…her husband and children. Quinn also writes romantic suspense as Jennifer Ann.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Sending a million thanks to the bloggers, librarians, and ARC readers for your support on this book! I don’t want to know where I’d be without you all!
Thank you to Najla Qamber for another beautiful cover, and for your continued patience with me through all these books. I’m so fortunate to have discovered your talent!
Sending a big shout-out to my editor, Jodi, for tackling two of my biggest projects to date in a row—you truly rock! Thank you for sticking with me all these years!
To my sweet friend Christy Freeberg for all you to to support my career, and for always being there—you can’t imagine how much you’re appreciated! You were a real trooper throughout this one!
A very special thank you to my dear friend Heidi Schiltz for getting inside Mia’s head with me…your professional feedback was much appreciated!
Many thanks to He Who Shall Not Be Named...your help was much appreciated!
To my friends and family, thank you for keeping my mental health in check as I wrote this one. I’m fortunate to have so many good, non-evil people in my life.
Quinn Avery, Woman Over the Edge
