Page 102 of The Reluctant Wife

I’ve also deployed anti-drone technology that will jam signals, prevent footage from being captured, and disable any electronic foreign object that comes within miles of the perimeter of the island.

The measures are stringent enough to satisfy even me.

Our bags are packed and already in the car. Once we’re inside, I pull her close, and by the time we reach the marina to board the yacht which will take us to the island, she’s asleep. I carry her onto the boat and sit down in the cabin with her in my lap. I hold my precious burden close all the way to the island. When we arrive, I carry her out onto the jetty, then into the golf cart.

I hold her in my lap while Tyler drives us to the two-story house set back from the beach.

It’s almost two a.m. by the time I carry her up the stairs and place her in our bed.

I remove her stilettos. Then, because I don’t want to wake her up, I leave the dress she changed into before we left the palace. Finally, I cover her up with a duvet. She doesn’t stir.

The dark circles under her eyes tell me she’s wiped out.

I slip back out to talk to Tyler. He’s already placed our bags inside the house and is waiting by the doorway.

I step out and shake his hand. "Thanks, bro."

"Anytime," he says in a gruff voice.

Then, because I’m overcome by brotherly love for this man, thanks to whom I am able to steal a few days away with my bride, I hug him. "I’m not sure how I can thank you."

"By getting some downtime and letting me and the rest of the team do the heavy lifting for a few days."

I squeeze the back of his neck. "I owe you. A lot."

"Oh, I’ll collect on it." He smirks. Then his features grow serious. "We’ll find this person who poses a risk to the Duchess. We’re close; I can feel it."

"Are you sure you and Quentin want to be on guard duty personally?"

Both volunteered to lead teams who’d be on unmarked boats patrolling the waters around the island. He looks at me like I’mcrazy. "Are you kidding? Of course, we want to be on guard personally. The wedding has been so high profile that you two are top of mind, even for those who might not have thought about you as a target. So yes, we’ll be on the boats. We’ll maintain distance, so we can give you guys your privacy while keeping an eye on any approaching vessels or unauthorized drones." He claps my shoulder. "Not even a fly can get in or out of the island without us being alerted."

Some of the tension bleeds out of my muscles. I hold out my hand. "Thanks, man."

"You bet." He squeezes my palm, then nods toward the house. "Best get some rest. You look beat." He steps back. "We’ll be back in three days to pick you up. If you need anything?—"

"I’ll call." I jerk my chin.

He turns the golf cart around and drives off into the night. Tyler was the best of us in the Marines. But he left it all behind to look after his daughter. It’s been an adjustment for him to become a single father, but there hasn't been a word of complaint from him. If anyone deserves to find happiness, it’s him.

And me? Am I happy?

I look inside and realize I feel calmer than I have in years. Being with her feels right. It feels like I’ve spent my entire life searching for her, and now that I have her, I’ll do everything to keep her safe.

I owe it to her to give her the most incredible honeymoon. The kind that will surpass all of her expectations. The kind that will satisfy her in every way and give her memories she’ll never be able to beat with another man. I lower my hands to my sides and stare into the darkness.Another man.I’ll never be able to see her with another man. Not when I’m the only one who can take care of her. No one else can protect her like I can. No one else can love her the way I do.Love?I stiffen.

When did that happen? Was it when I saw her walking down the aisle? Or when I slipped the ring on her finger? Or when I swore to love and protect her for the rest of my life?Or when I felt her come around my cock and realized nothing was as satisfying or as gratifying as pleasuring my wife. And it feels so completely different from what I had with Jane.

It feels so much more real with Aura. So much more earthy, and dirty, and fierce, and heartfelt. Every time I kiss her, my soul hitches. Every time I touch her, my body recognizes her. Every time I kiss her, my heart insists, she’s mine. Only mine.

Footsteps sound and I turn to find my wife approaching. “I missed you,” she says a voice husky with sleep.

A sensation unlike anything I've ever felt before—something so filling, so all-pervasive, so gratifying, something so caring it melts my heart, yet so tinged with lust, it turns my cock to stone—envelops me.

I bend and sweep her up in my arms. “You should be in bed.”

50

Aurelia

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