Sunny's Love (19 page)

“Well, she may have to wait just a little while longer for that…I have enough trouble getting my wife alone the way
it is…” On that note, he took her in his arms and kissed her thoroughly. When he released her, he said, “Knowing you as I do, precious, I don’t expect you to have sex with me in the middle of the afternoon, with the entire staff and family in the house, wide awake and roaming about.”

“Thank you, I would be a little embarrassed to go back downstairs, knowing they all knew what was going on up here.”

He playfully smacked her bottom and said, “Get changed and we’ll get out of here for a bit.” He watched as she walked away.

“Free at last, Sunny…no work, no kids, no distractions…just me and my beautiful lady strolling on the beach.” He took her hand and led her to the sand.

“Just like our own little piece of heaven.” She glanced at him and saw he looked more relaxed than he had in weeks.

“Yes, I guess
it is. I remember walking with you on this very beach a little farther down last summer. A lot has happened since then, Sunny. Who would ever have thought we’d be like this, that night I took you to dinner and brought you to the beach?”

“It did all happen very quickly didn’t it?”

He stopped and took her in his arms, kissing her passionately. “I remember two lovers walking in front of us that night, doing what we just did.”

She giggled
. “I remember that, too. I remember being very jealous of them. I wanted you to take me to bed that night. Of course I never would have told you that back then.”

“You did…way back then? It’s a damn good thing you didn’t let on.”

They strolled quietly for the next hour, stopping to pick up seashells and listening to the waves. When it was time to go back to the house to join the others for dinner she told him, “Thank you so much for being you, Chase. You’re everything I could have hoped for in a husband.”

“Oh…Sunny…” He put his arm around her waist and pulled her close. “I’m so glad to hear you say that.” He kissed her again, a sweet
, yet passionate kiss that should have told her exactly how he felt about her. “You sure you don’t want to skip dinner with the family and find a hotel?” he joked.

“I think we’d better go back. We have our nights…but what I wouldn’t have given last summer to hear you say that.” She laughed as she looked into his green eyes.

“The part about the hotel, Sunny, you wouldn’t have gone to a hotel with me even if I’d asked that night and you know it. No matter how much you say you wanted to, you wouldn’t have.”

“You’re probably right about that…but that doesn’t mean I didn’t think about it.”

“See, I know you so well. You’re a good girl, except when we’re alone, and I think that’s one of your most endearing qualities.”

“
Does this mean you’re giving me free reign to be naughty when we’re alone?”

“I don’t think you need my permission for that…you do quite well at being naughty.”

“And you like that?”

“Sunny…only you…only you could excite me the way you do…no one else…ever. When I told you I would be faithful to you forever, I had no idea it would be so easy. Not that I would ever stray…you know I never did with Brittney
, and we had a very rocky marriage. Even if you and I weren’t so in sync, I’d never do that to you. But you make it easy…it wasn’t always so easy with Britt. Did that make any sense? I’m sort of rambling here.”

“See, you have your principles too. I like to keep our
spicy love life behind closed doors, and you’re loyal, no matter what. Maybe we really are a good match after all.”

“There
’s not a doubt in my mind.” He grinned at her, the special grin reserved just for her.

“Oh, here we are back at the beach house already. Thank you for the walk and for the talk, Chase.”

“Anytime, baby, anytime,” he said as he opened the back door of the house.

“Well, it’s about time you two got back. We thought we were going to
have to send out a search party,” Alma said as they walked into the kitchen.

“Were we gone very long? It didn’t seem like it
,” Sunny replied, looking at her watch.

“It’s
all right, honey, it’s just that it’s starting to get dark. We were debating about letting the kids go ahead and eat. Dinner’s ready. If you two had a nice time and got to spend some time alone, then more power to you. I just had to tease you a little, because it embarrasses you so.”

Chase threw his head back and chuckled
. “They’ve all got your number, baby.”

“I don’t think getting embarrassed easily is such a bad thing,” she retorted.

“It’s not. It’s just another one of your endearing little quirks. Let’s not keep them waiting any longer. Besides, I’m starved.” And as they walked into the dining room, he whispered, “For more than just food.”

They spent the rest of the evening with their family
. And when they retired for the evening, Sunny properly satisfied his hunger for her as only she could do.

On Christmas Eve
Chase and Sunny picked Laura up at the airport and the festivities began. The women worked in the kitchen while the men kept Ali and Brice from being underfoot. The two little ones were very excited and Chase finally came up with a plan to take them for a walk. Maybe by getting them out of the house, the women could get things ready for the evening.

Sunny enjoyed the day, busily readying things for the children. They were all
planning to attend Christmas Eve services at the church Sunny and Chase had been married in. After the service, they would return home for a light dinner and a family gift exchange. Christmas morning was reserved for Ali and Brice. Sunny had told them all, she wanted to spend the morning enjoying their excitement, when they saw the things Santa had brought them.

“Mama Sunny, can you fix my hair?” Ali came skipping into the master bedroom carrying a hairbrush and a ribbon.

“I sure can, sweetie, sit here on the edge of the bed for me.” She brushed the little girl’s long, blonde hair, pulled the sides up and securing it with a ponytail holder she took from her nightstand drawer. She tied the red satin ribbon around it. “There you go, look in the mirror and see if it’s okay.”

“It’s pretty. Thanks.” She skipped back out of the room as Chase walked in, smiling.

“She looks happy.”

“I brushed her hair
,” Sunny answered as she continued getting ready for church.

“And that’s all it takes…you have her wrapped around your little finger, don’t you?”

“More like she has me wrapped around hers. Come here and I’ll tie your tie for you. You always seem to get the knot just a little crooked.”

“Are you insinuating, Mrs. Dupont, that before I met you, I wore crooked ties?”

“If the shoe, or rather tie, fits…” She laughed, as she finished the knot and kissed him before turning to finish getting ready.

They were
greeted enthusiastically by many of the local people when they arrived at church. After a beautiful service, they drove back to the beach house.

“Kids, you need to settle down. We
’re going to eat a little bit before we open our gifts. Ali, why don’t you set the table and Brice go see what Daddy’s doing,” Sunny told the children as she was taking food out of the refrigerator.

After a quick bite, they all assembled in the living room where Chase began doling out the gifts. He saved his gift for Sunny until last.

She had bought him a new watch, which he immediately put on his wrist. She’d had the words
Our Time
engraved on the back. “Sunny, it’s so appropriate. This is our time.”

He handed her a small box
. With the others watching, she opened it. There was a small white box and inside the box a blue velvet box. When she opened it, she gasped. “Chase, oh…it’s perfect.” She took the tiny ring out of the box and slipped it onto her right hand. She proudly showed it to the rest of the family as they admired it. It was a family ring with the birthstones of Chase, Sunny, Ali, and Brice embedded into a beautiful setting.

“I’m glad you like it,
baby, and there’s room for another stone or two, should we ever need it.”

“Now you’re talking,
son,” Marty said approvingly.

Laura laughed.
“I think your mom is hinting, Chase.”

“She throws those hints every now and again, Laura
. We just ignore her for now.”

“Well at least he said for now
,” Marty replied.

“They’ll surprise us one day with a big announcement, Marty
,” Laura answered. She looked at her daughter and son-in-law and smiled. “Until then, let’s just let them be newlyweds.”

“They’ve got that down pat
,” Marty replied.

Sunny blushed. Chase laughed.

Alma and Alice offered to clean up the mess of wrapping paper and bows. Chase announced it was time for two munchkins to get ready for bed so Santa could visit.

“Mama Sunny and I will read The Night
before Christmas to you if you get your baths now.”

“Daddy, it’s Mama now
,” Ali said solemnly.

“What,
princess?” Chase asked, not sure what she meant.

“Not Mama Sunny, just Mama now.”

“Yeah, she’s my mama,” Brice chimed in.

Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing.

Tears welled up in Sunny’s blue eyes as they met Chase’s green ones. He gestured for her to come to him. Putting his arm around her, he said, “Little one, is that what you want?” He looked at his daughter kindly.

“Yes.” Ali ran to Sunny and hugged her. Sunny leaned down and kissed the top of her daughter’s head.

“Ali, you can call me Mama if you want.”

“Can I?” Brice asked, watching the scene unfolding in front of him.

Chase scooped the small boy up in his arms and said, “Of course you can, Master Brice.” He leaned over so Brice could kiss Sunny.

“Let’s go see about those baths now.” Sunny took Ali’s hand and Chase carried Brice
as they walked up the stairs, leaving the rest of the group watching in awe.

When the children had been bathed and read to, said their prayers
, and had been properly kissed and tucked in, Chase and Sunny went to their own bedroom.

”
That was quite a Christmas present, wasn’t it?” Chase asked as he sat on the bed.

“The best ever, I
’ll never forget it.”

“It kind of makes what I had in mind pale in comparison.”

“What do you mean, what you had in mind? Your ring is beautiful. It was a very touching gesture, as well.”

“I was planning to give you your real Christmas present
, later tonight, after Santa makes his visit to the Christmas tree.”

“Really, now…and what might that be?”

“Me.” He grinned wickedly.

“And that would only make this Christmas even more perfect. I’d say, Santa, we have a date after you make your midnight run.”

“So, Mrs. Claus, you’ll be waiting for me when I return?”

“I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”

“Come here, baby, let me give you a preview.” She fell into his arms as he kissed her with a promise of things to come.

And that Christmas Eve, her first as Mrs. Chase Dupont, Sunny felt more loved than she had since she was a child. It was purely magical and later
, as she slept in her lover’s arms, he whispered, “Merry Christmas, my only love.”

***
*

“Don’t you want to play, Mama?” Chase looked over at her
from the Sorry board game going on New Year’s Eve.

“I’m content to sit here with my cup of herbal tea and cookies and watch you.”

He smiled and went back to helping Ali and Brice play their game.

They are my family and they are perfect. I couldn’t have asked for a better holiday. I love them all so much.

When the clock struck midnight, Chase pulled her into his arms and kissed her. For once, Sunny didn’t care that everyone else was watching. After all, it was the start of a new year.

“Goodnight, everyone, I’m taking my wife to bed now.” Chase chuckled
, as Sunny turned red and everyone else just shook their heads. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her up the stairs.

“I couldn’t resist, you aren’t angry with me are you?”
he asked as he deposited her on the bed.

“No, I’m not angry. I’m getting used to all the teasing by now.”

“So, since I’m not in the doghouse, does that mean I get to ravish you for the first time this year? It’s a whole new year now.”

“Ravish away…I’m not going anywhere.”

“Want to take a bubble bath?”

“Can you do it quietly?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“We get a tad bit noisy splashing around.”