I had the idea for this story ever since Stephanie asked Ranger where he was taking her for her birthday in 'The Perfect Celebration'. I combined info and images from various sites and youtube videos, and used my imagination for the rest to create a vacation I think Ranger and Steph would enjoy. Everyone and everything familiar belongs to Janet. The mistakes are mine. Warnings for a little light smut.
"Ranger, you do realize that we should be going to Tahiti on our honeymoon, not just to escape a Jersey winter, don't you?"
"Why should we wait? You said you wanted to go and I have some time free, so we're going now. It just makes sense."
"But what if we have such a good time, our honeymoon sucks in comparison?"
He looked over at me from his seat next to mine on the plane. "Are you really worried about that?"
I blew out a sigh. "No."
"And we're only touching down in Tahiti on our way to Bora Bora, so it is still an option for a honeymoon."
Semantics, I thought, but I hadn't been complaining for real. How could I be? Spending any amount of time anywhere with Ranger is fine with me. We didn't even have to leave our apartment for me to be happy.
New Year's Day, or as I renamed it ... 'the day I got engaged' had been a busy one. Since we got up late, we enjoyed a celebratory brunch made for us by an ecstatic Ella. I think she was just as excited as I was once Ranger stated why we weren't stupid for getting engaged.
After that, we had a late lunch at my parents' house, which was ... interesting. Ranger was completely unfazed by everyone talking over each other. I'd still been in a state of shock, and my mother was beside herself, not sure if she was glad that I was finally getting married or upset that I was marrying someone she hadn't picked.
Morelli hadn't been her choice either at first, but he was at least familiar. Ranger makes her uncomfortable on many levels, and I'd be lying if I said that isn't part of his charm. I wouldn't be madly in love with him for that alone, though. And over sandwiches and freshly-brewed coffee, I think that may have finally seeped into my mom's skepticism. My dad seemed fine with our engagement. All he told Ranger was to take care of me or he'd be sorry.
That had both Ranger and I smiling, since my dad can't do anything to him. That had been part of Joe's beef with him. Nothing touched Ranger. Even when he'd been an FTA himself, running from what turned out to be a phony murder charge, he was found only when he wanted to be. And he also cleared himself without their help or knowledge of where he'd been hiding out while he did it. My getting shot by the supposedly dead Ramos helped, but the police had been notified only after the fact.
The Manosos were a breeze compared to my parents' awkward attempt at normalcy. Most likely because they are normal. Celine and Nico Manoso are as memorable as their son, and they didn't seem to mind me being part of their family indefinitely. I was relieved about that because I'm not going anywhere ... except to Bora Bora apparently.
Our flight had included a few stopovers, and it did feel like we'd been in the air for almost fourteen hours, but as soon as we landed in Tahiti and took our last flight of the day out to the island, I knew I would've flown another twelve hours to reach this place. We were greeted with fresh leis by someone from the resort we'd be staying at, and we all took a boat to get to our own private bungalow. The water here was like nothing I've ever seen before. The dark blue ocean melded into turquoise lagoons as it neared land.
"I'm warning you now, I'm not leaving this place," I said, as we pulled up to the dock that's one step closer to our accommodations.
"You say that now, but you'll miss everyone back home soon enough."
Ranger gave me a hand to help me step off the mildly rocking boat, and we and our bags were taken to our home for the week. Our greeter - a beautiful woman around Ella's age who appeared to love her job and the island - opened the door and gave us a brief tour of the good-sized bungalow.
It included a small kitchen, living room, bathroom big enough to fit a soaking tub, and a large bedroom, all decorated with Polynesian flair. There was actually gifts, courtesy of the resort, left for us on the bed. And after a genuine sounding 'We hope you enjoy your stay with us', Ranger and I were left alone with the passkey and a list of activities this particular place provided, along with the times they would be available to us.
"What do you want to do first?" Ranger asked me.
"Get out of these clothes," I told him, thinking that Bora Bora is light years away from Trenton in pretty much every single way.
The air here is smog-free. The weather is currently hot and dry, not at all like the cold, gray, icy days we've been suffering through until Ranger told me we were leaving it. It was hard to decide what to wear this morning because we'd be leaving Antarctica and heading to paradise, and my jeans are already sticking to me.
"We seem to be thinking along the same lines," he said, pulling me to him. "I also want you to get out of those clothes."
His lips started at the corner of my mouth and skimmed down my neck and into the neckline of my t-shirt. His hands slid under it, and one went north while the other headed south. What the hell? We can see what's beyond our bedroom later. He took me down to the king-sized bed and cooled me off by removing all my clothes before making me hot all over again when he took off his.
Turns out, there's a lot to do outside of our bed. It is as comfy as ours back home. The bathroom matches the penthouse's in terms of luxuriousness. And the mini-bar section of the kitchen was stocked. Staying holed up here until it was time to go home wouldn't be a hardship, but I haven't traveled much in the thirty plus years of my life, and I want to see everything I can in between enjoying Ranger's naked body.
He had booked us a flight well before what I consider morning hours. And though I'd been tired and a bit grumpy when he woke me up in order to get ready to leave, I appreciated his foresight. He'd planned it so I could sleep a little on the plane and still be able to sightsee once we arrived. When he decided that I was thoroughly 'relaxed' from his ministrations, we got out of bed and started getting dressed for dinner.
Leave it to Batman to find the most exclusive restaurant on the island and get us reservations, which I soon found out usually had to be made weeks - or sometimes even months - in advance. I bypassed the tank tops and shorts I'd packed, and went straight for the little cream-colored dress I'd included, knowing that Ranger would have something special in mind for at least one of our nights here. It had a flirty skirt that hit mid-thigh, with a small top underneath a flowy, sleeveless lace overlay. I added a pair of nude D'Orsay pumps, twisted my curls up into something presentable, and added a coat of mascara and lipstick, then left the bathroom.
Ranger also dressed up, choosing dark gray dress pants and a white linen shirt. If it was anyone else, the clothes would've been wrinkled beyond repair, but not his. Or maybe his muscles being so pronounced just stretched any wrinkle out of the material as soon as it made contact.
The restaurant had amazing views of the sunset happening all around us. And I had to admit that the food was good, even centering around vegetables and fruit instead of carbs and fat. The tables were cloth-covered, the lighting was made up mostly by candlelight, and the wine was expensive. I've had grocery store reds, and I've drank glasses of Ranger's stash, so I can tell high-end from bargain-basement in one sip.
"What do you have set for tomorrow?" I asked him, once our salad hit the table.
"You're assuming that I have something worked out?"
"Yep. I am. So what is it?"
"You interested in parasailing?"
"Is that where you go from a moderately safe boat to flying stupidly high above it?"
"Yes."
"Would you be with me? Or would I be potential shark bait all by myself."
"I'd be going up with you."
I thought about it for a full sixty seconds and then let the Wonder Woman in me come out.
"Well ... if anyone can save me when disaster strikes, it's you, so I'll give it a try. If I chicken out tomorrow, you're not allowed to make fun of me."
"I'll start thinking up other things to do to you instead. How's that?"
Maybe I'll say I'm scared even if I'm not just to see what he came up with.
After my dessert was eaten, Ranger paid for the short ride back to where we're staying, and we crossed the walkways to get to our cabin. He draped an arm across my shoulders as I snaked one around his waist. This is the type of exercise I can see myself doing every day without one iota of complaint.
Without even having to check with each other, we walked through the living area to the chairs on the back deck. Ranger sat down in one of the larger ones and tugged me down next to him. I slid off my shoes and tossed them nearby, and then his arm was securely around me again, holding me close. We stayed that way until the stars had all come out one by one.
Sleepily, I stood and held out my hand. He took it and we headed inside to our bedroom, the bed, and eventually each other.
The next morning after breakfast, instead of his usual gym workout, Ranger decided that doing laps under and around our sleeping quarters would be fun.
"Can't I just stay here and track your progress through the peekaboo floors?"
Each room had a pretty big section of the hardwood floor removed and it had been replaced with Plexiglass panels so you could see the crystal clear water we were sleeping above. If we were anywhere else, I'd be worried I'd wake up to find a skip's ugly mug pressed into it.
"No," Ranger answered. "Why are you staring at the floor like that?"
"I'm not saying it out loud in case that makes it actually happen. You know, you're not really supposed to swim right after eating."
"The water is only comes to your waist close to shore. If you feel like you're about to drown, just stand up."
Maybe that's why he's so freakin' attractive ... so you'd overlook the fact that someone with all the answers is pretty annoying.
"Okay, let me change and I'll meet you outside."
He kissed me and then went out the glass doors to the stairs that allowed guests access to the lagoon whenever they wanted. Although the bungalows are all linked by connecting pathways, there's enough space between them that I sometimes forgot we weren't completely alone here.
I chose a black bikini and swapped out Ranger's shirt with it. He was already in the water when I joined him. He spotted me immediately, and his eyes ran up and down the length of my body before he opened his arms.
"Go ahead and jump, Babe," he told me. "I've got you."
He always catches me when I'm about to fall, and this time was no different. I jumped off the first step of the ladder and his arms had me a nanosecond later.
"Maybe I'll just add to your workout," I said into his neck, "and let you lug me around."
His trunks were nondescript, but the layer upon layer of mocha muscle above, below, and under, them made them seem unnaturally sexy. I changed my mind about his sexiness when in response to my workout comment, he separated his arms and my ass suddenly hit water.
It wasn't really cold so I stayed where I was. "That wasn't nice."
"I never claimed to be nice. You ready to move?"
"Yeah," I said, getting to my feet. "Wait a second ... are we being surrounded?"
"Yes. These are butterfly fish. They won't hurt you."
I looked down at my legs as a couple of the white, black, and yellow, fish swam around them.
"This really is pretty incredible," I told him, after a few seconds of staring at them. "I should've brought my phone out here."
He closed the distance between us and slid his arms around my waist from behind, also watching the fish with his chin resting on my shoulder.
"I don't want you to spend the time we have here documenting our vacation," he told me. "I'd rather you fully experience and enjoy it."
"We could go home tomorrow and I'd honestly be able to tell everyone that I had a great time, but I get what you're saying."
"Good. Now stop stalling and get moving," he said, and gave me a playful whack on the behind before swimming off.
"Better watch your back, Batman," I said, when he stopped to check my progress. "I will get even."
"That sounds vaguely familiar," he told me from a few feet away.
"It should. You said that when I sicced Mrs. Apusenja on you ... except you never did get even."
"There are all different forms of payback."
"Oh, yeah? What was yours?"
"You lied to her, saying that I needed a place, and I wound up getting you out of yours."
Hmm, I hadn't thought of that. He sneakily maneuvered me and Rex out of my apartment and into his. He also secretly bought a house near the beach I love, which thankfully survived a Frankenstorm requiring only minor repairs. And the biggest trick of all, had been him convincing me to get married again.
"So my new life with you is payback?" I asked, as I started towards him.
"For both of us."
I'd take that.
We swam as far as we could out into the lagoon. I was more interested in the scenery around me than exercise, but to keep my eyes on Ranger's muscled body, I had to keep up with it. And I was doing a pretty good job of it until I saw a small shark too close for comfort, then I was suddenly ready to call it a morning.
"It's a blacktip reef shark, and it's a juvenile one. It wasn't going to eat you, Steph."
"What if it's a juvenile delinquent shark? He might think I taste good."
"You do taste good, which is why you're in far more danger from me than the shark."
"Really?"
"Yes. So you might want to tell me your plans for the day before I try to persuade you to spend the rest of it in our room."
We'd reached our stairs by that point and I sat on one while Ranger stood in front of me. I stretched my legs out in the water and crossed my ankles behind his knees, edging him closer.
"You want to stay in bed, too?" He asked.
"Yeah, but we should do some touristy stuff while we're here. I figure we might as well be comfy while we discuss what to do."
"I'm feeling less than comfortable at the moment."
I could feel the evidence of that against my bikini bottoms. I looked down at where our bodies were touching.
"I suppose we can talk just as well in the shower," I suggested.
His lips were suddenly hovering over mine. "Good plan."
I scrambled to my feet and he was right behind me. My top was removed before we got to the bathroom, and his hands were tackling the remaining fabric a beat later. He's proven that he's good in the shower in the past, and I found out that he's also pretty good one-handed, while the other one was busy getting the water running.
I was lucky to have both hands free to do whatever the heck I wanted. And I did. I ran my fingertips down the ridges of his back as he turned to adjust the temperature. And I did the same to his front as soon as he was facing me again. I managed to work my hand into his trunks, but didn't get much further than a few teasing strokes. He circled an arm around my waist, picked me up, and deposited me in the shower. The water was heating up my head and back, and once his suit was gone, Ranger's mouth took care of warming the rest of me.
When we were sated, dry, and redressed, we decided to check out the entire island.
"We can do it by helicopter, guided 4x4 safari, boat, or rent something on our own," Ranger informed me.
"I'd probably learn more with a guided tour, but I like the idea of exploring at our own speed ... just the two of us."
"Let's go then."
We rented a motorcycle/moped thing that is a staple here on the island, and we took every road, path, and beach turnoff. Being plastered to Ranger's back as he drove us everywhere was great, getting the opportunity to do it in paradise was even better. I didn't need a camera. I'm positive I'll remember every moment of this trip until I'm dead.
I squeezed my arms tighter around him, laid my cheek against his shoulder blade, and took note of everything we passed by. We stopped at a couple different areas of the beach, and I was surprised by my interest in what was going on below the surface of the water.
We've already seen crabs scrambling in the sand and tons more fish than what had been swimming by our bungalow this morning.
"Would you like to try out snorkeling while we're here?" Ranger asked, after I'd waded out again as far as my shorts would allow.
"Not if I have to wear goggles and flippers to do it. I do want to feed the stingrays, though. That sounds like fun."
"We can do that after parasailing tomorrow."
"Sounds good. I'd like to see one of those shows with the fire twirlers. Right now, though, I'm looking forward to a drink with an umbrella sticking out of it."
"You could go for one of those anytime," he told me.
"So? They automatically make you feel like you're celebrating something ... what's wrong with that? This place inspires all kinds of celebratory feelings."
"I'm glad you feel that way."
"Because you brought us here?"
"Partly," he said.
I raised my eyebrows at him, but he didn't say anything else on the subject. I decided to let it go. He'll tell me when he's ready to. One thing I've figured out from being with him, is that you don't always have to push to get questions answered.
We went back to our place and changed into beachwear. I'd like Ranger's big hands rubbing sunblock all over me. And I wanted someone to put a huge, fruity drink in my hand. And in that order, too.
I located the two beach chairs furthest away from the other guests, not wanting to ruin the Tarzan/Jane ... us being the only people in the jungle delusion I had going. Ranger thoroughly covered me with his hands and also some sunblock, before conjuring up a member of the resort staff carrying something with alcohol and an umbrella in it. There was a skewer loaded with fruit balancing across the top of it so I was actually being healthy by consuming it.
"You look like you're enjoying yourself," Ranger commented, lying half-naked on the chaise beside me.
I now understood the meaning of 'Beach God'. I was looking at a living, breathing, epitome of one right now. His abs and chest are impressive and incredible, and the multiple muscles rippled every time he moved. His skin appeared even more delicious with the sun shining down on it. And when he lifted his own drink to his mouth - sparkling mineral water that was umbrella-less - his bicep popped out enough to make me almost drop my glass.
"I think it's actually illegal here not to enjoy yourself," I told him, trying to get my mind off his body for a few seconds. "I think there's probably a jail-style building at the base of Mount Otemanu just to put tourists who bitch at all about being here."
"You want to climb it?" He asked me.
I had a sinking feeling that he was talking about the mountain, not my fake jail. And the pit of dread in my stomach told me he wasn't kidding at all about climbing it. Scaling a freakin' mountain is just the sort of thing an ex-Army Ranger would find fun.
"Is it hard?" I asked.
"Yes."
"Do you think I can do it?"
"Yes," he said again.
I blew out an uneasy breath. "I'll try if this is something you'd like to do. I don't know if I'll make it to the top, but I'll go as far as I can. I don't want all the ass-kicking you and the guys have laid on me to be for nothing."
"Your gym hours haven't been 'for nothing'. You can take down someone the size of Cal now."
"Yep. I can. I did apologize repeatedly for hitting him. I didn't mean to."
"If he hadn't underestimated your right hook, he could have easily blocked it. He paid for that mistake like he was supposed to. He'll know better next time."
Zero and Manny had been in the gym at the time, and had witnessed it. I'm betting he'll never let himself relax around me again once everybody at Rangeman gets done teasing him.
"If we attempt Mount Kick My Ass, I am bringing my phone. If, by some miracle, I manage to drag myself all the way up, I want proof so the guys will stop picking on my 'girly' workouts."
"I suggest you just punch all of them like you did Cal. You don't need a phone for that ... unless you want it to be more painful, which would get your point across faster."
"You're always looking for a way of inflicting pain on someone, aren't you?"
"It doesn't hurt to have a strategy in place for every situation."
"Words to live by, but let's get back to our vacation ... so tomorrow starts with a morning swim, then parasailing, followed by stingray feeding?"
"If you don't think that's too many activities for one day."
"We only have a few days left here, so we have to cram in a lot in a very short amount of time. We'll tackle the mountain the day after tomorrow. That leaves us two days open before we head home."
"I'm sure I can come up with something that will fill up the time."
"Renting jet skis?"
"If you'd like. Though I may have something better."
Then he stopped talking.
"Well?" I asked. "Are you planning on sharing your suggestion?"
"No. And your drink is getting warm."
I knew I wouldn't be getting anymore info, and he was right ... I've been neglecting my drink. Which I'm sure is another jailable offense here. Once that was gone, we moved from our own little beach spot and went to find lunch. The show I wanted to see was scheduled for the following night, so Ranger and I did rent jet skis so we could investigate more than just our section of the lagoon.
Once we climbed off our water vehicles, we swam some more and I even braved the snorkeling stuff just so I could say that I did everything offered here. Although a few gray clouds had drifted by and blocked the sun occasionally, the weather held and we were able to stay out almost the entire afternoon.
The other great thing about this place; aside from the beaches, the food, and unlimited sun, is that you aren't expected to get really dressed up for most things. Damp ponytails and no makeup are almost a requirement, since people only seem to leave the beach when it's time to eat. And guests frequently order something they can eat while sitting on a sandy blanket.
I did leave my curls down for dinner, and added some waterproof mascara to my eyelashes and lip gloss to my mouth. I wanted to look like I put in a little effort. Then I slipped into a short, racerback dress and a pair of strappy heels.
The show was sponsored by the resort so we didn't have to figure in the drive. We were shown a table, and it wasn't long after our food was served that the entertainment started. There was a line of women who looked like they were doing an elaborate version of the hula, yet different. When their performance was finished, guests were invited to join them on stage for an impromptu dance lesson. I wasn't going to embarrass myself or Ranger by attempting to dance like they did in front of everybody, but I was struck by the beauty of it as I watched one of the older dancers demonstrate the proper steps to a couple younger than us.
"I wish I could get my hips to move like that," I whispered to Ranger.
"Your hips do that and much more when they're in close proximity to mine, Babe."
I felt my cheeks heat up, but I couldn't argue it. Nothing behaved when he was near me.
When the fire dancers came out onto the small stage, one thought was forefront in my mind.
"If Lula was here," I told him, "her hair would've already caught fire twice by now."
"Let's not ruin the moment by picturing Lula doing anything."
He was right, it was scary thinking about the damage she could do to the island. After all the food and dancing was done, we went back to our bungalow and sat outside until I felt sleepy enough to drag Ranger back inside with me.
The following day was going to be a busy yet exciting one. We started by having breakfast delivered so we could eat on our patio. Then we were scheduled to go 'flying'. When I was little, jumping off the garage roof seemed like a good idea. Years later, I have a few reservations about being that far off the ground. We met our instructors and I subtly crossed myself before climbing onto the boat as an added safety precaution. It couldn't hurt. A few minutes after that, we were out in the middle of the water getting strapped to what looked like a giant dinner napkin.
"Uhh ... maybe this isn't such a good idea," I said, eyeing the harness that would - in theory - keep me from plummeting to my death.
Ranger, having been attached - and exposed - to stuff far scarier than this, assured me that parasailing is a safe activity.
"You promise?" I asked, studying him along with the other men around us, looking for any sign that they're not all screwing with me here.
"I promise."
I let out a shaky breath and nodded that I was ready. Ranger and I walked ourselves off the back of the boat, and then we became airborne. It took me a couple seconds to get used to it, but I had to admit, the higher we got, the more beautiful the view became.
"Thank you," I said to Ranger.
"For making sure you did this?"
"Yeah. Lester's going to be pissed that he's in a parka shoveling snow while we're in summer clothes looking at this."
Similar to being on the plane, from this vantage point you could see the various water colors blending into each other. Light blue, dark blue, and even sections of bluish/green, water ... this place has it all. Along with coral reefs that we saw before getting too high up, small sand bars, and more trees than you'd think were on the island.
When our soaring time came to an end, we were caught and pulled back onto the boat. And though I would've liked to have gone back up ... maybe ... there were other things I want to do. Now I understand why I'm not rich. It would be far too easy to just get up every morning and play. We weren't sitting on our butts in beach chairs all day, but what Ranger and I are choosing to do during our week here definitely feels more like play than work.
After going back 'home' to change into bathing suits, we fed what was called a 'fever' of stingrays. We were given food to hand them and told exactly how to do it. I hadn't been prepared for how used to people, how hungry, and just how pushy, they are. One practically finned his way up my entire body to get more snacks.
"That one was getting a little too friendly," I said to Ranger, moving closer to him so I could use his big body as a stingray shield.
"I'd chose to be all over you, too."
"But you're not interested in any food I could provide."
"Since you've never shown an interest in cooking, I don't have to limit myself to kitchen requests."
And just like that, he made everything around me disappear. I'm probably the only person who'd say flirting is a superpower, but Ranger is unmatched when it comes to verbal foreplay. But before I could lock him with me inside our bedroom, we're due to check out one place that's recommended by every person who has visited the island ... if we can get a table.
I'm glad we did get inside after a reasonable wait. I could tell by looking at the dinner menu why Ranger was okay with coming here. Every supper choice automatically comes with a tossed green salad, steamed vegetables, steamed rice, and fresh fruit. It's a healthoholics dream.
"We definitely have to check out the bar at least once before we go home," I said, as we were still going over the menu.
"Is it your goal to have a drink in every place we visit?"
It was a legitimate question.
"I like to stick to goals that are attainable," I told him. "We should come back tomorrow and celebrate our mountain ascent."
"It's a date. What are you ordering?"
"Something I didn't swim with this morning."
We both went with grilled shrimp for an appetizer, and the restaurant's signature fish plate for the main course. We enjoyed our food and then spent the remainder of the night sitting on the stairs behind our bungalow, listening to the water hit the ones leading down into it. When it was completely dark out, Ranger tugged me inside and the sound of the water was replaced by the sound of our bodies coming together.
It didn't take me long to figure out after I moved in with Ranger, that waking up in the morning is easy to do when you've got someone and something you love waiting for you. I was actually up before the sun the following morning, and Ranger came with me to the beach so we could watch it rise over the water before heading to the base of Mount Otemanu.
The climb seemed easy enough when we first started out, except for having to crawl under or over downed trees and dense vegetation, but then it turned into something I was sure no one could - or should - do. And Rambo here beside me looked like he was just taking a friggin' stroll through Central Park.
I wanted to go back down or stay right where I was until he got to the top alone and then came to pick me up, but part of me needed to complete this no matter how bad I was aching, sweating, and swearing. That took longer than I know it should have, but I eventually reached the top, thanks to Ranger talking me through the most challenging sections of it.
He and I have had a lot to conquer in our lives, and making it to the top of this mountain seemed a little metaphorical. The view from the summit was just as amazing - and probably just as high up - as we'd been when we were parasailing.
"Wow," I breathed out, in between gulps of much needed air.
"You did it," Ranger told me, sliding an arm around my back, not caring that my sweaty body was touching his.
"We both did. But I think we know that only one of us was ever in question."
"Proud of you, Babe."
And I suddenly felt like I could climb the thing all over again if only to inspire those words and that particular look. This vacation was a surprise to me. One on a pretty long list of them so far ... our relationship being the biggest one. I thought this moment would be the most memorable of our trip until Ranger spoke again.
"How about we just get married while we're here and skip a Jersey wedding?" He asked me, after I'd stopped recording my victory and put my phone away.
I hadn't been kidding. I needed to have photographic evidence of our climb to support my bragging back home. Apparently I should've kept the damn thing on so I could've played the question back before I had to answer it with a dumb "Huh?"
He pretended that my jaw didn't just hit the ground. "The legalities have been handled and our resort does offer wedding packages. If you'd like, we can get it done here before going back to Jersey."
Get married on a tropical island? The thought never crossed my mind, but now that he brought it up, it sounded pretty damn good to me. There'd be no one trying to 'help' plan a day we didn't want. No having to make small talk with relatives you've hardly spoken to but had to invite out of politeness. And we're pretty much guaranteed incredible weather.
"This is what you've been hinting at the last couple of days?"
"Yes."
He's sneaky, but I didn't mind in this case.
"Where do I sign?" I said, making up my mind faster than I'd packed to come here. "Wait, do I have to sign something?"
"The necessary paperwork had to be signed, witnessed, translated, and sent, months ago ..."
I held up my hand to stop, the hand with the engagement ring on it that had only been given to me a month or so ago.
"And how exactly did that happen?" I asked. "Has my signature been forged?"
"It's your signature, Babe. How many times have I said to read every word of what's put in front of you before you put your name on it?"
"Too many to count now, but I'm betting you're glad I didn't that time so your apparent surprise could stay a surprise."
"And now you'll also be motivated to read everything you're asked to sign in the future."
I would. When you commit yourself to a man like Ranger, you really have to be aware of everything all the time.
Getting down Mt. Otemanu wasn't as simple as I thought it'd be, either. But being able to celebrate both surviving the climb and our decision to get married - with a frozen margarita for me and a locally produced beer for him at the tupa bar - helped to ease the pain.
"I guess we don't have to worry about our honeymoon since we're already here and there's probably no topping this," I said, mid margarita-sip.
"I've already arranged something for our wedding night."
My eyes widened. "How? When?"
"The details aren't important."
"Says the person who knows them."
"You'll know, too, after the ceremony. Do you want me to ask around and find something suitable for you to wear, or would you like to pick out something on your own?"
"I may not be a traditional kind of woman, but no way am I getting married in something I didn't choose. I made that mistake during the Dickie nightmare. By letting his and my mother have a say, I wound up buttoned into something the size of a circus tent. Besides, we need every bit of luck on our side for when we get back to Jersey and have to tell our parents that we got married without them. So you can't see what I wear until the actual knot-tying."
"My parents already know about this."
"And they were okay with it?" I asked.
"Yes. I had to promise immediate pictures to keep my mother from following us down here, but that was the extent of it."
I wondered briefly what it would be like to have parents who didn't question your every move, and are happy for you just because you're happy. I paused. Tomorrow I will have parents like that, since the Manosos will become my in-laws. I suppose my mom will be glad that I actually got engaged and married for real instead of just talking about it, but she's not going to be pleased about not being here to see - or be part of - it.
"You'll hit the stores in the morning?" Ranger asked me.
"Yep. We can head into the main village and then separate. Unless you'd rather stay at the bungalow. I'm assuming you already have a perfectly fitted tux or suit tucked away somewhere."
"I do, but I'll go into town with you anyway. I can find something for Julie while you're shopping. We can leave right after breakfast, by then everything should be open. When and where do you want to meet back up?"
"Since there aren't a ton of stores to chose from, I say an hour after the drop off at whichever store I start off at should be okay. Then we can go back to our rent-a-hut and have lunch before the festivities."
"You're that confident you'll find something?"
"Yeah. If not, one of the bikinis I packed is white. I can just wear that if we get married on the beach."
Not my smartest suggestion, I thought, watching his eyes turn a molten chocolate brown.
"Maybe you should skip the dress and just go with the bikini."
"No."
His lips tipped up at the corners. "Had to try."
"You wouldn't be you if you didn't."
I'd been totally full of crap. I didn't for one second believe that I'd find 'the dress' at the last minute, in an hour's amount of time. To use Ranger's word, suitable seemed more realistic, but I actually did find exactly what I'd hoped for the next day.
Despite my less than virginal past, I went with something white. It was made of a thin material that wouldn't look out of place on a beach. Now that the idea had been planted, we decided that the beach would be an ideal place to get married. The two tiny straps holding the entire thing up, crossed in an X over my shoulder blades. And that's all that covered my back. The dress was cut so low back there, I had to wonder if skin could be considered an accessory. At least I wouldn't have to worry about overheating until our wedding night.
My front, however, was covered from breast to toe. The fabric in between the straps gathered at a sweetheart neckline with a small amount of beading to accentuate it. That - and my body in it - was all the decoration it had. And I have to say, it was perfect in its simplicity. I didn't need or want anything over the top. While the dress is beautiful, I've grown up enough to know that what we were promising each other was far more important than our clothes.
I didn't bother looking for matching shoes since we're getting married in a secluded area of sand not far from where we're staying. And Ranger informed me that we'd be going from the beach, straight back to our bungalow, and then to whatever he had planned.
An hour before showtime, he handed me a small box.
"With this, you'll at least have 'something new' covered," he told me.
I smiled at him. "I also have something blue. A substantial bruise on my thigh from yesterday's climb. And I've also got a scratch on my arm from chasing down a skip last week, so something old is taken care of, too. Can I borrow twenty bucks? Then I can cross that one off the list. "
"What's mine is yours, so you wouldn't be 'borrowing' anything. And I'll be sure to spend some time kissing all those injuries to make them better once we're settled for the night."
I'm going to hold him to that. I opened the jewelry box he'd just given me, and discovered that he not only got Julie something while we'd been gone, he bought me a bracelet made from something native to the area. It had black pearls evenly spaced along a white gold chain, and it was as elegant and simple as my dress. He secured it around my wrist and then kissed the skin it was now resting against.
"Go get changed. I'll get dressed out here and then meet you outside," he told me.
He knew I'd like him to get the full impact of all my hard work. We'd showered together again, and I did my hair and makeup with him nearby, but I wanted him to only see my dress at the last possible second. I ditched my robe in the bedroom and dropped the dress over my head.
I could hear fabric rustling in the living room, and I pictured him sliding on his shirt and buttoning it up. The front door opened and closed not long after. I paused for a beat, taking one last look at myself as a single woman in the mirror. I said a quick 'adios' to her, and then went to join my very soon-to-be hubby.
He had on a pair of black pants and a white buttoned down shirt. He looked incredibly sexy and also comfortable despite the long sleeves that were evenly rolled to his elbows. It was breezier today than it'd been all week, and we'd planned this for later in the afternoon so I wouldn't have to worry that we'd melt before we said 'I do'.
"You ready?" Ranger asked, holding his arm out to me.
I took it and we walked barefoot down to where our vows would be said. The one thing he hadn't been willing to do was fly people here to act as our witnesses, so we were appointed two by the mayor's office.
Things are different here in terms of what's legally binding and what's not. I didn't want to leave anything to chance, so we technically got married this morning when we went to city hall to cross all the T's and dot all the I's before we were supposed to go shopping. Ranger did his string-pulling thing again and still managed to make a beach wedding happen for us.
I would've been fine with just a simple office read through, but I had to admit, a sunset wedding does hold some appeal. We went through all the pledges, promises, and love yous. And this second time ... the reality of it sank in. Or maybe it was knowing that once our rings are back on, they'd be staying on permanently.
Ranger's wedding band - that made my mouth go dry just thinking it - wasn't fancy or decked out in diamonds like the one he'd put on my finger, but you could tell the classic design was crafted from high quality material, so ordinary it was not.
When we decided on our rings a few weeks ago, my eyes had glazed when the jeweler's spiel about the ones we'd finally decided on. I still remember what he'd said about Ranger's. 'It's a platinum band with a hammered finish and polished edges, bordered by an inset of milgrain'. I didn't understand what half of that meant, but it fit Ranger's private and professional persona. It also made him mine, and I couldn't have loved it more.
The breeze blew around the stray curls that had escaped my updo and toyed with the open collar of Ranger's shirt, before winding down as he kissed me at the appropriate part of the ceremony. After the requested wedding photos had been taken, and hearing the good wishes from the three people there, we went arm in arm back to our rented home.
I was okay with starting our actual honeymoon right then and there, but big surprise ... my husband had other plans. We added shoes, but didn't bother changing out of our wedding gear since he said we weren't going far. He grabbed the overnight bag he told me to pack last night, along with his own, and we left our place and took a car and driver to an exclusive-looking club a few minutes away from the resort.
"You rented a friggin' yacht?" I asked.
"A man I helped last year just happens to be a member of this yacht club, and offered his when he heard we were coming down here."
"Where's the driver? Or captain? Or whatever you call a yacht-steerer."
"I can drive, steer, or command, anything I need to, Babe," he assured me, getting me onboard before I could think to stop him.
"How do you know where to go?" I asked, standing behind him as he got the thing heading to open water. "Isn't pretty much every part of the island owned by somebody?"
"I've been told what and where to avoid, and I have a list of locations we're allowed to stop or pull up to," he said, patiently.
"I don't fish and I'm not sure I trust scuba tanks, so what will we do out in the middle of the ocean all by ourselves?" I said, flirting a little now that it looked like we wouldn't be crashing into anything.
"I have all the equipment you'll need to stay busy."
"Okay, if you're confident you can keep me entertained, then I'm fine with this. We should get out of our wedding clothes, though."
"We can go for an evening swim and then put a dent in our honeymoon."
I smiled to myself as he did whatever he had to in order to keep the boat in one spot. I knew exactly what I'd put on to jump-start the night. One good thing about having Ranger as your boss, he makes you work out whether you want to or not. And since I moved into Rangeman, I've been taking the stairs with him whenever we're together and spending considerable time with him and the guys in the gym. So I was only slightly panicky when he first told me about this trip.
In the past, I'd worry about having to diet for a week or two before I'd be ready to step out on the beach at Point Pleasant. But with Ella's cooking and Ranger's gentle - and sometimes not so gentle - nudging, the only parts that jiggle on me now are the two natural ones that are supposed to.
Ranger noticed those first thing when I came back up from what would be our bedroom for the night. I'm sure my suit would be okay for a water workout, but I bought this one for the sole purpose of turning him on. And it looks like I accomplished that already.
He's seen me in bikinis before and also during this trip, but I saved the skimpiest one in case I got the opportunity for some private beach time with him. It wouldn't get me arrested, yet I wouldn't feel comfortable wearing it where anyone other than Ranger could see it.
"I changed my mind," he said, immediately reaching for me when I rejoined him.
I tilted my head back to keep eye contact with him, while my own arm went around his waist. It really isn't fair. Guys can get dressed, undressed, and also dressed up, without needing walls or even a freakin' mirror. He was already in his trunks and was looking better than me.
"You changed your mind about marrying me?" I asked him.
"No ... about swimming. It would be a shame if this got lost in the water."
My brow wrinkled in confusion. "This suit fits me tighter than my own skin, there's no way a little jump off the boat will knock it off me."
He slid his thumbs into the two teeny bands holding the bottom together. "I wasn't worried about it being knocked off, I was more concerned about it sinking to the bottom of the ocean when I peel it off of you. But now I don't give a shit where it lands."
Alrighty then. "So you think I should just take it off up here?"
"Yes."
"With you standing there staring at me?"
"I'd prefer it."
"And go skinny-dipping?"
"Later."
I couldn't ask any more questions because his mouth was locked onto mine. His tongue was already doing things that instantly got me thinking that we had on too many clothes. He solved that by dragging his hooked thumbs down my thighs until half of my bikini fell onto the deck of the boat. Then his hands traveled north and dove under the triangle top that was barely covering my breasts. The two strings were quickly untied and that was soon gone.
My nipples were practically begging for his mouth, and so was everything below them. I wanted him just as naked first, though, so I got started on that. I moved my hands from the waistband of his trunks to what was inside them, and got a little sidetracked when I felt how hard he was.
"We'll make it below deck next time," he promised me.
And we sank down onto the nearest surface, which happened to be a bench-style sofa near where the ladders to reach the water are located.
He scooted me to the edge of the seat and knelt in front of me. Then he kissed me, starting at my hairline and slowly going lower until his mouth was kissing, licking, or sucking, what my swim suit had been covering only moments ago.
As much as I was enjoying this, it's supposed to be our night, and I want him right there with me when my mind splits apart into a million satisfied little pieces.
I tugged on his shoulders until he stopped what he was doing and looked at me.
"Now," I whispered. "Together."
He isn't good with following orders that aren't his own, so to get him seeing things my way, I circled his hips with my legs and lifted my lower half to slide along him in invitation. That really seemed to get his attention, so I did it again.
He grabbed my thighs with both hands and plunged into me with one breath-stealing thrust. That's exactly what I wanted, and I knew this was only the beginning of what would most likely be a sleepless night.
"You know what you need?" I asked a while later, when the breeze coming off the ocean had cooled our heated bodies.
"What, Babe?"
"A Rangeman branch down here. I'm sure the island has security issues just like Boston and Miami. And then I could come keep you company anytime you need to fly here to fix a problem."
"We can come back whenever you say the word."
I opened my mouth to respond, but he beat me to it.
"Within reason. We do have responsibilities, jobs, and lives, to take into consideration."
He had a point. But as he pulled me into the curve of his body, and the gentle movement of the boat had me feeling a little drowsy, I couldn't help but think ... that yeah, I'd miss everyone back home, but isn't that what postcards, phone calls, and emails, are for?