The honeymoon has arrived and yes, it gets a little steamy. I hope everyone enjoys. Please leave a review and join in on our discussion on the Facebook page. I have many visuals for this chapter. Thanks for reading!

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

I wasn't sure at first about having a limo. I was just fine with riding in Jack's Jeep. But as Jack pulled me against him and fervently began kissing me, I was very grateful that someone else was driving. I had heard Jack give the chauffeur instructions to drive around and take his time getting to the hotel, and then he closed the blacked-out window between us.

Jack pushed me back onto the seat, moving his body over mine. I seriously thought we would burst into flames for as much as I was burning for my husband. My husband. God, I loved the sound of that! Jack's breathing surpassed mine, clearly wanting to take this further, but he sat up and pulled me up beside him.

"I think we need to get to the hotel," I informed him, then kissed his neck.

Jack nodded in agreement, lowered the window, asked the driver to hurry, then raised it again.

"I have never wanted you as much as I want you right now, Mrs. Thornton," he said, then proceeded to kiss the exposed skin of my neck and chest.

Seriously, can this car go any faster?! If not, I'm ripping this man's clothes off right here! Just as I reached for his tie, the car slowed and turned, and shortly after, it came to a complete stop. Finally! Jack slid across the long seat and held his hand out for me. I took it, and we exited the car through the door the chauffeur held open. Jack retrieved our overnight bags that had been loaded into the trunk earlier that day and took my hand with his free one.

With all eyes on us, we made our way through the fancy lobby of the hotel Jack had chosen and stopped at the front desk to retrieve our key. Once he had the card in hand, we hurried to the elevator that would take us to the top floor, where the honeymoon suite was waiting for us. Many people stopped us along the way to congratulate us or comment on my dress, so once we were finally alone in the elevator, Jack dropped the bags and pushed me against the wall. This has to be the longest elevator ride ever! When the door finally opened, Jack picked up the bags, took my hand, and led me to our room.

Once inside, I walked around the suite Jack had picked out for us, and when I went to find Jack, he was watching me and unbuttoning his shirt.

"Can I have a minute?" I asked as I picked up my overnight bag.

"Take as long as you need," he smiled and shoved his hands in his pockets.

I started toward the bathroom, then remembered my dress. "Can you unzip me, please?" I asked and waited for him. Jack crossed the room, his shirt and jacket open, his torso exposed. You know what that does to me, husband. I turned around and felt his hands on my back again, then the zipper slowly being lowered.

"There you go," he said and shoved his hands in his pockets again.

I turned around, slipped my hands between his shirt and his skin, and moved my arms around him. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he answered, staring down at me and not moving his hands.

I knew it was taking everything in him to hold back and wait for me. To be honest, it was taking everything I had, too. I turned and walked away, closing the door to the bathroom behind me, and set my bag on the sink.

Several minutes later, I eased the door open and peered into the room. Jack's back was facing me, and he was neatly laying his tux jacket on the back of a chair. He removed his sleeveless dress shirt and added it to the pile before starting on his pants. I moved my arms around him, my hands gliding across his torso, and pressed my lips to his back. Jack gripped my arms and tipped his head back, and I could feel his heartbeat speed up significantly.

As one of his hands came back and touched my thigh, he moved it up until he was feeling lace and quickly spun around.

"God, Beth," he said on a breath of air as his eyes scanned my body. "I hope you've had your minute because I can't wait any longer.

Jack grabbed the back of my legs and pulled them up as I quickly put my arms around his neck. He carried me to the bed and eased me to the floor beside it. I moved a hand to the back of his head and pulled him down to me, our lips meeting, and Jack's kiss was tender and gentle, but I could still feel the urgency. He straightened and looked down at me, scanning the outfit I picked out once more. Paying homage once more to his career, I had chosen a blue satin with black lace overlay corset bustier that fit me quite snuggly and pushed the 'girls' up. This hadn't gone unnoticed by Jack, and he traced a finger along the top of my breasts.

"You look so incredibly hot in this," he said as he moved an arm around my waist. "I know you probably spent a lot of time finding the perfect outfit, and Baby, you look gorgeous, but I really want to take this off you as quickly as I can."

I giggled and lifted his hands to the top of the corset, showing him the buttons. He began undoing them, one at a time, as the bustier slowly began to release my body. When he reached the last one, he pulled the satin and lace away and tossed it onto a nearby chair. Jack hooked his fingers into the string of the matching thong and pushed it down until gravity took care of it, dropping it around my ankles. Now only wearing black stockings that stopped midthigh with lace around the top that held them up, I began on Jack and pushed his pants and boxer briefs over his hips. Having already removed his shoes and socks, Jack stepped out of the trousers and underwear and sat on the edge of the bed, pulling me to him. I sat on his lap, straddling him with a knee on either side, resting on the mattress when he wrapped an arm around me and flipped me onto the bed.

"I want to make love to my wife," he said as he lowered over me.

"I want to make love to my husband," I mimicked him, pulling his head down to mine.

The entire evening came crashing into this one moment. The gentle touch of his hand on my back, the sight of me in the dress, my hand on his thigh, the kiss after the first dance and after his dance, and the time in the limo and the elevator had all built up to the most unforgettable sex I had ever experienced – all of that, and the fact that Jack was now my husband. I don't know how Jack was able to, but it was early in the morning before we finally finished and collapsed into each other's arms. I didn't think it could get any better with Jack, but somehow, it had. It almost, in a way, felt as if it was our first time together. I know that sounds ridiculous, and I don't know how to explain it, but it was a magical night – one I will never forget.

At some point during our lovemaking, Jack removed my stockings. With both of us completely naked, I scooted back against him as his muscular arm encircled me, drawing me in even closer. We fell asleep this way, unmoving other than our pounding hearts and Jack's occasional kiss on my neck.

...

The alarm sounded, waking us both. I didn't want to leave Jack's arms or this bed, but we had a flight to catch. He must have felt the same way as he pulled me to him until our bodies were almost one, and I knew by his breathing that he was out again. The rhythmic rise and fall of his chest and his breath floating across my neck swiftly lulled me back to sleep.

Thank God for the snooze button as the alarm beeped for the second time, jerking us both to full alertness. Jack rolled me to my back while simultaneously moving over me. His lips met mine, and within a couple of short minutes, we were making love again.

With the morning's events making us late, we rushed out of the hotel to Jack's Jeep, which had been brought over the previous day with our luggage already loaded. Rosemary had the second key to our room and would stop by later to retrieve my dress and Jack's tux, as well as find a little thank-you gift of chocolates and flowers I left for her.

After parking in the long-term lot, working our way through check-in, and practically stripping down and unpacking everything for TSA, we were dressed, carry-ons repacked, and to our gate with time to spare. As we waited for our group to begin boarding, Jack stood behind him, his arms around mine and crossing along my torso, and his mouth by my ear. He whispered in my ear things he wanted to do with me and to me during our honeymoon, sending goosebumps and shivers along my arms and down my spine. I giggled at a few of his suggestions, but the movie of what he described played in my head, causing me to wish we were back at our hotel.

We boarded the plane, found our seats, and quickly resumed our private conversation as we leaned into each other. The flight seemed to go by in a flash as Jack and I were lost in our world. After a quick layover in Dallas, we landed in Los Angeles before we knew it. The excitement of the start of our honeymoon nearing had me smiling ear to ear and talking a mile a minute. After a quick shuttle ride, we stepped off the bus and took in the sight of the magnificent cruise ship before us. I had never seen one so big, and this would be the first cruise for the both of us. We left our luggage with the rest to be taken up to our room, made our way through another checkpoint, then zig-zagged through covered ramps to the entrance of the ship.

It was breathtaking as we got our first look at the piazza. Ornate marble floors, gold trim, spiral staircases leading to multiple levels – it was astounding. We took in everything we could as we searched for the elevators that would take us up to the fourteenth floor. We were laughing and holding hands when we found our room. We were wearing the medallions the cruise line gave us, and one of their purposes was to unlock door as we approached.

Jack pressed his back to it as he turned the handle. He pulled me against him as he backed into the room and swiftly had me pinned to the wall before the door could even shut. Our clothes were off within seconds, and he carried me to the bed, where we made love to kick start our honeymoon. We remained in our room that first evening, having room service delivered with a romantic dinner on our balcony. We missed the huge sendoff event, but we didn't care. We only wanted to spend time in each other's arms – and that's what we did.

We finally emerged from our room to check out the breakfast buffet the first morning. There was so much to choose from, and Jack and I filled our plates and found an empty table along the windows that overlooked the Pacific Ocean. There was nothing but water as far as the eye could see, and the ship had a slight sway as it cut through the mild waves. We scanned the activities schedule as we ate, choosing what shows we wanted to see that day.

By the time we toured the ship, checked out each floor, watched people sing karaoke, and participated in a trivia contest, it was time for dinner, and we had reservations for the Skagway Dining room. It was a fancy one, where they draped your cloth napkin across your lap. Jack and I had never been to a place like this before, and we both felt as if we'd stepped into another world. The food was amazing, the drinks were wonderful, and the company – well, the company was a dream come true.

After dinner, we hurried to the other end of the ship where the theater was. We were about to see something called a Rock Opera, and neither of us knew quite what to expect. Jack and I both were in awe. The costumes were spectacular, with their black, silver, and gold fabric and sequins. Some even had sections covered in what appeared to be small mirrored pieces. The singing was out of this world, and the stage had a section in the middle that would raise and lower, bringing new people up to dance and sing or lower them down for a new group to come out. We couldn't take our eyes off them during the entire show. I don't know about Jack, but my face hurt from smiling so much. This was an experience I would never forget. The variety of songs covered a few decades, including some from The Greatest Showman. Neither of us wanted it to end, but when it did, we were quickly on our feet, along with a few hundred other people, filling the theater with thunderous applause.

We waited in our seats as the crowd slowly filed out of the large room. Jack lifted my hand to his lips and kissed each knuckle.

"You two are newlyweds, aren't you?" an older woman asked us as she passed by.

"Yes, ma'am," Jack replied, smiling ear to ear.

"You'll have a very long life together," she added with a smile. "I can tell by the way you two look at each other."

"Thank you, ma'am. We plan to do just that," Jack replied.

"Congratulations to you both," she said, then walked away.

"See, my love for you is evident to everyone that looks," Jack said as he stood and pulled me to my feet.

"I never doubted it," I told him as I put my arms around his neck. "As is mine for you."

...

The following day was our first port in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Neither of us had ever been, and my heart raced with excitement. We disembarked the large cruise ship and boarded one of the small lifeboats. Once we reached the dock, everyone walked in single file along the narrow ramp connected to the concrete walkway leading us into Cabo.

We were swarmed by people trying to sell us one thing or another, but we kindly smiled at them and moved on. With a reservation to go snorkeling, we hurried to the meeting area to join our group.

A small boat took us for a tour around Pelican Rock before stopping at an area where several boats had already anchored. After a brief demonstration and fitting of equipment, Jack and I were in the water and moving in the direction we were instructed. As soon as I submerged my mask-covered face below the surface of the water, I was amazed by the number of colorful fish that swam around us. By the look of Jack's face, what I could see of it anyway, he felt the same way.

A sea lion was sunbathing on a rock nearby, and Jack and I made our way in his direction. We watched him for a few minutes while Jack took photos and videos, then returned to the underwater world that was hidden beneath us. The beautiful turquoise water was home to more species of fish than we could count. Every color of the rainbow could be seen in the multitude that zipped and zagged away from our hands as we reached out to them, almost touching a few just before they would cut through the water in the opposite direction.

Jack put his arm around my waist and pulled me to the surface, and as we bobbed along the top, he pulled his mask up as I did mine.

"What is it?" I asked him.

"This is amazing," he said, then kissed me. "I just wanted to do that while we were still out here," he grinned.

"Well, why stop now?" I asked as I moved closer and kissed him again.

Our guide called out to everyone in the group, motioning for us to join him. Once we were all around him, he took us one by one, gave us each a piece of soggy tortilla, and showed us how to hold our hand out for the fish to come nibble from it. Jack took some videos and photos as the guide worked with me, then we swapped, and Jack took his turn.

On the boat ride back, we looked through our photos and videos, pointing out our favorite fish and laughing at how silly we looked with our goggles and snorkels. Once back on land, we found a restaurant with a live mariachi band playing and found a small table in a corner. We spent a while there, enjoying authentic Mexican food and listening to festive music. We talked and laughed and held each other as life went on around us. Wanting to look for souvenirs before returning to the ship, we reluctantly left our seats and walked along the boardwalk.

After finding a few things for Max and Alex, we were on the small boat on our way to the cruise ship.

...

The next day brought us Mazatlan. We had no plans other than to shop and relax on the beach, and that's just what we did. I was in my red bikini that Jack loved, laying on my back on the sand, my eyes closed as I soaked up as much vitamin D as I could, when a shadow crossed over me. I opened my eyes to find Jack on his hands and knees, staring down at me. He lowered his body onto mine and began kissing me as if we were the only ones on the beach. I moved my arms around him and could feel him getting aroused against me. He slipped down alongside me, keeping one leg between mine. He lifted his knee, moving it just slightly, rubbing against me, stoking the fire that burned in me into a roaring inferno that would bring down a house in seconds.

"You're going to need to stop that," I whispered in his ear.

"Why is that, Mrs. Thornton?"

"You know why."

"Do you really want me to stop?" he asked, looking down at me with that flirty smirk on his face.

"No, but if you don't, we might get arrested for indecent exposure," I informed him.

"Hmm, really? Right here on the beach?" he teased, rubbing his leg against me once more.

This man is going to get it when we get back to the ship. But that's exactly what he wanted. "We could go out into the water where no one can see?" I suggested.

Jack's eyes widened to a size I didn't know he was capable of, and I began laughing. "Are you serious?" he asked me.

"No," I exclaimed, then gave him a wink.

"I can't tell if you're joking or not," he said, looking at me sideways.

"I guess you'll have to figure it out," I teased.

"If you're not careful, I'm going to pick you up and carry you out into the water and make it so you aren't joking," he informed me with that look in his eye.

"Oh, Officer, please, don't take me away," I remarked in an annoying high-pitched voice.

"That's it," he said and jumped to his feet. He grabbed my arms, pulled me up and across his shoulders, and carried me kicking and screaming into the water. Once deep enough, he lowered me down in front of him and cupped my face, kissing me as if we were in our room alone, and he was about to tear off my clothes.

"Jack," I finally said as I pulled back. "We can't do this here."

"Why not?" The look on his face was a mixture of 'I'm just kidding' and 'let's do this.'

"People can see us," I said and grabbed his arms.

"It was your idea," he said, then finally grinned.

Ugh! This man is so incorrigible. "You really had me going," I said and punched him in the shoulder.

He put an arm around my waist and drew me in as he slipped his other hand along my cheek. He kissed me as the waves moved around us, splashing water against the sides of our faces as we once again disappeared into our world. The water was warm and provided a shield to the public from his wandering hand. With both arms around me now, Jack held us above water as his lips worked their magic with mine. Once we parted and I shifted my head back slightly in order to look at him, the hunger was very evident in both our gazes, and Jack started toward the beach with my hand in his.

"Where are we going?" I asked him, pretty certain I already knew the answer.

"Getting our shopping done so we can get back to the ship."

"Oh, I thought for a minute there you were going to take care of things out in the water," I teased.

"I don't feel like getting arrested by some hairy man on our honeymoon. I will be the only one doing the arresting today," he added as he glanced over his shoulder and grinned.

We rushed through a few stores in search of items the kids would enjoy. We even found some jewelry for both of our mothers. With our sand-covered beach towel draped over his shoulder, our shopping bags in one hand, and my hand in the other, Jack guided us through the busy crowd to the street. He flagged down a taxi, held the door as I slid across the backseat, then gave the driver our destination as he moved in beside me. Twenty minutes later, we were walking down the sidewalk that led us to the ship, flanked along both sides by more vendors. We ducked into a couple of tents to check out their items, and not seeing anything we were interested in, we started to the ship again.

Once we made it to our room, Jack tucked the bags away in the closet as I stepped into the shower. After I succeeded in getting all of the sand and salt out of my hair and off my body, I wrapped a towel around me and walked out of the tiny bathroom.

"It's all yours," I told Jack as I slipped behind him, grabbing his ass as I passed by.

Jack spun around, cupped my face with his hands, and held me tightly as he ravenously kissed me. "Hold that thought," he said with a wink and stepped into the bathroom.

His shower was brief, but by the time he came out and walked around the wall that divided the bed from the closet and entryway where the bathroom was, I was splayed across the bed, waiting and ready for him.

"Mmmm," he said as he turned the corner and saw me. He dropped his towel and crawled up the bed and over me. "Now, this is what I've been waiting for all day."

"Me, too," I stated as I pulled him down onto me.

Jack's body was still a touch damp, and his muscles tensed as his lips found their way along my neck. I rolled my head and let out a long slow breath as he kissed the hollow of my throat. His lips were magical, leaving a moist trail down my body to my inner thigh. He gripped the backs of my thighs and lifted my legs over his shoulders as he sent me into another dimension. My body twisted and arched and ached for more until an explosion of fireflies and fire bursts ravaged me from head to toe. With thin walls on the ship, I had grabbed a pillow and covered my face as I bit my lip at a failed attempt to keep quiet.

Jack slipped my legs off his shoulders, and while keeping his lips on my skin, he moved up my body, pausing at all the right places. He pulled the pillow from my face, and I gripped his hair on the back of his head and pulled him down until his lips were devouring mine. Oh my God, those magical lips. He drove me to ecstasy, repeatedly, each time covering my mouth with his to stifle my increasing moans.

He moved alongside me, his sweat mixing with mine, our heartbeats keeping time with each other. He held me as we listened to the sounds of the ship while it pulled away from the dock. As it entered the open ocean and sped up, the sounds of the splashing waves carried up to our balcony and through our open door. It was so soothing and entrancing, and it lulled us to sleep as we lay together, skin on skin.

...

We made it to a comedy show shortly after our dinner reservations, we hadn't laughed so hard in some time, and I held my stomach in hopes of easing the pain from laughter. Jack wiped a few tears from his cheeks as he moved his arm around me, then began laughing again at the next punchline.

As we passed through the piazza toward the elevators to go to our room, a small band began playing a song as several couples moved onto the center of the floor. Jack took my hand and pulled me in their direction, spun me in a circle, then drew me in against his body. We danced through a few songs, and as I glanced around the room, I noticed several eyes on us. I felt my cheeks warm as I pressed my forehead to Jack's chest.

"What's wrong?" he asked as he lifted my chin with his finger.

"People are watching us," I said with rosy cheeks. "It's embarrassing."

"They're watching a beautiful woman," he said, then tenderly kissed me. "God, you're beautiful," he added, his eyes locked with mine. I saw his tongue glide across his lip, his telltale sign that he wanted to take me to bed. "Ready to go?"

"Yes," I answered, grabbing his hand and starting toward the elevators. I was anxious to get out of the view of gawking eyes and get Jack to the privacy of our room.

...

The following day brought us to Puerto Vallarta. Jack surprised me with a zip-lining expedition, followed by a guided tour through old town. I had never zip lined before, and I was hooked. I couldn't wait to take the kids sometime. After lunch and more shopping, it was time to return to the ship and begin our two days at sea on our way back to L.A.

We caught every show we could, minus a few we missed as we tore each other's clothes off in our room. We ate more food than I ever had in my life between the buffet and reservations at the fancy dining rooms. We danced often, laid out in the sun on the decks, swam until our skin wrinkled, and soaked in the hot tub in each other's arms. It was a dream honeymoon. It was perfect. We video-chatted with the kids every evening and told them all about each day. They were excited for us to get home, and to be honest, so were we. We missed them horribly.

It was our final night on the ship, and when we would wake in the morning, we would be at our port in L.A. We had spent the day walking around the ship, visiting with some couples we had met, playing another trivia game, enjoying a few drinks, and relaxing in the pool. Freshly showered and wearing one of Jack's tees, I was sitting on the bed with the kids' gifts spread out in front of me. I was in the process of organizing them when Jack came out of the shower and lay down beside me with his head in my lap.

"Yes?" I asked him as I combed my fingers through his hair.

"I love you, Baby," he said as he looked up at me.

"I love you, too, Seargent."

"Are you ready to get back to the real world?"

"Yes and no. I miss the kids but wouldn't miss any of the rest for a while."

"Same," he said and reached up to my face. "Did you enjoy the trip?"

"So much."

"It was pretty amazing, wasn't it?"

"Yes, that it was."

"I guess we need to pack."

"Unfortunately, yes, we do."

We finished organizing everything and began packing our suitcases. Halfway through, we stopped and made love for what must have been the hundredth time, then resumed our task. I ordered some room service as we lay in bed together once our suitcases were filled and ready to go. We turned the TV on for the first time, and Jack scrolled through the movies. Picking one, he tossed the remote onto the mattress and laid his head on my leg until the food arrived.

After eating, we were quickly asleep at the end of the long but enjoyable day, and the following morning, with our small bags in tow, we checked in with our disembarkment group and waited for our time to leave. Once off the ship, we searched through a sea of luggage for our large cases, finding them in the "gold" section for our group, then made our way outside and onto a shuttle bus.

The rest of the day was spent in airports, on planes, and waiting in lines as we traveled home. We left eighty-five-degree weather to the current sixty degrees in Iowa, but we didn't mind; we couldn't wait to get home where our kids were waiting with my mom.

They were on the porch as we pulled into the drive and ran out to greet us as we parked in the garage. After visiting with my mom for a while, we sat with the kids after she left and gave them all their gifts. Max and Alex chattered non-stop as they showed each other their items from Mexico and the ship, including T-shirts, necklaces, bracelets, and toys. After catching up on their week and showing them a few of our multitude of photos – promising to show them more the next day – they went to bed, as did Jack and I.

Although the week away had been fantastic with sun, sand, and relaxation, it was good to be home. Jack and I settled into our own comfortable, familiar bed, and we finished the evening as we had most evenings since the wedding. He was home for me. In the security of his embrace is where I felt safe and loved. Jack and I had been meant to find one another, to help each other heal from our past. To be a parent the kids were missing in their lives. They say everyone goes through different seasons in their lifetime. Jack and I are both prime examples of that. But the season that blew in the day we had met is one I hope sticks around for a very long time. It had already turned on us a few times, blowing in massive storms we were forced to navigate our way through. But we seemed to be in the summer solstice of our life, and I hoped it remained there for the long haul.