The Truth Be Told (The Truth in Lies Saga #3) (26 page)

He moaned, his breathing heavy and his eyes filled with lust.  When his mouth pressed against my stomach, I whimpered, resting my hands on his strong shoulders.  His skin heated under mine.  Long languid kisses moved up my stomach, stopping between my breasts.  “Not here, Angel.  I want you in our bed.  Is that okay?”   

Liquid heat burned inside me.  “I like the sound of that,” I breathed, kissing him long and deep.  I moved off his lap and padded toward the bedroom.  Each step we took was like a heartbeat, a single breath, inviting me to witness the very nature of this man.  Drew trailed his fingers down my back as we walked, almost as if he needed to touch me as much as I needed to feel his touch.

We reached the bed and I crawled up into it, positioning myself in the middle of the mattress.  Drew’s heated gazed roamed my naked body.  His tongue darted over his lips.  He pushed down his pants and knelt on the edge of the bed, reaching for a condom from the nightstand drawer.  Every time I witnessed him naked, I found myself in awe of the beauty that was Andrew Wise.  He sheathed himself, his eyes never leaving mine.  

Drew positioned himself above me.  Skin to skin, he cupped his hands around my face, splaying my hair out over the pillow.  Neither time nor space could come between us in this moment.  Time had no place here.  All that existed was our love.  When our bodies connected, we were made whole.  Slow and steady, our souls danced together through our flesh.  We explored, tasted, touched, and breathed each other as if it was our first time, and the truth be told, it was.  

There was no guilt, no pain, no worry.  All of my wants and desires were fulfilled in him.  For once, we were free to love one another without the past intruding.  Nothing else mattered.  I was his and he was mine.

“What did I do to deserve the right to love an angel?” he breathed against my heaving breast.

Tears formed at the corner of my eyes, the power of our love overwhelming me.  Every inch of him from his head to his toes was a part of me in that moment.  Where he ended I began, and I didn’t want it any other way.  

By the time our mutual releases came, I was consumed by our love.  Never in my life had I felt anything like I did in this moment. This was everything I had ever wanted and everything I needed.  I held on tight, yet let go of everything in the moment.  My past disappeared, my future was clear.  I could see the light at the end of the long, dark tunnel I had been prisoner of, and the source of the light was Drew.  I was home.

Andrew

I stared up at the ceiling. The room was dark except for the sliver of moonlight shining through the windows.  The still night was about to give into the early morning, ringing in the dawn of a new day.

I rolled over onto my side to find my sleeping beauty resting peacefully.  A tender smile twitched the corners of her mouth.  I touched her lips with the tips of my fingers, feeling her breath on my skin.  I wondered what she was dreaming to make her smile so.  In her secret, innermost thoughts, I longed to see.  Her dreams were magic; a deep, hidden part of her that only she had access to.  More than anything, I wanted to know if she dreamed of me, because she was all I dreamt about.

Time ticked by slowly and my mind wouldn’t shut down.  My whole body was on edge.  If she only knew what I had planned for her today, she probably wouldn’t be sleeping as soundly.  Minutes felt like hours as I rehearsed over and over how I intended everything to happen.  I’d been devising this for months, with a little help from Jared, Ethan, and Gavin. By the way they acted, one might think they were the ones about to propose to McKenzie  

The four of us discussed every minute detail at great length.  I’d chosen the perfect ring—a thin, platinum band with a square cut diamond.  I knew exactly when and where I wanted to ask her, and I’d even written an outline of everything I intended to say.  

Little did she know, I’d taken the day off from work.  We’d go to the beach, have our jog, and just as the sun climbed over the horizon, I would kneel down and propose right there where we first met.  It was the perfect plan.

Lucky for me, taking the day off from work was easy now that I didn’t have an employer to answer to.  Being my own boss was better than anything I’d ever imagined.  My father wasn’t too keen on the idea of me leaving Wise & Associates, but he really had no choice in the matter.  He fought me, even threatened to sue me, but I’d followed every bylaw in my contract to the letter, and therefore he had no grounds for a suit.

Within a month of my leaving the family business, I’d started my own firm with the aid of a dear, old friend.  Niles jumped at the chance of being a named partner in my new firm.  He loved Harvard, but moving to Florida to help me start up a business was a good move for him.  It gave us both a fresh start.  Together, we had a decent client list to pad our roster until we could build and branch out.  But it didn’t take long for us to find equity partners interested in signing on.  Peltier/Wise was still a small firm, but we developed a reputation for being one of the best.

The only drawback was I missed seeing Gavin everyday, but Wise & Associates was good for him.  It was where he belonged.  Ethan packed up shop and came with me.  Although, I refused to allow him to remain a legal secretary.  His knowledge and expertise were far too valuable.  He became the first paralegal at my firm and was damn good at it.  While nothing ever came of him and Natasha, he did mellow out a little after spending time with her.  Instead of sleeping with six women a week, he cut back to four.

McKenzie let out a dulcet sigh, her hand moving up in front of her face.  I smiled, thinking about our lives together.  So much had happened since that first day on the beach.  It almost seemed unreal to think back on the events that led us to this moment.  We faced hardships that no one should ever endure in the beginning stages of a relationship, but to me, that proved our worth.  We were meant to be.  Nothing could tear us apart.  Destiny knew what it was doing the day we met, and today I would pledge to spend the rest of my life with this woman, if she’d have me.

I glanced at the clock, surprised that nearly an hour had passed.  Soon my darling girl would wake up, ready to go for her morning run.  A run I couldn’t wait to join her on.  After everything that occurred with Olivia, one might think McKenzie would crawl into a hole and hide from the world for awhile.  She did have a habit of running away, after all.  But not this time.  Instead, she picked herself up, brushed off the dirt of the past, and started to rebuild from the rubble.  Her old school district jumped at the chance to rehire her, so when the school year started, she had a job to return to, which helped her heal.  

Jared was thrilled to be working with her again, as she was him.  They really were two peas of the same pod.  Andie and I would sit back and watch them, both shaking our heads.  At times, they acted more like siblings than we did.  Maybe it was the fact that I trusted McKenzie, or it could’ve been that I was certain Jared had fallen in love with my sister.  Either way, I didn’t feel jealous of his connection to McKenzie any longer.  They shared similar passions, yes, but her heart belonged to me.

I lifted my head, glancing at the alarm clock on McKenzie’s side of the bed.  A little face popped up, blocking my view.  Mackie nuzzled her nose to McKenzie’s neck, her bright yellow eyes honed in on me.  She had acclimated to our home with ease.  Chewie and Wicket, who were both resting at the foot of the bed, adored her.  We were one big, happy family.  

I reached over and scratched the little cat behind her ears.  She purred so loud that McKenzie’s eyes fluttered open.  A gentle, tired smile appeared.  I touched her cheek with my knuckles, earning me a disapproving huff from the cat, who wanted my attention.  “Good morning,” I whispered.

“Morning,” she hummed.

“Sleep well?”

She settled her hand on my chest, her skin warm from being enveloped by our covers.  “As always.  You?”

I placed a sweet kiss to her lips.  “Not as well as I’d like, but I have a lot on my mind.”

“You work too hard.”  She rubbed her thumb along my collarbone.

“Not really.  Not like I used to.”

McKenzie nuzzled in close, her cold nose pressed to my neck, taking in a deep breath.  “True.  And I’m glad.”  She cocked her head back, looking over my shoulder at the alarm clock.  “It’s a little early, but I guess I need to get my butt up…” She gulped, pulling away from me.  “I’ll be right back.”  McKenzie jumped out of the bed and darted to the bathroom.  I rolled over on my back, once again staring at the ceiling, my nerves sending shivers throughout my body.  My excitement raged inside me.  This was better than Christmas.  

A few minutes later, she came back into the room, looking a little peckish.  I sat up in the bed, throwing my legs over the side.  “Baby, are you okay?”  

She rested her shoulder against the doorframe between the two rooms, nodding.  “Yeah, I’m fine.  Just a little lightheaded.”  She wiped the corners of her mouth between two fingers.  “You about ready to go for our run?”

She might have said she was all right, but by the way she looked, I had a sneaky suspicion she wasn’t being entirely forthcoming.  Running was out of the question.  I could tell that just by the look of her.  However, an idea formed in my head, much better than the plan I’d originally had to begin with.  “How about we skip the run and have a picnic breakfast on the beach, instead?  It’s going to be a beautiful morning, I think.”

“Really?  Are you sure?”  She stepped away from the door, her hands on her round hips.  “Or are you afraid I’ll kick your ass today?”

I stood up and swept her into my arms.  “Yes, I’m sure, and only in your dreams, Angel, could you ever beat me.”

In no time at all, we were dressed, a picnic breakfast packed courtesy of Ruby, and heading off to the beach.  She questioned why we were going to Siesta Key instead of utilizing the beach right behind our house, but I played off that I was in the mood for a change.  

As I drove, the sun started to bloom in the east.  Stark waves of amber and blue sparkled along the coast.  Salty sea air filled my lungs, rejuvenating my soul.  I glanced over at my girl, her head leaning against the window as she watched the world pass us by.  Her white cotton sweater stretched across her breasts a little tighter than I remembered.  It caused me to do a double take.  Maybe my eyes were playing tricks on me, but I could’ve sworn her boobs were bigger.  Now, I was a smart enough man to know never ask about changes in a woman’s body—not unless I wanted my ball sac ripped off and fed to me for breakfast—but I did have to control my urge to reach across and touch them.

We arrived at the beach and not a soul was around, save a few late night party stragglers and early morning runners.  After I parked the car, we got out, taking our picnic basket and beach bag along with us.  McKenzie insisted on carrying the bag, acting a little strange.  I shrugged it off, figuring she had some sort of lady business in there she didn’t want me tampering with.  

As we walked along the beach, I marveled at the beautiful woman beside me.  Sunlight streaked across her blonde hair, highlighting the flecks of yellow, red, and brown that created her perfect golden color.  Her face was flushed from our walk, and her eyes bright as the sun itself.  Like me, she found peace and solace in the water; its smooth cadence and crushing power calmed us.

When we reached the exact location of where I first saw her, I stopped.  “This looks like a good place to eat.  What do you think?”

McKenzie looked at me and then out over the gulf, a swell of a smile on her lips.  “I think it’s perfect.”

She opened the bag and carefully removed a blanket, fanning it out over the sand.  I plopped down, wrinkling her fresh work.  She scolded me, but laughed, gracefully landing next to me.  Over our breakfast, we talked about life, work, music, and anything else that popped into our heads.  Everything had always been so simple between us, but ever since the truth came out about Olivia and her motives, things got even easier.  McKenzie became more cautious about people after the whole ordeal, but her sweet sincerity didn’t change.  She was free of the past that bound her, just as I was.

Court proceedings worked in Nate’s favor regarding his case against Olivia.  The judge granted him custody after the baby was born.  They named her Maya, and I had to admit I’d been wrong about him.  He stepped up to the plate, caring for his daughter like a good father should.  Olivia ended up moving to Chicago to be closer to them, having been granted visitation rights with the child.  What I never expected was for those two to make amends.  Just over a week ago, Nate phoned me with the news that he and Olivia were seeing one another.  Talk about nearly giving a man a heart attack.  I had to bite my tongue to keep from giving him a piece of my mind.  But McKenzie seemed okay with the news.  Although, she never mentioned it again after that night.  She was still hurt by what Olivia had done to her, but her heart was too big not to want Olivia to find true happiness.

I lay back on the pallet, one arm under my head, the other wrapped around my girl, staring up at the big blue sky.  The water inched up the shore, barely stopping before reaching where we settled.  My heart hammered inside my chest, contemplating how to accomplish what I came here to do.  “I smell smoke,” she whispered, pressing her lips to my jaw.

My head shot up, looking around the beach.  “What?  Where?”

McKenzie laughed. “Comin’ out your ears, silly.  What ya thinkin’ about?”  I chuckled, sliding out from under her to sit up.  McKenzie shifted to her knees, watching as I started to dig around in my pocket. “Andy?  What’s going on?”

My fingers wrapped around the tiny platinum band.  I slipped it out of my pocket, keeping it concealed in my palm until I was ready.  “Exactly one year ago today,” I quoted my rehearsed speech, “I first laid eyes on you here, at this very spot.”

McKenzie covered her mouth with her hand.  “I can’t believe you remembered.”

Too nervous to respond, I continued with my speech, “It was that day I found the woman who was meant for me.”  I glanced into her caring, blue eyes and my practiced oratory disappeared.  She was so beautiful, her eyes watering with happy love, uncertain what I was doing, but enamored by the romance of the moment.

My mind blank, unable to recall my written words, I said the first thing that made sense to me. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

“We’ve been through so much together, but here we are.  A year has passed, and really it’s a wonder we got this far.”

McKenzie let out a soft chuckle.

“Everyday, my love for you has grown.  I think back and find myself amazed at how empty my life was without you in it.  And after all we’ve been through, I can honestly tell you, I wouldn’t change a thing.  We’ve grown together, we’ve healed together, and we’ve faced impossible odds together.  I’m stronger because of you.  My life has meaning and purpose.  I wish I could go back in time and tell that man a year ago that he would be here, on this beach, with a woman who’s not only strong, but loving, and special, and fucking sexy as hell.”

McKenzie’s faced started to turn red.  “I can’t believe you just said that.”

I wrapped my fingers tighter around the rock in my hand, my nerves no longer fluttering.  “I said it because it’s true.  Your love has been a beacon to my soul.  In you, I’ve found clarity, guidance, wisdom, and joy.  Because of you, I wake up every morning counting my blessings instead of hating the man in the mirror.  I can breathe again.  My heart is healed because of you, my angel.”

“Andy,” she whispered, tears coating her cheeks.

I scooted up onto one knee and took her hand in mine.  Her eyes widened and her mouth went slack.  “McKenzie Paige Evans, will you marry me?”  

I opened my hand, presenting her with the ring.  She looked from me to the rock and back to me again.  I couldn’t read the expression on her face, and the silence was killing me.  “Mickie?”  My voice quivered slightly.