Make Me Crazy (Loco, Texas) (20 page)

His loving wife hit his arm. “I told you it was an accident, I just got excited. If I’d known what a big sissy you were and that my light weight would knock you down…”

“Light weight? You forget I’ve carried you several times honey and that is the last thing I’d call you.”

“Maybe you should hit the weights a bit more because I bet Red could lift me. Red, you want to prove what a weakling my husband is?”

Red shook his head. “I’m really happy ya’ll have settled your issues, but you can’t get into my truck until you’re done with all this lovey dovey shit.”

When Red left them, Jake kissed her again and said regretfully, “I guess we better go.”

Rand wrapped her arms around his shoulders again and teased, “But we can pick up the good parts again later?”

Jake teased her mouth. “With less clothing?”

“Mmm…and maybe you could tell me all the things you love about me.”

“It might be a short list.” His joke earned him a punch on the arm. “Ow, I just meant because I love everything about you.”

Her dark eyebrow raised, giving him her bullshit face.

“Okay, so there is the snoring, I’m not in love with the snoring.”

With a cry of outrage, she pulled his hair and with a laugh, he pulled her back into him, coaxing her into a lull of submission until the blare of a truck horn startled them apart.

Rand stood up and gave him her hand. “Lets go home.”

He let her help him up and when he slipped his arm around her waist, he didn’t say what he was thinking. He’d save it for the next time he screwed up.

Wherever you are is home to me.

Epilogue

Eleven Months Later…

Jake woke up with a start, relaxing when he remembered he was in Hawaii on a long overdue honeymoon with his wife. He was lying in bed, listening to the tranquil waves, and the quiet of the night when he realized he was alone in bed.

Again.

“Rand, are you reading it again?”

Jake sat up and spotted his wife guiltily hiding something behind her back by the window of their hotel room. “No, I was just watching the ocean.”

Jake swung his legs over the side of the bed and said, “Uh huh. With the light on. In the middle of the night. With no moon out.”

Rand nodded her head and tilted it up to look at him as he loomed over her.

“Yep and it sure is pretty.”

He reached behind her and said, “Give me the book, honey.”

“I’m not reading a…hey! Give that back, Jake Hansen!”

Jake took the copy of Kiss Me Again by Red Calhoun and put it in his suitcase. When Red had announced that someone actually wanted to publish his book, Jake had been shocked that Red hadn’t even mentioned it to him. Afterwards, Jake had smothered his amusement until the book came out and Rand read it. And then read it again. And again. He had even made sure to unpack her copy of it before they left for Hawaii, but somehow the little sneak must have snuck it back in.

  He turned back to his disgruntled, adorable wife. “Now, light of my life, you come over here and enjoy your husband, who planned this very special anniversary trip for us.”

She grumbled as he pulled her up and led her back to the bed. “I was just getting to the good part.”

“You’ve read that thing five times at least. You probably know it verbatim.” He flopped back on the bed, pulling her with him.

She leaned over him until her tank top clad breasts hung dangerously close to his lips and lowered her voice seductively, “Hannah reached out to trail her fingers down Rafe’s finely chiseled body.”

Jake laughed and groaned at the same time, saying, “That is weird Rand; I’ve told you it’s weird to recite parts of Red’s book while we’re…you know.”

She leaned down to nibble his ear and teased, “Come on you know all the long words and descriptive imagery gets you hot.”

“Not Red’s descriptive imagery; it’s just creepy.”

She sat back and slipped her tank top off, raising her eyebrow. “Oh yeah? What about this…” she trailed a line of kisses down his body and said, “Rand Hansen wanted to touch every inch of her husband’s sexy torso, but didn’t know where to start…”

Jake relaxed as her lips left tingles everywhere they pressed. “I definitely like that imagery. And if you’re willing to take suggestions, I might have an idea or two.”

Rand hovered over him with the ghost of a smile on her pink lips. “Anything for my wonderful husband, who I love so very much.”

Being married to Rand for a year and best friends for twenty more, he knew she was up to something. Her eyes darted towards his bag and he rolled his own. “If you’re really good to me, I might let you have it back for an hour tomorrow.”

She kissed him softly. “Three hours.”

“One and a half and that’s my final offer.” He muttered, kissing her back.

Suddenly she pulled away, grinned down at him and conceded, “Deal.”

He ran his hands up into her long brown hair and said softly, “You make me crazy, wife.”

“And you wouldn’t have me any other way.” She whispered back.

“No. I wouldn’t have you any other way.”