Beautifully Knight (Jordan Knight Fanfic, Liadan #5)

Birdsongs and Bad Feelings

Earlier that morning

-MARIA-

My heart raced in my chest and goosebumps peppered my skin as the morning song of a little bird stirred me awake.

"Let's stay here. Play hooky for the day. Just you and me." My husband's voice echoed in my ears. His breath tickled my neck and his fingertips grazed my bare back. The contrast of the smooth, silky sheets and his large palms made my eyes flutter shut.

"We can't," I whispered reluctantly whilst forcing myself into an upright position to start the day. Yet, sitting up only made my heart beat faster as I came face-to-face with Tony's pretty cobalt eyes staring intently into mine. Something deep inside of me warmed and I found myself enchanted. Feebly, I bit my lip and repeated myself. "We can't."

"Oh, but we can," Tony husked as he dipped his head down to brush his soft lips against mine and nudge his tongue inside. "Who's gonna stop us? Hmm? Last I checked, Co-Captain, we make the rules and rule number one is that the best nights end with lovemaking and the best days start with lovemaking."

"And what wise person made that rule?"

"You and me," he whispered and a smile played on my lips as he pulled me to him and framed my body with his larger frame. His fingers traced every inch of me and bursts of pleasure built in my stomach. He kissed me with a fervent urgency like we were two lovelorn kids stealing borrowed moments of forbidden passion and I couldn't help kissing back.

We weren't kids—we were a married couple who'd been blessed with many years of love-filled nights built on trust and a deep, all-encompassing knowing and yearning for one another. The kind of yearning that kindled a soul-stirring ardor and made me want to forget my responsibilities as I tangled one hand in his silky, dark locks and relished in the feeling of his body pressed against mine. My other hand trailed the curve of his stubbled jaw.

I moaned softly against his lips, "Don't tempt me."

"I'm not," he shook his head and pulled back slightly to look at me. "I'm serious. Let's stay home today. Let the kitchen bring us breakfast on the balcony and just stay locked away for a day. Do a repeat of last night, you and me, nothing in between."

Memories of the night before danced through my mind. I bit my lip, "What about the girls? I have to take the twins to camp and I have a meeting with the florist who did our wedding to discuss arranging something in the backyard if we're going to host the ceremony for Grace and Jason here. I don't know if they'll want that, but I figured we'll be sitting down soon to discuss next steps and it'd be helpful to have some ideas laid out. Then outside of that, I have lesson plans to write before the school year starts and your accounting team alerted me that I'm behind on setting new fundraising targets and finalizing the paperwork for the foundation—"

"The driver can take the twins to camp, your lesson plans can wait, and the foundation will survive a day without you. You've barely taken a day off all summer. We can Zoom the florist from bed."

"You can't smell flowers on Zoom, Tony."

"You said it's just to get some ideas. Gracie will ultimately pick. She can smell them then."

"True," I nodded slowly. "But what about your work?"

"What about it?" he twirled my hair around his finger and pulled me even closer.

"Don't you and Colt have a big meeting for that project you've been working so hard on? Today is like the day, isn't it?"

Tony shrugged, "Nah. Colt can pitch it without me."

"Wasn't that your baby though? " I asked, surprised.

"You're my baby, Marisa," Tony stroked my cheek before kissing me again a little deeper.