The Wandering Caravan (Forever and Always #8) Read online

  The Wandering Caravan

  This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this novel are fictitious or used fictitiously. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher or author, except in the case of a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review.

  Copyright © 2014 by E. L. Todd

  All Rights Reserved

  ISBN-13: 978-1497369122

  ISBN-10: 1497369126

  The Wandering Caravan

  Book Seven of the Forever and Always Series

  E. L. Todd

  1

  Scarlet

  “Sean, are we ever going to leave the room?” I sat at the vanity and tried to curl my hair. I managed to get my sundress and hat on. I wanted to sit in the sand right outside our door. But Sean had other plans.

  He came behind me then kissed my neck, his hands running up and down my sides. Like an insatiable beast, he wanted it all the time. I was so suspicious, I looked through his bags to see if he brought some performance enhancers. He didn’t. “Baby, you’re just so beautiful. I don’t want to share you with the world.” He gripped my hips and made me feel small in his embrace. He managed to pull away the curling iron and brush. His hands grabbed my tits and squeezed.

  “We have to leave sometime…”

  “No, we don’t,” he said as he kissed my neck.

  I wanted to fight him but I couldn’t. I let him devour me, loving the heat of his touch.

  Sean pulled off my hat then scooped me in his arms. He placed me on the bed then lay me down. Quicker than I could process, my dress was gone. My swimsuit was untied and tossed on the floor. Sean had a dark look in his eyes, like he wanted to possess me for all eternity.

  He grabbed my hips and dragged me to the edge of the bed, my pelvis directly touching his. He was naked because he refused to put clothes on. I didn’t mind because it was a breathtaking view, but I wished he wouldn’t seduce me every other minute.

  His phone rang, and I hoped he would answer it. I could slip out to the beach for the first time. For the past five days, Sean kept me cooped up in here, taking me like I was a virgin.

  Sean didn’t look like he would answer it. Every time my phone rang, he took it away. Because he was psychotic and fucking crazy.

  “Answer it. It could be important.”

  He slid his cock across my clitoris. “They are stupid for calling me on my honeymoon. I’m not answering it.”

  “It’s okay,” I said.

  “Maybe after I make love to my wife.”

  Wife. He said that word at least a hundred times a day.

  He slid inside then moaned. I never felt more desirable than I did with him. Every time he touched me in an intimate way, he gripped me like it was too much sensation. The first time we made love in our room, he became emotional with tears. I already knew he loved me, but he continued to show it with obvious passion.

  “Scarlet…” He gripped my hips and thrust into me. We’d been having sex nonstop, so Sean was gentle with me. He moved inside me slowly with even strokes. Our bodies joined together and it felt so good. I lay back and watched him move inside me. His eyes locked to mine. Then he leaned over and kissed me, sucking my bottom lip. I loved it when he did this, and I crumbled beneath him.

  “I love it when you come for me. You look so gorgeous,” he whispered.

  I gripped his forearms and breathed into his mouth. I was annoyed we hadn’t done anything productive on our honeymoon, but having orgasm after orgasm wasn’t so bad. “Mmm…”

  He kissed my forehead then his thrust became irregular. I felt him come inside me enough times to know when he reached his breaking point. His breathing came out sporadic as he depleted himself. He deposited so much seed for the past five days, I didn’t know if there was any room left.

  Sean cradled me in his arms and leaned over, catching his breath. My arms moved around his waist and I closed my eyes. We sat in companionable silence, enjoying our post orgasm state.

  He pulled away then massaged my arms and my sides. Then he moved to the area between my legs and rubbed me gently. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine,” I whispered.

  “Am I hurting you?”

  “Does it sound like you’re hurting me?” I loved being a smartass with him.

  He smirked. “I just want to make sure you aren’t sore.”

  “Well, she’s a trooper.”

  “I’ll say. Let me know if you want me to be gentler.” He rubbed my clitoris then leaned back over me.

  “You’re doing a perfect job.”

  “Good.” He slid his fingers through my hair then massaged the back of my neck. He always worshipped me like I was the most special thing in the world. Everything he did, he did it for me. I already knew Sean was innately selfless and giving, but he had always been that way with other people, mainly Penelope, and not me. Even though we were married, I still wasn’t used to it.

  “I don’t like it when you look at me like that.”

  “Like what?” I asked.

  “Every time I’m sweet to you, you’re surprised. Baby, I’m never going to change. You’re the object of my obsession—forever and always.”

  “I know,” I said with a sigh. “I’m just…not used to it.”

  “You better get used to it. I know I can’t erase all the shitty things I did to you, but I will spend every day of the rest of my life trying to convince you things are different. I have to.”

  “No, it’s not you, Sean. I just…I don’t know.”

  His hand stilled and he eyed me. “Tell me.”

  I sighed.

  “Baby, you tell me everything.”

  “I just never thought I’d get my happily ever after. I thought I didn’t deserve one.”

  “Why?” he asked.

  I shrugged. “I guess where I come from. My mother always made it her purpose in life to make me feel worthless and insignificant. So, when people treated me that way, I thought that was what I deserved. When you hurt me, I thought it was okay. I thought that’s how the rest of my life would always be. But you…you make me feel like I’m important, worth something…special.”

  His eyes softened and he took a deep breath. My words pained him and I could see it in on his face. I didn’t mean to make him upset. He asked so I answered. His hands moved to either side of my face and he held my gaze. “You are the single most important thing in my life. You are special and amazing. I know people will always wonder why you picked me to share you life with. I’m worthless compared to you. Scar, you have it completely wrong. And don’t let your mother’s words define you. Look at the source. You are exceptional. Trust me.”

  “You’re the only person who has ever made me feel special.”

  His eyes softened again. “Because the world is full of idiots, including me. But I am no longer.”

  “I don’t mean to make you feel bad…”

  “You didn’t. I like to know how you feel. You can always tell me anything.”

  “I know.”

  He kissed my forehead and held me close. “Thank you for being my wife.”

  “You say that a lot.”

  “Because I mean it,” he said simply. “We both accepted the fictitious love of other people, not realizing they didn’t give a shit about us. But now we found where we really belong. It just took us a really long time to get there.”

  “Well, we’re here now, right?”

  He kissed my forehead again. “We are.”

  Sean’s phone rang again.


  “You should answer that.”

  “No.”

  “It could be important.”

  “You’re important,” he answered. “I told everyone not to call me. I’m yours exclusively.”

  “Well, I would like to call my family.”

  “Nope. You’re mine.”

  I glared at him. “How does Ryan know I’m okay?”

  “You’re with me. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of you. Secondly, if he was that worried, he would have called.”

  Knowing he was right, I sighed. “Can we go snorkeling tomorrow?”

  “No. Let’s stay here.” He lay on the bed next to me then pulled me to his chest.

  “Sean, we’ve been on our honeymoon for five days and we haven’t left this villa.”

  “Your point?”

  I rolled my eyes. “I want to do something.”

  “And I want to make love to my wife.”

  “Well, we can’t do it every second of the day. There are other activities we can do in the meantime.”

  He sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m just so turned on by you.”

  “I haven’t changed.”

  “You’ve completely changed. Now you’re my wife. It’s the hottest thing in the world.”

  “I’ll still be your wife when he go home.”

  “And you think it will be any different there?” he asked with a smile.

  “Your dick is going to fall off,” I said as I hit his shoulder.

  “I’ll grow another.”

  “Are you a lizard?” I asked.

  “A lizard?”

  “They grow back appendages.”

  “I didn’t know that,” he said.

  “There are a lot of things you don’t know. Maybe if you let us leave the room, I can show you a few things.”

  He smiled. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to coop you up in here. I just…I don’t know. I love you. I can’t justify it in any other way.”

  “I love you too, Sean. But I’m going to stop loving you if you lock me away any longer.”

  “Fine. What do you want to do tomorrow?”

  I clapped my hands in excitement. “I want to go to the aquarium.”

  “Then that’s what we’ll do.” His fingers moved through my hair.

  “And let’s go out to dinner tonight.”

  He cringed. “How about room service for one more night?”

  I glared at him.

  “Fine,” he said with a laugh. “My wife gets what she wants.”

  “Damn right, I do.”

  “But every morning and evening, your husband gets what he wants.”

  “I know,” I said. “You’ll never let me forget.”

  We went to a restaurant right on the beach. The torches were lit around the edges, and the waves crashed against the shore. Sean pulled out my chair for me like he always did. It was an ordeal getting here. As soon as I got dressed and did my hair, he wanted to go back to bed. I managed to get out before he stripped me down.

  Sean sat across from me then gave me a heated stare. I was used to the look by now. I got it nonstop. I picked up the menu and looked at the choices. The halibut looked good.

  “Your tits look great in that dress.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Do you ever think about anything else?”

  “You can answer that.” He still stared at me.

  I acted like I didn’t care but I actually enjoyed the attention he gave me. It was vulgar but sweet at the same time. “What are you getting?”

  “Probably a burger.”

  “We’re at a five star restaurant and you’re getting a burger?”

  He glanced at the menu then looked back at me. “What are you getting?”

  “The grilled halibut.”

  “Then I’m getting that too.”

  I put down the menu and looked across the table. Tables surrounded us but they were spaced out. Our conversation was quiet and private. It was nice to be out of the room. The wind moved through my hair, and the air was warm and humid. It was a lot different than Seattle. It was a nice change.

  The waitress came over to take our drinks. She wore a black cocktail dress that fit snugly around her hips and chest. Her hair was pulled back and revealed a beautiful face. She was definitely the type of girl Ryan and Cortland would check out. They’d argue over what was better, her ass or her chest, as soon as she walked away.

  When I looked at Sean, he still stared at me.

  “What can I get you?” she asked with her pen and paper in hand.

  Sean nodded to me, telling me to go first.

  “I’ll have the halibut,” I said.

  “Excellent choice. And you, sir?”

  Sean didn’t look at her once. “I’ll have the same as my wife.”

  “Coming right up.” She walked away.

  Sean was wearing one of his Armani suits and he looked handsome like he usually did. I’m pretty sure the waitress noticed his obvious charms but I didn’t care. When you had a beautiful husband, it was bound to happen.

  Sean didn’t seem to notice her at all, despite her obvious beauty.

  I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and crossed my legs under the table. Sean continued to stare at me like I was a motion picture. “You stare a lot.”

  “I like what I see.”

  I drank my margarita and returned it to the table. “Are you nervous?”

  “About what?”

  “Taking over the company.”

  He leaned back in his chair and rested his ankle on the opposite knee. “We’re on our honeymoon, Scar. Let’s not talk about that.”

  “We are on our honeymoon so we should be snorkeling, exploring the island, and sightseeing, but we haven’t done any of that.”

  He smiled. “We’ll start tomorrow.”

  “I hate to imagine my response when someone asks what we did on our honeymoon,” I said.

  “We did what married couples are supposed to do. And if they give us shit, we’ll say we’re trying to have kids.”

  “Still awkward.”

  “Nothing you wouldn’t say to Ryan.”

  I rolled my eyes. I would always be teased for my unusual relationship with my brother.

  The waitress brought our food then stared at Sean again. She wasn’t even trying to be discreet about it. Sean didn’t look at her once while she asked if we needed anything else.

  “No, thank you,” he said.

  She left our table.

  “She has a thing for you,” I said.

  “I have a thing for you,” he responded. “But now you know how I feel.”

  “Sorry?”

  “Every time we go anywhere, a hundred guys stare at you. I can guarantee there’s a guy sitting behind me staring at your chest while we speak. It’s annoying but I try not to let it get to me. Otherwise, my head would explode.”

  We finished our dinner and Sean paid for the meal. We hadn’t combined our bank accounts and I wasn’t planning on it. He worked hard for his money and I didn’t want anyone to assume I felt entitled to it. And I had plenty of my own.

  We walked back to the villa hand-in-hand. Even in my heels, Sean towered over me. I caught him looking down my top a few times. But he didn’t try to be discreet about it. He was constantly gawking at me, but I didn’t mind. Only Sean could do that.

  When we came back to the room, Sean was on me. He pushed me against the wall then lifted up my dress, seeing my yellow thong. He pressed his lips to my ear while his fingers moved inside the material, finding the spot I wanted him to touch so much. His fingers slipped inside me and moved gently.

  “You’re mine, Mrs. Prescott.” He pushed me further into the wall, his chest against my back. I liked it when he was like this. He changed into a man that only came forth late at night.

  His lips kissed my neck then he nibbled on my ear. His fingers pushed inside me, making me moan at every touch.

  Sean pulled his fingers out then guided me to the bed. When I was on my back, he pulled my dre
ss off then placed my legs over his shoulders. My heels were still on but I knew he liked it when I wore them.

  He moved inside me without preamble and rocked the bed hard. He was usually gentle with me but now he was aggressive and harsh. But I liked it. He didn’t even finish taking his clothes off. I unbuttoned his shirt and removed his tie while he fucked me hard and fast. My hands grabbed his hips and pulled him harder, loving the way he made me feel.

  It didn’t take long for Sean to take me to the place I loved so much. The sensation burned and throbbed between my legs until it ignited into a fiery crescendo, scorching and burning me.

  “Sean…”

  “Husband,” he commanded.

  “Husband,” I said. I dug my nails into his skin and rode the rest of my high. It felt tender as he continued to move inside me.

  He reached his moment with a grunt then emptied himself. His chest was covered in sweat from the exertion of his force. When he was finished, he kissed my body then pulled out of me.

  I thought we would get sick of each other over the past year and the heat would die out, but it never had. It seemed like we only wanted each other more. I hoped it stayed that way for the rest of our lives. I’d be happy if it did.

  Sean pulled back the covers then pulled me beside him. He moved me to his chest, the position we usually took when we went to bed. I thought Sean would get tired of feeling my weight on top of him every night, but he continued to put me there. I liked lying on top of him. It was always warm and safe. And I liked to listen to him breath and feel his heartbeat in his chest. I suspected Sean liked feeling my breasts against his chest. I’d bet my life savings on it.

  Sean fell asleep immediately. I could hear his breathing become deep and slow. His hand was hooked around my waist and it never left. I couldn’t sleep. I was happy being in Sean’s arms, but I missed my family, especially Ryan. I hadn’t talked to him in almost a week. I said I would call him days ago but I never did.

  While I understood the foundation of my relationship with Ryan, it still surprised me how much I needed him. I was never worried Sean wouldn’t give me what I needed, but he wasn’t Ryan and he never would be. My brother was the only person who knew my life story because he experienced it himself. I could tell Sean every intimate detail but it would never be quite the same.