Death Do Us Part (Sheridan Pack #7)

Chapter One

M athias stood on the summit and stared down at the valley below. The rich greens of the trees. Vibrant colors of flowers turn the forest floor into a kaleidoscope of beauty. Nova came up next to him, panting and squinting under her baseball cap.

“A little out of breath?”

She waved that away. “I can do this all day.”

“Really?”

She leaned over and placed her hands on her knees. “Nope.”

He chuckled, then leaned over and kissed her head. “You’re awesome.”

“Next time, let’s be awesome in bed.”

Mathias waggled his eyebrows. “Tonight, baby.”

At that moment, a bird smacked into a tree and fell dead at Mathias’s feet. He frowned and picked the little body up, cradling it in his palm.

“Oh,” Nova said sadly. “Poor little guy.”

He stroked the soft feathers, feeling sorry for the bird, wishing he could heal it. Then suddenly, the bird jumped up in his palm and stared at him. It tilted its head and shook out its wings, then took off.

“He must have been just stunned,” Mathias mused, even though he could’ve sworn its neck had been broken.

“Weird.” She thumbed the path they’d just climbed. “Ready to go home?”

They slowly made the hike back down the mountain trail, which was much easier than the way up, obviously. Still, Nova let out a contented sigh when she slid into the passenger seat of his truck. He stored their gear and then joined her. The engine purred to life.

“Where would you like to go for lunch?” Mathias asked.

“I’m in the mood for sushi.”

“Got it.”

There was a historical section in the downtown area that had been redeveloped, turning it into an eclectic mixture of various restaurants, bars, clothing shops, and other stores that added to the bohemian flair.

Mathias found a parking spot close by and, hand in hand, they entered their favorite sushi joint.

The hostess recognized them and waved, leading them to a private booth.

“What are you going to do on your day off?” she asked. She leaned over and grabbed two order sheets that were on the table. Using the provided pencils, they marked which sushi rolls they wanted.

“Not think about work,” he replied.

Being a medical examiner wasn’t for the faint of heart. The manner in which some people died was enough to cause nightmares. Friends called him weird, and maybe he was, but he’d always been a little more attracted to solving mysteries and found a kinship with death.

“I thought I’d just clean the house.”

“You need a hobby, you know.”

He smiled. “My hobby is the hikes you absolutely love.”

“Love is the wrong L word,” Nova quipped. “Loath. That’s the one I’d use.”

Mathias chuckled.

The server took their order sheets, confirmed their order, and then hurried away. The place was always hopping. They chatted a few more minutes, then their sushi came, and they ate. After lunch, they headed home.

“Want to save water and shower together?” Mathias asked.

“I’m pretty sure there wouldn’t be any water saved if we did that,” Nova replied dryly.

“I don’t know,” he said teasingly. “I think we should do a test. We should time how long we spend in the shower.”

“So, you’re in a scientific mood?”

“Would you like to be my science buddy?”

Nova was trying hard not to smile.

Their banter was one of Mathias’s favorite things.

He stalked around his truck, scooped her up in his arms, and Nova laughed as she threw her arms around his neck.

She kissed all the places she could reach—his cheek, his ear, his head, parts of his neck.

She even sucked on his earlobe, gently biting it, and his big body shuddered.

That was one of his erogenous zones, and it made him moan.

Mathias started the warm rain of the shower before cupping Nova’s face to kiss her.

She stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck to kiss him back.

He effortlessly picked her up and stepped into their large shower.

Water pelted them as he backed her against the tiled wall.

The hot steam swirled around them, wrapping them up in a cocoon.

When she pushed at his shoulders, he stepped back from the wall, and she immediately sank to her knees. She looked up at him, water beading on her lashes, waiting.

“Suck me,” he said softly.

With her tongue, she captured the moisture leaking from the tip, then took him into her mouth, going down until she choked.

God, that drove him wild. He slid his hand into Nova’s hair to hold her while he pumped in and out of her mouth.

Not pushing to extreme, because he didn’t want to make her too uncomfortable or restrict her breathing for long, but holy fuck did she turn him on.

Not able to take another moment, he lifted her to her feet, then had her bend forward.

She slapped her hands against the tiles to brace herself as he slipped into her core.

Riding her until they both succumbed to the vortex swirling between them.

Their sex life still drove him into the fucking stars, even after five years together.

Love was in the small details of everyday life—the way they said good morning and good evening, the way either of them would help the other, to doing mundane things, like putting a puzzle together. Love was the way the other person lingered in their thoughts.

The way he looked at her, or when he caught her looking at him, as if he were the hero in her story.

The spontaneous decision of moving furniture so they could dance.

Be present during the sad or harsh times, like when she lost both of her parents in a car crash.

He nurtured her, respected her, and everything she did reciprocated those feelings.

Nova was his heart, his past, and the future he couldn’t wait to share with.

****

M athias looked at the rings on display and found fault with each one. Too large. Too small. The wedding band looked wonky, curled around one. Nova wouldn’t want something too flashy.

He sighed, shaking his head. “I don’t think she’d like any of these,” he said to the salesclerk.

“No problem,” the woman said, without any irritation at him taking so much of her time. “Why don’t you tell me about her?”

“Okay. She’s got dark hair and the prettiest blue eyes I’ve ever seen.

They’re like cornflower blue with just the barest hint of violet mixed in.

” He smiled, thinking about her. “She’s a librarian, so obviously she loves books.

Romance novels are her secret vice. Well, that and Starbucks.

She loves gardening and is very conscious of our carbon footprint.

Recycles. Even uses boxed detergent laundry soap sheets. ”

“How did you meet each other?”

“We bumped into each other in the grocery store, and that’s as cheesy as it sounds. There was one cart left. All the others were out in the parking lot. I saw her standing there, with her mouth twisted as she realized she would have to go back outside in the heat, so I gave her mine.”

“I think I have just the ring,” the clerk said, nodding.

She walked over to another display, opened it, and then brought over a ring that had his eyes widen. The band was made of entwining vines, leading up to cup a brilliant stone that sparkled in the light.

“This stone is moissanite,” she said. “Have you ever heard of it?”

He shook his head.

“Moissanite occurs naturally in meteorites, but now is ethically lab-grown with low environmental impact, which would appeal to her eco-conscious nature. If you notice, it has a rainbow fire.”

Mathias was mesmerized by it. “It’s beautiful.”

“And the Celtic-inspired design and intricate nature motifs pair brilliantly with her romantic side.”

“It’s perfect,” he murmured in awe. “I’ll take it.”

His plan, called Operation Marriage Proposal, was almost ready to launch.