Take the Bride: A Knight Brothers Novella

by Carly Phillips

  She blinked and did her best not to flinch at his harsh tone. She needed to own her actions, to accept responsibility. “I didn’t even realize that I had… but yes. Of course I’m sorry.”

  He shook his head. “Look, I promised myself I wasn’t going to fight with you and I’m not. I just… It was embarrassing, Sierra. And it killed me that something inside me knew all along that you belonged to him. That’s why I walked out. Not because of anything you did or didn’t do that day. But because I was the odd man out at my own wedding. And I shouldn’t have been.”

  Tears filled her eyes. “I showed up at the church wanting to marry you. But I think we can both admit now that it would have been a mistake. That maybe there were second thoughts neither one of us gave voice to before Ryder did it himself.”

  He drummed his fingers on the arms of the chair before speaking. “I hate this. When I had a chance to get over my anger and embarrassment, I was pissed at myself for walking away and not fighting for you when I had the chance. Maybe if I had, if I’d shown you that I–”

  Before he could go on, she shook her head, not wanting him to put himself out there and embarrass himself more. Once Ryder had objected, he’d owned her.

  She might not have known it at the time, might have been furious, angry, humiliated, and a million more adjectives she couldn’t think of at the moment, but the biggest one was the one she hadn’t known at the time.

  Relieved.

  She’d been relieved he’d spoken up and put a claim on her at last, because she’d never stopped loving him.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, forcing the words over the painful lump in her throat.

  She opened her purse and pulled out the bracelet she’d put in a jewelry bag she’d found during her unpacking. Placing it in his hand, she curled his fingers around the beautiful jewelry she’d been proud to wear.

  “Jesus,” he muttered. “We can’t try?”

  “No,” she whispered.

  “You’re with him.”

  She hoped to be. She hadn’t left Ryder with any indication, positive or negative, about what she wanted for the future. She’d needed to come to him with a clear path to the future and an even clearer heart.

  “I’m sorry,” she said again. “I’ll take care of canceling the movers, returning the gifts… anything else that comes up, just let me know.” She pushed herself to a standing position and he rose to his feet. “I wish you all the best, Jason. And someday you’ll find someone who deserves you.”

  She turned and walked out, her heart pounding like a drum, dizziness spinning around in her head. God, that was awful. She’d hated hurting him and he hadn’t deserved what she put him through.

  * * * *

  Ryder sat in his favorite chair in his family room in the small house he’d bought and renovated for himself. The television was off, leaving him to his own thoughts… and they sucked.

  He’d spent the afternoon helping Sierra unpack her things and put them away in her drawers and cabinets. When he’d suggested they order in Chinese for dinner, she’d turned to him with an unreadable expression on her face, and his stomach had cramped badly.

  “I need to run an errand,” she said from where she stood by an empty box in the bedroom.

  “What kind of errand?”

  She’d begun pulling clothing she’d just unpacked out of the drawers. “I, umm, I texted Jason earlier. I’m going over there to talk.”

  His stomach had plummeted to the floor at the news. He’d known she wanted to talk to the man face to face, but he hadn’t thought she’d rush over there so soon.

  “I have to give him his bracelet back,” she said softly. “And we have unfinished business to discuss.”

  Knowing he’d had no choice, he’d nodded and left her to do what she needed to. Without pressure or influence from him.

  So here he sat now, alone in the dark, nursing a beer and hating that he didn’t know what was going on between them. As much as it pained him, Sierra had been about to marry the man. Could he be having regrets over walking out and want her back?

  Fuck. He ran a hand through his hair.

  He wanted her back, so he couldn’t blame Jason if he was feeling the same way. And Ryder had no moral high ground to stand on. He’d dumped her when they were younger, devastating her in the process, leaving her unable to trust him, his words, or promises now.

  His doorbell rang so he put the bottle on the side table and headed to answer it. Probably a neighbor, he thought. They were a friendly bunch around here, always stopping by for one reason or another.

  He opened the door in time to see a car which had been parked in his driveway pull out and away. In front of him stood Sierra.

  She wore a pair of tight black leggings, ballet flats, and a pink shirt molding to her curves. Her long hair fell over her shoulders in disarray, just the way he liked it. She looked good enough to eat.

  He blinked. “Well, this is a surprise.”

  “A good one, I hope? Because I let the Uber driver leave.”

  He grinned. “Always good to see you, sweetheart.” He just wondered what she wanted. She’d taken a car out of the city and to Long Island to visit him.

  She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, telling him she was nervous. “Sebastian gave me your address.”

  That’s right. She’d never been to his place. Never had a reason before now, he thought. “Well, come in. It’s small but I’ve renovated the whole house. Everything is new. I’d love for you to see it.”

  He was proud of his work in general, but he loved his home, with the high beam wood ceilings and hardwood floors. It also had enough land and room for additions to be put on, should the time come when he needed it. And God, he hoped he needed it soon.

  “Did you take care of your errand?” He forced the word out as she entered the house and he shut the door behind her.

  “I did.” She faced him, her knuckles white, she was gripping her purse so hard. “That part of my life is over.”

  Relief swept through him. He didn’t know what he’d expected, but if he were Jason, he wouldn’t have let her go easily. He didn’t want or need to know the details unless she offered them. What mattered to him was that she’d ended things for good with her ex and she was here now. With him.

  “And then you came to me?” he asked, wondering what was going on in that enigmatic mind of hers.

  “I did.”

  He blew out a harsh breath. “Sweetheart, you’re going to have to give me more than two-word answers and explain where we stand.”

  She laughed nervously. “Right. Well, it’s not that easy to just say it.”

  “I don’t know why unless you’re here to end things with me, too.” Jesus, why the fuck had he even put that idea out there? “I told you what I wanted already. I want our dream. The one we talked about a long time ago.” His heart threatened to explode out of his chest.

  “The family, kids, dog, wife, house… everything we dreamed of,” she said, repeating his words back to him.

  “Yes. That.”

  “With me.”

  “And nobody else,” he said, staring into her blue eyes.

  She visibly swallowed hard. “And you won’t ever make a decision for me that ends us. Not ever again.”

  He shook his head. “Not in this lifetime or however many more I have,” he said, barely recognizing his gruff voice as he realized he was about to get everything he’d ever wanted or dreamed of. Everything that mattered to him, anyway.

  “Okay. Good. Because I want the same things. The family, kids, dog, husband, house… everything we dreamed of… with you.”

  He didn’t hesitate, pause, or think. He swung her into his arms and headed straight for the bedroom, laying her down on his California-king-size bed. For the wife, the kids, and the massive dog he wanted.

  The things it appeared, now, he was going to get.

  He came down beside her, pulling her into his arms. “Jesus, you know how to nearly drive a guy to insanit
y. I died a little inside, knowing you were with him.”

  She slid her hand over his cheek. “I needed to clear the way for us.”

  “When did you decide there would be an us?” Because as far as he knew, even earlier today, she was hesitant.

  “My brothers came to see me when you went out to get scissors. We all talked. And they convinced me you weren’t going anywhere this time. And in my heart, I know we’re meant to be.”

  He let out the breath he’d been holding, probably since interrupting her wedding.

  She was his.

  All fucking his.

  She leaned over and pressed her lips to his. With a groan, he came over her, his mouth sealed against hers. He slid his tongue into the depths, possessing her, devouring her, staking a claim that would last forever.

  Stripping off their clothes while kissing and laughing wasn’t easy but they managed, coming together again, skin against skin. He glided his hands up from her waist, his thumbs brushing the undersides of her breasts.

  She moaned at the light touch and he dipped his head, pulling a nipple into his mouth. Her fingers came back to his hair, holding him to her as he licked, nipped, and laved at the distended peak before switching breasts and giving the same attention to the other side.

  He lifted his head, looking into those eyes he loved, before raising himself up. He grasped his cock in one hand and slid it over her damp sex. She sucked in a shallow breath, and he did it again, gliding the head over her clit until she arched her hips, seeking harder, deeper contact.

  He couldn’t wait to be inside her and poised himself at her entrance. Their gazes held as he pushed into her. She locked her arms around his neck, her stare never leaving his, and as he thrust deep, he knew she was with him one hundred percent, finally giving him all of her.

  “Mine,” he said, groaning, taking her for the first time with total awareness of what they were to each other.

  What they would be.

  Forever.

  * * * *

  Later, when they were both sated, multiple times over, they lay entwined together. Sierra glanced up at the ceiling, noting the skylight above them for the first time.

  “You didn’t tell me your house was like the Paradise Cove suite,” she said, laughing against his chest.

  She hadn’t yet seen the rest of the house, but the warmth of this room, the vaulted ceilings, the wood… She was in love.

  “I didn’t even think about it, to be honest. This one has a shade that works on a remote control. I can shut it at night so the sun doesn’t wake me in the morning,” he said.

  “Oh, nice,” she murmured. “So close it now so we don’t get woken up at dawn,” she said on a yawn.

  “You’re staying?”

  She heard the hope in his voice and knew she’d have to work hard to convince him she was here and all in. “Are you kicking me out?” she asked, glancing up at him with a fake pout on her lips.

  “Never,” he said, reaching for the remote on the nightstand and shutting the shade.

  The next morning, Sierra woke Ryder with her mouth around his hard-as-a-rock erection. She had no intention of being told no this time. She was going to take him all the way to the end. She sucked him down until he hit the back of her throat.

  He groaned and began to pump his hips, back and forth, until she knew he was close. And if she hadn’t sensed it, his tap on her head would have told her. She shook her head, then went about ignoring him until he came with a shout, spilling himself down her throat.

  Satisfied now, she rose and slid up beside him, a grin on her face. “Good morning.”

  “I told you I like coming inside my pussy.”

  She shook her head, blushing and laughing at him. “It’s better for you to get used to it now.”

  “Get used to what?” He pushed himself up in bed, his hair messed and sexy, just how she liked it.

  “That you won’t always get your way.” She shrugged. “Just a warning. I’ve been too easy on you until now.”

  He tilted his head back and chuckled. “Okay, sweetheart. Consider me warned. So how did you sleep?”

  “Amazingly good.” The best sleep she’d had in forever, she thought, snuggling into him.

  “So when are you moving in?” he asked.

  “What?” She sat upright in bed.

  “When are you moving in? I figured we should get started on our dreams right away.”

  Her heart began a rapid beat inside her chest at the idea. “Didn’t I just pack and unpack?”

  “And didn’t I help you? So, when can we do it again?”

  Did she really need to play games? To worry? To wait? When it was right, it was right. “How about we get back to work this week and start packing again this weekend?”

  He shook his head. “How about we take the week off—since you’d already planned for that—and move you in right away?”

  She met his gaze. The eagerness she saw there matched her own. “Okay,” she said softly.

  “Good. I love you, Sierra,” he said, pressing a kiss against her lips.

  “And I love you.”

  “So when can we go pick out our dog?”

  She threw her head back and laughed. This man would not only keep her on her toes but he would make sure he satisfied every dream she’d ever had. And even those she wasn’t aware of having.

  Epilogue

  Two years later

  “Jilly, you can’t ride the dog!” Sierra called out to her daughter from where she stood in the kitchen baking cookies for the family gathering they were hosting later today. Her brothers, Ryder’s brother, and some of their friends were coming.

  Named after Ryder’s mom, Jillian, their daughter was an adorable mini-me to her mom and a headstrong child, to boot. And right now, she was attempting to climb onto the back of their St. Bernard, Wiley.

  The dog was good-natured and only four years old. They’d found him at the shelter when he was approximately two. The original couple who’d had him hadn’t anticipated the amount of work and food a dog of his size entailed. And since it would only get worse, Wiley had found his way to the shelter. And into their home.

  Sierra had moved in that same week they’d gotten together and started up her home social media company, Knight Time Social, soon after. She’d then gone off birth control and he’d knocked her up immediately, he thought with a grin. She had an assistant she’d hired and the business was growing. He was so damned proud of her.

  He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder. “Hey, sweetheart.”

  “Hey.” She turned in his arms. “Are you here to steal cookie dough?”

  “Nope. I’m here to steal a kiss,” he said and brushed his mouth over hers, once, twice, before diving in for a real one. He slid his tongue past her lips and devoured her mouth, tasting a hint of chocolate, making him realize she’d been sneaking cookie dough herself.

  “How are you?” she asked after he’d broken the kiss, only to come up for air.

  “Good. You?” Because their family would be here soon.

  “Good. Pregnant.”

  “Good. I’ll make sure we have extra chairs in the family room for— Wait, what?” he asked, her unexpected words sinking in.

  “I’m pregnant. Again,” she said, her eyes lit up with happiness. “Your sperm are potent, Ryder Hammond. This time you bypassed my birth control.”

  He was stunned. Yeah, they wanted more kids, but no, they hadn’t planned for another one so soon. Not that he was complaining, he thought.

  With a whoop, he picked her up and spun her around, placing her down at the same time he felt a tug on his pants.

  “Daddy, up!”

  Grinning at Sierra, he bent down to pick up their daughter into his arms, then spun her the same way he’d done to her mother.

  She giggled, the sound going straight to his heart. “Hey, baby. You’re going to be a big sister!”

  “Yay!” She clapped her hands
happily.

  He had no idea if she even understood what he meant. Snaking out an arm, he pulled Sierra in with them, causing Wiley to give a woof, obviously annoyed at being left out.

  “Are we telling the family?” he asked.

  “I say we keep it to ourselves for another month or two. Unless little mouth here slips up.” She kissed Jilly on the nose and she swiped at the spot with her hand.

  Ryder’s heart swelled with happiness. There was a time he hadn’t thought he’d have this—the family, the kids, the dog, the wife, and the bigger house.

  “We’re going to have to talk about expanding.” He’d had plans drawn up for the future, but apparently that time was now.

  “Okay.”

  “Okay.” He kissed her and put his wriggling daughter down so she could run after Wiley.

  He looked around, his heart full. He woke up every day grateful and glad he’d stood up and objected at Sierra’s wedding, taking off with the bride.

  Nobody said he wasn’t determined when he went about achieving his dreams.

  * * * *

  Also from 1001 Dark Nights and Carly Phillips, discover His to Protect.

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