by C. M. Steele
“So you want to hold off?”
“No, I want to call the judge in right now and have him bring everything here.”
“But…why didn’t you tell me that you had a stalker?”
“Honestly, I forgot about her. I don’t even know who this person is. I haven’t heard a word in at least six months, so I assumed she found someone else to stalk. When you first came here and I saw you in my bedroom camera, I thought maybe you were her.”
“I’m betting she didn’t think you had anyone and then seeing Ava with you triggered her. Hearing about the wedding forced her to take drastic steps.”
“How did she get my number?” I ask, shaking my head. It makes no sense. I haven’t called anyone besides Tobias, Louisa, and Lara. Shit. The wedding prep.
“Did you give it to anyone?” Lara asks.
“I filled it out when I ordered the cake and the wedding meal.”
“I’m going to send my security team to check it out, but we’re getting married in two hours. We’re off to the courthouse in twenty. Get dressed, babe. I’m not waiting another minute.”
“Are you for real?” My mouth drops open like he’s nuts because he’s got to be. I’m not even sure the courthouse does these quick weddings today.
“Serious as fuck. Come on. Hop to it. Lara. Get her ready.”
“How about you get the judge here and then we have more time to prepare? We can easily get the documents signed and notarized,” Lara says.
“Smart idea.”
“Now, beautiful. Go upstairs, get your gown on because you’re mine, and I’m sure as fuck not letting anyone come between us.”
“I love you too.” I kiss the crazy man before launching up the stairs with Lara a step behind.
“No running, Lara. Damn it, woman.” We laugh as Landon growls. He’s so protective over her, it’s cute. I wonder how Tobias will be once I get pregnant. So far I’m not, but it hasn’t been long since I got off the pill.
The moment we’re in my bedroom, she pulls me in for a hug and we stay like that for a long time before we break apart. “I’m so happy you’re marrying my brother.”
“Me too.”
“Okay. Now that we got that out of the way. Let’s get you ready to marry my idiot brother. I can’t believe he didn’t tell you about the stalker. Men seem to think they’re invincible but forget there are crazy bitches everywhere. Hell, I had a stalker, but Landon took care of it for me.” She winks and I wonder if what he did was illegal. I’m betting that man would choke someone to death in the middle of Millennium Park in front of everyone for insulting his wife in any single way.
“Thanks, Lara. For everything. I mean it. You’ve managed to do it all while juggling two kids and one on the way with an insatiable husband to tend to as well.”
“Are you kidding? This has been so much fun. The husband makes sure that I relax as often as possible and has already taught the boys to tend to me. I’m just sorry the wedding’s so rushed now.”
“It’s okay. I love him and honestly, it’s been a long time since I’ve said that to someone. I had a couple boyfriends growing up, but I never loved them. At least not in this way. Your brother makes me so happy that even when I’m mad at him, I can look past the boneheaded moves like the stalker shit.”
“That’s the way to go about it. Tobias loves you with all his heart.”
“Although, I won’t let that shit happen again. We’re going to deal with this bitch with an iron fist. I’m never going to let someone gain the power of fear over me again.”
“You’re way tougher than I am, and so beautiful too.” She begins to cry. “I wish my parents were here to see this. They would have loved you.”
“Thank you,” I say, crying too.
“Ladies, get a move on. The judge is on his way,” Tobias snarls.
“We’re getting to it. Mind your business, or she’s skipping town,” Lara shouts through the door as I change and wipe the tears away from my eyes.
“Don’t antagonize your brother, love. He’s a desperate man.” I giggle as I try to slip on my dress.
“Your husband is right. I’m about to carry her out here in whatever she’s wearing when the judge gets here, so that’s the last warning you get.”
“Chill out. You don’t want anyone to see me naked,” I have to remind the crazy bastard through the door, fighting a giggle because I know he’s probably fuming at the idea of someone getting a glimpse of me in any way.
He’s sexy when he’s growly, and I hear that sexy sound once more before he finally relents. “Fine. I love you. Don’t take too long.” He sounds so vulnerable that I smile.
“The poor guy has it bad.”
“Then we better get ready.” She zips my dress that I picked up from Dress It Up yesterday after some last-minute alterations. My wedding dress is a simple but elegant gown from Vera Wang. Lara and I bounced ideas around until we narrowed it down to this beauty that she paid for as a wedding present to me.
The boys were playing in their room down the hall. I love my new family. Lara, Landon, and the boys have been wonderful to me, welcoming me so quickly into the fray as one of their own.
She finishes my makeup and my hair without giving me a mirror. She wants it to be a surprise. I’ve never wanted to see reflection so badly. So I stand up and slip into my dress and she zips me up. Walking around me, she smiles and sighs. “God, you look gorgeous. Tobias is going to lose his mind when he sees you. I hope he can wait for the end of the ceremony.”
“Please,” I scoff, rolling my eyes. She finally pulls off the sheet she put over the old standing mirror and I gasp. She’s right. Everything is subtle, but I feel so pretty.
“What did I tell you? You’re an absolutely stunning bride even with the rushed wedding.” I hug her quickly. “We need to get a move on. I’ll go out there and tell him to get everything started.” The hands have been invited along with Louisa and the boys. Marisa’s here as well. Bill, our lawyer is here to oversee everything. I can’t believe how quick they did this. Granted, most of them would have been coming to the wedding tomorrow.
The music starts around the house and Lara and Louisa are in their matching blue bridesmaid dresses, looking fabulous.
We head downstairs, and they lead the way. I walk down the stairs to the foyer where the wedding will take place and stand next to the love of my life. “Breathtaking,” Tobias utters, staring at me with his hand engulfing mine. He’s in a nicely tailored black tuxedo with a blue bowtie and white dress shirt. I stare up into his bright hazel eyes that change colors. Now the flecks of brown seem absent as we smile at each other.
“So, handsome, are you ready?” I ask, voice shaking with excitement. Fate brought us together, and I never want it to part us.
“Yes.” He leans in and takes my lips. I let out a moan and he drives his tongue inside, sliding his hand around my waist and dragging my soft body firmly against his chiseled form.
“That’s for after the ceremony,” John calls out from his side as best man with Landon standing next to him, rounding out our wedding party. We only have a dozen guests including the kids, so I’m not entirely embarrassed.
“Sorry,” I whisper, feeling my face heat up.
“Let’s get this started,” Tobias tells the judge. “I’m not a patient man.”
“We can all see that, my love.” He winks at me and turns us to face the judge, snaps his fingers then flicks his wrist, gesturing the judge to get on with it.
We marry to a cavalcade of laughter even from the judge who knows Tobias is stubborn, bossy, and impatient.
Chapter 14
Tobias
I let out a sigh of relief when the judge pronounced us husband and wife this afternoon. Ava's mine until the day I’m in my grave, which I hope is another sixty years. Now to find this woman threatening my Ava so we can have our happily ever after. I’m floating as I steal glances at my wife as she gets hugs from Louisa.
“Congratulations, big brother. Yo
u couldn’t have done better. She’s perfect.” Lara throws her arms around me and I squeeze her tightly. That means a lot from Lara.
“I know. I’m the lucky one for sure, but you took your eyes off the little one for one minute too long,” I say, pointing behind her where Brandon has found the brownies Ava baked, set on the dining room table.
“Damn it,” she hisses and then runs off after him before he eats more than the one. Shit, she’s too late. He’s already popped another one in his mouth. That boy is going to be flying soon. They’re double fudge, sugary goodness.
I’m holding my laugh in, but then I lose it just as Landon comes up to shake my hand. He shakes his head. “That boy.”
“He’s got his momma in him.”
“That’s for sure, but I like her on a sugar high,” he smirks and right on cue, my sister pops a brownie bite into her mouth, walking away with another in her hand.
“Some things just never change.” We both chuckle and watch the small reception. My eyes are glued to Ava. “You know I need to say thanks for all you’ve done,” I tell him.
He’s been instrumental in providing the security along with making sure Lara does drive Ava nuts with all the planning. “We’re family. So I did a reverse search. The person called from a disposable as we expected. My people are tracking where the phone came from and maybe we can get some of the surveillance footage of this crazy bitch.”
“Thanks. We have to find her soon. Have your men looked into those that work at the bakery and the restaurant?” They are doing double time, using my office as a makeshift command center.
“Yes. We’ll have more information soon. I’m thinking it’s best to have dinner here. I’ll go into town myself and pick up the order with my men while informing the restaurant that the wedding has been canceled. Lara’s already called the bakery. The cake will be picked up by my men. Do any of your employees have female family members that you met?”
“No. Only Marisa.”
“Okay, so that’s out of the question.” Danny, his head of security walks up to us. “We leave in ten minutes.”
“No, I want you here with my family.”
“Sir, your wife demands that I go with you,” Danny says with a blush. She probably ripped him a new one when she found out he was assigned to them.
“Fine. That woman is lucky I don’t want to get on her bad side.” He chuckles.
“I’ll be in the car, warming it up and checking the perimeter.” Danny walks away, slipping on his long black coat before heading out the front door.
“Thanks. I don’t know how to thank you for your help,” I tell Landon.
“I live and breathe the need for security, especially for my family,” he says, clapping his hand around my shoulder. “Now, you need to calm down and spend the next few hours in wedded bliss while my team prepares for the added security.”
“Still. I am nervous about who is after us,” I confess. There’s no point in hiding it. In fact, it’s probably best that he knows the truth.
“Any word on your former cook?”
“Yes, actually. She left a report with the police that Ava’s father paid her to lie after the investigator learned of the rumors she spread all over town. She’s not pregnant at all.”
“Thank fuck that’s almost over. So what are you going to do with her father?”
I sigh, looking at Ava and her perfectly healed face. “I’d love to put a bullet in his head, but that’s not my kind of thing, you know?” She catches me looking at her, and I give her a wink.
“I understand. If anyone laid a hand on Lara, I’d kill them.” We share a knowing look because he has killed someone to protect Lara.
“Are you hogging my husband, Mr. Black?” she teases, sliding her hands around my waist.
“That I am. Forgive me, Mrs. Reynolds.” He bows and walks over to Lara before kissing her and walking to the door. He steals another glance at her before leaving.
I look down at my little wife. She’s watching, trying to read me. God, she’s beautiful. “Is everything okay? The two of you looked in an earnest discussion.”
“Yeah, I’m wonderful, especially with you in my arms. Landon is just extremely protective of my sister.” She doesn’t quite believe me, but she doesn’t push the conversation. After all that happened today, she probably knows the content of our discussion.
“So what are we doing, Mr. Reynolds?” I really haven’t planned much of the evening except to turn the rehearsal dinner into the wedding reception.
“Mrs. Reynolds, I’d really love to take you upstairs and fuck you until my cum is dripping down your legs, but we seem to have gathered a crowd. Landon has offered to pick up the dinner from Ciao tonight instead of us going there.”
“That’s a great idea. I’m not sure it’s safe to go out there. I wish I knew who this crazy woman was. Are you sure it’s not your former cook?”
“Pretty damn sure. There are people with tabs on her and she has no idea that the wedding was supposed to be tomorrow. I still believe it’s someone in town.”
“Do you have a lot of angry exes?” she questions with her head on my chest.
“No. I don’t. In fact I don’t think I’ve seen one in a decade at least. Besides, I don’t think she’s an ex. From the other stalking moments, she comes off as an outsider looking in. I get the feeling she’s from town.”
“Me too. I only mention the exes because they would be from town.”
“True, I suppose, but even then I think there are only two girls I ever dated in town and they’re both happily married just like me.”
“Good. I’m already feeling like a crazy, jealous wife.”
“You’ve got nothing to worry about, babe. I’m all yours.”
“Still. I’m worried, Tobias.” I hold her close, hating that she has an ounce of fear inside her.
“I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
“What if she comes for you? After all, she probably feels betrayed by you.”
“That’s true, but we have a lot of security, and I’m not leaving you.”
“Kiss me, husband.” I bend down and swoop her into my arms, dropping my head to take her lips as I carry her out of the room. I release her mouth for one second to say, “We’ll be back.”
“We’re going to have a snowball fight outside. See you two in twenty?”
“Great.” I continue our climb upstairs and into our bedroom. I slide the zipper down her back, letting the gorgeous gown fall into a puddle at her feet. She steps out of it in some sexy white heels that make her legs look long.
I walk behind her and pop off her creamy lace bra. Cupping her face from behind, I tilt her head and taste her pulse. She pants and moans, arching her back and sending her bottom against me. I grab her shoulders and spin her to face me. “So damn perfect, Mrs. Reynolds.”
“Thank you, Mr. Reynolds.”
“Now that you have me like this…what do you intend to do?”
“A lot. First, I need to dispose of these,” I whisper, dropping to my knees and pushing down her panties until she lifts her feet to come out of them.
“We have guests waiting for us.” She nods to the door. They have shit to do to set up for the reception anyway. They can do without us for an hour.
“They can wait. I want your pussy to be my first meal of our marriage,” I growl against her slit, sliding my tongue over her wet lips. She moans and shivers, but all the protests are gone. I slide her down to the floor with me and part her thighs, lifting them over my shoulders as I drop my mouth back on her sweet cunt. I pump one finger into her, curling it as I drag out her juices to my lips. Three licks is all it takes to make her center pop and she comes hard all over my face. I pick her up and toss her onto the bed. She scoots up into the middle with her legs spread out for me as I get rid of my jacket, bowtie, and dress shirt. Climbing onto the mattress, I return to my position and feast on her pussy some more. I want her ready to come with me this time. As her orgasm pulls closer
to the edge, I lap up her thighs and free my dick from my pants. Shoving them to my thighs, I stroke my cock while staring at my gorgeous wife’s eyes.
She reaches down between us and slides her fingers along her seam, parting her succulent lips for me. Leaning down with one hand guiding me into her depths and the other holding my weight off her, I claim my wife. Buried deep into her wetness, I drive in and out, taking her body while giving her mine as her husband.
“Fuck, I’m so damn in love with you,” I grunt, crushing my mouth to hers. She greedily sucks on my tongue, taking her own flavor like she’s starved. We increase the pace, gripping each other roughly. My hand pulls on her hair as she claws at my back. “You’re mine forever.” Our kisses spread all over each other’s faces and neck. I pull back and suck on her huge tits, feeling her pebbled nipples harden further in my mouth. She cries out, and her walls close around me. I begin to black out as I let go and come with her.
We manage to pull apart long enough to join our guests after freshening up. When I look at my phone, it’s only been forty-two minutes. Tonight, I’ll make it up to her for rushing it. Landon went out to pick up our food, so the boys are constantly by their momma being like their daddy and protecting her.
I have several ranch hands that she’s known for years, but she’s never been into any of them. Still, that doesn’t stop Landon from worrying that one of them might hit on his wife while he’s gone. David had a crush on Lara when he first came here, but then she left for Chicago and married Landon before coming home again. He jokes that he missed his opportunity to marry her, but we all know he’s still interested. If he weren’t a great employee, I would have fired him a long time ago.
The party is in full swing when Landon, Danny, and one of his other men come back with dinner. As soon as he sets down the food, he asks for a word with me. “Let’s go into my office.”
