Loving the Enemy

by M. E. Clayton

  “Hey, why don’t we head on over, so Roselyn’s not late, and then one of us can come back and get-”

  I waved away Delaney’s suggestion. “Don’t be silly,” I scoffed. “No one needs to come back and get me. I’m a big girl, and that’s what car service is for. I’m sure the hotel provides it.”

  “Are you sure?” Roselyn asked.

  “Of course, I’m sure, Roz,” I answered. “I’m not going to have you late for this.”

  The girls mumbled in agreement and we all filed out of my room and headed towards the lobby. Once I found Guest Services, the girls all waved goodbye and told me to take my time.

  This should be fun.

  Chapter 3

  Liam McCellan~

  I walked into my hotel room and couldn’t stop the curses stringing together.

  Roselyn was standing in front of the mirror, and I walked in the room just in time to see her silver/blue dress drape down her body, covering up everything that got my dick hard.

  She turned back over her shoulder, and then did a full turnabout. “How do I look?”

  Was she serious?

  “Is that a serious question?” I asked, walking towards her, ready to rip her dress off.

  Roselyn grinned. “Hey, it’s legit,” she claimed. “We’re all getting ready on the fly here. You guys got to get ready this morning without having to ditch Ramsey.”

  I wrapped one arm around her waist and started planting kisses on her bare shoulder. The dresses were all thin-strapped contraptions. “It could be worse,” I reminded her. “We could be your mom and Joseph with all eleven of the kids.”

  She laughed, and it was still my most favorite sound in the world. “Who would have ever guessed that Joseph would agree to watch all our damn children?”

  I chuckled. “Well, to be fair, Gideon and Brantley are probably the only ones who need real watching. The other kids are old enough to take care of themselves.”

  We had eleven children between us four couples and we had started out young. We’d still been teenagers while the girls had still been in college. But we had made it all work.

  Ramsey and Emerson had Ramsey Jr. who was eighteen now, and Maddox who was seventeen. Ram and Emerson had wasted no time in between popping out babies.

  Deke ended up putting Delaney through hell four times with Dash who was eighteen also, Crew who was sixteen, Zane who was fourteen, and finally the little girl he always wanted, Brantley, who was ten.

  Ace and Ava had given us all two precious little girls where, except for the recently added Brantley, there had been nothing but boys. They had DJ who was sixteen and named after Delaney, and Maggie who was fourteen.

  Roselyn had ended up giving me three kids, and I would have made her give me a million more if she hadn’t put a limit to how many kids she wanted. We had Chance who was seventeen, Neo who was fifteen, and Gideon who was twelve.

  All in all, Brantley, DJ, and Maggie were not short any big brothers.

  “Well, your mom called me earlier to tell me they were all ready and heading to Casa Romantica. They’ll probably be there before we get there.” I stopped kissing on her and gave her some freedom to finish getting ready. “Did Emerson suspect anything?”

  Roselyn’s entire face lit up. “Oh, my God, Liam,” she rushed out. “Keeping a straight face as the service desk called her to tell her about her credit card was one of the hardest things I ever had to do.” I grinned back at her enthusiasm. “She doesn’t suspect a thing.”

  I stared at the woman I’ve loved since I was seventeen and blurted the first thing that popped in my head. “I could totally go down on you right now and not mess up your hair or your makeup, baby.” Her sweet blue eyes blinked at me, and I knew she was processing what I just said.

  After a few seconds, she planted her hands on her hips, and said, “You know, not even twenty minutes ago, I defended you to a room full of my best friends, insisting that you weren’t a lunatic.”

  Okay.

  I guess she’s not going to let me eat her pussy before the wedding.

  “Granted, I conceded that you were. However, I still defended that you weren’t as warped in the head as Ramsey, Deke, or Ace. But you know, Liam,” she tsk’ed, “it looks like I might have to recant my defense of you, if you really think I’m going to let you violate me before this wedding.”

  Violate?

  How dare she?

  “Hey, I wasn’t going to violate anything you didn’t beg me to,” I said, defending myself. “I was just going to taste you, baby.”

  Roselyn rolled her eyes. “Since when do you ever just taste me, Liam?”

  She had a point. “So, no...?”

  “No,” she confirmed, dashing all my pre-wedding dreams.

  “Well, that sucks.”

  Chapter 4

  Roselyn McCellan~

  It wasn’t that I didn’t want Liam to go down on me.

  Not at all.

  I just didn’t want to be the reason Ramsey killed him on his wedding day for messing things up. The man has, admittedly, turned out to be a great husband and father. It’d be a shame to lose him now.

  Twenty years later, and Liam was still the light of my life. Oh, I loved my children like any mother would, and I’d give my life for them, but Liam was my safe haven. Liam was my peace. He was my solace at the end of the day. After work, the kids, the friends, the home…after all of it, Liam was my quiet. He was my calm after any storm.

  Liam dropped on the bed and ran his hands through his hair. “Ah, hell,” he muttered. “You’re probably right to tell me no. Ramsey’s already nervous as it is. He’d probably kill me if everything didn’t go off perfectly, including your makeup.”

  A nervous Ramsey Reed was something to consider. “Is he really nervous?”

  Liam nodded. “Yeah,” he answered. “You’d think he hasn’t already been married to Em for the past twenty years.”

  I clasped my hands together over my heart. “Awwwwwe,” I cooed. “That’s so sweet.”

  Liam snorted. “Oh, when Ramsey’s obsessed, it’s sweet. When I’m obsessed, it’s annoying,” he complained.

  I turned back to the mirror to check for final touches. “It’s not annoying, per se,” I teased.

  “Watch your words, woman,” he growled from the bed, and I laughed.

  I shrugged a shoulder. “I just wouldn’t expect nervous from Ramsey, is all,” I said before deciding that this was about as good as I was going to get without a professional or time on my side.

  Long gone were my rainbow-colored strands, and now my light blonde hair shined in a messy bun on the top of my head. The nose ring and loud makeup were gone, too. Not because I didn’t like the look anymore, but because I was working with an age-appropriate image now.

  All us girls had decided to wear our hair and makeup the same, so Emerson would truly stand out. Granted, she would look beautiful no matter what, but this day was really all about her.

  The guys all had silver/blue tuxes to match our dresses, while Ramsey was going to be fitted in a black tux with deep, royal blue accents. It was going to be a hell of a sight to walk down that aisle towards that tux-wearing quartet.

  Ramsey Reed, Deke Marlow, Liam McCellan, and Ace McIntire standing together dressed in tuxes was going to garner so many goddamn likes, the photos were bound to go viral.

  And we were the lucky bitches who had the claim to them.

  I turned back towards Liam and offered him a deal. “How about during the reception, we sneak off and I’ll make the wait up to you?”

  Liam’s eyes lit up like it was Christmas morning. “No way?” he said excitedly. “You’re going to let me in that ass during the reception?”

  Jesus Christ.

  I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose. “No, Liam,” I replied, shaking my head. “I was thinking of a blowjob. A nice, simple, uncomplicated blowjob until we got back to our hotel room.”

  “Oh,” he let out softly, super disappointed.
>
  I quit pinching my nose and looked over at the man I promised to love forever. “You are so extreme, Liam.”

  “Me?” His eyes bugged out. “I’m the least extreme out of all of us,” he insisted.

  “Really?” I deadpanned. “Then how do you go from making it up to you right to anal sex?”

  Liam narrowed his eyes at me. “Because that would make it up to me,” he reasoned.

  I could only laugh at my husband and his logic. “Seriously, Liam,” I whined, “how do I look?”

  Liam stood up, walked towards me, and wrapped his arms around my waist. He nuzzled my neck as he said, “Baby, you know the answer I’m always going to give to that question. I think you always look beautiful.”

  I wrapped my arms around his neck and let the peace he brought me settle all around me. Some guys said pretty words just for the hell of it, but not Liam. “I love you, Liam.”

  “You better, Roz,” he replied. “Because I wouldn’t be able to breathe if you didn’t.”

  Chapter 5

  Deke Marlow~

  I was going to kill Ramsey.

  When I walked into my hotel room to see if Delaney was ready, she had been in the restroom putting her hair up, and the sight of her had left me dumber than a motherfucker.

  She looked absolutely breathtaking.

  Now, don’t get me wrong. Over the years, we’ve attended a shitload of formal events where she had to dress up and look her best, but this was different.

  We weren’t attending a formal engagement we couldn’t care less about. We were attending, and participating, in Ramsey’s dream wedding for Emerson. And, somehow, the love put into this wedding was radiating off my wife. She looked beautiful and like she was glowing in love. And the reason I wanted to murder Ramsey was because I was going to have to go hours-count them-hours before I could touch her

  “You look incredible, Lamb,” I told her from the bathroom doorway.

  She turned towards me, her hair finished, and smirked. “You’re the one who looks incredible.” She walked up to me and placed her palm on my chest. “I’m not sure how I’m going to be able to keep my hands off you.”

  I snorted. “Eleven kids running around should probably do it.”

  Delaney laughed, and then leaned up to place a kiss on my cheek. “I missed you,” she murmured against my skin.

  I wrapped my left arm around her waist and pulled her to me. I buried my face in her neck. “Not nearly as much as I’ve missed you,” I told her honestly. “Every color in the world fades when you’re not with me, Delaney.” I was hardly a romantic, but that shit was true. If Delaney wasn’t with me, my mood was shit.

  She hugged me a little tighter before stepping back from me. “Do you think Roselyn’s mom and stepdad are handling the kids okay?” she asked, biting her lower lip.

  I cupped her cheek. “Delany, the only kids that need to be really watched are Brantley and Gideon,” I reminded her. “It’s not like we left them with a bunch of four-year-olds.”

  Delaney smiled. “I know,” she huffed. “It’s just…Deke, we have four kids. That’s a lot of people to be leaving with someone.”

  I laughed as I stepped aside to let her pass into the hotel room. “Lamb, while, yes, we have four kids, they’re not babies. Christ, Brantley’s already ten.”

  She stopped to give herself one final look in the mirror. “I know…it’s just, that’s still a lot of kids.”

  I walked until I stood behind her and stared at her reflection in the mirror. “Ramsey and Dash are eighteen, Delaney,” I pointed out. “Maddox and Chance are seventeen. They are old enough to help watch the younger kids. Hell, those are the ages we fell in love and got married.”

  She turned to look up at me. “Are you accusing me of being a smother-mother?”

  I chuckled. “I wouldn’t dream of it, Lamb.”

  Delaney took a deep breath and threw her arms out beside her. “How do I look?” she asked, changing the subject.

  I couldn’t stop my growl if I wanted to. “I already told you. You look incredible.”

  “You’re supposed to say that,” she insisted. “I mean, how do I really look? We didn’t have much time to get ready after we ditched Emerson.”

  “You look gorgeous enough that I might traumatize all eleven of those children by bending you over a table at the reception and showing them all how they were conceived,” I told her bluntly.

  She rolled her eyes but laughed. “You’re so ridiculous,” she teased.

  “I’ll tell you what’s ridiculous,” I countered. “You not knowing how beautiful I think you are after all these years.”

  Delaney glanced down her body quickly. “Even after giving you four kids?” she asked hesitantly and pissing me off immediately.

  I stepped to her and took her face in both my hands. “If you think your body doesn’t turn me on as much as it did when we were in high school, you are out of your damn mind, Lamb,” I told her. “Every stretch mark you have, every curve that you’ve earned, and every goddamn inch of your skin is the story of my love for you. Don’t fucking forget it.”

  Chapter 6

  Delaney Marlow~

  If I didn’t think Ramsey would kill us all for ruining Emerson’s special day, I’d jump my husband right now.

  Deke wasn’t a romantic.

  He didn’t recite poetry or mutter fluff for the hell of it.

  Every word out of his mouth was the truth as he saw it, and once again, I was reminded of what a lucky woman I was to have Deke Marlow as my husband.

  Through four children, college, and law school, Deke had been unwavering in every promise he has ever made me. Life had been really hard at times, but Deke had made them bearable.

  Trying to be a wife and mother, while juggling college and law school, had tested the best of what I was capable of. Even with all the money he had made with the firm he owned with Ramsey and Liam, money couldn’t buy my law degree. Money couldn’t buy motherhood or my duties as a wife. I had given my family and my dreams everything I’d had, and I was grateful every day that my hard work had paid off.

  I leaned my head against his chest. “You really are too good to me, Deke,” I told him as I wrapped my arms around his body.

  His arms automatically came around mine and pulled me tight. He laughed against my hair. “I’m glad you’re delusional enough to think that, Lamb,” he teased.

  I pulled back, so I could look up at him. Twenty years later, this man was still gorgeous with his black hair, green eyes, and fierce disposition. “I’m fine with being delusional,” I teased back. “Besides, you’re easy on the eyes and that’s a huge plus.”

  “Glad you can stand to look at me,” he smirked, “seeing as how you’re going to have to for the next fifty years, or so.”

  “You know, if I didn’t think Ramsey would murder us all in a fit of rage for ruining his surprise, I’d totally let you bend me over right now, Deke,” I confessed.

  He threw his head back and groaned. “Goddamn it, Delaney,” he growled. His head came back down, and he speared me with a look. “Why would you say that shit to me? Are you trying to torture me?”

  I grinned. “I said it because it’s true, Deke,” I replied. “I’m always…willing when you’re around.”

  “And you wonder why we have four children,” he muttered.

  I laid my cheek back on his chest and just stood there hugging my husband. It was hard not to be at this wedding and not think back on all the years, especially the beginning. Back in high school, I never, in a million years, would have ever imagined I’d marry Deke Marlow, have his four children, and still be married to him twenty years later, and, yet, here we were.

  “I’ll never regret going to that party,” I murmured.

  I could feel Deke’s silent chuckle. “And I’ll never regret begging you to forgive me,” he replied.

  I laughed and stepped away from him. We had a wedding to attend, after all. “You were such a fucking asshole,” I agreed.
/>
  His face soften, and I knew it still bothered him all these years later, but I also knew we were way past all that. “I’m still an asshole,” he joked. “I’m just your asshole.”

  My eyes instantly watered at what was to come next. “Oh, Deke,” I gushed, “this wedding is going to be so…so…”

  He nodded. “I know,” he agreed.

  “I need to get going,” I told him. “Emerson should be here any moment and we’ll need to get her ready. How’s Ramsey?”

  Deke snorted. “When we left him he looked like he was going to pass out.”

  I smiled. It was sweet beyond words that Ramsey was nervous. “He really loves that girl,” I said needlessly.

  Deke smirked. “I love you. Liam loves Linnie. Ace loves Ava,” he said, shaking his head. “What Ramsey feels for Emerson is something none of us will ever be able to comprehend.”

  I had to agree. “She once said their relationship was unhealthy and their co-dependency was dangerous.”

  His brows shot up. “Do you disagree?”

  I shook my head. “Hell, no. Those two are crazy.”

  Chapter 7

  Ace McIntire~

  Ava had the body of a siren, and that fucking dress she had on was like a goddamn beacon for my dick. If she hadn’t been already strapping her heels on when I entered the hotel room, I would have fucked her stupid.

  Okay, maybe not fucked her stupid because I was pretty sure Ramsey would kill me in cold blood for ruining his wedding, but I would have, at least, gotten a lick in.

  Or two.

  “You’re killing me in that dress, baby,” I told Ava as I shut the door behind me.

  She looked up and grinned. “You don’t look so bad yourself, stud.”

  I shook my head. “If DJ and Maggie didn’t have the boys to follow them around, I’d lose my mind,” I confessed. Both girls took after me in coloring, but both girls were just as pretty as their mother.

  Ava laughed. “Do you know how many times they’ve come home and cried that one of the boys embarrassed them?”