“Bro, we’d love to,” Neil quickly replied.
“Yeah, we’re in, too,” Mitch chimed in.
Kate and Charlie sat there nodding and smiling.
“Excellent.”
The waiter took our order and I went into detailed explanation about what had been going on over the last few weeks. Kate and Charlie beamed at me from across the table, absorbing every word I said. I had finally joined them in the “being in love” status.
I was taken aback by their pure happiness and love for me. It had been there the entire time of our relationship, but I hadn’t truly felt accepted. But it was my own fault for letting fear of rejection and loss run my life. Sharing so openly, I felt relieved, but also accepted in a way that I had only received from my parents…and from my Mac too, of course.
After breakfast, we all went our separate ways. Mac and I went back to his suite to pack up so we could check out of the hotel.
Mac took me in his arms. “Mrs. Carter, it’s time to go back to your place and pack up some of your things. I want you to move in with me today.”
“Mm,” I purred. “That sounds perfect.”
When we got to my condo, I saw a familiar face guarding my door.
“Streeter, any activity?” Mac asked.
“No sir,” Streeter replied.
I breathed a sigh of relief as we walked through the door. It had been a week since the black flowers were delivered. I was hoping Cassie had given up and moved on, but I knew I was only fooling myself. She wasn’t the type to go peacefully into the night. I just wish I could understand why she has been so insistent.
“Baby, why don’t you take what you need for the next few days and I’ll have someone come, get the rest of your things and have them delivered to the house.”
“Okay, I want to be here when they do that…and I probably could…” I stopped talking. What was I going to do with Jessica’s things? Everything came crashing down around me at the thought of the finality of giving her things away, and actually leaving the place we had shared together.
“Nat, what is it?” Mac asked.
“Jessica,” was all I could say. Mac pulled me into his arms, holding me tight.
“We don’t have to change a thing until you are ready. I’ll just have someone pack up the rest of your personal belongings to bring to the house.”
We stood there for a long time, Mac embracing me—doing what he did best—loving me. After some time, I was ready.
Arriving at Mac’s home, I was a little overwhelmed by the fact that I was going to live in the fabulous place with the man of my dreams. I felt like Cinderella the day after marrying Prince Charming. This was my happily ever after, I thought, looking at Mac.
Mac gave me a tour of the rest of his house. I had only been there once, and we had stayed in the great room. The master suite was practically the size of my condo. Besides a king-sized bed, it had a sofa, love seat, and fireplace. I could practically live in that room alone. Everything was serene, the color pallet being neutral. The sliding glass doors led out to a private terrace with hot tub and a view of the ocean as far as the eye could see.
“What do you think, Mrs. Carter?” Mac asked, coming up behind me, hugging me.
“Everything is beautiful and I feel like the luckiest woman alive to be here with you.”
“I’m the lucky one,” he said, turning me toward him. “You’re the first woman I’ve ever been with that hasn’t cared about my money. I know you are here because you want to be with me.”
How was it that no woman had ever looked past the money to see the wonderful man who existed behind the façade? I hoped he never thinks I see him for his money. The man, himself, was worth far more than anything he could buy.
“I love you, Mac Carter,” I said, standing on my tiptoes and kissing him.
“I could kiss you forever, but we have a party to get to on our yacht. We should get ready.”
“I can’t wait,” I said, nuzzling my nose to his.
Mac showed me to my own walk-in closet. It was decked out with drawers, hooks, shelves, trays to pull out, and a bench in the middle to sit on. It was jaw-dropping. Some things were already hanging in the closet.
“I took the liberty of getting a few things for you to wear tonight, since I didn’t tell you about the party in advance. He unzipped the garment bag and pulled out four dresses. He had matching shoes and handbags to go with each dress. I must have had a quizzical look on my face because he answered my question before I asked.
“Personal shopper at Nordstrom.”
“You had Elise choose these things for me?”
“Yes, I swore her to secrecy. She’s had to keep secrets before,” he said, tilting his head slightly and smiling.
“I saw her when I was in the women’s department and she asked my opinion on a couple of things, but I had no idea they were for me.”
“Good. Then you already like a couple of them at least.”
I took the gorgeous bright blue dress from his hands. “The earrings you gave me for Christmas will be perfect with this one. Thank you, Mac. So much.”
“Yes, they will, and you, my beautiful bride, are worth it.” Mac looked at his watch. “We have about an hour before we need to be there. I have a couple of things to do in my office, so I’ll let you get ready.”
I began unpacking my clothes into the closet, and then took my toiletries to the bathroom. Taking a quick shower, I felt pure joy as I washed my stomach, knowing that soon Mac and I would have a child. It was almost too good to be true, yet there I was, living my new reality. Surreal.
I was practically ready when Mac came in to shower and shave. All I needed to do was put on my shoes. I watched him undress and felt shivers looking at his masculine frame. When he turned to get in the shower I wanted to reach out and squeeze his tight ass. I knew if I did we’d be late for our own party, so I contained my urge. I watched my man shower and shave, making more than the bathroom steam up. I was looking forward to the party, but I really wanted to get to the after party with just the two of us.
When we pulled up to the dock, Mac took my hand, kissed it, and said, “I hope you will enjoy this night.”
“I’m sure I will,” I said, searching his eyes. Something was going on and I wasn’t in on it. “Have you kept a secret from me, Mr. Carter?”
“You’ll see, Mrs. Carter.”
Approaching the yacht, it was suddenly very clear what was going on. I saw twinkling lights, floral arrangements, tables with white table cloths, lit candles and fine china. Beverly and Darren caught my eye, the Statton’s, along with my coworkers, as did one of the ministers from my church. There were also people I didn’t recognize, but I assumed Mac knew them. A beautiful cake was in one corner and a table of appetizers in another.
“Mac,” I gasped. “How did you? I can’t believe…this is incredible.”
“Welcome to your wedding, baby,” he said, drawing me in for a kiss. The love, radiating from the amazing people in my life, all gathered together in front of me on Mac’s yacht, made my knees feel weak. My man did all of this for me? The love from my husband was more than I ever expected or hoped for.
Applause broke out when we came aboard the yacht. Kate and Charlie were the first to greet me. “Are you surprised?” they asked in unison.
“I’m more than surprised. I’m in a fairytale.”
I met all the people I didn’t know and hugged all the people I did.
“How did you make all of this happen?” I asked Mac.
“There’s no time to explain now. You have to go get ready.”
“What do you mean, I am ready,” I said scrunching up my face.
Kate took me by the arm. “We have a few things to do down below before we can get this shindig started.”
I went down with Kate and Charlie straight to the master suite. I saw a bouquet of pink roses on the dresser and three extraordinary gowns laid out on the bed for me. On the chair were white lace bras and panties, and in f
ront of the chair rested three shoe boxes.
I opened my mouth to speak several times, but nothing came out.
“Mac is amazing,” said Charlie. “He put all of this together. We had no idea until Mitch and Neil filled us in after breakfast.”
I felt like this was a “holy shit” moment, but I usually didn’t cuss. Those, however, were the words that escaped my lips.
“Holy shit.”
“I know, right? And I thought Neil was romantic. Mac has outdone him.”
“You need to try on dresses and get ready. The ceremony will start the moment you slip on your shoes,” Charlie said.
Kate and Charlie had me undressed faster than Mac had the previous night. Each gown was beautiful, but I knew the one that was for me. Mac had pointed it out when he took me dress shopping for the Statton’s ball. I put on the undergarments that I knew were meant for the dress. Stepping into the dress I truly felt like Cinderella, wondering if glass slippers were in one of the shoe boxes. Kate zipped me up and I turned to face her and Charlie.
“Natalie, you look so beautiful,” Charlie squeaked out, her emotions getting away from her.
Kate tilted her head. “You’re the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen.”
I looked in the mirror. The halter portion of the dress had embroidered beading on it and the straps had tiny, intricately beaded flowers. The skirt portion was straight with a slit up the side. I checked myself from all angles and then noticed the box on the dresser next to the bouquet. It had a note on top of it.
I opened the envelope to read,
My Beautiful Natalie,
These diamonds sparkle, but nothing is as dazzling as you.
All My Love,
Mac
Opening the box felt like I was dreaming. Inside were earrings and a diamond necklace. They were beyond extraordinary and rendered me speechless.
“Wow Natalie, these are amazing,” Charlie said, taking the box out of my hand to remove the necklace. Kate removed the earrings as Charlie placed the necklace on my neck. Once the earrings donned my ears, I turned to the shoe boxes. Kate was already heading toward the floor, lifting the lids of the boxes.
We all simultaneously said, “The ones in the middle.” Then we laughed. In that moment, I knew the only thing that could top this day would be the day I gave birth to our son or daughter. I slipped on the shoes and was ready to meet my groom up on the deck.
Picking up the pale pink flowers I nodded at Kate and Charlie. “We’ll be waiting for you upstairs,” Kate said.
“When you hear the music, that’s your cue,” Charlie added. They departed and I said a silent prayer, thanking God for all He had done for me. The music began and I made my way up to the deck. Reaching the top, Daniel was there to give me away, a broad smile lighting up his face. He gave me a nod demonstrating his approval, then, led me to my husband. After kissing me on the cheek, he joined my hand to Mac’s. The look on Mac’s face was mesmerizing. He seemed in awe.
The minister began our wedding ceremony and before I knew it, Mac was beginning to say his vows.
“Natalie, before meeting you, I thought love at first sight was just a myth. But, then I saw you. From the moment I laid eyes on you, my heart was pierced in a way I had never experienced before. I knew you were special…unlike any other woman in this world. I know everything has happened quickly, and that we’ve barely had time to catch our breath, but I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life learning every nuance about you, building a life with you, fulfilling dreams with you, creating memories with you. I promise to make you feel loved and cherished every day of your life. You are my beautiful girl, and I love you with all my heart.”
Mac lifted my hand and kissed it. I didn’t know how I was going to say anything close to what he had just professed. So many things were swirling through my mind. Public speaking was not my thing, but with the amazing man before me, the words seemed to just flow. Taking a deep breath, I said, “Mac, until I met you, I had resigned myself to being alone. I was too afraid to open my heart to anyone. But the moment you held me on Thanksgiving, I was beholden to you, my heart felt bound to yours. Every single thing that you have done to show me love has opened my heart to you. Now, I can’t imagine my life without you. You have filled the part of me that has been missing for some time. I love you, am so thankful for you, and I promise to spend every day showing you just how much.”
We stood there staring at each other, not able to tear our eyes away. The minister continued on with the rings and then the best part happened. “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.” Mac slid his hands around my waist and kissed me in front of everyone we knew. It was sweet, passionate, perfect. I was completely his and he was completely mine. Now I was officially Mrs. Mac Carter.
Since the wedding was small, the receiving line was short, and being hugged by all those who loved me caused me to feel renewed somehow. I may have had loss, but all those faces were my gain, and they filled my life with joy. Although it was bittersweet that Jessica and my parents were not there to share the day, I could see that I still had family surrounding me.
Dinner was served, and Mac had spared no expense from the salad, to the filet mignon, and lobster tail. Everyone was eating, drinking, having a wonderful time and I was finally able to ask Mac how it all came into being.
“How did you make this happen?” I asked my adoring husband. Before he could answer, the DJ announced that it was time for our first dance as husband and wife.
Mac stood and held his hand out to me, “May I have this dance, Mrs. Carter?”
At Last began playing while he escorted me out to the dance floor, holding me close, whispering in my ear that he loved me.
“I love you so much, Mr. Carter. I can’t believe you have done all of this for me,” I said, doing my best not to get choked up.
“On Christmas, when I heard you and Kate talking about her wedding, I wanted you to have the wedding of your dreams, too.”
I looked into my husband’s gorgeous crystal-blue eyes, that crinkled when he smiled at me, and said, “This is exactly what I wanted. You’ve given me the most perfect night I could ever imagine.”
Mac kissed me. “You deserve this and more, baby. I plan on spending my life loving you, adoring you, worshipping you, spoiling you. You mean everything to me.”
“Oh Mac, you’re more than I could have ever hoped for. I didn’t know what to make of you at first and I know I didn’t let you in, but you found your way in regardless. You didn’t give up on me.”
“I’ll never give up on you, baby. Never.”
The song changed and some of our guests joined us on the dance floor, but my focus remained on my beautiful husband. “You put all of this together in less than a week. I’m impressed. And Kate and Charlie didn’t even know. They couldn’t help you.”
“They were very helpful this afternoon, but I hired Sadie Phelps to pull this off.”
“Come to think of it, Neil and Mitch accepted your invite very quickly. They didn’t even give Kate or Charlie a chance to speak. What aren’t you telling me?” I asked, one brow lifted and a smile spreading across my face.
“Okay. I’ll confess. I told Neil and Mitch after we went golfing.”
“They’ve known this whole time and kept your secret?”
“Yes. I’ve never been able to keep anything from Neil, he knows me too well, and Mitch threatened to beat me within an inch of my life if I hurt you.” We both began chuckling.
“That sounds like Mitch. He’s very protective, especially of me and Kate. Somehow, he became our big brother.”
“I can respect that. And by looking at him, he could pretty much beat up anyone he wanted to.” We both looked over at Charlie and Mitch dancing. He was by far taller and more muscular than any other man on the yacht.
“You’re not upset that I didn’t keep our secret, are you?”
“No. How could I be upset? Look at the result of what’s happened sin
ce Vegas. You tore down every defense I had, loving me in a way I never thought possible. I never thought a man as wonderful as you would come into my life.” I felt my eyes become moist and I blinked a few times to hold back the tears…tears of pure delight for a change.
Chapter 30: Mac
All of our guests had gone and I was waiting in bed for Natalie to join me. She was in the bathroom doing what, I guess girls do…getting ready. I was more than ready just thinking about my gorgeous wife, the beautiful curves of her body, the sweet taste of her lips, and every sound she was going to utter from her gorgeous mouth. Waiting to have her hot body wrapped around me was making all my blood rush to just the right place.
The door opened and Natalie stood there in her lace bra, panties, and silk robe that wasn’t tied at the waist. I drank her in with my eyes, noticing how firm her breast were as her bra pushed them upward, her flat stomach that I wanted to run my tongue along, and the curve of her hips. Hips that I was going to connect to very soon.
Reaching out my hand, I said, “Come here, baby…let me love you.”
Natalie came toward me, slipping her robe off, before taking my hand and joining me. She lay on her side pressing her body up against mine, one of her perfect breasts resting on my chest, the other against my side.
“I still can’t believe this incredible day that you have given me. I feel like I’m in a fairytale, only better. I get to know what happens after the prince marries his maiden and makes her a princess.”
“Lots of things are going to happen, starting with this.” I pulled her body on top of mine, her legs straddling my hips, making me even harder than before. I had been aching for my girl. I wanted everything from her, but to start with, I wanted to watch as I slid in and out of her, feeling her hot wet pussy gripping my cock. I sat forward and unhooked her bra, keeping my eyes locked on hers. I leaned back again to see my beautiful bride’s body on top of mine. Then Natalie surprised me.
She leaned forward and began kissing below my ear, her tongue sliding down my neck, her breasts pressing against my chest. Feeling her body sliding down mine turned me from hard to stone, the anticipation…I wanted her so badly.
Beholden to You Page 16
