by Claire Adams
"Why in the world would you think I want your money? I've never had money. I wouldn't know what to do with it in the first place." I smirked and moved past him into the house.
That went much better than I thought it would.
I heard Valentine laughing before I laid eyes on her, but when I did, my heart almost stopped in my chest. Her dress shimmered slightly and fit her beautifully. She was in the middle of her friends, and one of them must have alerted her to my presence, because she turned around.
"Damn," I mumbled and let my eyes run down the length of her. The dress was tight around her narrow waist and accentuated her breasts beautifully – almost too much.
"Tate." She walked toward me and reached for me.
"Hi, baby." I slid my arms around her and pulled her in for a quick kiss. "Your dad was waiting for me at the door, but hopefully that was the only run-in we have to have tonight."
"Doubtful, but I'm glad to see you alive and not bloody." She nipped at my lips before rubbing her nose by mine. "You look so good."
"Me? Naw. You look incredible. Tell me that we can have some fun later in that dress. It's not rented, is it?" I raised my eyebrows and worked hard to keep my hands on her waist. I wanted to touch every part of her and crawl up under her dress to see what color her panties were.
She laughed. "It's mine. We can do anything you want to do. There's a cabin about ten minutes north of here on my father's extended property. I went up there this morning and got it ready for us. Don’t tell anyone, though… My parents would die if they knew we were using it."
"Oh, yeah? I like it already." I stiffened as someone behind me cleared their throat.
"Valentine, did you want to introduce me to your friend? The two of you seem to be quite close, seeing that you're pawing at each other in the middle of my living room in front of everyone." Her mother was an older version of Val and honestly stunning. The tight expression on her face and pinched sides of her pretty green eyes made her less than she could have been, but I could see the resemblance.
"Of course. Mom, this is my boyfriend Tate." She slid her hand down my back. "Baby, this is my mother."
"Hi, Mrs. Scott. It's nice to meet you." I didn't extend my hand because the woman had yet to look at me. I wasn't there, but it didn't matter. Val and her mother were in the middle of some serious shit, and I was only going to be support. I only prayed that they wouldn't have a huge blown-up and ruin some part of her sister's wedding.
"What about Kade Jones? Your date with him last night wasn't what you expected it to be?" Her mother tilted her head a little and lifted her eyebrows.
Every muscle in my body stiffened at her words.
Val seemed to notice as she moved closer to me.
"It wasn't a date, Mother. You tried to set me up with him, but we simply talked about Tate all night long." Val shrugged. "I told him that I was in love. I'm not interested in anything or anyone but the man next to me."
"I don't approve." Her mother took a step toward us aggressively as her voice rose.
"And, I don't give a fuck." Val moved in front of me, her shoulders square and voice low and ominous.
"Hey," I moved in between them, forcing Val's mother to look up at me. "We can have this nasty conversation later. Today is all about Val's sister, right?"
Her mother's lip lifted in a grimace before she grunted and turned, leaving us to stand there with all eyes on us.
I turned around and pulled Val into a hug, kissing her several times to try and remind her that everything was fine.
"I didn't go out with Kade. I would never do that to you." She touched the side of my face as tears filled her pretty green eyes.
"I know that, baby. I trust you. Completely." I touched the side of her face and wiped at her tears. "No crying, okay?"
"Okay." She let out a sigh and pressed her fingers to her eyes. "I just hate her so damn much."
"I know, but after tonight, we can leave this place and never come back." I glanced up the stairs behind her to see a girl who I assumed was her sister. "I think your sister wants you."
She turned and looked up at the pretty brunette bombshell with panic in her eyes who mouthed, “get up here.”
"I'll be right back. Stay with Sam and our friends." She kissed me quickly. "Don't let my parents get you alone. They might try and eat you alive."
"Stop worrying, silly." I laughed and moved into a group of familiar faces.
Chapter 30
Val
"I can't do this." My sister was pacing the floor as I walked into her bedroom.
The rest of the guests were waiting on the back patio where my dad had rented large heaters that were affixed to the underside of the roof. It would be an outdoor wedding in the middle of the winter because my sister wanted it.
"What?" I closed the door behind me and turned to face her. The last thing she'd said the night before as she drifted off to sleep was that she did care about Bart and wanted to see if they could make things work. Now, she was freaking out.
"I can't do this." She turned toward me and stopped. "I'm not going through with it. Sneak me out of here. Now."
"Allison. Let me just go down there and tell Dad that you're not coming. I'll figure out what to say, but-"
"No!" She moved toward me, and I almost flinched. Her eyes were wide with something like terror and I felt a chill run through me. My poor sister was cracking.
"Okay. Tell me what you want and I'll do it. I'll do whatever you need me to do. I'm here for you." I reached out and gripped her arms tightly.
"Go downstairs and tell Bart that I'm sorry, but I can't do this. Then sneak out the back and get me the fuck out of here." She reached up and pressed her hands to her mouth. "No, I can't run. Then what?"
"Allison." I gripped her tighter. "Are you running because you don't love Bart or because you're just freaking out?"
"Neither. Both. Fuck, I don't know." She pulled out of my hold and started to pace the floor again. "I'm not ready for this."
"Then we put it off while you figure out what you want. Marriage is a big deal." I jerked back as she spun around and pinned me with a stare that our mother would be proud of.
"I fucking know that." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I like Bart, a lot. I'm not sure about love, but how do you know if you really love someone, anyways?"
"Sis, listen to me. If you have any doubts about this, then let's not do it." I walked across the room to her again and pulled her into a tight hug. "How about we fake you being sick? Like you have the torrential shits or something?"
She laughed loudly and nodded. "Yeah. Maybe that's the answer. If we could just put it off for another hour or so..."
"Alright. Stay here." I turned on my heel and walked to the door, pausing before I walked out. "You're going to have to fake being sick. Mom's going to come up here. You know that."
"Right." She moved to her bed and dropped down. "Just forget it. I'm a horrible liar. We'll just do it. I'll get a divorce in a few months if this doesn't work out."
"Allison." I opened the door and shook my head. "Just fake-"
"No. Just get things ready so I can get this over with." She glanced down at her hands which were shaking horribly. "Just promise me that you'll never marry because they want you to. Promise me."
"I'd never, and you don't have to, either." I hovered in the doorway as my heart broke for her.
"Yeah, I do." She glanced up at me, her composure almost back in place. "It's okay. I have a way out. This isn't a ball and chain. I'll see what happens. If I still feel this way in a few months, then I'll just file for divorce."
"Promise?" I hated the way the conversation was going, but she wasn't going to relent now that her determination was set in stone. She was too much like our father for that.
"Yes. I love you. Thank you for being the sane one among us." She smiled sadly. "You look beautiful in that dress."
"You do, too. If you change your mind, I'll have Tate drive his bike up in the mid
dle of the ceremony and steal you away. Sound good?" I wagged my eyebrows at her.
"Please. Do it." She laughed and shook her head. "Get out of here before I change my mind yet again. I'm good."
I turned and closed the door behind me, passing my mother on the stairs. She acted as if she didn't even see me, but I was used to it. She was the master of ignoring people when she was upset.
I walked down the stairs as my eyes found Tate. He looked incredible in his black suit and dark gray shirt. He was every bit the man I wanted in my life, for the rest of it.
He glanced up and a smile pulled at his lips as his eyes met mine. He licked his lips subtly and moved through the crowd to wait at the bottom of the stairs for me.
"Everything okay?" He extended his hand and I took it.
"Not really, but my sister seems to be trapped at this point." I moved into his arms and breathed in deeply. "Let's just hope this thing goes off without too much of a ruckus."
"Oh, yeah? Someone causing more fireworks?" he chuckled.
"No, just my parents forcing her to marry someone she's not really in love with." I shuddered. "I can't imagine that."
"I wouldn't do it." He glanced around as the wedding coordinator walked up a few stairs and announced that it was time for everyone to find their places. People started to move toward the patio, and Tate released me. "I'll see you after it's all said and done. Everything is going to be okay."
"I hope so." I smiled at him and turned to see Kade walking toward me.
"Tate," Kade called out as he moved up in front of me. "Hey, man. I wanted to tell you what a great girl you have here. She's classy, beautiful, and everything a man with a good heart could want. You're a lucky bastard."
Tate chuckled. "I figure you've been trying hard to take her from me. Am I wrong?"
"Nope, but after last night, I figured that it was time to stop being a dick and own up to the fact that she's completely lost to anyone but you."
I smiled. "This is true."
Tate chuckled again and reached out to take my hand. "She's my girl, for sure. Don't get any ideas, Mr. All-Star Football."
"Shit, you're the one that's been invited to the Olympic tryouts. Who gets to do that?" Kade extended his hand to Tate. "Forgive me. I'm too much like my father, though I fight against it day after day."
"Nothing to forgive, but stay away from my girl." Tate shook his hand and turned to me. "See you soon, baby."
"Okay." I watched him go before turning to Kade. "You know...there's a really pretty girl in a black dress walking around here who thinks you're pretty special."
He rolled his eyes. "You're not giving up, are you?"
"Nope. Go find her and tell her she's welcome for me." I pushed at his shoulder as he turned and walked off. Things felt right for the first time in a long time, even though my heart ached in my chest. My sister shouldn't have been marrying someone she wasn't completely head over heels for, but I wasn't surprised that she was. She'd always been compliant with my parents, no matter what.
"You know that I'm quite disappointed in your choice to invite that slug to your sister's wedding." My father moved up to stand in front of me as I waited patiently for the wedding coordinator to come get me. I was the maid of honor and would be walking down the aisle first.
"Not any more disappointed than I am that you would stoop so low as to threaten his mother." I kept my stance relaxed, but made sure to hold his eye contact.
"I did no such thing. He's full of lies." My father's eyes narrowed slightly. "If you think that I'm going to allow you to be disobedient and still pay for your schooling, you're dead wrong."
"Take it away, Dad. I don't want your money. I'll get loans like every other kid on campus and when Channel Two News calls and asks for another interview on the Scott family and their giving heart, I'll be sure to be honest this time. I have no problem explaining to them that as long as people do exactly what you want them to, you're willing to help. Otherwise, you turn into a monster." I couldn't believe I was talking to him like that, but I was done. I would pay for my own schooling.
"You better watch your mouth, young lady." He moved toward me, but I ignored him.
The wedding coordinator stepped up beside him, oblivious to our heated discussion. "You're up, Valentine. Are you ready?"
"As I'll ever be." I smiled and moved past my father. "This is the last time I plan on being in this house."
She glanced down at me as we walked toward the patio. "What? Why is that?"
"Oh you didn't know? My parents are monsters. They just have great make-up artists." I smirked and moved up to the open door at the back of the ceremony. She chuckled and patted my back.
"Everyone turns into a three-headed monster on wedding days. It's natural." She nodded and gave me a knowing look. "Start walking. You look magnificent."
"Thanks," I mumbled and stepped out onto the porch. I was a bundle of nerves as I walked down the aisle until I spotted Tate sitting among our friends to my left. As long as I kept my eyes on him I was fine. His face was expressionless, but I could tell he was keeping it that way just for me. He knew how nervous I was, and that I would feed off of his emotions if he gave me anything to work with.
I made my way to the front and turned, keeping my eyes locked on him. The smile that finally began to play on his mouth caused me to smile, too. I could easily see us moving in together, finding some little run down house like his mother’s, and working together to make ends meet. There were tons of scholarships that I could apply for. I'd start looking the minute the wedding was over and things settled down for us.
The music changed, and everyone stood as my sister moved into the back of the room with her arm wrapped around my father's. She looked incredible, and I couldn't tell that she was nervous or worried, at all. The girl who was freaking out upstairs only moments before was now completely tucked away.
My eyes shifted to my father, who looked like the perfect gentleman, the loving father. Sickness rolled through me, and I couldn't help but wonder how many other people in the room were hiding their true selves behind their fake smiles and nice clothes.
The ceremony was over within a matter of minutes. My sister turned and pulled me into a hug before walking down the aisle with Bart. I moved down behind them and tried to keep my emotions in check. I knew she was walking into a loveless marriage, but she'd yet to figure out how to break her willingness to comply with my parents’ wants. Fear held her captive, but she would find someone like Tate one day and realize that freedom meant far more than security.
Someone wrapped me in a hug from behind and I looked back to see Tate grinning from ear to ear. "You were great. I'm ready to find a broom closet and show you how much I like this dress on you."
"Not yet, lover boy." Amy moved up beside me and tugged me out of his hold. "I hear they have a DJ, wine, and lots of desserts. We have a party that needs to be properly attended, and then you two can go off and do whatever you biker-types like to do."
"You'd like to know what that is..." Lucinda walked past us with her hand in Sam's.
"So would you," I called after her and turned to find Tate watching me intently. "What?"
"You. That's what." The music started and he reached for my hand, spinning me around a few times before trapping me against his chest. "I thought this was going to be a disaster, but it wasn't. We did it. Together."
"It's not over yet." I laughed at the look on his face and moved us to the center of the room to get lost in the sea of bodies. "I'm glad you're here. I couldn't have done it without you."
"Sure you could have." He brushed his nose by mine, slow dancing with me even though the music was moving at a much faster tempo.
"I don't know. What if I don't want to do anything without you?" I lifted up and brushed my lips by his.
"You don't have to." He nipped at my lips. "How long do we have to stay here before it's appropriate to leave?"
"Another hour or so." I smiled devilishly. "We should keep up appearan
ces and go now. I am the black-sheep of the family."
"And, I'm your biker-boy, right? Is that the name you guys keep using?" He lifted his eyebrow as I laughed loudly.
"You're no boy at all." I pressed myself to the front of him. "You're my man."
"Good. Your biker man is ready to go."
Chapter 31
Tate
I almost couldn't catch my breath during the wedding, watching Val walk down the aisle. I'd never thought about marriage or anything near it. I wasn't sure I was ready to think about it now, but she was magnificent, no doubt. I couldn't help but think that she was the most beautiful woman in the room, and getting her away from everyone else was my top priority. Making love to her wouldn't be about finding pleasure as much as me wanting to shower her with it. She needed to know that I saw her – really saw her and loved what I saw.
I moved back from her in the middle of the dance floor and took her hand. "Let's go see your sister and then we'll get out of here."
"Okay." She moved in behind me and stayed close as we weaved our way through the hordes of people. I'd never seen so many people at a wedding, and yet her parents were wealthy and influential. I'd almost bet that all the people around us felt that it was a great honor to be invited to the wedding, though hardly any of them knew Allison.
Val moved in front of me as we pushed through the edge of the crowd and made our way to her sister. I stepped back and gave her space to say her goodbyes and congratulations.
Sam stepped up beside me with a smile on his face and his glasses a little off center.
"Hey, man. You guys getting out of here?" He pressed his shoulder against mine.
"Yeah. You know I hate crowds of people and rich people in general." I glanced back to look over the crowd. "This is like my own personal hell."
He laughed and rolled his eyes. "You fit in just like the rest of us do."
"Like a sore thumb?" I smirked and turned my attention back to Val.
