Turning in my seat, I dug through the front, zippered pocket in the suitcase Morgan had packed for me and found the envelope I’d had Hadley’s parents send to his home. I opened it and pulled out her driver’s license, birth certificate and social security card.
“Those are mine!” she gasped, grabbing them from my hand. “How did you get them?”
“I called your parents and told them I might need them as part of your rescue.”
She rolled her eyes at me. “Aren’t you the guy who had a fake passport made for me without me even having my photo taken for it?”
“Yes, but this needs to be real. I refuse to leave any doubt as to the legality of our marriage.”
“It sounds like you thought of everything except for what I’ll wear and who will marry us.”
I pulled my phone from my pocket, checked my text messages and found a reply to the message I’d sent right before we landed to an Army buddy who lived in Kentucky. “A friend of mine knows a retired judge who will be happy to officiate our marriage.” I jerked my thumb towards the bag in the back seat. “And I’m pretty sure you’ll find a couple dresses in there for you.”
Her gaze darted to the bag and then she moved her seat back all the way down to lean across it and open the suitcase, then pulled out three dresses, two were white and one was cream. “I can’t believe you managed all of this in the middle of rescuing me from kidnappers in the Nicaraguan jungle. You don’t happen to have a secret superhero identity, do you?”
“That depends.” I waggled my eyebrows at her and lifted a piece of white lingerie out of the suitcase. “If I did, would it improve my odds of seeing you in this?”
Her eyes widened in surprise. “I’ve never worn anything like it before.” A growl rumbled up my throat, making her giggle. “But I’m pretty sure you could talk me into it since I’ve done a lot of things with you that are new to me.”
“I want you to do all those things with me.” Especially the ones involving lingerie went without saying.
“Then let’s go cross the biggest one off the list and get hitched.”
How quickly she forgot I might have already knocked her up. It was cute how she thought it was the biggest one, but to me becoming parents was at the top of the list. I couldn’t wait to see her belly round with my child. If she wasn’t pregnant already, I’d have to do my best to correct that once we made it to the safety of my penthouse condo.
***
I was a man of action, always had been and it had served me well in the past. Things were bad at home when I was eighteen, so I enlisted to find a way out. I’d flourished in the Army, finding my niche and serving my country. When I decided a total separation after ten years was the right plan for me, I held firm during my talks with my career counselor, my supervisor and my OIC. It didn’t matter how often they told me another ten years would buy me a retirement—I had a feeling I wouldn’t make it and would be dead by then. Without a college degree and with a unique set of skills I’d picked up during my time in the military, I knew I needed a plan for success. I reached out to Morgan, and with his help my security business was born. The rest was history, as they say.
Each of those decisions led me to this point, as I stood beside the most gorgeous woman in the world and faced the retired judge who would marry us. My buddy arranged for a couple of witnesses, too. All we’d needed to do was grab a license and show up. I’d made a quick detour to a florist’s shop when I’d noticed Hadley looking at it with longing out the window of the car as we drove past. I was rushing her into this marriage, possibly taking advantage of her when she was vulnerable from the kidnapping and killing a man to keep me safe, but I wanted this ceremony to be as perfect as possible for her because this was the only time she’d get married. It was one and done for her. Once she was legally mine, I wasn’t letting her go.
I listened avidly as she repeated after the judge, promising to share her life with me from today forward. Then it was my turn, and my voice rang clear and true as I spoke the words which were truer than any others I’d ever said.
“I, Brecken Kane, take you, Hadley Gresham, to be my wife. I will share my life with you, building our dreams together, supporting you through times of trouble, and rejoicing with you in times of happiness. I promise to give you all of my respect, love and loyalty through the trials and triumphs of our lives together. This commitment is made in love, kept in faith, and made new every day of our lives.”
By the time I was done, tears streamed down her cheeks. She’d managed to make it through her vows without crying, but hearing mine made her weep.
“Are you exchanging rings?” the judge asked.
Hadley’s fingers trembled in my grasp as she shook her head, her cheeks pinkening. I released one of them to dig in the pocket of the suit pants Morgan had packed for me and retrieved a small black box. Thumbing it open, my gaze darted up to Hadley’s face when she gasped. Her eyes were locked on the ring, a flawless diamond solitaire set in platinum. It was bigger than I’d expected, but that wasn’t a surprise since Morgan had picked it up for me. My best friend wasn’t exactly known for being subtle, something for which I was deeply grateful when I spotted the look of wonder on my precious girl’s face.
“That’s definitely a ring.” The judge’s tone was dry, drawing a giggle from Hadley.
“It looks like my fiancé really did think of everything.”
I stole a quick kiss from her lips before sliding two of the rings from the box, holding them at the tip of her finger and waiting for the judge to continue.
“Your wedding ring is the visible sign of the invisible bond which unites your two hearts in love.”
“A visible sign nobody will be able to miss,” Hadley whispered.
The judge coughed to cover a chuckle at her aside. “Brecken, please place the ring on Hadley’s finger and repeat after me.”
I followed his instruction without glancing down, staring into Hadley’s eyes instead. I wanted her to see how much this moment meant to me.
“Hadley, I give you this ring. Wear it with love and joy. As this ring has no end, my love for you is also forever.”
“Is there a ring in there for you too, Brecken?”
Hadley cocked a brow at me in question before glancing down and catching sight of the matching men’s wedding band. “Yes, there is,” she answered, lifting it off the velvet interior.
“Hadley, place the ring on Brecken’s finger and repeat after me.”
Her voice didn’t tremble as she slid the ring on me. “With this ring, I marry you. Wear this ring forever as a sign of my love.”
“May the wedding rings you exchanged today remind you always that you are surrounded by deep and abiding love.”
I knew what was next and didn’t wait, claiming my wife’s lips in a passionate kiss that had her gasping for air once I was done. She was officially mine, and I had the papers to prove it.
Chapter 12
Hadley
The six-hour drive from the little town south of Lexington to Brecken’s home in Chicago flew past as we talked about all the things most couples would discuss during the first week or two of dating. Our childhoods, favorite books and movies, all the little things that made us who we were. We were doing it backwards since we were already married, but it didn’t matter because we’d learned the truly important stuff about each other back in the Nicaraguan jungle. Not only had we made it through hell together, but we’d spent more hours in each other’s company than most couples would after a couple months of dating.
The parking garage he pulled into was dark and kind of scary. I was a little uncertain until the elevator, which required a passcode to use, took us straight to the penthouse and the doors opened to the foyer of a gorgeous apartment. I started to walk out, but Brecken surprised me by sweeping me into his arms.
“I believe it’s customary for the groom to carry the bride over the threshold.” His voice was a whisper of sound, his breath hot against my ear as he carried me int
o the living room before setting me on my feet.
The design was all black leather and shiny chrome, a bachelor pad fit to grace the pages of a home décor magazine. There was a giant flat screen television on one wall and what looked like a gourmet kitchen across the open space. But the most impressive part of the apartment was the floor to ceiling windows overlooking Lake Michigan. I was drawn to them as though by an invisible string, placing my palms against the cold glass as I looked outside at the incredible view.
I didn’t hear Brecken approach me from behind, but I felt him when he pressed me against the window. The contrast between the heat of his body and the glass, chilled from the outside temperature, sent a shiver through me. The view blurred as Brecken twisted me in his arms until I was facing him. Then his lips crashed down on mine, our tongues tangling together while his hands made quick work of the removal of our clothes, leaving him completely naked and me standing in nothing but my tiny, white lace panties.
When he tore his mouth from mine and wrapped his lips around one of my nipples, I moaned and tangled my hands in his hair to hold his head in place. Mewling and rubbing against him, I was close to the edge just from the attention he lavished on my breasts—licking, sucking and nibbling at the sensitive flesh. My back arched and my hips moved restlessly against him in search of more contact. A silent request he answered by dipping his fingers into my panties, sliding them through my wetness. His mouth lifted from my nipple, and I watched as he replaced it with his drenched fingers.
“I could live on the taste of your pussy alone,” he growled. “But as much as I want to eat at you for hours, it’s going to have to wait because I need to be inside you. Now.”
“I need you just as much.”
His eyes darkened further at my response. He claimed my mouth one more time, letting me taste myself on his lips before he spun me around to face the window again. I raised my hands and placed them on the glass to brace myself, widening my stance and tilting my hips to give him better access. His hands slid around my hips, thumbs resting on the small of my back. He leaned over and whispered in my ear. “So fucking beautiful, seeing you spread out for me like this.”
Then the heat of his body was gone except for the feel of his legs outside mine as he lined his dick up with my entrance and drove into me with one powerful thrust. There was none of the pain from our last time, only the intense pleasure of his hardened length sliding against my inner walls. “So good,” I moaned.
“And so fucking tight.” His fingers dug into my hips as he pulled out and plunged back in, over and over again. He went deeper and faster with each ram of his hips. “My wife.”
His voice held a purring satisfaction at being able to call me his. It made my pussy flutter against him. “My husband,” I gasped, sending him into a frenzy.
“Your pussy is mine, my precious girl,” he growled into my ear, pushing me against the glass as he hammered into me. His hand slid up my back, along my arm and down to my hand. “This ring marks you as mine for all the world to see, but I want to leave other brands on your body. Ones for my eyes only.”
I felt the scrape of his stubble before his teeth sunk into my shoulder. The sharp sting made me shudder with pleasure. When he didn’t let go, holding me submissive underneath him, the way a lion would his lioness, while he thrust in and out, I exploded. “Brecken!” I screamed.
With my pussy clenching around him, Brecken followed me with a shout, his hot come pouring into me. When my heartbeat calmed enough for me to catch my breath, I giggled. “Bedded, wedded and bedded again. All in three days’ time, too.”
His chest shook against my back as he laughed. We stood like that for a few minutes, laughing together with him deep inside me, before he pulled out and lifted me into his arms. “I think I can do better once I get you in our bed.”
Ours, I liked the sound of that. He carried me down a hallway and into the bedroom, gently placing me on the mattress before landing on top of me. Then he proceeded to show me how much better he could do, several times through the night.
***
I rolled over, enjoying the feel of the cool sheets against my naked skin and reached out for Brecken. Finding his side of the bed empty, I sat up in surprise. Brecken hadn’t left me alone without waking me up for a morning quickie in the week since we’d arrived in Chicago. I wandered into the connecting master bath and noticed the mirror was still fogged as I washed my hands and brushed my teeth. I couldn’t be too far behind him. Maybe he’d planned to surprise me with breakfast in bed. Moving towards the door, I halted in my tracks with my hand on the knob when I heard voices coming from the living room.
“So much for the idea of breakfast in bed,” I muttered to myself as I entered the walk-in closet and put on a pair of silk pajamas, throwing a robe over it before I headed down the hallway. Finding my parents seated on our couch across from Brecken was quite the shock. My small gasp of surprise alerted them to my presence, and all eyes turned to me. My husband rose from his seat and moved towards me swiftly, but my gaze remained locked on my parents. I hadn’t seen them in more than half a year. And we hadn’t spoken, not once during all that time.
I didn’t understand what was happening. Brecken knew how much our estrangement pained me, but he also knew the reason for it. I thought he understood how I felt about what my dad did for a living. When we’d made the drive to Chicago last week, I’d been surprised by Brecken’s story about how he’d met my father. I couldn’t fathom a reason for the connection between my dad, the illegal arms dealer, and a well-respected General in the Army. He’d asked me a lot of questions about my parents, but I figured it was all part of the getting to know you process. Apparently I thought wrong and his questions were for another purpose.
“Morning, precious.” He dropped a kiss on my lips as though this morning was the same as any other. Then he moved his head until his mouth rested above my ear. “I know you’re scared, but I need you to trust me here. I did some checking into your dad’s company over the last week. Some things didn’t add up so I dug further. What I found will surprise you, Hadley. In a good way, but your dad asked if he could be the one to explain it to you. That’s why they’re here.”
My heart filled with hope as I gripped Brecken’s hand and turned to face my parents. My mom’s eyes were full of happy tears when we sat down across from them, Brecken settling me on his lap with his arms wrapped around me.
“You look so happy,” she whispered.
“I am,” I confirmed in a soft voice, sending her a quick smile before shifting my gaze to my dad. My voice hardened when I continued. “Now. But I was the furthest thing from happy when Brecken found me in the jungle after your associates took me from my dorm room and you left me there to rot for two weeks, wondering if you were just going to let me die because I hadn’t forgiven you yet.”
“Hadley, no!” My dad jumped to his feet, pacing back and forth behind the couch where he’d been sitting, one hand running through his hair. “You’re my daughter, and I love you. I never wanted anything to happen to you, that’s why I pushed you away in the first place.”
I jerked in Brecken’s arms. “What the heck do you mean, pushed me away?”
He moved around the couch, and I froze in place until he dropped down beside my mom. “I arranged for you to discover my illegal arms dealings.” He made air quotes when he said the last three words. “Which aren’t so much as illegal as they are sanctioned by the US government.”
“You lied to me?” I gasped.
He stared straight at me, anguish evident in his eyes. “I did, but it was necessary. I was working on a project.” He cleared his throat and shifted his gaze to Brecken for a moment before looking at me again. “I can’t go into a lot of details because they’re classified, but Brecken can confirm that everything I’m telling you is the honest to God truth.”
“I can, precious,” my husband whispered in my ear.
I nodded and my dad continued with his explanation. “My situation p
ut me in a unique position to help the Army in their search for an enemy who’d managed to get their hands on a weapon they needed to get back. Badly.”
“Badly is an understatement,” Brecken added. “Your dad didn’t have much of a choice. Too many lives were at stake.”
My dad waved it away, like him helping to save lives didn’t matter. “It was a decision I quickly came to regret because the only way to insert myself with them was to take possession of something else they wanted and to play coy in an effort to draw them out. Only it backfired, and threats were made against my family. Against you specifically, presumably because you were the easiest to access since your mom spends most of her time behind the gates of our home.”
“Your solution was to push me away? Wouldn’t that have put me at risk even more?”
“The profiler involved with the case assured me that their leader would lose interest in you if it appeared that I couldn’t care less.” His head hung low, and his voice dropped. “So we spread a story about you not being my biological daughter and I told them we weren’t even speaking to each other and that I’d finally been successful at removing you completely from your mother’s life.”
My mom took his hand in hers. “He would have pushed me away too if they’d been able to figure out a story that made sense.”
“The men the Army was hunting are beyond dangerous. They’re vicious and bloodthirsty, and I was willing to do whatever it took to keep you safe. Even if it meant you hated me forever. But they somehow figured out our ruse and took you. I just about went crazy trying to get the Army to help me search for you. To help me rescue you,” he pleaded. “Eventually, the General put me in touch with a man who he said was your best bet.”
“Brecken,” I sighed.
“The General was right. He managed to get you out.”
“The guys who took me, are they still out there?”
A look passed between the two men, I wasn’t certain what it meant but it seemed to hold a promise. “Not for long,” my dad answered.
Save Your Soul (Body & Soul #2) Page 6
