The One Adored (The One Trilogy Book 3)

by North, Alexandra

  I nod at her excitement, sad to lose her but happy that she is finding her own way in life. That’s what friends did, they supported each other in every thing, no matter how selfless they had to be.

  “Have you told Nathan about the New York job?”

  She shakes her head and widens her eyes. “No! I have no intention of doing so.”

  “For goodness sake, Abs - he deserves to know.”

  “He doesn’t. I don’t know what we are now - we fuck every once in a while and right now, I hate him!”

  “No you don’t, you’re just frustrated with im.”

  “I want to grab that left over salmon and stuff it where the sun don’t shine.”

  I giggle. “Well, you need to tell him, at least give him to chance to ask you to stay.”

  “I’m not begging him! If he was into me he’d have shown his cards by now. I’m not doing this to go all Hallmark on him and have him running through a crowded airport, looking for me before I get on the plane.”

  “Abby - I know - Oh… Ok, we’ll do it your way…”

  “So you won’t tell Seb then?”

  Shit! Tomorrow he’d be my husband and I can’t keep secrets from him. “No, I won’t tell him tonight. But if it slips out from tomorrow onwards I apologise, I won’t lie to my hubby.”

  She pulls a sour face. “It’s a good job Suzue decided to rest upstairs tonight - I’d throttle her.”

  “I’d be prepared to spend tomorrow, with Nathan, looking gorgeous and enjoying all the perks of being bestman and head bridesmaid - you’ll be slung together a…lot! I remember Seb and I at Suzie and G’s wedding.”

  “Oh, I remember that, we all thought you two were outside getting it on!”

  “No, seriously!”

  “Seriously! Niall included!”

  I laugh at that. “Hardly - if I remember rightly, Niall was to busy with his tongue down some blonde guests throat. I got hammered and Seb attempted to sober me up out back.”

  “Ah yes, with tequila!” She grins nodding

  “You know the story. He did. That was the first time I looked at him differently, I mean really looked at him, you know?”

  “Like you wanted to jump his bones?” she swigs her drink.

  “Yeah?”

  “Other than the night at The Cave Bar, all those years ago.”

  “Other than that - that was the first time, I mean since that first time of meeting. I was with Niall after all and we moved in together that morning, and Seb helped us. Something changed between us that day, it seemed to be him I think?” I narrow my eyes trying to remember.

  “The more time you spend together the more you realise how much you felt for him, you mean?” Abs, crosses her legs.

  “Yeah, I suppose so. I always thought we’d just been friends but at Suzie and G’s wedding it was different - isn’t it strange how until now I hadn’t remembered that.” I shake my head as though to clear it.

  “Not really, Lu the mind is powerful tool - Niall was a mental abuser and controlled you more than you realise.”

  “Maybe? I can see Seb and I now, opposite each other across the church aisle and suddenly he looked at me and it was like I was punched in the gut - I knew then that I was moving in with the wrong man. That night at the venue, I think I told Seb I really cared for him? I was pissed though.”

  “Why didn’t you two do anything about then? Why did you stay with Niall?” Abby looks confused.

  “I realised after a few days after wedding, that I was pregnant with Finn, when the humongous hangover, I thought I had turned out to be morning sickness. It was a deal breaker.”

  “Oh, Lu - you never told me any of this.” She rubs my arms and draw me too her. “You always were a ‘made my bed now lie in it type of girl’, we would have supported you if you had wanted to go it alone.”

  “I know but I’m traditional. Anyway Finn was meant to be. I was meant to have him and I have no regrets as this is Seb and my time - now.”

  “That it is. You are such an inspiration, my lovely friend. I can’t wait until tomorrow. I’ll be the bloody best bridesmaid ever for you.”

  “I know you will. Right, I must make a move now though. I’m tired and I need to escape before you know who tries to .”

  “Do you want me to arrange that reception sorts out the little issue of down below?” She points in the direction of her lady parts and I smile.

  “Yes that would be great, thank you.”

  “Mum?” I call across the table to her, where she is deep in conversation with Bitzi about how the Marks and Spencer’s shares have gone up, with Finn asleep in her lap.

  “Yes, love?”

  “I’m going to make a move.”

  Seb looks up then too. “You’re making you’re getaway bride routine already, baby?”

  “I am, darling. I need to get Finn to bed and it’s time for me to try get some shut eye too.” Not that I’ll sleep much, I’m too excited.

  “I’ll carry him up for you.” Seb makes his way around to Nina and extracts our boy from her warmth, snuggling him against his chest. He looked tiny next to Seb’s muscular body.

  “You’re not going in!” Nina quips, over her reading glasses and I smirk at Seb’s pursed mouth.

  “See, son. Nice try but you won’t get through the doors of your bride to be’s room tonight.” Bob and Mac chuckle in unison.

  I swear I hear Seb mutter ‘We’ll see about that’ but I choose to ignore it and walk around the table, kissing everyone on their cheeks. “Thanks, guys for all your help today. Can’t wait to see you all tomorrow in your wedding gear. Night.”

  We head out to a chorus of nights and sleep well and the three of us head up the stairwell towards the honeymoon suite. Abby is not far behind and calls her byes as she slips down her corridor to her room. As I hear her door close, I see Nathan strut down the corridor behind us in that direction. God, men were predictable. Hmmm, let’s hope they can resolve their issues.

  “Just place him on the bed, baby.”

  I head to the wardrobe and locate his jammies and then with Seb’s help undress my sleeping bundle, before placing spiderman in the large princess in the pea bed and turning off the side lamp. Seb kisses his temple and strokes his hair gently and I watch in awe - he really had taken to fatherhood fantastically.

  “God, I love this kid.”

  “I know you do.”

  “I love you too.”

  I walk into his arms and stare up at him. “I love you too.”

  “And tomorrow when you become my wife, I’ll be the happiest man alive.”

  “Tomorrow, we will be married, at last - I can’t wait, baby.”

  “Me neither. Do you know what else would make me the happiest man alive? Letting me see you naked, touch you, kneel down and eat you out until your dry.”

  Oh. My. God. “Seb! No! We promised we’d wait. Beside I have Finn here.”

  “We’ll go into the bathroom.” His lips find my neck and I shudder as electricity volts hit me. “You’ve not let me near you for a week. A week!”

  “I know - so we can enjoy our wedding night. I want this to be special, baby. Please!”

  He looks down into my eyes, time strecthing out as he assess my mood and then nods. “Ok, I understand, but you better prepare for a night to remember - don’t be expecting to do much the day after the wedding - you may need to be carried everywhere.”

  I smile wryly at his cockiness. “I understand, my highly sexed gorgeous man. I will be happy be fucked into oblivion by my husband.”

  Our lips meet and he smiles against mine. “I love the sound of that. Husband.”

  “So do I.”

  “Right, I better go then - grab another cold shower - fourth of the day!” His brows lift and I giggle as he adjust himself.

  “I’ll see you at the end of the aisle.”

  “You will, my lady Lu.”

  I take a deep breathe and we s
tare at each other a moment longer, with Finn asleep, gently snoring behind us, and passion thick in the air. “I love you, baby.”

  “You’re too irresistible. I need to go.”

  “Go! See you tomorrow at 1pm.”

  His hand is on the door when he flies back. “Won’t I see you before?”

  I laugh. “No! I’ll be getting ready and you can’t see me - it’s bad luck!”

  “Are you fucking kidding me? Us and bad luck? We’ve had more than enough and we still found one another - granted ten years too late but we got him…” he thrusts his hand in Finn’s direction and I smile. “… and that was worth every second of the delay, n matter how testing on you and I.”

  “I know, but we can’t see each other before the wedding.”

  His mouth forms a firm line before he nods. “Oh shit - this is getting tough. I hate being told what to do - and most of all hate being told I can’t see you, but I will abide by it. I see you at 1pm.”

  “Thank you, my love. I’ll try not to be late.”

  “Small mercies.”

  I grin as the door closes and fall back onto the bed. This was it - one more sleep and I’d be Mrs. Sebastian Silver.

  *******

  Friday 11th December - A Wedding

  It was 9am and I was out walking with Finn, and James Marcell’s dogs - a small dachshund called Sherlock that I had had to pick up after only a few minutes as he’d tired easily and a large red setter named Bess, who pranced back and forth every time Finn threw him a half eaten spongey ball - he was batty but the fresh air was doing us all good.

  I’d been up since 7am and had already been for a run around the estate - anything to stop me from striding across the corridor and taking my bride-to-be in the shower. I needed to be connected to her. Wanted to be with her now - this wedding rigmarole was fast becoming a inconvenience. We’d been around other people since yesterday and whilst it was great and they were all our nearest and dearest, I wasn’t good at sharing. Not when it came to Lu and only if it involved Finn.

  Chris had sent us a telegram for the wedding to read out with the speeches, which was kind of him, so I’d taken some time this morning to call him. I’m glad we all parted as friends. He’d been invited of course but he’d only been in Dubai a week now, setting up the new SilCon premises there and I was confident that he would be a could Manager for the foreseeable future - it solved many issues - 1) it removed him from Silcon UK and working with Lu, which I knew she felt uncomfortable with, despite her attempts to assure me otherwise and 2) it meant less travelling for me when all I wanted to do now was settle down and be with my family and hopefully get busy making more little Silver’s. If we couldn’t, then we’d adopt but Lu and Finn were my priority now, no living out of a suitcase and jet-setting all over the world. Chris wanted to make the big bucks and live the high-life and he was good at his job, a real asset to the business, so if I could help him obtain his life-goals, so long as he continued to work hard, then I was happy to do so.

  My eyes revert back to Finn and his terrible teasing of Bess, with the throwing of the ball, or lack of throwing and I chuckle. He was so cute this kid - he’d knocked at my door after I’d returned from my jog, very cute and looking sleepy with Mac, who’d winked and left us to it. He came bearing gifts, that he insisted we must open right away. Checking the card, I’d seen a message with Lu’s neat handwriting, so we did just that.

  For my men, whom I adore with all my heart x

  “Well, Finnster, we’d best open this together.” I’d shuffled him in and placed him on the bed, where we’d both struggled to untie the ribbon knots of the bag. Peeking inside, Finn had placed his chubby little hands within and grabbed two black velvet boxes. One was initialled with Finn’s name and the other mine.

  “Here you go, Sub!”

  “Cheers, mate!” My heart had melted and I cuddled him to me. He looked the image of Lu this morning, despite their difference in colouring, another pang straight to my heart and reminder of what I was missing.

  “Right, let’s see what’s in here…Wow, Finnster! Cufflinks!”

  He’d opened his little box with inquisitive eyes and declared the gift, “Cool! We’ll match!”

  “We will.”

  We now had silver cufflinks in engraved with our initials, mine an ’S’ and ’S’ and Finn’s an F’ and a silver star - all had a small diamond in their centre. Lu had done a great job. They’d looked ‘the bomb’ as Finn had repeated over and over, telling me his were actually secret weapons that you pressed and bullets flew out.

  I smile on that thought, glancing at Finn, as he plays with the dog, and I cast a glance at the skies above, which appeared white. It was a clear morning, slightly frosty, which all the women and wedding planners would love, casting a veil of glitter across all outside surfaces and chill to the air, but for this time of year, it was perfect. A perfect day to marry my best friend and the love of my life.

  In only four hours, I’d see her. They’d be the longest of my life I fear but I had to dress and get Finn ready in his attire and the men were having a round of clay pigeon shooting in a hour, which would take my mind off my bride for all of two seconds. Looking up towards the house, I try to locate the window to our suite for signs of her. I can see plenty of too’ing and fro’ing, but know from Finn that the room is full of ladies having their hair done. He’d moaned that he had been kicked out of bed too early so Mummy could be made into a princess. When I’d explained that Mummy needed some extra time this morning on her own, for our special day, he shrugged his shoulders and said, “Ok. Sub? Why can’t I sleep with you and Mummy tonight?”

  “Because, mate, it’s our wedding night. No children allowed on the wedding night.” I pat his little shoulder, hoping he’ll leave it at that.

  “Uncle Nathan says it’s because you want to make sure mummy is really married.”

  “Did he now?” I roll my eyes to the clouds. Cheers bro. “Well, once Mummy and I are married tomorrow, I will be sleeping with her in her bed and it’s all part of the wedding that the groom…” I point to my chest and wink. “That’s me…”

  He giggles.”I know silly.”

  “…And the bride, that’s your Mum” God I’m stringing out the inevitable here.

  “I know that!” Finn laughs again, throwing the ball for Bess.

  “… To kiss and cuddle to say we are legally married.”

  “Oh, I see.”

  Thank God for that.

  “But, why can’t you do that downstairs?”

  “Oh, we will be doing a lot of that downstairs.” Believe me, in any dark corner I can take her in. “But we must do that in the bedroom together as well.” And the shower, the floor, in front of the fire….

  “So, I can’t sleep in your bed with you then?”

  “Nice try - no, Finnster, not tonight - you’re in with Ninny and Gramps.”

  “Awesome! Ninny let’s me stay up on my iPad for a…ges!”

  Crisis diverted, we head on back towards to entrance, Sherlock, panting under my arm, his hot little body a welcome heat in the cold. The lake had a thin layer of ice across it as we pass and I remind Finn not to leave the premises without adult supervision, to which he nods in seriously in agreement.

  “Well, you - shall we go get you settled in the breakfast room with your Ninny?”

  “Yay! Can I have pancakes and scones and scrambled egg too?”

  “All at once?” I grin, teasing him.

  His face drops. “Er no silly - that would be yucky.”

  Kids, they never cease to amaze - get you on their level then once you think you’re all ‘down with them’ and playing it their way, they become all serious and adult-like, making you out to be the child. “Come on, you - let’s go get you fed and watered and then I’ll go off shooting with the boys before you and I get ready with Uncle Gino and Uncle Nathan for the big day. Anything to distract me from going and visiting your mum before
the wedding.”

  “You really want to see her, huh?”

  I nod at him, stroking his soft blonde quiff on a sigh. “I really do. I’m missing her like crazy.”

  “Ninny says its bad luck for the broom to see the bride on the morning they get married.” He states, very pleased with his statement and I hide my snigger. So I’m the broom am I?

  “Apparently so, well we best not jinx things hey? Only a few more hours to go until I marry your Mum, mate. Then we’ll be a real family.”

  “Yay! I love you, Sub.” He launches himself at me and I have to stop myself from choking up.

  “I love you too, Finny Finn Finn.”

  *******

  The morning had flown by in a flurry of traffic, from beauticians to hairdressers and photographers to videographers, we’d had them all. My suite was fortunately the largest in the hotel so could accommodate Suzie, Abby, both their individual stylists and the photographer who continually clicked away as we sipped our bubbly.

  We spent the last hour giggling like school girls and enjoying some relaxing girly time which had taken my mind off the fact that all I wanted to do was go see Seb. Just as I’m about to go stir crazy, two boxes are delivered to the suite from him. I’m so pleased now I’d asked Finn to hand deliver him his present personally from me.

  One is a small rectangular box, wrapped in black paper with a large white bow. I make fast work untying it as the girls watch avidly, and find the name of the parfumier we’d visited in Paris, ‘Parfum Unique’ emblazoned across the tissue paper. Inside is a Silver box, which I open to find a heavy crystal decanter style perfume bottle with a silver label and black scripted font. My perfume is called…