“Deal,” I quickly agree.
He smiles, his lips still a breath away from mine. “I thought you were a lawyer. You’re a terrible negotiator. Never take the first offer, it’s always the lowball one.”
“You distracted me. Knocked me off my game. Let’s try again.”
“What else do you want?”
“I want…to always get my way. On top of the multiple orgasms every night.”
“Deal, as long as I get to keep you forever.”
Before I can reply, his lips are on mine and I completely lose my ability to think of anything else. Yes, you can definitely keep me forever.
“I’m starving. Let me refuel my engines then I’ll gladly keep up my end of the deal.”
Ace takes a quick shower while I finish making the dessert. When he rejoins me at the table, I show him all my ideas for River’s room over our dinner. He loves my ideas for building a bunk bed fort in her bedroom. It has stairs that lead to a bed on top and a secret playroom underneath. I laugh until I cry at his plans for making our own secret playroom in our bedroom and how we’ll explain it to others. Our conversations come so easy, so natural. In him, I have a best friend and the best lover in the world all wrapped up in one.
After we finish eating, he leads me to the bedroom and makes good on his earlier promise. His lips on my skin, the warmth of his tongue, and the feel of his muscular body as he slides into mine make up my heaven on earth. Repeatedly, we climb to heights only he can take me to before only temporarily allowing me to come back down again. I don’t know how much more my body can take, but dying while feeling this good can’t be all bad.
Afterward, we’re lying in bed, facing each other, and he’s lovingly caressing me with his fingertips. “Marry me.”
I’m not convinced that I’m not hearing things. “What?” I ask softly. “What did you say?”
“I know it’s not the conventional way to propose. But we haven’t exactly had a conventional relationship either. The day you walked into my life, I knew there was something special about you. Every day that we’ve spent together, I’ve fallen more in love with you. Every minute that we’re apart, you’re on my mind. We’re raising River together and we’re about to adopt a newborn. Marry me.”
His eyes move back and forth while he gauges my reaction. There’s no fear or questions in his, only confidence and patience.
“I’d love to marry you.”
“Tomorrow?”
“I may need a little more notice than tomorrow. Besides, doesn’t it take a few days to get a marriage license?”
“Not in Georgia. And I’m not waiting past the weekend.” His smile is playful but his tone is resolute.
“Do you really want to get married that soon? Or are you messing with me?”
“I would get up early and marry you tomorrow morning. It’s not like we have a lot of family who would be upset if they weren’t invited,” he reasons.
“Your sister and your daughter may have something to say about that,” I remind him.
“They’d just be happy it actually happened.” His kiss distracts me, as it’s meant to. “So what do you say?”
I release a long, happy, satisfied sigh. “Yes.”
“Yeah?” He sounds so excited.
“Yes, I’d love to marry you early tomorrow morning.”
“We’ll get the marriage license as soon as the courthouse opens. Then we’ll go to the Oak Grove wedding chapel where I’ll make you mine forever.”
“Did you forget something?”
His brows scrunch together and he looks charmingly confused. “Nope. That’s the entire plan.”
“You’ll be mine forever, too.”
“Baby, I’m yours forever whether you marry me or not.”
“You’re so good to me.”
“You’re my barn owl.”
He says it so seriously that I can’t help but laugh out loud at the visual. “I’m your what?”
His smile spreads across his handsome face, lighting his eyes with mischief and an obvious glint that says he knows something I don’t. “I said, you are my barn owl. They pick one partner and are completely monogamous until they die. You’re mine.”
“I never knew owls were so romantic. I’m thrilled to be your barn owl. You are definitely mine, too.”
Waking to soft kisses down my spine has to be one of the best feelings in the world. “Mmm…I love that.”
“Time to wake up, my love. I have big plans for you today,” Ace murmurs from behind me.
“Isn’t it supposed to be bad luck for us to see each other before the wedding?”
“It’d be bad luck if I had to wake up without you. Other than that, I’m not superstitious.”
“I think you just make up your own rules as you go along.”
“My secret is out,” he chuckles. “Now get your fine ass up and get ready. You’re changing your last name today.”
“What if I want to live in this century and keep my current last name?” I’m totally kidding, but I’m curious to see what his reaction will be.
“If you feel strongly about it, I’d live with it. But I’d honestly rather you take my name so the world knows you’re mine. My mom kept her maiden name during a time when it was virtually unheard of for a woman to do. As a kid, I always hated explaining why my parents didn’t have the same last name. I think Mom regretted her decision after Dad died. She’s the one who told us about the barn owls and how my dad was hers.”
I turn over to face him, to look in his eyes when I reply. “I feel strongly about my last name—” I pause for half of a heartbeat “—becoming yours.”
His hand cups my cheek and his love for me shines in his eyes. “I’m so glad you said that. You make me feel invincible. Now go, before I ravage your body before we even leave the house. I’d planned to save that until after the ceremony.”
When we both finally emerge from the bedroom, we join Zoe at the kitchen table. She’s having breakfast while Ace pours two cups of coffee for us. Her eyes drift over my outfit before turning around to get a better look at Ace’s.
We’re clearly not dressed for a day around the house. I’m wearing a white, mid-thigh summer dress. With a halter-style top that secures around my neck, an open back, and a flowing skirt, it’s perfect for a summer wedding. Ace has a white ribbed tank top under a navy blue blazer and a pair of jeans. The look is classic, casual Ace with a palpable air of raw sex appeal.
“Where are you two going?” Zoe asks.
“We’re getting married this morning,” Ace replies nonchalantly.
“What?” Zoe nearly chokes on her food. “You’re getting married? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I just convinced her to marry me last night,” Ace replies. “So we’re going to do it this morning before she changes her mind.”
“Don’t listen to him, Zoe. I’m not changing my mind.” I playfully swat his arm.
“You two are so cute together. It’s like you were made just for each other,” Zoe replies wistfully.
“We’re barn owls,” Ace answers without elaborating. “Let’s go, woman. Your caveman has spoken.”
The word “caveman” holds a new meaning to me now, and I consciously have to push that memory out of my mind. My heated cheeks must give me away because Ace smirks knowingly at me. With a quick kiss to Zoe’s cheek, I tell her that we’ll be back in time to meet with the social worker for the home study.
Ace laces his fingers with mine and pulls me toward the door. Once we’re outside, he slips on his sunglasses and the sex-appeal factor promptly goes off the charts. “I need a picture.” He releases my hand and looks at me quizzically. Using my phone, I snap a few pictures of him to memorialize this cleaned-up version of Ace Sharp.
Happy doesn’t begin to describe how I feel this morning. Ecstatic. Delighted. Overjoyed. Thrilled. We arrive at the courthouse just as the doors are opened to the public, and we’re the only ones in line to get a marriage license. Within a few minutes, we�
��re finished at the courthouse and on our way to the chapel. We have our fingers crossed that they’re not booked or closed today.
The wedding chapel is several miles outside of town, hidden in the mountains on a back country road. When we reach it, an older lady is sweeping the front porch of the chapel, obviously getting ready for the day ahead of her. There’s a larger house sitting off to the side with its own driveway. I assume that’s where the owners live. Turning my gaze back to her, something in her mannerisms is familiar. When I take a closer look, I realize she is none other than Martha, the Realtor who met me when I first arrived in Oak Grove.
“Ace! So good to see you, my boy!” Martha hugs him and kisses him affectionately on the cheek. “What brings you way out here?”
“Layne and I want to get married this morning. Is Ralph available to officiate?”
Martha is stunned silent for a moment. “You two are getting married today? That’s wonderful! You know Ralph, he’s still nibbling on his breakfast. Come on in and pick out the package you want while I get him. I need to get the video camera out of the house, too. Do you have the marriage license?”
Ace hands over the license and Martha rushes excitedly to her home to get Ralph while Ace and I walk into the chapel. The inside is immaculately decorated and I’m instantly pleased with Ace’s wedding location choice. I pick up the book that lists all the available packages and start thumbing through the pages.
“Before you pick one of the indoor packages, let me show you the outdoor options,” Ace says with a sly smile.
“Okay, show me.” I follow him through the French patio doors in the rear of the chapel and out onto a beautiful expanse of thick, green grass. Covering the entire backyard, the lush carpet of grass is perfect for a barefoot wedding. The huge barn at the end of the yard makes the perfect backdrop with its contrasting dark wood, the green grass, and the multitude of blooming rose bushes. A tall tree with long, shady limbs stands proudly to the side of the barn.
“So you found the oasis,” Martha says from behind us. “I love it out here. We cleared the trees off from that little nook so we can get amazing shots of the mountain range, the valley, and the sky.”
“You have a beautiful place here. I love it,” I reply.
Martha wraps her arm around my shoulder. “You are welcome to come out here anytime. Since you’re about to marry Ace, I assume you’re staying in town for a while longer.”
Laughing, I reply, “Yes, a little while anyway.”
“Yeah, like forever,” Ace chimes in. “You think I’m ever letting her leave? No way.”
“You’re both sure you want to do this today? You don’t want to wait and invite a few people to be here with you?” Martha asks hopefully.
“Today’s the day,” Ace replies. “No time like the present, right?”
“Here comes Ralph now.” Martha looks over our shoulders at her approaching husband. Judging by the admiration in her eyes, it’s obvious she still loves him as much today as when they were first married.
Ralph hugs Ace in a manly embrace and says hello. “This isn’t the same girl you brought by here yesterday. Are you trying to pull my leg?”
The teasing glint in Ralph’s eye looks familiar, a lot like the one Ace uses on me. With these two together, I don’t stand a chance.
Ace shushes him with a conspiratorial sideways glance. “Ralph, you’re not supposed to tell her.”
“Oh, my bad. What was your name again, young lady? Are you Lana? Or are you Leslie?” He’s still teasing, trying to rile me up.
“Nah, they’re both long gone now. I ran them off. My name is Layne, and I’ll be the last one who comes here with him.”
Ralph looks at Ace, who’s beaming with pride at my retort. “I like her. You’d better keep her happy or some guy will come along and snatch her away from you.”
“They’d never find his body,” Ace asserts.
Ralph and Ace lock eyes and a knowing smile crosses Ralph’s face. “You’ve found the one for you, haven’t you?”
“I sure have,” Ace replies to Ralph but looks at me. “Found her and can’t live without her now.”
“Let’s get you two hitched, then,” Ralph replies.
With a simple ceremony under the branches of the shade tree, Ace and I exchange our vows, with an emphasis on “till death do us part,” after every phrase we recite. He slides a ring onto my finger that I didn’t even know he had, and I gasp audibly at how beautiful it is.
“You didn’t think I’d propose and not have a ring for you, did you?” he whispers.
When it’s my turn to put a ring on his finger, a moment of panic surges through me. Ace reaches in his pocket and retrieves a simple wedding band and hands it to me. “You thought of everything, didn’t you?”
He winks at me and I take the ring from him and recite the words after Ralph says them. “With this ring, I thee wed.”
“Don’t forget to add ‘till death do us part,’” Ace reminds me.
“With this ring, I thee wed, till death do us part.” I can’t help but giggle at his insistence, but I also can’t help but feel loved and cherished for it.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss your bride,” Ralph states with pride.
Ace crushes his lips to mine to seal the ceremony. His tongue slides across my lips and presses against the part until I give him full access. Our first kiss as a married couple makes me weak in the knees. It’s perfect—soft and sweet, with undercurrents of sexual tension and barely controlled passion.
“Mrs. Sharp, I’d love nothing more than to take you away now,” Ace murmurs against my lips.
“Mr. Sharp, I’m all yours.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
ACE
I can’t believe she agreed to marry me.
That impromptu, ridiculous proposal wasn’t exactly the stuff dreams are made of. But she still said yes.
The ceremony wasn’t planned, her friends and family weren’t invited or even told about it, and it was held under the limbs of a huge tree. But she still said, “I do.”
The whole thing has to be the most unimaginative, unromantic proposal and wedding ceremony ever. But she still took my name.
We’re in my truck leaving from the chapel and I glance over at her. She has the most angelic glow and the most beautiful smile.
“Did I ruin your lifelong dreams of a big wedding with a thousand people in attendance?”
“No! Are you kidding me? I’ve never wanted a huge wedding with everyone watching me walk down the aisle. I’d probably trip and face-plant in front of everyone, embarrass myself to death. I’ve only ever wanted a small, intimate wedding. To me, it should just be about the two people making the commitment.”
“The appointment with the social worker isn’t until this afternoon, right?”
“Right. She’ll be there at four o’clock.”
“That’s not quite long enough for me, but we’ll have to make the most of it until tomorrow.”
“Not long enough? Make the most of what? What’s happening tomorrow?”
Her rapid-fire questions make me laugh. “Take a breath now, Layne Sharp.”
She takes an exaggerated breath and slowly releases it. “Done. Now answer me.”
“Have I told you today how much I love you?”
The broad smile on her face belies the thinly veiled threat behind her crinkled eyes. “You may have mentioned it when you married me.”
“Okay, I’ll give you a hint. It goes along with what you’d normally do after a wedding.”
“How is that a hint? That could be a dozen different things,” she complains.
“You won’t have to wait long to find out.” I point toward her window before turning into the driveway. “We’re here.”
“Ace, that house is stunning! I’ve never seen an actual old Southern plantation house.”
She’s right, the house is amazing. The two-story white plantation house is complete with tall white column
s across the front and full wraparound porches on both levels. The red-brick driveway is lined with old oak trees that provide perpetual shade. But it’s what’s inside the house that I’m most excited about.
As we draw nearer to the house, she realizes all is not as it seems.
“Wait a minute. This isn’t a tourist attraction.” She cuts her eyes over to me, and I feign the most innocent look I can muster. Under the circumstances. “Why is it way out here by itself?”
“The women on the town council wouldn’t let her open it on Main Street,” I shrug.
“Why not?”
I want to kiss the area between her brows that’s adorably scrunched in confusion.
“Because then everyone in town would see them frequenting the store,” I laugh as I park the truck. “Let’s go find some sexy honeymoon lingerie so I can tear it off when I ravage you.”
“If you insist,” she replies. Her cheeks are suddenly flushed and she’s breathing heavier.
Serena’s Siren Song is our town’s best-kept secret. Serena turned the entire bottom floor of her two-story Southern mansion into a naughty and nice lingerie shop. She only carries the top of the line in lingerie and adult toys. Not that I’ve ever been here myself, but since she’s my cousin, I’ve heard all about it. While Layne was in the shower this morning, I sent a text to Serena to let her know I’d be by with someone special.
The door swings open wide as we approach the first step. “There’s my favorite cousin! Who’s this beautiful lady with you?” Serena steps out onto the porch and hugs me. Then she turns and hugs Layne like she’s known her all her life.
“This is Layne, my wife,” I say to Serena. Before she can reply, I continue, “Layne, this is my cousin, Serena. She owns this shop.”
“It’s very nice to meet you, Serena.”
“Wife? What the hell, Ace? When did you get married and not invite me?” She turns to Layne. “It’s so nice to meet you, Layne.” Then back to me. “Explain.”
“Ralph married us a few minutes ago. We drove straight here after the ceremony. That’s how long we’ve been married, Serena.” I step behind Layne and wrap my arms around her, cocoon her in my embrace, and place kisses on her neck, just below her ear.
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