by Hazel Kelly
He raised his brows. “Happy?”
“I would’ve been happy with the paddle board.”
“You know what I mean.”
“I do,” I said. “The only thing that worries me is that I don’t know if I said yes because I’m bat shit crazy about you, too, or because I would do anything to keep you from leaving.”
“What’s the difference?” he asked.
“Good point.”
“Also, that’s not funny.”
I laughed. “Oh, so you can dish it out, but you can’t take it. Is that it?”
“Oh I can take it,” he said, smiling as he crawled over me. “I just like it better when you do.”
“Me too,” I said, trailing a finger down the open part of his shirt.
“Now for another less delicate- but no less important- question.”
“Shoot,” I said, pulling his belt strap through the buckle.
“Do you want me to have you on your new paddle board, or would you rather I escort you to the bedroom?”
I tilted my head. “That’s a tough decision.”
“If it helps, I covered the bed with rose petals,” he said, dragging my dress up my legs with one hand.
“You were that confident I was going to say yes, huh?”
“Frankly, I did everything I could to ignore any other possibility,” he said, sliding his hand between my legs and heating me up with his fingertips. “So what’ll it be? The board or the bed?”
“I can’t think when you’re touching me like that,” I said, my breath skipping in my throat.
He slipped his belt from the loops and pulled his shirt off over his head.
My eyes lingered over his rippling abs until he bent back over to kiss me, pulling my underwear off as he did so.
I leaned back as he pushed my dress up around my waist and rubbed between my legs again, his fingers slipping in my silk.
When he dropped his face to my neck and slid his fingers inside me, I gasped, my whole body clenching around him.
“God how I’ve needed this,” he whispered, driving his thick fingers deeper.
His touch felt so good I felt my tear ducts twitch. And as he churned my insides, he kissed his way down to my chest, sliding the straps of my dress and bra off so he could take my puckered nipples in his mouth.
A moment later, he lifted his face, pulled his fingers from me, and sucked them clean before licking his lips.
I raised my eyebrows.
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you taste just like my fiancée.”
A smile spread across my face.
“I know what you’re thinking, though,” he said, scooting down between my legs. “I better double check to be sure.”
I gripped the edge of the board as he made contact, his tongue lapping at my pussy gently at first and then speeding up until my sensitive clit was buzzing.
“I’m gonna come,” I panted, pressing my lower back against the board.
“Not without me, you’re not,” he said, his voice hot between my legs. He wiped his mouth against my inner thigh and sat up. “We do things together from now on.”
I watched him unzip his pants, my mouth watering as he pulled his cock out.
He pushed his pants down and took them off without taking his focus off me.
“Take me to bed,” I said, licking my lips.
He slid his arms under me, sat back on his heels, and rose to his feet.
I couldn’t believe how effortlessly he whisked me through the cabin, and I felt so safe and happy in his arms I thought my heart might burst.
When we reached the thick curtain that separated the bedroom, he nodded, and I pulled it open.
The white bed was covered with dark red rose petals, and there was a champagne bucket on the bedside table.
He stood me up on the end of the low bed so his head was level with my breasts, and he dragged my dress down over my hips until it pooled around my ankles.
Then he slid his hands up the back of my legs and dug his fingertips into the cheeks of my ass like it belonged to him.
I sank down in front of him, taking his cock in my hands as I knelt on the bed.
He stared down at me as I stroked him, and his shaft was so solid in my hand I felt a flash of sexual fear that made me even wetter than I already was.
I lowered my head and took him in my mouth, stroking him with one hand and pulling his ass towards me with the other.
He groaned and leaned into me as I pushed his thick cock to the back of my throat, relishing the sweet taste of his clean skin.
I was lost in sucking him by the time he pulled my hair back and lifted his chin towards the top of the bed.
I read the look in his eyes and scooted back, admiring his naked body as the rose petals kissed my skin.
“And you didn’t even want to open the paddle board,” he said, a sly smile on his face.
“I want you inside me,” I said, suddenly conscious of the gentle waves lapping against the hull.
He crawled over me, his dark eyes full of lust.
“I’ve wanted you inside me every day since-”
“Shhh.” He pressed a finger across my lips. “I know.” He grabbed his dick and pressed his head against my slit. “I’ve wanted you, too,” he said, fixing his eyes on mine as he forced me open.
I felt drunk on his attention, on the feel of him throbbing inside me, and on the love I felt for him. It was like I was sloppier than I’d ever been but also like I was seeing everything with more clarity than ever before.
And as he rocked his hips over me, hitting me deep like only he could, I realized the sick tension I’d been feeling for weeks had gone away.
All because he loved me back.
It was a sort of stars aligned feeling I’d never experienced before. And as I pressed my head into the pillow and inhaled the rose petals around me, the man I loved made love to me, and I knew in my heart that I’d gotten my prince.
Adam lifted up so he could rub my clit, his abs flexing over me with his shallow breathing.
I bit my lip and furrowed my brow. “I’m close.”
He sat back and pulled my legs straight up against his chest, holding my thighs as he fucked me with his fingers on my swollen bud.
“Come with me,” I said.
He swelled even more as he concentrated on my pleasure, his gaze traveling from my belly button ring to my tits to my lips to my eyes.
Suddenly the pressure was too much, and when my orgasm shattered through me, I grabbed fistfuls of petals as Adam thrust deep inside me one last time, groaning as he filled me with his desire.
We collapsed in a panting mess on the bed, and I wrapped my arms around him, conscious of my engagement ring again only when I laid my hands across his back.
“I fucking love you,” he panted against my ear.
I laughed. “I fucking love you, too.”
When he caught his breath, he rolled onto his side. “So what did you prefer?” he asked. “The bed or the board?”
“Gee I don’t know. It’s all such a blur now.”
He dragged a finger across my cheek, admiring me in a way that made me feel safe and beautiful.
I rolled towards him and propped the pillow up under my head. “Can I ask you something?”
“Anything.”
“Do you think now that I’m your fiancée, you can trust me to keep the secret of whose wedding I’ve been planning?”
He smiled. “You really want to know, don’t you?”
“Desperately.”
His dark eyes bounced between mine.
I raised my eyebrows. “Well?”
“Ours.”
I lifted my head. “What?”
“You’ve been planning our wedding.”
“But-”
“That’s why Carrie told you to plan it like it was your own.”
My eyes went wide. “Are you serious?”
He nodded. “As serious as the ring on your finger.”
&
nbsp; I glanced down at it again as if it were proof that I hadn’t imagined the whole thing.
“Surprise.”
“Jesus, Adam.” I sat up. “Here I was hoping I’d be able to just win you back, and I’ve been planning our wedding this whole time?!”
“Surprise.”
“You said that already.”
He rolled onto his back. “That’s because I can’t tell if you’re thrilled or pissed.”
“I’m surprised.”
“Surprise!”
“Stop that,” I said, pointing at him. “I need to think.”
“About what?”
“About the fact that I’ve just agreed to marry a crazy person.”
He smiled. “If it makes you feel better, I really feel like I understand.”
I pushed his chest. “Don’t you get it? I’ve spared no expense. It’s going to be the most over the top, romantic wedding ever.”
“I feel so lucky to be invited.”
I collapsed back on the pillow, my mind racing with thoughts about whether I chose the right cake, the right band, the right menu.
“Relax, Jo. Everything’s done. All you need is a dress.”
“What about invitations?”
“I’ll call a meeting.”
I slapped a hand over my face. “This is crazy.”
“You want to know the craziest part of all?” he asked.
I shook my head. “Sure.”
“You know how I’ve been busting everyone’s chops so the renovations would be finished before I left?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s so I can take you on an epic honeymoon without either of us having to worry about the place.”
I sprang back up. “An epic honeymoon?!”
He nodded. “Champagne?”
“Yes. Of course. Champagne fifteen minutes ago.”
A moment later, there was a large boom, followed by a crackling sound.
I looked up. “What was that?”
“I don’t know,” he said, sitting up. “Maybe we should go check.”
I grabbed my dress from the floor and slipped it on, leaving my underwear where it lay.
“I’ll meet you on deck,” Adam said, grabbing the champagne bucket.
I reached the top of the stairs just in time to see a huge gold firework go off over the water. “Hurry up!” I called down to him. “It’s fireworks!”
He arrived a few booms later wearing a white robe with the champagne bucket and two flutes in hand.
“This is amazing,” I said, taking a seat on the cushioned bench at the back of the boat.
Adam sat beside me and popped the cork in time with the next colorful explosion while I kept my eyes on the sky full of blinking stars above.
“Here,” Adam said, passing me a glass of champagne. “To the rest of our lives.”
I smiled and clinked my glass against his. “Wait a second,” I said after I took a sip. “Did you set this up?”
He pointed at the sky. “What? This?”
“You did, didn’t you?”
“I might’ve called in a favor.”
“Wow,” I said. “You might be crazy, but no one could question your attention to detail.”
“Thanks,” he said, his chiseled features lit up by the flashing sky.
“You want to tell me what else you’ve got up those sleeves of yours?”
“Absolutely not,” he said, putting his arm around me.
I turned towards him and watched the fireworks sparkle across his eyes as they boomed overhead.
Then he leaned forward and kissed me, the sweet taste of champagne dancing on our tongues as my heart danced in my chest.
And for the first time in my life, I had no idea what tomorrow would bring, but there was one thing I did know, and that was that I’d never been happier.
Chapter 44: Adam
“I can’t believe you’re getting married tomorrow,” Christophe said, leaning back in his chair. “I want to be happy for you, but you were such a good wingman it kind of feels like a death.”
I watched Jolie straighten my godson’s bowtie across the room before checking my watch and thinking I should find his mother so our ring bearer wasn’t sleeping on the job tomorrow.
“I have to be honest,” Ben said. “I definitely thought Carrie and I would beat you to the altar.”
“I can’t believe she didn’t tell you my plan,” I said. “I was sure she’d spill the beans.”
“I’m as surprised as you are,” Ben said, reaching for the champagne in the middle of the round table. “Then again, that woman never ceases to amaze me.”
My eyes drifted across the banquet hall before settling on my parents, who were at the bar we’d set up for the occasion.
I was relieved that my mother had come, but I was starting to think it was too much to hope that she would ever accept Jolie into our family the way my dad had so enthusiastically.
“Your dad seems to have taken quite a shine to Jolie,” Ben said, loosening his tie.
I nodded. “I think he’s genuinely happy for me. Not that I’m surprised by that. The only relationship advice I can ever remember him giving me was to marry someone who made me laugh.”
“That’s it?” Christophe asked.
“That’s it,” I said. “He told me everything else goes- money, looks, energy, health- none of it lasts. He said a sense of humor is the only thing that stands any chance of getting better with age.”
Christophe squinted at me. “Did he give you that advice before or after he married your mother?”
I raised my eyebrows. “What are you saying?”
“Adam’s mom is actually pretty hilarious,” Ben said. “It’s just that her timing is usually completely inappropriate.”
“Has she forgiven you for breaking up with Victoria?” Christophe asked.
I shrugged. “I don’t really care. To be honest, I don’t give a shit if she punishes me for the rest of my life. I just don’t want her to take it out on Jolie.”
“Jolie’s got thick skin,” Ben said. “She can handle herself.”
“I know,” I said, slinging my arm over the empty chair beside me. “I just feel bad that her entire extended family has welcomed me with open arms, and I can’t even get my mother to stop thinking of her as the little girl that used to clear our plates.”
Ben furrowed his brow. “She used to clear your plates?”
“Yeah,” I said. “She’s been working here her whole life.”
Ben shook his head. “Damn. Kinda makes me feel a little better about not living with my dad growing up.”
Christophe laughed so hard his eyes watered.
“What?” Ben asked.
“The thought of you toiling away in the Abbott,” he said. “I just got this mental image of you covered in soot in the basement trying to keep the place warm.”
“You’re an idiot,” Ben said.
“Speaking of idiots-” I drained my whiskey. “I can’t thank you guys enough for coming.”
“Are you kidding?” Ben asked. “Wouldn’t have missed it.”
Christophe shrugged. “I didn’t have anything else better to do.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Seriously, though.” Christophe stood up just enough to reach across the table and snatch the champagne from Ben. “Of course I came. This wedding wouldn’t even be happening if it weren’t for me.”
Ben raised his eyebrows. “Come again?”
“I don’t know about that,” I said. “But you did give me some good advice in the beginning.”
“What advice?” Ben asked. “How to get a girl to feel so unwelcome in the morning she’ll leave before you have to make her breakfast?”
I laughed.
“How to get a girl to make out with her friend,” Ben continued.
“No,” Christophe said, his face turning red.
Ben cocked his head. “How to blank an ex when you’re with someone new?”
“Enough!” Christo
phe said. “You don’t live with me anymore. Stop acting like you know all my moves.”
Ben laughed. “I do know all your moves.”
“Actually,” I said, feeling like it was time to pull Christophe from under the bus. “The advice he gave me wasn’t sleazy at all.”
“See,” Christophe said, raising his palm towards me.
“Even if there were a few more animal analogies than were really necessary.”
Christophe groaned and dropped his head back. “I don’t know what I did to deserve such ungrateful friends.”
“Hey,” I said, leaning forward. “I’m only joking. You saved my ass. I owe you one.”
“Then why didn’t you make me your best man instead of Ben?” he asked.
Ben raised his eyebrows.
I scrunched my face. “Because I feared that when it came time to do the speeches, I’d have to worry about your taste level.”
Ben smiled. “And your animal references.”
“This is bullshit,” Christophe said. “You guys are assholes.”
“Also,” I said, “I figured that if I didn’t bog you down with unnecessary responsibilities, it would give you more time to get reacquainted with Gia, who- for the record- isn’t bringing a plus one.”
Christophe’s face lifted. “Is that so?”
I nodded.
“Maybe you’re not such a bad friend after all,” he said.
“Thanks,” I said, loosening my tie. “Besides, Ben’s going to need the distraction so he doesn’t notice how many of the staff here have fallen in love with his wife to be.”
“Trust me, I’m aware,” he said. “We can’t even eat in the restaurant here anymore because she’s too buddy buddy with everyone.”
I laughed. “They’re her biggest fans.”
Ben shook his head. “She already told Javier she’d come down and celebrate Cinco de Mayo with his family next year.”
I raised my eyebrows. “I guess I’ll look forward to seeing you next May.”
“Count on it,” Ben said, looking around. “I’m never letting her out of my sight again.” When he found her, he scrunched his face. “Is that the busboy that proposed to her last week?”
I nodded.
He groaned.
“Relax,” I said. “He’s just a kid.”
“Where did Christophe disappear to?” he asked.
I lifted my chin towards the bar, where he was already propped up beside Gia.
