The house was soon filled with laughter and talking. As the party carried on in the living room, Laurel refilled a bowl of pretzels in the kitchen as one of Ashley's friends set out more napkins and plates.
"I bet you are excited for your own wedding," Jessica said. "Did you set a date yet?"
Laurel shook her head. "Not yet. We haven't really discussed it with everything else going on. I've really been focused on Ashley's wedding."
Jessica nodded. "I can understand that." She patted her pregnant belly. "As soon as you get married, everyone will start asking about when the baby is coming."
Laurel stared down at Jessica's round belly, and a sense of sadness ran through her. She would never get to experience that. And until that moment, she hadn't grasped the idea of how important it was to her to have children. She knew what her future with Sebastian would be, and children would never be a part of that. The realization hit her hard. Tears formed in her eyes, and Laurel promptly excused herself.
Once outside, the night air filled her lungs, and she sighed with relief. She had been excited to start a family with Jack, but they had never gotten the chance. Now her life was completely changed and heading in a different direction — a direction that could lead to immortality and never living a normal human life.
"Laurel," a voice said.
Sebastian was crossing the yard towards her. She turned away and quickly dashed the tears from her eyes. When she turned back to him, she plastered a fake smile on her face.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
He could always see right through her. "Nothing," she lied.
He closed his eyes and sighed. "I was listening," he confessed.
A frown slowly formed on her lips. "I wish you wouldn't have been."
His hands gently cupped her face, and his gaze met hers. "I'm sorry that I can't give you everything that you want."
"You're everything I want." She leaned up and kissed him. "I just really haven't considered all the pros and cons I guess," she said quietly.
He wrapped his arms around her. "If you ever don't want this life with me, please tell me. I don't want to live without you, but I'll find a way if you don't want me."
She inhaled his cologne as she breathed deeply. His arms around her were all the reassurance she needed. "I'll never not want you," she said.
"There you are!" Ashley called from the porch. "I wondered where you disappeared to."
Sebastian broke the embrace. "Sorry, Ashley. I had to steal her away for a few minutes."
"No boys allowed, Sebastian," she joked. "Come on, Laurel. Everyone wants to cut the cake."
Laurel smiled at him and said, "I'll be over after the party."
"I'll be waiting."
There was something about the tone of his voice that sent a shiver through her. His promise sounded seductive.
* * *
As Laurel was cutting the cake, a knock sounded at the door. "I'll get it," she said. When she opened the door, a cop in full uniform stood on the porch. Laurel's stomach dropped.
"Ma'am, we've had several noise complaints," he said.
He was tall and muscular with blond hair poking out from under his hat. Laurel didn't recognize him from the local police department. "I'm sorry, officer. We're just having a small party."
"What kind of party, ma'am?"
"A bachelorette party."
"Mind if I come in to check it out?"
Laurel stepped aside as the officer entered. She could not believe someone had called the cops over a small get-together. "I don't think we were being very loud," Laurel protested as she followed him into the dining room.
The cop pulled an iPod and speakers out of a black bag and set them on the counter. He pressed a few buttons, and the music started pumping as all of the girls began to scream, whoop and holler in the living room. "If you ladies don't settle down, I'm going to have to cuff all of you," he said, pulling out a set of handcuffs. Laurel's eyes were wide as he slapped the cuffs around her wrists. "I guess I will just start with you." He winked and motioned for her to follow him, but she hesitated, pulling back on his grip.
He whirled around. "Are you resisting an officer, ma'am?" he asked, sternly.
Before Laurel could say anything, he picked her up and slung her over his shoulder. He carried her into the living room, smacking her ass hard in the process. Laurel let out a loud yelp at the stinging sensation.
The girls were all laughing by the time he set Laurel down in a chair. "I'll be back for those cuffs later," he warned. His eyes searched the room. "I need to know where the bride to be is."
Several people pointed toward Ashley, who was sitting in a chair in the corner of the room. As Ashley received a provocative lap dance, Ashley's cousin, Tracy, leaned over to Laurel and said, "Some of the girls went in with me on the stripper." She smiled from ear to ear.
Laurel grinned nervously and stared down at the handcuffs. She hoped that Sebastian wasn't listening to this part of the festivities. Sebastian wasn't really the jealous type, but he was the insanely overprotective type.
"I need those back," the officer said.
She looked up to see the stripper standing above her. His shirt and hat were gone. He was all muscle with a few tattoos scattered on his chest and arms. He teasingly dangled a small key out of her reach and gestured that he was going to stick it down the front of his pants.
"No!" Laurel choked.
He grinned and tugged on her arms to help her stand. He placed Laurel's locked hands around his neck and proceeded to bump and grind against her to the music. All of the girls screamed in delight, but Laurel just closed her eyes and prayed that Sebastian wouldn't bust the front door down.
"You're not married yet, girl! Have fun!" Tracy yelled.
Laurel smiled and tried to relax. After a few minutes of dancing, the stripper finally unlocked her cuffs. Laurel rubbed her wrists, thankful to be free. She watched as he walked over to someone else in the room, and she breathed a sigh of relief.
The rest of the party went as planned even with the interruption of the stripper, which Ashley seemed more than delighted to have. When the house was finally empty, Laurel locked it and left, planning on cleaning up in the morning.
As she crossed the yard, she noticed a light on in the living room of Sebastian's house. Laurel walked through the front door. Sebastian was in the living room flipping through channels on TV. He looked up as she entered the room. "How was the party?"
"Good."
His features darkened. "How was the stripper?"
Laurel stood still and hesitated. "Uh…he was…okay."
"Just okay?"
She shifted uncomfortably under the weight of his gaze. In an instant, he was standing in front of her. She gasped at the unexpected movement. He looked down at her. "I think he liked you."
Laurel rolled her eyes. She realized Sebastian must have been listening to the entire party. "He was paid to like everyone."
"But he gave you a lot of attention." He paused. "I could hear your heartbeat. I think you liked him as much as he liked you."
She shook her head. "I was nervous."
His fingers slowly trailed over her full lips and made their descent slowly down her neck. They lingered over her jugular. "Are you nervous now?" he asked. His lips grazed hers. "Your heart is beating so fast," he whispered.
"Yes," she breathed.
His hands skimmed down her body and cupped her bottom, which still stung a little from the hard slap earlier. "I can't believe he dared to touch what is mine," he said, giving her a squeeze. "It was a very good thing that I wasn't over there."
Laurel grinned. She had never seen Sebastian this way before. He was so angry and possessive…and hot. "I didn't touch him back." She hesitated before saying, "Because he handcuffed me."
Sebastian's eyes narrowed. "I think you are trying to make me jealous."
She swallowed hard. With everything that had been happening in the past few weeks, they really hadn't made any time for themselves. It felt
like ages since they had made love. She began to feel an unbridled primal urge developing deep within her that she had never experienced before.
Laurel pushed Sebastian up against the foyer wall. With her hands wrapped around the back of his neck, she pulled his mouth down to hers. The kiss soon became heated with teeth clashing and tongues fighting for control of the other's mouth. She drew his bottom lip into her mouth and sucked hard. He let out a low growl.
Her hands moved to tear open his shirt, ripping buttons off in the process. He broke their connection long enough to pull her dress up over her head. Then his mouth was on hers again as he stripped off her bra and panties.
Feeling bold, she pushed him over towards the couch. Once he was seated, she straddled his lap. His rock hard erection pushed up against her, and she reached down to release him from his jeans. He was poised at her entrance as he reached down and slid his fingers between her slick folds. She threw her head back and moaned loudly.
He kissed her neck as his fingers worked their magic. Her breathing grew ragged as his mouth moved to her breasts, tugging on her nipples with his teeth.
Just when she reached the edge, his fingers stopped. "I want you. Now," he breathed against her lips.
Laurel gripped the back of the couch as she slowly lowered herself down onto him, and a delicious burn ran through her body. She watched as he clenched his jaw and let out a long hiss between his teeth. Her descent was agonizingly slow. She rocked forward, causing him to slide out of her almost completely. Then she slowly rocked back, taking some of him into her once more. After he couldn't stand the torturous rhythm any longer, he roughly grabbed her hips and pulled her down the entire way on him. She let out a gasp as he filled her.
His fingers dug into her thighs as she started a steady rhythm, taking every inch of his girth and length. She stared down at him and watched him watching her. He licked his lower lip. "You are so beautiful," he said.
She continued the up and down motion as her body began to quiver. Her hands knotted into his thick hair, and she brought his mouth to hers for a passionate kiss. She was reaching the brink and fast.
In one quick motion, she was laying under Sebastian on the couch. He looked down at her with a smirk on his face. The leather felt cool on her back as he began to move in and out of her. His rhythm picked up in pace, and she felt herself climbing to the edge once again. She was trembling as he kissed her lips, her neck. And as she reached the breaking point, she cried out his name.
He held her tightly as he released shuddering breaths against her ear. He continued the quick rhythm until he too joined in her bliss.
When she finally came down from the intense high, she looked up to see Sebastian gazing at her with intense eyes. "I love you, Laurel," he said.
"I love you too."
He kissed her sweetly. "Now and forever," he said, his words filling the room and her heart.
CHAPTER 44
THE DAY OF the wedding had arrived. Laurel finished getting ready in Sebastian's bedroom. She slipped into her lavender maid of honor dress. It hit just above her knee and was form fitting through the top and flowing through the bottom. She slid on a pair of silver high heels.
"You look ravishing," Sebastian said as he entered the room.
"Could you help with my sash?" Laurel asked.
He nodded and walked over to her. He carefully pulled the silver sash through the delicate loops on the dress and tied it in a perfect bow off to her side. His fingers lingered on her waist and began to slide down her thighs.
"I'll never make it to the wedding on time if you keep doing that," Laurel warned.
"Later then," he promised.
Laurel smiled. She liked his promises. She reached up and straightened his tie. He looked handsome in a dark gray casual suit. He pulled her close, leaned down and kissed her. The kiss quickly intensified. He pulled back and shook his head with a smile playing on his lips. "We better leave now, or we're definitely not going to make it to the wedding on time."
* * *
Laurel and Sebastian walked into the reception hall. Everything looked perfect just as she had envisioned it. It was tough to pull off the wedding in such short notice, but they had done it, and she was pleased with how everything had turned out in the end.
"It looks great. I'm sure Ashley will love it," Sebastian said, pulling Laurel into his arms. "You're a great friend. She's lucky to have you."
She smiled at his kind words. "I'm going to go check on her and see what she needs."
"I'll catch up with you later." He kissed her forehead before walking out of the hall.
Laurel headed to the bride's changing room. She knocked quick and entered when someone said, "Come in."
Ashley stood in a flowing white gown in the middle of the room. Her hair was in an intricate updo complete with curls, crystal pins, a tiara and a long veil pinned to the back. "Oh, Ash," Laurel said, feeling overcome with emotion. "You look gorgeous!"
Ashley smiled and put her index finger out as a warning. "Don't make me cry. They just finished my makeup!"
Laurel laughed. "Okay. I promise. No tears." She glanced out the window. The ceremony was going to take place in a large gazebo overlooking the lake. The chairs for the guests were all set up in the grass on either side of the path that led to the gazebo. "Everything is in place, and the weather is perfect outside." Laurel had been keeping an eye on the forecast for days.
Ashley wrapped her arms around her. "Thank you," she said. "You don't know how much I appreciate everything you've done for me." She pulled away and sighed. "I know how busy I've made you, and I'm sure you're stressed out even more than I am."
Laurel grinned. "I told you a million times that I don't mind and that I want to help you. And you have already thanked me a million times."
"Yeah. But a million doesn't seem like enough."
The photographer entered the room. "Time for pictures, ladies."
* * *
After an hour of getting her photograph taken with the rest of the bridal party, Laurel felt as if her face would crack if she smiled one more time. So when the photographer announced that he was done, she couldn't have been happier.
Everyone walked towards the gazebo where the wedding guests were all seated on either side of the pathway. Laurel knew she would be walking with the best man, Adam, who was Gavin's younger brother. As the bridal party lined up, she wrapped her hand around Adam's arm. He smiled down at her. "Are you as nervous as I am?" he asked.
She nodded. Adam was tall and thin with kind eyes and a red beard that matched his hair. "It's okay," he said, reassuringly. "Just hold onto me. If you trip, I'll catch you."
Laurel looked up at him and grinned.
"She's engaged, Adam," Ashley said from behind them.
"Oh," Adam said with clear disappointment.
Laurel chuckled.
The music started to play, and couple after couple walked down the path towards the gazebo where Gavin stood in front of the minister. Laurel held onto Adam's arm tightly as they began to walk. She smiled nervously and prayed silently in her mind that she wouldn't trip. Once they made it safely to the end of the path, they parted and went to either sides to join the other bridesmaids and groomsmen.
The music changed to a lovely instrumental song as Ashley made her way towards the gazebo. Laurel's eyes scanned the crowd. She found Sebastian within a few seconds. Everyone had his or her attention toward the bride, but Sebastian was staring right at Laurel. A smile formed on his lips. They kept the unspoken connection until the ceremony began.
The couple exchanged vows. They looked so much in love and seemed to radiate an inner peace. Laurel's thoughts kept straying to what her picture perfect wedding with Sebastian would be like. There was nothing she wanted more than to spend the rest of her life with him. And if she decided to, she could even spend an eternity with him. And an eternity with Sebastian Alexander didn't sound like a bad idea.
"You may now kiss the bride," the minister said.
Gavin pulled Ashley into his arms and planted a big kiss on her lips as everyone applauded. Then he took Ashley's hand and led her up the pathway towards the reception hall.
Laurel stepped forward and met up with Adam in the middle, putting her hand around his arm as they followed the bride and groom. "I'm so happy for my brother," Adam said.
"I think they make a great couple," Laurel commented.
He grinned. "Yeah, they do."
They made their way into the large building. Laurel sat beside Ashley at the head table and hugged her. "Congratulations."
"Thank you," Ashley said, beaming.
As people began to enter the hall, Laurel's eyes kept straying towards the doors. Sebastian was nowhere to be found. She knew his table was near the back of the room. When everyone was seated and dinner was served, she noticed his seat stayed empty.
After dinner, glasses were clinking, and people were yelling, "Toast!"
Laurel nervously stood in front of the hundred or so people. She gripped the microphone from the disc jockey in her hand so tightly her knuckles started turning white. Ashley whispered, "Relax."
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a door open. Sebastian entered the hall and stood in the back of the room. He gave her a reassuring smile, and Laurel found herself being able to muster up the courage to start her speech. "I just would like to first thank everyone for coming to share this beautiful day." She glanced down at her friend. "I met Ashley a few years ago. I was new to town and had just opened a bookstore. She was my first customer, my first employee, and she soon became my best friend. I'm just so happy that I can share in her day today. I've never seen her so happy, and I can see how much she loves Gavin. I just hope that everyone here in this room can experience even just a fraction of their happiness at some point in life." She turned to the newlyweds and raised her glass. "Congratulations to both of you."
The crowd clapped, and everyone drank their champagne. She passed the microphone to Adam, who gave a long speech with a lot of childhood memories of him and his brother. He was funny and quick-witted. Several times Laurel found him glancing at her and winking.
Laurel knew that her and Adam would have at least one dance together, and she found herself dreading it. She knew how jealous Sebastian had gotten of the stripper at the bachelorette party. She hoped a dance with Adam wouldn't set him off again, although this time she knew there wouldn’t be any handcuffs and spanking.
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