“No.”
She pulled her hand over her mouth and pretended to consider her options, but the joy bubbling in her chest wouldn’t allow her to maintain the sham. She laughed through her fingers and Clay’s head came up.
“I’d marry you anyway, Clay Castleberry.” She went into his arms. He stood and spun her around, laughing. When he set her down, he pushed the ring onto her finger, then kissed her hard.
As his warm mouth moved over hers, Annabelle’s mind went back to the first time he’d kissed her and how far they’d come since that fateful day. That kiss had been born of lust, but this kiss was a promise of their life together. When they ran out of breath, they clung to each other.
“I was sure you’d say no,” he murmured against her hair. “I’ve been so worried. And afraid you’d be suspicious because planning the house has been taking so much time.”
She pulled back. “This is your confidential project?”
He nodded. “I’ve been working with the builder to get the housed sited.”
He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the staked off area, then stepped over the yellow tape that delineated the outside walls. “I was thinking the front door would be there...and the kitchen would be there...and the living room would be there, with huge picture windows looking down the valley.” He stopped and looked up, his face going from hopeful to contrite. “But we can make any changes you want, of course.”
Annabelle laughed. “I’m sure it will be grand.” She glanced around, then gave him a mischievous smile. “And where will the bedroom be?”
He grinned and pointed to a corner. “Over there.” He twined their fingers and led her to a grassy spot. He held her gaze as he pulled his blue dress shirt out of his waistband and unbuttoned it. Her mouth watered as the flat planes of his stomach and broad chest were revealed. His amazing physique stirred her more now than the first time she saw him swimming in his pool, mocking her. Because now she knew the pleasure his body could deliver to hers.
He shrugged out of the shirt, then spread it over the soft grass. He reached for her and pulled her down on top of him, claiming her mouth for a tender, sweet kiss. They were practiced lovers now, intimate with each other’s bodies and pressure points and noises. Yet something had changed—it felt like the first time all over again.
Their clothes were discarded with deliberate slowness, skin was caressed and pleasure centers aroused with aching care. When their bodies met, they stroked each other to a fierce release that mirrored how their love had expanded with a deepened commitment.
“I love you,” Clay murmured in her ear, while their bodies recovered.
“I love you, too,” Annabelle whispered, trailing her hand over his heart.
A smile curved her mouth as she marveled how much her life had changed in a mere year. She lifted up on one elbow. “What will we do if someone tries to stop our wedding?” she teased.
He emitted a low growl and pulled her close for another kiss. “Let them try.”
- The End -
A note from the author
Thank you so very much for taking the time to read my romantic comedy STOP THE WEDDING! I love to write stories like this that are uncomplicated and fun reads, good for an afternoon of entertainment. I was happy to set this book in my hometown of Atlanta to drop in some authentic local details, including the encroachment of huge home developments on older, established neighborhoods. In this book, I used the juxtaposition of the two homes to further illustrate the differences in the Coakley/Castleberry households! I also enjoyed writing the relationship between mother and daughter. In the beginning, Annabelle is so sure her mother doesn’t know how to handle herself as a single woman, she cartwheels into Atlanta thinking she’s going to teach her a thing or two about men and relationships. But I love Belle’s quiet wisdom and patience as she schools her adult daughter in the ways of the heart. I’ve always envisioned STOP THE WEDDING! as a movie—I could think of some great actors to play Martin and Belle and Clay and Annabelle, and I think the physical comedy would really come alive on a screen in a way it can’t always on paper. Who knows—maybe I’ll write a screenplay! (I’ll keep you posted.)
If you liked STOP THE WEDDING! and feel inclined to leave an Amazon review, I would appreciate it very much.
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Also, although I can’t count the times this book has been edited and proofed, I and my helpers are human, so if you do spot a typo, please email me at [email protected] to let me know! Thanks again for your time and interest, and for telling your friends about my books. If you’d like to know more about some of my other books, please scroll ahead to the next section.
Happy reading!
Stephanie Bond
Other works by Stephanie Bond
If you enjoyed STOP THE WEDDING! and are looking for other romances by Stephanie Bond, you might like THREE WISHES, a magical romantic comedy. In THREE WISHES, an antiques dealer who’s in love with the governor’s girlfriend unwittingly releases a genie from a lamp and wishes himself into a hole the size of the Grand Canyon!
“Wondrous…Love mixes with laughter to create joyous reading for romance connoisseurs.” —Romantic Times Book Reviews
“A delicious fairy tale filled with warm, sweet, and desirable characters.” — Rendezvous
Click here to download a sample or to order THREE WISHES from Amazon!
And for a heartwarming romance, try ALMOST A FAMILY. In ALMOST A FAMILY, a divorced couple reunites when their baby who was kidnapped ten years ago is found...alive.
"Wonderful story, poignant, warm, emotion packed. Loved the characters. Excellent plot and happy ending." --Rendezvous
"[The author] writes quite perceptively about the complexity of familial relationships in this nicely developed tale of love reborn." --Romantic Times Book Reviews
Click here to download a sample or to order ALMOST A FAMILY from Amazon!
About the Author
Stephanie Bond was five years deep into a corporate career in computer programming and pursuing an MBA at night when an instructor remarked she had a flair for writing and suggested she submit material to academic journals. But Stephanie was more interested in writing fiction—more specifically, romance and mystery novels. After writing in her spare time for two years, she sold her first manuscript, a romantic comedy, to Harlequin Books. After selling ten additional projects to two publishers, she left her corporate job to write fiction full-time. To-date, Stephanie has more than sixty published novels to her name, including the popular BODY MOVERS humorous mystery series. Look for the TWO GUYS DETECTIVE AGENCY series beginning in 2013. For more information on all of her books, visit www.stephaniebond.com .
Copyright information
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
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Copyright 2002, 2012 by Stephanie Bond, Inc.
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Stop the Wedding! Page 19
