Wishing For A Happily Ever After (I Wish Book 2)

by Lisa Helen Gray

  My eyes water hearing her words. But as much as I’d love to lie down and get a massage, I just need time to think, to process everything and find the courage to say goodbye to Drake when the time comes.

  I’m about to decline and thank her for such a generous gift when Alison steps forward, hugging Amelia briefly. “Thank you so much. Pagan was only telling me yesterday how much she could use a massage.”

  I did say that.

  “Good. Now go get into something more comfy. Pam had some dressing gowns brought in today for you.”

  “Are you sure? This is your night, after all.”

  Amelia smiles. “More than sure. Go get changed,” she orders as Pam hands me a dressing gown, still dreamy-eyed.

  Oh Lord.

  *** *** ***

  “Pagan.”

  Something soft runs down my back, making me shiver and snuggle closer to the warm towel beneath me.

  “Pagan, baby, wake up.”

  “Go away,” I groggily tell Drake.

  “You have to get up,” he whispers softly, kissing the back of my neck.

  “No! I’m having a massage.”

  I keep my eyes closed, ignoring his chuckle as he runs his fingers down my bare back.

  “It’s time for bed, baby.”

  “Go away, Drake, or so help me God, I’ll set Ada on you.”

  “You wouldn’t.” The amusement in his voice says he doesn’t believe me. But I’m so goddamn tired, I really would do anything at this point.

  And it’s all his fault.

  He’s kept me up all night, every night, getting to know every inch of my body and making me scream his name from every position known to man.

  “I would. Now go away. You’re not allowed in here. We’re being pampered.”

  He chuckles, pressing another kiss to my lower back. “Mum came to fetch me when they couldn’t wake you up.”

  I open one eye and, sure enough, no one else is in the room. “Um, where did everyone go?”

  I sit up, pressing the sheet to my chest and rubbing my tired eyes, wishing I could just stay in here for the night.

  “They went to bed. It’s midnight.”

  I must have dozed off during my luxurious massage, because I don’t remember much after feeling the pressure of Megan’s hands on my back. “Why didn’t they wake me?”

  “They let you sleep because of how hard you’ve been working. When the ladies needed to go, they tried to wake you up then, but you wouldn’t budge.”

  Yeah right. Like Ada or Alison would let me stay asleep. “Where’re your grams and Alison?”

  He chuckles, shaking his head. “Alison wouldn’t do anything with everyone here, but she did tell me to get her if you didn’t wake up. Grams wanted to cover you in seaweed or something they had, but Mum wouldn’t let her. She threatened to remove all the alcohol from the wedding.”

  Saving grace for Pam and Alison being too professional to throw water over me in front of clients.

  God! Even calling them ‘clients’ doesn’t seem right anymore. They feel more like family to me and have been a delight to work for. I wish all my clients were as pleasant as the Donovans.

  I bite my lip to stop the tears from forming. “It’s not work that’s tiring me out, you know.” I glare at him for good measure.

  His lips twitch. “Whatever do you mean?”

  Rolling my eyes, I try to push him away, but I’m just too tired to move. I yawn, not even covering my mouth.

  “Come on, sleepyhead. Let’s get you to bed.”

  “I don’t want to mo―” He sweeps me up into his arms, carrying me bridal style out of the room. “What are you doing?”

  “Carrying you. You’re too tired, baby.”

  God, he’s such a gentleman. And the endearment melts my heart. I thought hearing someone call me ‘baby’ would make me want to gag, but when it comes from Drake, I feel precious.

  We’re silent as we make our way to his room. I don’t even bother arguing over him not taking me to mine or tell him that his mother knows about us. It can wait until tomorrow.

  Ah, tomorrow. I inwardly roll my eyes because I know it’s not going to happen.

  I’m only wearing knickers, so when he lays me down in the bed, he only has to remove the towel I had covering my chest. I watch as he pulls his T-shirt over his head. I’ll never getting tired of his body, or how good it feels to run my fingers through his fine sheen of chest hair, or the ridges of his abs.

  Drake unbuckling his belt gains my attention, and I go from staring at his amazing abs to the V dipping into his faded jeans. His fingers slowly undo the top button before he unzips, leaving the fly hanging open.

  My thighs begin to quiver and a shock of wetness surges between my legs when I notice he’s not wearing any underwear. The tip of his dick pokes out and I lick my lips, remembering how good he tastes.

  A loud groan fills the room and I look up to meet his gaze. His eyes heat as he steps forward. “Oh, Pagan, you really shouldn’t have looked at me like that,” he whispers, dropping his trousers before me.

  His large dick springs free, pointing directly at me as he stands there unashamedly naked as the day he was born.

  He steps forwards again, pressing his knee to the bed before lying above me, his gaze never once leaving mine. I can’t look away, not even when his lips meet mine, licking the seam and demanding entrance.

  “I will never get enough of you,” he whispers, kissing me slowly, passionately, stealing all coherent thoughts from my mind.

  His dick pressing against my wet heat has me moaning and arching my back, but he pushes me down to keep me still.

  I don’t fight, not when I feel the tip of his dick enter me. His movements are slow, agonising, as he enters, never picking up speed or thrusting harder.

  I don’t know whether to scream in pleasure or frustration. After what feels like an eternity, frustration wins out because I need him more than I need my next breath.

  “Please, Drake. More.”

  His hold tightens, not letting me move. “No. Tonight I’m going to fuck you slow and sweet, baby.”

  He moans when my walls clamp around him like a vice. Every time he fully fills me, he hits the spot that drives me wild, heightening my pleasure.

  He nibbles my neck, moving lower towards my breasts as he goes. My hands move to his ass, my nails digging into his skin as I pant.

  When he latches onto my nipple, I cry out as a tingle shoots straight to my clit. The tension is slowly building, torturous yet satisfying as I try to move with each thrust.

  His mouth latches onto my other nipple, paying that one the same amount of attention. Sweat beads on my forehead and back as I struggle to prolong what he’s doing to me. But each time he hits my cervix, my orgasm comes closer and closer. I know when I climax, I’ll never be the same again.

  “More,” I plead, tears in my eyes as I grip the man I love with everything I have.

  “Let go,” he grits out, his breaths coming faster.

  He pinches my nipple whilst sucking on the other and it’s enough to make me explode, my core clenching tightly around him as I scream out my orgasm, calling his name.

  “Pagan! Fuck! Pagan.” He roars out his release, his cock swelling inside me before his whole body tenses and he buries his face in my chest.

  I feel completely boneless as I lie there trying to catch my breath after the most incredible sex we’ve ever had together.

  When I read ‘made love’ in a book, I always scoffed and wondered how stupid it sounded. But Drake Donovan just made love to me.

  To me.

  When the first tear falls from my eye, I know exactly what I’ll be doing tomorrow.

  I just hope what I’m about to do is the right decision.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  With the big day finally here, everything is all go, go, go, and I’m thankful.

  Keeping busy means I’ve had no time to think about what’s going to happen in the future or about leaving Dr
ake. It’s hard to concentrate on what needs doing when all I want to do is curl up in a ball and cry.

  When I woke up this morning, my heart was heavy. Time was of the essence, and I think Drake felt that too.

  He made love to me like he knew it was our last time. He was silent as he thrust inside me, his gaze never wavering from mine. It was sweet, tender and slow, like he was in no rush for it to end.

  Then again, I wasn’t either.

  It was hard to leave him in bed when I had to get ready.

  My throat clogs with emotion and tears burn at the back of my eyes. I try to shake myself out of it. All I need is someone to question what’s wrong with me. I don’t know how I’ll react if that does happen. But getting my head on straight is easier said than done. There’s only so much pretending I can do.

  “Hey, where do you want me?” Jessica asks. She has her earpiece in, something I’d normally be wearing, and is dressed in our normal black suit attire.

  Glad she could make it on such short notice, I force a smile and hand her the clipboard. “They brought in the wrong placemats, so if you could go into the kitchen and see where the ones we ordered are, that would be perfect. I need to see where the white runner is for the aisle. It still hadn’t arrived as of an hour ago.”

  “Pagan, we have a problem.”

  Worst words you can here in this job.

  I turn to Lauren, one of our catering staff. “What’s wrong?”

  “Three of the waiters and waitresses haven’t turned up. We’re short-staffed.”

  I groan, wondering what else could go wrong today, but then think better of it.

  “I’m going to check the placemats. I’ll also get the champagne in the ice buckets and placed on tables. If you need anything else, call me,” Jessica says, picking up on my high stress level. I’m usually calm and collected, but all I want to do is scream at the top of my lungs at how unfair the world can be. Why put Drake and I together if we were only going to end up apart?

  Life can seriously suck sometimes.

  I nod, watching her go before turning to Lauren. “I have backup staff. The number is on the clipboard in the kitchen. I need you to make sure everyone knows their roles and what tables they’re working. You’ll need to fill in the rest when they arrive.”

  She nods, seeming to relax. “Okay, thank you.”

  I sweep a hand over my hair, making sure my bun has stayed in place before turning back to the issue I was dealing with before I was interrupted.

  “Cain, why aren’t they working?”

  He looks up from the table he’s under, shrugging. “I don’t know. I’m going to check in with the owner and see where the—” The lights on the artificial garden trees, which are shaped into hearts, finally light up.

  I smile, and this time it’s a real one. It would’ve been a travesty if they hadn’t worked. “Yes! They’re beautiful.”

  “Huh?” Cain looks at them confused before something dawns on him. “I didn’t switch the main socket on.”

  My smile drops and I want to kick him in the shin. Why the hell Jessica hired him, I’ll never know. He’s supposed to be her tech support, but the only thing I’ve noticed he’s good for is his good looks.

  I’ll have to make a mental note to talk to her about him when I’m back home. He’s a liability, and a danger to others and himself if he ever messes up.

  “Okay, can you go make sure you turned the outside ones on, please? They’re running from the generator at the side of the house.”

  He nods, getting up and dusting his thighs off. “Sure thing.”

  Nervous, I follow him outside, making sure he heads in the right direction. He does and I sigh with relief.

  I look around the garden, smiling widely at how beautiful everything turned out. We really did do an incredible job. I had our web designer come in and take some pictures for my website. As soon as she gets back, she’ll upload them to our page. I can’t wait to see the finished results; it could mean big things for Salvatore Events.

  I sigh in relief when I see the white runner has finally arrived and been put down. It looks perfect between the rows of white fold-out chairs. Metal glass pedestal vases run down the inside of the aisle, all with bouquets of pink and white roses, finished with white bows. They look elegant and enchanting, the pink rose petals running down the side of the runner only complimenting their beauty more.

  The wedding arch at the end of the aisle has the same arrangement of roses, tangled in vines and thin white chiffon. The table behind it has two caged doves, ready to be released when the couple finish their vows.

  It really is a dream wedding. I can only hope mine will be as special one day.

  My gaze shifts over to the doors leading into the ballroom. Tall tables covered in white thick chiffon are lit up from underneath, ready for when the sun goes down and the stars come out. On top of each is an artistic glass vase filled with an array of pink and white flowers and pebbled stones. They’re also on the tables inside, brightening the room gloriously.

  The only thing that didn’t pan out was the twinkle lights and white chiffon Pam wanted hanging from the ballroom ceiling. We would need scaffolding to attempt it, so we used the materials for the gazebos outside, making sure to decorate them the same as the wedding arch.

  Everything looks incredible.

  The only thing left is for the couple to walk down the aisle.

  Strong arms wrap around me, a hard body pressing against my back. I breathe Drake in, a small smile on my lips at the same time sadness hits me.

  “Hey. You look beautiful,” he whispers, kissing my neck.

  “In my uniform?” I ask before leaning my head to the side, moaning as his lips continue along my throat. “Shouldn’t you be doing best man duties?”

  “Jesse will understand,” he chuckles, turning me to face him. He pulls me against him, smiling wide as he kisses the tip of my nose. “I miss you.”

  “You saw me this morning,” I whisper, feeling a deep pang of guilt for what I’m going to do.

  “I’ll never get enough of you,” he tells me adamantly, his gaze never wavering.

  He leans down, kissing me deeply as his hand roams down my back, squeezing my arse. I moan, my traitorous body responding to his touch. The need to be closer almost consumes me, and a familiar feeling stirs in the pit of my stomach. Reluctantly I pull away, breathless. Now is not the time to be doing the naughty.

  “We need to stop before we get too carried away.”

  He smirks down at me, his hands never leaving my backside. “I’m down with the getting carried away part.”

  I smack his arm lightly, grinning. I love this side to him, so flirtatious and playful. “Drake.”

  “What? You know you want me too.” He grins.

  I do. I want him more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life. I’d happily give up everything to be with him. But he hasn’t once asked me to stay. And the thought of him rejecting me and reminding me that this thing between us was to end when the three weeks were up would be too painful.

  “Drake, Pagan, what a pleasant surprise,” Aaron calls out in a sickly-sweet voice. I raise my eyebrows at Drake but he shrugs, seeming as confused by the happy tone in Aaron’s voice as I am.

  He’s with a beautiful woman with bright red hair down to her shoulders, looking like a million dollars in a pale green dress that fits her like a glove, showing off her slim, fit silhouette and creamy pale skin. She’s freakishly beautiful.

  Far too pretty to be an escort.

  Which begs the question, what the hell is she doing with someone like Aaron?

  It’s shocking, to say the least. The guy really doesn’t need to send out any warning signals; him opening his arrogant mouth should be enough for anyone to steer clear. Hell, his whole persona screams player.

  Drake’s hand tenses in mine. My gaze drifts back to him to see his jaw tight, eyes hard.

  “I want you to meet my date for the wedding.” Aaron smiles as he reaches us
, holding the woman’s hand like she’s some grand prize.

  “Um,” I mumble, unsure what to say. I really didn’t care who he brought to the wedding, or if he turned up or not. Him thinking we would care is kind of awkward.

  “Oh, Aaron, we know each other already.” The elegant woman giggles, her whole face transforming into something ugly as she eyes Drake. My heart rate picks up as the animosity between the two increases. “Don’t we, Drake.”

  I want to scratch her eyes out when she looks him up and down, licking her lips. When Drake still doesn’t answer, I step forward, reaching out my hand. “Hi. I’m Pagan.”

  She looks at my hand, then grins, turning back to Drake. Okay then. Whatever. “Are you not going to say hello? We were once going to get married, so you could at least be polite.”

  My gaze snaps away from Drake’s working jaw to… oh my God, it’s Leanne, his ex-girlfriend. Aaron pulls her against him and my teeth grind together at the smug look on his face. He did this on purpose. I can practically see the wheels spinning as he stares at Drake and me with an evil gleam in his eye, smiling smugly.

  “Hello, Leanne,” Drake bites out. “I didn’t know you were invited.”

  And my fears are confirmed. I squeeze Drake’s hand supportively, and his fingers twitch around mine.

  Her catlike smile is wicked when she finally gets a reaction from him, one I think she was expecting. “I wasn’t. I found it disappointing when Bradley mentioned Jesse was getting hitched and I wasn’t informed… or invited. But then I met Aaron here and what do you know? He needed a date for the wedding.”

  Aaron grins like he’s won the lottery. “I really did. Such a shame for my plus one to go to waste.”

  “What are you really doing here, Leanne? And with this tool!”

  Ouch, that hurt. It sounds like he still cares for her. Though the hostility in his voice still registers.

  “I’m his date.”

  Aaron kisses her temple, seeming pleased with her answer before he smugly smiles at me. I narrow my eyes, pulling my hand away from Drake’s. He doesn’t seem to notice, and that stings.