by Susan Stoker
And now he was glad. He couldn’t wait to tell Emily, all his friends and family, and God, exactly how much and what this moment meant to him.
He turned to Emily and took both her hands in his. He bought them up to his mouth and gently kissed the back of each one, resting his lips on the second one for a long moment before he looked into her eyes and spoke.
“Emily, you know I’m a practical man. A soldier. It’s all I’ve ever been and all I thought I would ever be. But from the moment you knocked on my door, asking if the apartment was still available, I’ve been a changed man. It’s as if the romantic and sappy side of me was just waiting for you to come into my life. Every minute of every day, I think about you. Where you are. What you’re doing. How you’re doing. Are you smiling, laughing, crying… I hate every second I miss of your beautiful smile and I absolutely loathe the times when I’m working and can’t be with you because I know you’re worrying about me. But one thing you never have to worry about, is whether or not I love you. Every day I wake up with you by my side, I have to pinch myself to make sure you’re not a figment of my imagination. Every time I see you laughing and smiling with our daughter, I’m reminded of how lucky I am. There will be hard times, times we argue, times we’re upset with each other, and even times when we’re sick or hurting, but know to the bottom of your heart, that my heart belongs to you through it all.
“I will never stray from you. Ever. You’re the only woman I want, now and forever. I will never break your trust in me. Never gossip about you. Never blame you for anything that might happen in the future. And if I’m taken away from you,”—Fletch ignored the tears that had been in her eyes for the last few moments, but at his words, tumbled over and ran down her flushed cheeks—“know that I did everything in my power to fight to stay. To get back to you and Annie. Not only that, you might be marrying me today, but you’re getting seven other protectors,”—he motioned behind him to his Delta teammates and Fish, but never lost eye contact with Emily, —“who will move heaven and earth to give you and our daughter, and any future children we might have, whatever you need. You’re not only marrying me today; you’re marrying into a large family. Getting a mom and dad, seven brothers, and Annie is getting seven uncles. I love you, Miracle Emily Grant. More than I ever thought possible.”
Fletch had more to say, but he was done. His voice had cracked on the last line of his vow to her, and the tears coursing down his love’s face had done him in.
Emily clutched at his hands then fell into his chest. Her face buried into his dress uniform and she sniffed loudly. Fletch dropped her hands and wrapped his arms around her, one hand resting on the small of her back and the other on the buttons of her dress that ran down her spine. Her own hands clutched his back as they wound around him.
The pastor, and all their friends watching, gave them time and space to work through the emotions they were both feeling. Finally, the pastor cleared his throat, and Emily pulled back. Rayne stepped forward and handed her a handkerchief and Emily dabbed at her eyes and cheeks, trying not to ruin her makeup.
She handed the handkerchief back to her maid of honor, glanced at the pastor, who nodded, and she took a deep breath, before clutching Fletch’s hands as she’d been before they’d been overcome with emotion.
“I so should’ve gone first,” she muttered with a small grin. A few chuckles sounded from those nearest them who had overheard. Then she said louder, “I love you. I’d been alone so long that I’d forgotten what it felt like to trust. To lean on someone else. You gave that back to me…and then some. I figured I’d wait until Annie had grown up before maybe trying to date again, but the second I saw you, I trusted you. Even though we had a massive communication breakdown, I trusted you. I didn’t move out, because I somehow knew you wouldn’t hurt us. When we were taken, I trusted you to find us. When you said you wanted to adopt Annie, I trusted you, even though we weren’t married yet. When you leave to go to work, I do trust that you’ll do everything in your power to come home to me and our daughter. I trust your friends to have your back just as you’ll have theirs. All my life, I’ve never trusted anyone but myself. Cormac Fletcher, I’ll be true to you every single day we have together. I will love you through thick and thin. Through sickness and health.”
Her eyes moved then, gazing past him to Dane Munroe, standing stock still at the end of the line of groomsmen, and she said, “If you come home missing a limb, or wounded, I’ll love you no less.”
Her eyes came back to his.
“In fact, I’ll love you more, because I’ll know how hard you fought to come home to me. I love you, and this is the happiest day of my life.”
At the conclusion of her vows, Emily turned and held out her hand to Annie, who quickly stepped forward.
Fletch’s eyebrows rose. This wasn’t part of their rehearsed plan.
“And it’s the bestest day of my life too,” Annie chimed in, snuggling in next to her mom and gazing up at Fletch. “Well, except for the day you officially became my daddy, but this is a pretty darn close second.”
Everyone laughed, but Annie ignored them and continued. “My mommy is the best. She couldn’t be a better mommy. But since the day we met you and moved into your garage apartment, she’s been even better. Thank you for loving us. Thank you for wanting to be my daddy. And thank you for making an honest woman out of my mommy.”
Fletch couldn’t hold back his grin. Annie heard and retained the strangest things…usually spouting them off at the most inopportune times. Like now. He ignored the choked laughter of the pastor and kneeled down to take Annie’s hands in his own.
“I vowed to always love and respect your mother, sprite, and I do the same to you. I’m not only marrying your mom today, but I’m tying the three of us together officially. You were already my daughter, Annie Elizabeth Grant Fletcher, but today just makes it doubly official.”
“Cool,” Annie breathed.
“Yeah, cool,” Fletch echoed. Then he reached for her and hugged her tightly before letting go and standing up.
Annie smiled up at both of them, and said in a loud whisper to her mom, “Now’s the good part, Mommy…you get to kiss him!” Then she stepped back into her place next to Rayne as the congregation once again tried to hold back their laughter.
Fletch, his eyes shining with mirth, stepped closer to Emily, but looked to the pastor in expectation.
“I guess that’s my cue. Cormac Fletcher. Miracle Emily Grant. By the power vested in me by the state of Texas, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride,” he told Fletch.
Without delay, and ignoring the clapping and cat calls from his friends, Fletch took Emily’s head between his hands, loving how her chin came up to make it easier for him and her own hands encircled his wrists, further binding them together, and he leaned down.
Whispering, “I love you,” Fletch covered his wife’s lips with his own. Everyone else ceased to exist for him as he kissed his wife for the first time. Emily immediately opened under him, letting him take her mouth the way he wanted. Deep, hard, and wet.
When he finally pulled back, her eyes were shining, her face was flushed, and he could tell she was just as aroused as he was. Emily licked her lips and squeezed his wrists affectionately.
“Mr. and Mrs. Cormac Fletcher!” the pastor boomed.
Fletch took the cue—even though he wanted nothing more than to sate the lust he saw in his wife’s eyes, and that he knew was shining in his own—and turned them to face the audience. Rayne shoved the bouquet in Emily’s arms and Annie leaped around them to Fletch’s other side. He grabbed on to his daughter’s hand, kept his arm around his wife’s waist, and all three of them walked back down the aisle together as an official family at last.
3
“Fletch, stop. We can’t. Everyone is waiting for us,” Emily halfheartedly complained to her new husband.
She’d had some good kisses from her husband. Some great ones. But the one he’d given her right after they�
��d been declared man and wife would be one she’d never forget as long as she lived. It had been hot, and she physically felt the love pour into her as his tongue had dueled with her own. If they hadn’t been standing in front of God and everyone, she would’ve begged him to take her right then and there.
But they had been and afterward they’d had to greet the guests as they’d left the church, then take pictures. But now they were finally alone. Rayne and Ghost had taken Annie back to the house, promising to help her get changed into jeans and T-shirt. Everyone else was meeting them back at their house.
The caterers were supposed to have everything already set up. The newly married couple needed to give everyone time to get back to the house so they could make their grand entrance.
They’d stashed the clothes they were going to change into for the reception at Mary’s apartment. They were going to change back at the house, but Mary told them in no uncertain terms that they couldn’t be there when the guests arrived. It just wasn’t done. Tradition stated they had to be announced as they entered the reception as Cormac and Emily Fletcher. Mary had insisted on them changing at her apartment, then making their way back to their house and the reception.
But apparently Fletch had something else on his mind than worrying about if his friends were waiting on them. The second they’d let themselves into the apartment, Fletch’s hands were all over Emily.
“I can’t stop,” he said between kisses. “You have no idea how much I want to be inside you.”
Emily flushed with excitement. Even though they’d made love the night before, she’d never get enough of Fletch. She shivered as his lips trailed over the nape of her neck even as his fingers were nimbly undoing the delicate buttons at her back. One by one he loosened each of them, while nipping and licking at the sensitive skin of her neck.
Emily moaned and reached around to grip his hips as her gown slowly gaped open.
Fletch’s chin rested on her shoulder as one arm snaked around her waist and pulled her back against his chest. “Are you wearing a corset?” he asked huskily, his eyes glued to her breasts, which were in full view now that her dress had been undone.
“Uh huh,” she affirmed distractedly.
“Fuck me,” he swore softly.
“I would if you’d hurry up,” Emily responded cheekily, spinning in his arms until she faced him.
Without a word, Fletch put both hands on her shoulders and slowly pushed the beautiful white lace dress down her arms. It fell to the floor in a whoosh of material, pooling around their feet unnoticed.
Fletch’s eyes went from Emily’s breasts, plumped up by the corset, down to her waist, to the white panties and garter belt holding up the white stockings on her legs. Then they moved back up, but stopped once more at her boobs.
Emily chuckled. Fletch was awesome at not making her feel like he only wanted to be with her for sex, but at the moment she was beyond thrilled that he wasn’t able to tear his eyes away from her body. It made her feel sexy and even more horny.
She reached for the buttons on his dress blue uniform. “Take this off, honey,” she urged.
Without taking his eyes from her chest which was rapidly moving up and down with her quickening breaths, he absently undid the buttons on his jacket, the tie around his neck, the cufflinks at his wrists, and the first few buttons of his crisp white shirt.
While he was busy disrobing, Emily went to work on his pants, unbuckling his belt and unzipping the zipper. She took a step into him, shoved her hands under the material of his pants, cupped his butt briefly, and pushed. His pants cascaded to his feet just as her dress had.
As if he’d been waiting for exactly that, Fletch moved. He tugged her into him so they were hip to hip and devoured her mouth. They twisted their heads back and forth, trying to get deeper inside one another.
Fletch picked her up until her feet were dangling off the floor, and not breaking their kiss, he kicked off his shoes and pants, then took three steps until her back was against the wall.
He lifted his head from hers only long enough to say, “Wrap your legs around me, Em.”
She immediately did as he’d ordered, clutching his hips with her thighs. She wanted him inside her more than she wanted her next breath. She could feel the wetness against her panties.
Fletch hitched her higher and leaned down until he could reach her chest. He brought one hand up and tugged a cup of the corset until her breasts popped out the top. Emily looked down and thought she seemed a bit obscene…her nipples hard and her white, creamy boobs pushed up by the lingerie, but before she could feel embarrassed or shy, Fletch covered one with his mouth and the other with his hand.
Throwing her head back until it thunked against the wall, Emily inhaled. She grabbed the back of Fletch’s head and pushed him into her, encouraging him to suck on her nipple harder. He acquiesced immediately and Emily felt another trickle of wetness seep out of her core. She pressed against his erection and moaned. “Please, Fletch.”
He lifted his head and asked, “Please what?”
“Fuck me,” Emily said immediately. “I need you inside me so bad.”
Without a word, Fletch braced her upper back on the wall and ordered, “Hold on to me.”
She did, wrapping both arms around his shoulders and clutching the back of his neck.
Fletch’s eyes met hers for the first time since he’d removed her dress. The heat and love in them made her squeeze her legs around him reflexively. She felt his hand between them, pushing his boxers down to free his cock.
Then she felt the gusset of her panties being pushed to the side and one long finger press inside her. She gasped at his thick finger pushing its way into her body, but didn’t close her eyes. Fletch added another finger, and Emily knew he was making sure she could take him without pain. The last thing he ever wanted to do was hurt her. The tattoos on his arm rippled sexily as his hand moved inside her.
“You’re so wet,” he observed unnecessarily.
“Because I want my husband to fuck me,” Emily said, huskily and impatiently.
His fingers disappeared and she felt the tip of his cock press against her core. As Fletch pushed inside her and they made love for the first time as husband and wife, he said, “My wife,” with such reverence it made tears well in her eyes.
She could only nod as no words would squeeze past the lump in her throat.
He took her then. Slow and easy at first, then harder and faster. They hadn’t taken the time to get fully undressed, she was still wearing the two-inch heels on her feet, and the elastic of her underwear dug into her skin with every thrust of her husband’s cock inside her, but Emily didn’t feel any of it. All she felt was the intense love coming from Fletch as they gazed into each other’s eyes as they made love.
As usual, Emily broke first, closing her eyes and throwing her head back as she orgasmed. Her muscles strangling Fletch’s dick as he strained to push in and out of her body. She opened her eyes just in time to see his orgasm come over him. Every muscle got tight, his eyes squeezed shut, and his hands clutched her ass so tightly Emily knew she’d probably have finger-sized bruises on it for the next few days. He held her hips against him as he shuddered and shook, then emptied himself inside her.
When he was done, his eyes opened and he grinned down at her. “Fuck, I needed that.”
Emily giggled and leaned forward and kissed him on the lips, fast and hard. “Me too. But now we really need to get going. Everyone is waiting for us to get back to the house.”
“Are you gonna tell Mary we fucked for the first time as man and wife in the hallway of her apartment?”
Emily’s eyes widened in horror. “No!”
Fletch chuckled and shrugged. “No matter. I think she’s gonna know anyway.”
Emily smacked his upper arm, knowing there was no way she could hurt him. “Shut up. Let me down so I can change.”
Reluctantly, Fletch pulled out of her body and let her slide down the wall until her feet touched th
e ground. He put his hand over her pussy and massaged her for a moment. “Leave all of this on.”
“All of what?” Emily asked, distracted because of the sweet way he was holding her. He wasn’t trying to turn her on, wasn’t pressing his fingers into her. He was just cupping her bare flesh inside her panties.
“The corset. The panties, the hose. All of it. It’s fucking sexy and I want to take my time tonight, removing it piece by piece and making sure my wife knows how much her effort was appreciated.”
Emily laughed and said, “I think she knows,” then gasped as she felt some of his come slide out of her body.
Fletch’s hand moved then, massaging their combined essence into her skin. It should’ve been gross, but she’d gotten used to how much Fletch loved to feel the evidence of their lovemaking. She’d complained once about how the aftereffects of having sex sucked for the woman, and he’d countered by saying, “I’d love to be able to feel you on me hours after we made love. I’m jealous you have that and I don’t.”
So now, more often than not after he’d pull out, he’d massage her so he could share in the feeling of his seed leaking out of her body. When they were in bed, she’d stopped cleaning up right after they made love, falling asleep with his hand cupping her tenderly.
Reluctantly, he removed his hand and said, “Go clean up. I know you don’t want to feel sticky throughout the reception.”
Looking around as she pulled away and headed for the bathroom, grabbing the bag of clothes she’d placed in the hallway that morning before heading to the salon, Emily shook her head at the mess around them. Her dress lay abandoned, his shoes, pants, and uniform were strewn about the small entryway. She chuckled. Mary wouldn’t care they’d had sex in her apartment. She probably expected it.
