by Kaylee Ryan
He calls me babe in front of everyone and doesn’t care who hears him. He even slipped up and called me baby last night when he asked me if I was ready for bed. His mom heard him; I could tell by the smirk on her face. Evan didn’t seem to notice or care. He just said his goodnights, picked Lexi up, and guided me up the steps.
This sweet, caring, charming, sexy-as-hell man is going to be my husband day after tomorrow. Yeah, it’s hard as hell not to get caught up in that. He makes it all feel real.
“So either Evan or I will be at the airport to pick you up. I don’t know that both of us will come, so there will be enough room in the Durango for your luggage.”
“Great. Our flight lands at three,” she tells me.
“Sounds good. I’ll see you all tomorrow then.”
“Love you,” Mom says as we end the call. I drop my phone on the bed and fall back against the pillows. Staring up at the ceiling, I think about living with him every day, taking care of Lexi together. It’s what we do now, but I don’t live there. I’ve spent the night a handful of times, but this is different.
“Hey, babe,” Evan says from the doorway.
Turning my head to face him, I smile. I can’t prevent it; he does that to me. “Hey, Lex with your mom?”
“Yeah, I actually asked her to watch her for a few hours. I thought maybe you and I could get out of here for a little bit.”
“Really?” I don’t even try to mask my excitement. We’ve pretty much stuck to the house all week, and not that I don’t love his family, but getting out for a few hours sounds great.
“Yeah, it’s nothing fancy. Just thought we could take a ride, maybe grab some dinner,” he suggests.
“Perfect. When do we leave?” I grin.
This causes him to laugh. “We can go now, baby. You ready?”
I look down at my skinny jeans and sweater. “Am I dressed okay for what you have in mind?”
“You’re perfect.” He leans in and kisses the corner of my mouth. “Let’s go say bye to Lexi and get out of here,” he says, grabbing my hands and pulling me from the bed.
Once I’m standing, he laces his fingers through mine and we walk down the stairs side by side. We find his parents in the living room on the couch, Lexi eating up their attention. “We’re headed out,” Evan says, stopping in front of them. I try to drop his hand, but he holds tight. Bending over, he gets eye level with Lexi. “You be a good girl. Daddy and Kinley will be back in a little while.” He kisses her cheek and she shrieks.
With my hand that’s not occupied by Evan’s, I reach out and tap her nose. “See you soon, sweet girl.”
Evan pulls me from the room and out the door. “Where are we going?”
“Well, there’s a diner not far from here that my grandparents would always take me to when I would come to visit. They have great home-cooked food—-comfort food.” He grins.
It’s right on the tip of my tongue to tell him I’ve had so many meals this week I don’t think I will fit in my wedding dress, but then I remember he doesn’t know about the wedding dress. “Sounds good.”
He opens my door for me like the gentleman he is, only this time, he leans in and kisses me before pulling away and closing the door.
As we drive to the restaurant, Evan reaches over and laces his fingers through mine. My heart flutters in my chest. I never had a chance in hell to not fall for him.
The restaurant is not busy for a Thursday night, so the waitress tells us to seat ourselves. Evan leads us to a booth in the back and I slide into one side as he goes into the other. “It’s all good here,” he tells me, handing me a menu.
“Chicken and Dumplings,” I say with way more excitement than I should have for a simple meal. “It’s been forever since I’ve had that.” Decision made, I close my menu and place it on the table.
“That sounds good, but so does the homemade chicken pot pie.”
“That does sound good,” I agree. It really does, but I’m still sold on the dumplings.
“Are you nervous about the wedding?” he asks after we place our orders.
“No. Are you?”
“Surprisingly, no.” He reaches over and takes my hand in his. “You’re my best friend, McKinley. You’re putting your life on hold in order for me to keep my daughter. The only thing I’m feeling is admiration. You’re an amazing person and I will never be able to repay you for what you’ve done for me and Lexi.”
“You don’t have to. I love her, Evan. She needs to be with you. You’re my best friend too, and that’s what you do for your friends.”
“Thank you, McKinley Rae,” he says, his brown eyes holding mine.
The waitress brings our food and the conversation moves from how delicious it is to how much extra stuff we have to take home with us. “Really, Kinley, Mom has gone nuts with the shopping. It’s a good thing we didn’t fly,” he says, taking a drink of his water.
“Yeah,” I giggle. “She’s just doing what grandma’s do. She’s excited and she knows you’re doing this on your own.”
“I have you,” he counters.
What do I say to that? Nothing. I ignore it like we do most other topics, which we should discuss but don’t.
“Try this.” I once again change the subject. I scoop up a big bite of my chicken and dumplings and hold it out for him. He doesn’t hesitate to lean in and wrap his lips around my fork.
“So good,” he says after he finishes his bite. “Try this,” he mimics me and offers me a bite of his pot pie.
“Delicious,” I say, covering my mouth with my hand.
“Right?” He grins.
We enjoy the rest of our dinner with easy conversation. It’s always easy between us. “Where to now?” I ask once we are back in the car.
“I thought I would take you to one of my favorite spots.”
“Is that all I get? No hints?” I pout.
“You’re cute,” he says, tapping my nose just like I do with Lexi. “My grandparents own some property not far from their house. It has a huge pond, and every time I visit, Gramps and I spend a lot of time there. When I came to visit a few months back, Dad came with us. It was good to spend time just the guys. It’s always been my favorite spot, and I want to share it with you,” he says sheepishly.
“I can’t wait to see it,” I tell him. I really can’t. Anything that’s important to him and makes his eyes light up like that, I’m in.
I thought I would be nervous, but I’m not. I know this is the right thing to do. Her parents think the same thing. Hell, even Aaron agrees with me. This whole situation is surreal.
“Is this it?” she asks as I park in front of the old red barn.
“This is it.” I hop out and open the cargo area where I snuck a couple of blankets.
“Where did those come from?” she questions me.
“I put them in there earlier. I was banking on you saying yes to getting out of the house.”
“You calling me a sure thing?” she teases.
I close the hatch on the Durango and throw my arm around her shoulders, pulling her close and kissing the top of her head. “Never, baby. I was just hopeful you would spend the evening with me.”
“Let’s see this pond,” she says. She’s trying not to get too close; I recognize the signs. I fought it just as hard, but I don’t want to anymore. She’s going to be my wife, and while she is, for however long that may be, I want this to be real.
I keep my arm around her as we walk down toward the pond. “Watch your step,” I tell her when we reach a section of uneven land. There is a wall of trees sheltering this side of the pond. It’s great for shade on a hot summer’s day.
“You sure you know where you’re going?” she asks as we walk through the tree line.
“You don’t trust me?”
“No, I do. It’s just . . .”
“Right there,” I say, motioning with my head. She pulls her eyes from mine and looks in front of us. The huge pond is lit with nothing but the moonlight surrounded by stars.<
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“Wow,” she breathes. “It’s beautiful.”
“Yeah,” I agree with her, but I’m not looking at the pond. My eyes are glued to her. We reach a shadowed edge and I stop her. “Let me lay these down.” I spread one thick quilt down on the grass and take a seat. I hold my hand out for her and help her with her balance while she takes her place next to me. I throw the other blanket over us and she snuggles in close.
“This is nice,” she says as she takes in our surroundings. “This place is so peaceful.”
“Yeah, even during the day it’s like that. It’s great for fishing. I’ve spent many hot summer days at this pond.”
Turning her head, she looks up at me. “Thank you for sharing it with me.” She shivers, but tries to cover it up.
“Come here.” I throw back the blanket and spread my legs, patting between them. She doesn’t hesitate to climb over and settle against my chest. I cover us back up with the blanket. This time, my arms are wrapped tight around her.
“I did have an ulterior motive for asking you to hang out with me tonight. There are a few things I want to tell you. When we are at my place or even my parents,’ it seems like we get sidetracked with Lexi, and I just wanted to spend some time with you so I could get this out.” I feel her stiffen in my arms. I bury my face in her neck and place a gentle kiss against her skin. “It’s not bad. I just want to get all of this out in the open before the wedding.”
I’m glad she’s not facing me. I’m nervous as hell, and I’m sure I would botch the speech I’d planned if I were looking her in the eye. “I need you to know this is a real marriage to me. I will respect you and provide for you. You’ve done so much for me, that I just . . . I need for you to understand, for me, this is real. It’s not just some arrangement. I want to share each day with you. I want you in my bed at night. I know it’s temporary, and I don’t expect anything more than what you’ve given me, but there will be no one else for me while we’re married. It’s you and me, McKinley. I just need for you to know that. Need you to know where I stand with all of this. Everything happened so fast, and I just . . . it’s more.”
I don’t say anything else, giving her the time she needs to process what I’ve said. I just hold her in my arms and wait.
“So . . .” She clears her throat. “So, you want us to be together, as husband and wife, completely until this arrangement is over?” she asks.
No! I want to yell. I want this for as long as you’ll have me. Not just until the risk of losing Lexi is gone. I can hear the hope in her voice and this arrangement is how she wants it, how it has to be. She needs a man who doesn’t have a ready-made family. I know she loves Lexi, but . . . she deserves better than me. However, I’m a selfish prick when it comes to her and I want it all for as long as she’s my wife. “Yeah,” I say instead.
She’s quiet again, the silence surrounding us. “Okay,” she murmurs. It’s so low I almost miss it.
Excitement runs through me as I realize this is it. She agreed to this. “Hey, can you spin this way?” I ask her.
She moves down and then turns to face me. She’s too far away, but I needed to see her face. I grab each leg and pull her to me; her laughter echoes throughout the night sky. I don’t stop until I have her in my lap, her legs locked around my waist.
I cradle her face in my hands and bring her lips to mine. I kiss her with all the excitement coursing through my veins, with all the hope for what we could be in my heart. I kiss her, showing her what she means to me. I keep my lips soft against hers, taking my time tasting her. Her hands comb through my hair as she holds my mouth to hers.
She wants this.
I let myself get so lost in the kiss that I almost forget there’s one more thing I had on the agenda for tonight. Reaching back to the corner of the blanket, I grab the little black velvet box that I laid there. I do this without breaking our kiss.
Once I have the ring in my hand, I pull my lips from hers and take her in. Her face is flushed and her lips are swollen from our kisses. Her eyes tell me what she won’t . . . she wants more. I plan to give her just that. I just have something to ask her first.
My heart is about to beat out of my chest. My palms are sweaty and I want to wipe them on my thighs, but she’s on my lap and then there’s the ring I have clutched in my palm. I can feel the diamond digging against my skin.
Leaning in, I place my forehead against hers. I will my heart to slow down, as I open my mouth to speak, but the words won’t come. I’m so overwhelmed in this moment that I’m afraid I won’t be able to do it. I know what she’s going to say, but in my heart, this is real. I want her for a lifetime, longer if possible.
“Evan?” I can hear the concern in her whispered plea.
Lifting my head, her worried eyes watch my every move. I grab her hand, careful to not drop the ring, and bring it to my lips. “I wouldn’t change anything about this, McKinley. I have only one regret when it comes to saying our vows.”
Her eyes widen, but she doesn’t comment.
“McKinley Rae Mills, will you do me the incredible honor of becoming my wife?” I slide the ring onto her left hand. My eyes don’t leave hers, and when I see tears begin to fall, I start to worry this was the wrong thing to do. That this was too much for our situation. It’s not until I see her blinding smile and she wraps her arms around my neck, sobbing as she buries her face there, that I realize they are happy tears.
I hold her as she cries and fear sets in. What if I read her wrong and this isn’t what she wants?
“McKinley, baby, I need to see your eyes.” She sniffs and lifts her head.
I cradle her face in the palms, wiping her tears with my thumbs. “Will you marry me?” I ask softly.
Again, the smile—my smile—lights up her face. “Yes, yes, yes, yes!” she says through tears. Then her lips land on mine.
Our kiss is passionate and filled with all the things we’ve said and all the things we haven’t. I roll us over and lay her down on the blanket, never breaking our kiss. I reach back for the blanket and pull it up over us. I don’t take it past kissing and neither does she. The moment worked out better than I planned, and I give myself an internal fist bump that this beautiful, loving creature is going to be my wife.
Everyone is asleep by the time we get home. Carol left us a note on the counter saying she has Lexi with her in her room and she moved the pack-n-play.
“I miss her,” I say as we’re climbing in bed.
“Me too. It’s weird to not tuck her in and kiss her goodnight.”
“Yeah, she kind of swoops in and steals your heart when you’re not looking.”
“She does,” he agrees. He pulls the covers over us as we lie in bed face to face. I lift my hand to move his hair out of his eyes and my ring shines in the moonlight.
“We’re getting married,” I say in whispered excitement. I can’t hold it back. I’m going into this eyes wide open, but I’m going to relish the fact this man is going to be my husband and cherish each moment until it ends.
“We’re getting married,” he repeats before his lips capture mine. He starts slow, but I need more. I open for him and he takes the invitation and slides his tongue against mine. We duel and I drink in the taste of him, all the while my hands are roaming over every inch of him I can touch.
I want tonight to be different. Up to this point, it’s him giving me pleasure. He never lets me reciprocate. Tonight, that changes. I block out the fact that we’re in his parents house. All I see is Evan, and all I can think about is having him unravel from my hands and mouth.
Gently, I push him back on the bed, rising up over him. I take control of this kiss, nipping at his lips. He literally takes my breath away and I need to break the kiss just to catch it. My hands roam over the peaks and valleys of his abs while I place open-mouthed kisses all the way to his collarbone.
“McKinley.” My name falls from his lips. The gruff sound of his voice makes me want this even more.
I kiss his chest and t
ravel further until I reach his abs. Let me tell you something about Evan. He’s a fucking work of art. His body looks as though it was sculpted. His six-pack abs quiver under the touch of my tongue. This man is as hard as steel and falling apart all because of me. It’s a heady feeling.
Feeling brave, I slide my hand over his erection straining against his boxer briefs. “Baby.” He runs his fingers through my hair. I love it when he calls me baby.
I continue my journey over the mountains he calls abs and my mouth gets closer to where I really want to be as my hand continues to trace his erection. My mouth reaches the waistband of his underwear and a jolt of excitement courses through my veins. I’m not ashamed to admit I’ve thought about doing this to him thousands of times. Right or wrong, it is what it is.
Climbing to my knees, I slip my fingers under the waistband and lift it over his erection. He raises his hips, giving me the opportunity to slide them down his legs. I waste no time in taking him in my hand and roaming the length of him.
A gentle tug on my hair has me lifting my head. “Baby, you don’t have to do this.” His voice is husky and his eyes tell me another story altogether. I stroke him faster, which causes him to clench his jaw. Without releasing him, I move so I’m between his legs and sit back on my knees, still stroking him, increasing my pace.
I don’t speak, but lick my lips instead. “Fuck me,” he groans as I dip my head and taste him for the first time, one singular stroke of my tongue on the head of his cock.
I run my tongue up the length of him, stopping at the tip and taking him in. His hands find my hair and he holds on tight. Desire like I’ve never known fuels me to move faster, to take more of him. My hands and mouth work him in tandem. I can’t get enough.
Evan keeps his hand in my hair, but never once uses it to guide me. He lets me go at my own pace. I take as much of him as I can, causing us both to moan. “Baby, I’m close.” I don’t stop. I want to push him over the edge. “McKinley, I . . . can’t . . . oh God, that feels amazing,” he pants. I quicken my pace, and he pulls on my hair. “Baby, I can’t hold off.” I take him deeper. I can tell the minute he decides it’s okay to let go. Not twenty seconds later, I’m swallowing everything he gives me.
