“I love you, too. I’m so sorry about the wedding. I should’ve realized it wouldn’t be okay.”
“It is okay. You’re not asking me to strip down, or parade around in front of some horny women.”
“Well, all of my friends are pretty horny. Just not for you.”
“True. I mean it, though. I can do this. I want to do this.”
She gives me one of the smiles that are mine alone. “Meet me at my car in five minutes, okay?”
“You want to go out?” I ask. It’s Sunday, and we’re both in t-shirts. I have on ratty jeans, and she’s wearing yoga pants.
“Trust me, Soldier.”
“Always, Angel. Always.”
* * *
Jade
I know what I need to do. I grab the envelope from our apartment, and rush back downstairs. Nate is waiting by my car. After opening my door for me, he slides into the passenger seat, and I drive.
“No, Jade,” he says when he sees where I’m going.
“Yes.”
“You deserve more than this.”
“I only care about marrying you. I don’t need the big wedding. I just need you.”
I pull into the driveway of the drive-thru wedding chapel, and he grabs my arm. “We don’t have the marriage license.”
“What do you think I needed the five minutes for? I obviously didn’t change.”
“You’re sure about this? I meant it when I said I was okay with the wedding.”
“I’m sure. My dad may want to kill us, but he’ll understand. So will the girls.”
“Thank you. I’ll make this up to you somehow.”
“There’s nothing to make up. We’re getting married. That’s all that matters to me. I shouldn’t have let things get so out of control. I just...I got caught up in all of it.”
“We could’ve changed, you know. I would’ve put on my tux, and you could’ve worn your pretty dress.”
“How do you know it’s pretty?”
“You’d be in it. How could it not be pretty?”
“I think I’m swooning in this car.”
“Seriously, though. Do you want to go back and change first?”
“No,” I tell him honestly. “We’re not fancy dresses and tuxes. This is us, jeans and yoga pants. I won’t deny that I was looking forward to being a girl for a day, but I like that we can just be us.”
Nate looks me up and down. “Angel, you are always a girl. And I fucking love every inch of you.”
“I love your inches, too. Now let’s get married so I can take you home and play with him.”
“He’s very happy that you’re thinking about him right now.”
“He always is.”
“True.”
He grabs my hand and kisses it as I put the car into gear and drive up to the window. I hand over our license, and Nate’s credit card, because he insisted on paying. Less than five minutes later we’ve said “I do,” placed the rings I grabbed on each other’s fingers, and kissed as man and wife. I can honestly say I’ve never been happier in my life. I don’t need a dress, or a cake, especially now that I know Nate would’ve been uncomfortable. I have him, and that’s everything I need.
* * *
Nate
I wake up to Jade’s tongue moving across my spine. I know she’s licking the tribal tattoo I have running down my back, and it feels damn good. “Morning, Angel.”
“You know what today is?”
“Our wedding day.”
“Until I kidnapped you.”
“Best day of my life.”
It was. Even though her dad and all of her friends flipped out. Once Jade told them why we did it, they admitted it was the best thing for us. I still hate that she gave up her fancy wedding, which is why I worked with Stella on a surprise for today.
“Mine too. We should just stay in bed today. You know, start our honeymoon early.”
“We’ve been on a honeymoon since you came to Paris and brought me home.”
“True, but tomorrow it’s official. Two weeks on a private island. Just you and me.”
“And my cock. You know how sad he gets when you forget him.”
“I’ll never forget him.”
“To get back to your original statement, we can’t stay in bed today.”
“Why not?”
“We have a reception to get ready for.”
“A reception? What did you do, Soldier?”
“I didn’t do anything. I just didn’t undo anything, either.”
She sits up and stares at me in shock. “You didn’t call anyone to cancel?”
“The ceremony, yes. Just not the reception.”
“Nate.”
“Jade.”
“I can’t let you do this.”
“It’s already done.”
“I didn’t expect this.”
“You weren’t supposed to.”
“You’re really okay with this?”
My heart swells as I see the worry in her eyes. “Yes, Angel. I want to see you in your pretty dress, I want to smash wedding cake in your face, and I want to dance with you all night.”
“Swooning again.”
“Good.”
“Can I ask for one thing?”
“You can ask for a million things.”
“I just want one. Can you just wear your vest, and not your jacket? No tie, and your sleeves rolled up?”
“You want some stubble too, don’t you?”
“Yes. Please,” she moans.
“Done.”
She grabs my cock, but I reluctantly pull her hand off of me.
“He wants me.”
“24/7. No doubt. I want you too, but Stella will be here any minute.”
“She’ll understand. She’s the last person who’d cock-block me.”
“Behave, Mrs. Anderson.”
“Never, Mr. Anderson. And you know damn well that you love it when I misbehave.”
I smile and pull her close. “I do. Later. You can do whatever you want to me later.”
“I’m going to hold you to that.”
“Please do.”
She leans over me, and I know she’s not going to wait. The doorbell rings before she can make me push her away again. Which is a good thing, because honestly I don’t know if I could push her away a second time. Saved by the bell.
* * *
Jade
“You cock-blocked me, Stell,” I tell her when I open the door.
She looks horrified. “Go back upstairs! I’ll come back, or just come to my place. What do you need? Five minutes? Ten?”
“She needs to go get ready. And five minutes, Stell? I didn’t know you had such a low opinion of me,” Nate tells her.
“You can’t get her off in five?” she asks him with a smirk.
“Oh, he can, believe me he can,” I say with a laugh.
“Then it isn’t an insult, is it? Besides, you know I love you, Nate. Especially since I didn’t have to cancel the party.”
“Love you too, Stell. Now get out.”
“Nate!”
“He just wants us to go get ready so he can see you in your dress.”
“Very true.”
He kisses me hard and then pushes me out the door as Stella laughs. “Have fun with your hand,” she tells him as he flips her off before closing the door.
We take the elevator to her floor, and when the doors open, all of my girls are there. They’re in robes with champagne glasses in their hands. Ellie hands me one and pulls me into a hug. We hold onto each other for a full minute, while everyone else lets us have our space. She understands why I did what I did, but I know it hurts her.
“I’m sorry,” I tell her again.
“Don’t ever be sorry for making Nate comfortable. I just wish I could’ve seen it.”
“You’ve seen the video.”
“I know. And I’m sorry I’ve been kind of a bitch about it.”
“You haven’t. If you were being a bitch, you’d be telling
me I can’t still be your matron of honor.”
“That would never happen. I love you, J.”
“I love you too, El.”
“Are you two done now? We all still have hair and makeup to take care of,” Stella reminds us.
“Yes, boss,” Ellie tells her.
We spend the next few hours getting ready. I love these women so much, and I also respect the hell out of them. I’m so glad I get the chance to wear my dress and have them with me. The wedding wasn’t important, but having my friends with me to celebrate is. I never told Nate, because I didn’t want him to feel any pressure at all to do what I wanted, but I was a little sad.
Stella has me step into my dress, and I smile into the mirror once it’s on. The dress has an embroidered, strapless, sweetheart neckline. The front is a few short, ruffled layers of soft material, but the back is long enough to trail behind me on the floor. There are a couple of big pink flowers at my waist, too. Pink isn’t really my color, but I really love them. To top things off, Stella found me a poufy hat thing to wear on the side of the updo she did for me. Sparkly shoes with flowers and pearls crossing over each other complete what was to be my wedding look. I feel totally girly, and I love it.
The rest of the girls are in brown strapless dresses that have beading over the top and side. They all look gorgeous, especially Audrey with her baby bump. She still has about three months, and none of us can wait. Tegan’s pregnant too, but she’s barely showing. I think about having a baby with Nate, and I’m surprised to find that I want one. I never planned to have kids, but I want to have Nate’s baby. I’m not sure he’s ready for that, but I need to talk to him about it. Later. Right now, I have something else I need to do.
“I’ll meet you all in the tent, okay?”
“You’re going to see that horse, aren’t you?” Stella asks me with a laugh.
“Yes. I want to see my boy before I go out to my man.”
“I knew you would. Here, put these shoes on,” she says, handing me some plain grey sandals. “And please try not to totally ruin your dress in the barn.”
“I’ll try.”
I really do try. I hold the back of my dress up until I get to Cherub’s stall. I let it go to hug and kiss him, but I don’t move too much so I hope it’s okay. If not, I’ll deal with Stella’s wrath. I just need to see him.
“How did I know you’d be here?” Nate asks from behind me.
“I just wanted to see him for a minute.”
“I know. I’m not jealous of him anymore. Much.”
I turn to my husband. “You have nothing to be jealous about, and you know it. Cherub is like our kid, just in horse form.”
“We never talk about kids.”
“I wasn’t sure you wanted them,” I say, biting my lip.
“Do you?”
“Yeah. I want a little Nate.”
“Well, I want a little Jade.”
“We may have to wait a couple of months. You know, because of the super birth control, and also because some of us still need to do missions for a few more months at least.”
“We have forever, Angel.”
“Yes we do, Soldier.”
He picks me up into his arms and carries me out to the office area of the stable where I left my pretty shoes. I switch them out once he sets them down, and then we walk hand in hand to the reception tent. All of the boxing-themed things I picked with Stella look amazing. Nate and I both love the boxing ring centerpieces that are filled with roses, and feature different famous boxers. Our cake with the fighting couple is great, too. And honestly, even if this whole place was in shambles, it would be perfect. I’m married to Nate, and we both want kids. What more could a girl want?
Darcy & Brayden
Brayden
I look over at Darcy sleeping next to me, and cringe. Not because I would want her anywhere else, but because she’s forced to be here with me in the castle. We’re getting ready for our royal wedding, and I know she hates it. She hates every minute she’s had to spend taking formal pictures and being interviewed for magazines. I thank God every day that she loves me enough to put up with this shit. I don’t know what I’d do if she told me it was too much for her.
“What’s wrong, Bray?” she asks in a sleepy voice.
“Just thinking. Go back to sleep, Cat.”
“Stop worrying about the weddings. I’m fine. We get to have our real wedding first, and I can pretend to be a princess for a day after that.”
“You hate it.”
“But I love you. I would marry you 100 times if that’s what we needed to do. It’s really not a big deal.”
“I love you so much. You know that right?”
“I think I got the memo when you gave up your kingdom for me,” she tells me with a smirk.
“I’d give up 100 kingdoms for you.”
“We’re getting too sappy this early in the morning. Go back to sleep with me, Crown.”
“You’ll have a crown in a few days, you know.”
“I still can’t believe you let me have so many diamonds for it.”
“You could have them all if you wanted them. Plus, you picked the citrine for your ring,” I remind her, holding up her hand to look at the large orange stone surrounded by small diamonds on the gold band.
“I wanted color.”
“I’m well aware of your love for the color orange,” I tell her as I slide my hand through her hair.
She sits up suddenly and looks serious. “Is it okay that I had my ring made out of a lesser gem? You’ve never said anything, but did Parliament give you trouble?”
They did, but I didn’t want to tell her. “They would’ve preferred a diamond, or even a sapphire, but it’s not their ring.” Which is exactly what my Uncle Steven told them.
“Does the crown make up for it a little?”
“Yes. I need you not to worry about it, though. Parliament can go fuck themselves for all I care.”
“If I can’t worry about Parliament, then you can’t worry about me having to endure a royal wedding.”
“I’m going to make things as easy for you as possible. I promise.”
“I don’t need easy, Bray. You should know that by now. Nothing in my life has ever been easy.”
“Including me.”
“You,” she says with a mischievous smile. “You are wonderfully hard.”
“Why yes I am.”
I roll over on top of her and show her just how hard I am. A couple of hours later, we both fall into a sound sleep, sated and happy. I think of all she’s been through as I drift off, and I vow to keep my promise and make the weddings easy for her. It’s the least I can do.
* * *
Darcy
“Get off the bloody railing before you fall,” Jenysis tells me.
“I won’t fall,” I reply.
“Stella will kill you if you ruin your wedding dress.”
“Spoilsport,” I tell her, knowing she’s right.
Today is my real wedding to Brayden. The one that’s just for us and our friends and family. It will be informal and fun, just like we are in our daily lives. My man may be a prince, but he has adapted to a “normal” life with me in Las Vegas rather easily.
For today, I get to wear a whimsical dress. It’s strapless with some embroidery on top. The bottom has asymmetrical satin and chiffon ruffles before falling into just layers of chiffon on the bottom. I love it, and I love the bridesmaids dresses my friends are all wearing.
They’re orange with one strap of flowers and some embroidery on top. The bottom skirt barely comes to the top of their thighs, but there’s long pieces of chiffon crisscrossing to the floor. It’s something I would wear, and I’m glad they love them as well. Especially since they can’t all stand with me at the other wedding. There it will just be Jen and some of her distant royal cousins.
Even though I’m excited for today, I couldn’t resist taking a walk on the balcony railing. It overlooks the sea, and was just too inviting for me to
ignore. I didn’t think anyone would miss me, but obviously they did. Or at least Jen did. I was hoping to talk to her alone anyway.
“How are you doing?” I ask.
“I’m brilliant. Joining the Society is a dream come true for me. I can’t wait for training to begin.”
“I’m glad about that, but I was referring to you and Wayne.”
“That’s not a thing. We’re not a thing.”
“Why not?”
“Because he’s a stupid arse who just wants to bang as many birds as possible.”
“Whoa. You’re really mad at him. I knew you were upset, but you’ve gone all common with your language there, Princess.”
“Oh bugger off, Darcy.”
“I didn’t mean to upset you,” I tell her as tears start to form in her eyes.
“I think I love him. I’m just a daft cow for thinking he was interested in more than just shagging me.”
“No, you’re not. He’s into you. Like seriously into you. You two just need to talk.”
“I’m scared to talk to him.”
“Society girls are not scared of talking to men.”
“Oh really? Because I don’t think any of you had a smooth road to romance.”
“Touché. I still think you should talk to him, but you do what you need to do.”
“Right now, I need to get you to the chapel.”
“Lead the way,” I tell her, sliding my heels back on.
We walk to the small chapel on the castle grounds. There’s not much space in there, but we don’t need it. Most of our friends are in the wedding, so only the mentors and a few other people need to sit. We’re keeping things short and sweet with our own vows, and then the kiss.
“Looking good, sis,” Noah tells me when we walk up.
He looks great in his black suit and orange tie. “You too, little brother.”
We hug each other tight, and I take his arm as everyone lines up in front of us. For this wedding, my brother will be walking me down the aisle. Taking a cue from Faith, we have reserved seats up front for both my dad and Brayden’s. Mallory is in the front row on my side with my mother. She didn’t recognize me today, but it means everything to me that she’s here.
Society Weddings (Corrigan & Co. Book 11) Page 7
