by E. K. Blair
I grinned back, unable to get my vocal cords to work. I pulled her in closer as we walked down the aisle, the bottom of her dress wrapping around my legs, keeping us together.
No sooner had we reached Liam and Mia, the photographer was pulling us all away for photographs. Something I’d been looking forward to because it would mean I’d get Thalia in my arms again, even, if it were only for a short while.
The photographer had other ideas of course and kept dragging us apart; Thalia on one side of the branch, and me on the other. Why we had to be separated by a fucking tree branch was beyond me. I had to keep reminding myself that it was Liam’s day and to keep my mouth shut.
The photographer finally announced that he’d finished for now so with a huge sigh of relief I walked over to Thalia. She turned and watched me approach with a nervous smile on her lips.
Having her hands in mine made me want to jump for joy, and I realized I couldn’t wait another minute. “Please come and talk to me. I was going to wait until later, to get you alone, but I can’t. I need to talk to you now. Please come with me.”
She had tears in her eyes. “Phoenix, I’d go anywhere with you,” she whispered.
She used ‘Phoenix’. She hadn’t used Phoenix since I’d been a bastard to her. I moved in to kiss when we both froze, having heard my mom shouting at us.
Inhaling I caught her scent as I dropped my forehead against hers. “We can talk later, but please tell me you’re not going to leave me. I’ll go anywhere as long as we’re still together.”
“Oh Phoenix. I love you, and I don’t want to be without you. I really want to make this work between us.”
I took her face into my hands and brought her flush with my body, sealing our lips together. “I love you. I promise I’ll try not to be a bastard to you again.”
“Jack, put Thalia down.”
We both grinned as I turned to my mom, “Yes, ma’am.”
“And no sass. You’re not too old to go over my knee.”
The horror I felt at hearing my mom’s comment obviously showed on my face, because Thalia tried to hide her laugh behind her hands and wasn’t very successful.
“Thalia, honey. Would you mind popping into the house and the room Mia used? She forgot to slip something up her leg before she left.”
“Ah, okay,” Thalia said grinning as we watched my mom walk back the way she came.
With a grimace, I said, “I don’t want to know.”
Thalia rolled her eyes and giggled. “Get your mind off those body parts. Your mom was referring to something the groom removes with his teeth.”
I chuckled, and whispered in her ear, “I know what you mean now, but I can still remove your panties with my teeth.” I straightened up and checked my jacket covered my hardened cock, which was stiff as a fucking spike being so close to her; talking about her panties. “Fuck. You go do what mom asked, and I’ll go back over there. If I come upstairs with you, we won’t be seen for a while, and,” I pulled her in tight to me, “we will talk soon in private.”
After a quick kiss I watched her rush to the house while I walked back over to the wedding goings on, but detoured slightly when I spotted Ryder standing on the outskirts with a beer in hand.
Chapter 64
Thalia
As I rushed towards the house my heart felt light as a feather. The huge rock that had been holding it down had disappeared, and I wanted to jump for joy.
I knew it was my own fault we’d been apart these past few days. But I was hurt, and although my first instinct had been to throw myself at him, I couldn’t do that. I needed to think the whole thing through, which I’d done, constantly since I’d said goodbye to him in the forest.
Callie had also told me on more than one occasion how stupid I was being, because I had a hot-as-hell guy confessing his love for me and I was being a stubborn bitch! Eventually, I’d agreed, and then turned the tables on Callie and got her to confess what Reece had done to her. They hadn’t spoken since, and Callie was trying her best not to look in Reece’s direction, but Reece didn’t seem to have that problem, and openly stared at my friend. I started to grin, and decided I needed to talk to Phoenix and find out about Reece’s connection to Dahlia.
With my face displaying an even bigger grin than the bride, I dashed into the house and ran upstairs to the room Mia had dressed in and retrieved the bride’s garter from the dressing table. How the hell had she forgotten to pull that on? I rolled my eyes and exited the room.
Back downstairs, I pushed through the patio doors, and came face-to-face with Rebecca.
“What the hell are you doing here? Haven’t you caused enough trouble?”
She just stood staring at me, which made me feel uncomfortable.
“I wanted to apologize. I shouldn’t have gone to Lewis,” she said looking around her.
I heard the words, but I didn’t believe her. She didn’t look sorry at all. I stayed silent to see what she said or did next.
“Mia invited me. She told me I could be a guest providing I apologized to you and Jack, and didn’t cause any more trouble...Jack’s waiting for you by the river.”
“What?”
“I apologized to him, and told him I wanted to apologize to you, so he asked me to point you in that direction,” she said pointing over her shoulder.
I frowned, not sure I believed her.
“Don’t be long. He looked nervous. I think he has something to ask you, so I wouldn’t keep him waiting. He’s across the water.”
With that, she started to walk off. “Wait.” I ran up to her. “Can you give this to Mia?”
“I can do that.”
“Thank you.”
She walked towards everyone, so she obviously hadn’t been lying about the invite to the wedding.
Ugh. Okay. I couldn’t see Jack so perhaps she was being truthful about that as well.
Changing direction, I picked up the front of my dress, and started to quickly walk, nearly running, in the direction that Rebecca had pointed. I still had my doubts, but looking back I could just make her out talking to Mia.
As I walked through the trees towards the river, I started to get a really bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. I could hear the sound of the rapids as I walked closer, but as yet, I hadn’t caught sight of Phoenix.
What did he want to talk about? To ask me? While I was walking I just prayed I didn’t step on any snakes. I shivered at that thought. Then smiled when I remembered what had transpired after the rattler episode.
Not long after I broke through the trees and all I could see was the water swirling and crashing against the rocks and embankment. The noise was deafening. Liam had told me about this part of the river, about how ferocious it really was, but this was the first time I’d seen it. Rebecca had said Jack was across the river, and all I could see to get across was a small bridge that didn’t look too safe.
Could I do this? I moved slightly closer to the bridge and looked down. My heart felt like it was about to beat out of my chest. There was something wrong. Phoenix wouldn’t wait across the water for me when he knew how afraid I was of deep water.
Chapter 65
Jack
Since I’d watched Thalia walk up to the house, I hadn’t been able to remove the grin from my face.
I’d joined Ryder who was standing on the outskirts of the guests with a beer in hand. It was also the first time I’d seen him in a suit as well, which is what I’d put his annoyance down to. Until I’d stood next to him, that was, and noticed whom his eyes were focused on. Dahlia.
“Ryder, you need to stop with the scowling every time you see Dahlia. It’s going to piss Reece off.”
“If he’s with Dahlia, he shouldn’t have been spending his nights fucking your woman’s friend.”
I took a deep breath to try and calm down. I knew he had a thing for Dahlia, but he’d never touched her. He had it in his head that she was Reece’s, and until recently that’s what Donovan and me had thought, but now I wasn�
�t too sure.
“What’s going on with you and your girl? Did you finally pull your dick out of your ass and do something about her?”
I roared with laughter. He had a way with words.
“We’re back together, but we’ve not had a chance to talk properly with the wedding and all. I’m going to take her somewhere tonight so we can talk.”
He took a gulp of beer. “Are you sure talking’s a good idea, considering it’s talking that got you in the dog house to begin with?”
“Not this kind of talking.”
He paused with the bottle to his mouth, and raised an eyebrow. “The naked kind?”
“The proposal kind.”
Well, that was a first. The marine was speechless.
“Fuck.”
Maybe not.
“Hey Jack. Where’s Thalia?”
I turned and watched Mia walk towards us.
“She went inside the house to retrieve something for you to tease my brother with or so Mom said,” I said watching Mia blush.
She frowned, looking around her. “She didn’t bring it to me though, Rebecca did.”
I froze when I heard the bitch’s name. “Rebecca,” I managed to spit out.
“She came over to the house to apologize with her mother. My mom, of course, accepted. Eventually I agreed she could come to the wedding with her parents as long as she apologized to you and Thalia, and promised not to cause any more trouble.”
That was so not good. I paced back and forth a couple of times, trying not to panic, but failing miserably. “I need to find Thalia,” I looked directly at Ryder.
“You said she went to the house so let’s start there,” Ryder said. “Mia, you go and tell Liam what’s going on. Check with Callie to see if she’s seen her, and then get Donovan and Reece to check around the barn.” Finished issuing orders, he turned and started heading towards the house.
“Ryder wait. When Rebecca brought me the garter,” she blushed, “I asked her where Thalia was and she said she’d gone off to meet Jack.” Mia had tears in her eyes.
“Okay, what’s with the church meeting?” Reece asked. We all turned to see him standing not too far away with Donovan and Callie, and between the two of them stood a nervous looking Rebecca.
I lost it. “Where the fuck is Thalia?” I was practically nose-to-nose with her as I yelled the question. I felt like strangling the bitch, and if anything had happened to her there’d be hell to pay.
“I told her you wanted to see her, and that you were waiting by the...river for her.”
“You fucking bitch,” I roared.
Rebecca burst into tears. “I’m sorry.”
I turned away before I did something I’d never done before; hit a woman.
“Which part, Rebecca?” Ryder asked.
“The bridge.”
God no. I turned and started running towards the bridge. The bridge that I’d been meaning to replace, but hadn’t gotten around to. I could vaguely hear Ryder yelling something about paramedics, but I wasn’t stopping for anyone. I needed to get to my girl, and just prayed she was still on land.
I ran so damn fast I had a hell of a stitch in my side, but as I broke through the trees, I came to a stop on the bank and shouted for her. I couldn’t hear a damn thing though with the racket the rapids made.
Walking closer to the bridge there was still no sign of Thalia, until I stood on the edge and looked down.
My heart dropped. “Thalia,” I shouted.
She turned her head and looked up at me, her eyes frantic, and then she started to cry.
“I’m going to get you up here baby. I promise.”
She had obviously slipped over the edge of the bank and was in the water, but had managed to grab on to the roots of a tree that had grown out through the earth about a foot above the water.
“Where is she?” Ryder shouted, running towards me.
“Down there. She’s slipped over. I need to get to her.”
He stopped and looked down. “You can’t go down there yet. We need some rope; otherwise you’ll end up stuck down there with her.”
He was right, but I just needed to get to her. She looked terrified.
“Get over here.”
I looked towards the trees to see whom he’d been shouting to. Reece, Donovan and Callie were running towards us, and Reece had a rope in his arms.
“You’re good to go in a minute.”
Ryder grabbed the rope from Reece, tied one end around my waist then ran to one of the trees, took the rope around before getting Donovan and Reece in on it. He nodded to me.
At the edge I made my way down slowly. It was about eight feet from the bank to the water at this point, with the embankment sloping steeply downwards, and after the rain we’d had yesterday and early morning, it was muddy as hell.
About a foot away, I looked at her and could see how cold she was, not to mention frightened.
“Phoenix. Be careful.”
“No sweat,” I said, realizing I was going to be getting wet.
“I’m coming, but I need to get in the water to get a proper hold on you. One minute, then I’ll have you back in my arms, and you’re never leaving again. No matter how much I piss you off, you’re not going anywhere. Is that understood?”
A frightened chuckle escaped her lips, “Yes Phoenix.”
That’s my girl, I thought with pride. “I like that kind of response.”
I slid into the water to the side of her, trusting everyone up top to have a proper hold on the rope; I grabbed her around the waist and wrapped her up in my arms. She cried out and wrapped her arms around my neck, holding on real tight.
“I love you, Phoenix, so much.”
“Marry me,” I blurted out. “I love you. I’d planned on asking you later. I didn’t mean to blurt it out while you’re freezing to death.”
“Yes. Yes I’ll marry you. Now will you get me out of here.”
With a quick kiss on her lips I felt a tug on the rope. “Wrap your legs around me.”
“I can’t. My dress.”
I’d forgotten she was wearing a bridesmaid dress. “Okay babe. Hold on, while I lift your dress.” I chuckled in her ear.
“You can lift my dress anytime, just hurry up.”
With her holding on tight, I grabbed her ass and quickly tried to raise her soaked dress enough to enable her legs to go around me. “It’d be easier if we ditched the dress.”
She groaned into my neck.
“What the fuck is going on down there?” Ryder shouted.
“I need her to hold on, but her dress is weighing us down.”
“Then take it off and get up here.”
“I can’t. I’m only wearing a thong,” she cried.
Fuck. “Ryder.” I shouted up to him. “Hold tight. I’m taking my shirt off.”
I wrapped Thalia’s arms around a root, then with great difficulty removed my shirt and left it on a higher root. I grabbed hold of Thalia again, and when she was in my arms I unzipped her dress, and managed to pull the bodice free, pushing it down past her hips. As soon as her legs were free of the confines, she wrapped her legs around me. I put my hands on her butt. Fuck. Very naked butt and hoisted her up.
“I’ve got you, but you need to grab the shirt and get it on.”
Once she had the shirt on, the guys pulled us up the bank. Donovan tried to pry her away from me, but I was having none of it.
“Jack. Let her go and unfasten the rope for fuck’s sake,” Donovan shouted.
“It’s okay Phoenix. Let me go. I’m not going anywhere without you. I promise.” Thalia gave me a quick kiss.
I reluctantly let Donovan take her from me, and glared at him while he held her in his arms with a large grin on his face. “Just remember whose girl she is.”
“How could I forget?”
I growled and quickly removed the rope, then grabbed my girl back into my arms.
Chapter 66
Thalia
I was freezing in Phoen
ix’s arms, and my teeth wouldn’t stop chattering, but before I could tell him to get a move on, my legs and feet were covered with jackets the guys had obviously been wearing.
“I’m going back to the house; we both need a warm shower. I need to warm her up,” Phoenix told everyone so seriously.
The guys snickered and Callie grinned. “So we won’t be seeing you again today?” Ryder asked.
“No.”
If I hadn’t been so cold, I’d die of embarrassment.
“Let’s go.”
Phoenix squeezed me against him and held me close while he walked back to the house. He must be cold as well, because he’d been in the water with me. Not as long, but his pants would be clinging to him.
“Can you head over and let everyone know she’s all right, but we both need to get warm...and I don’t give a shit what Mom has to say about it, you keep her away for now.”
I heard mumbling, but I kept my face buried in Phoenix’s neck. As we approached the house I felt a spark of warmth flood through me. I sighed, relieved that I could feel this heat again and licked his neck up to his ear. I nibbled his ear lobe and felt a shudder work its way through him.
“Two minutes, babe,” he groaned out.
“Mmm. Were you hard when you had your hands on my ass in the river?”
“Fuck. Thalia. What kind of asshole do you think I am?” He climbed up the steps to the front porch.
“Not a tiny bit hard,” I whispered. “You had me naked, apart from my thong, in your arms. Are you sure? Because I imagined your cock, hard and pulsing, wanting inside me.”
I was getting to him. His breathing was uneven, and his hands shook slightly. I reached out and opened the front door for us. He took me straight to the stairs and started up them. At the top, I nibbled his lobe again.
“I remembered how hot it was to lie on the desk at Kix, watching you jerk off, and have you come all over my pussy. Mmm. I want your cock inside me right now Phoenix.”
He pushed his way into my room, kicked the door shut then slammed his lips to mine. He released my legs, letting them hit the floor, and then slid his hands underneath the shirt, ripped my thong, yanked his zipper down, peeled his soaked pants off, hoisted me up, and thrust inside me in one long groan.
