Rushing around the side of the bed, I grabbed my phone off the bedside table and yanked it off the charger. Panic had set in, making the blood in my veins cold as ice. With it clutched tightly in my trembling hands, I paced the length of the room, the sheet like a long dress around my body, and counted to sixty once. I was on number thirty-five of the second round when Mace’s shadowed figure appeared in the doorway.
“It’s all good.” He flipped the switch, bathing the room in light. At some point between here and the back door, he’d grabbed a baseball bat from somewhere. He propped it against the wall and came to me, pulling me into a tight hug. “There’s no one out there. No sign there was anyone by the window. Are you sure you saw a person standing there?”
“I….” No. Truth was, I wasn’t sure. I’d been half-asleep when I saw what I thought was a person. “I guess not. It was dark and I only saw a shadow. I’m sorry. I freaked out for nothing,” I confessed, feeling all kinds of stupid.
“Hey.” His arms tightened around me. “Nothin’ to apologize for. It was a simple mistake. You gonna be able to get back to sleep?”
I hadn’t realized until just then that my whole body was shaking like a leaf. The adrenaline that had been pumping through my veins the past few minutes was quickly starting to leave my system.
“Yeah. I think so.”
He looked down at me, concern etched into his gorgeous face. “You sure?”
I managed a small smile as I wrapped my arms around his waist. “Yeah. I’m sure.”
He dropped his arms and placed a quick kiss on my lips. “Climb back in bed, Goldie. I’ll hit the lights.”
I did as told and a second later, the bedroom light went out. I scooted across the mattress to my side, making room for Mace to settle in. The bed finally depressed with his weight, and a second later his arm looped my waist and yanked me back into his body. His knees bent into the crook of mine, and his face burrowed into my hair.
“You good?” he asked quietly into the darkness.
I wasn’t. I was still shaken, but I didn’t want him to know that. I’d already freaked him out enough for one night. “Yeah. All good.”
“Okay, baby. Sleep good,” he whispered.
“You too,” I returned.
I lay there wide awake, staring at nothing as the minutes ticked by. I knew the moment Mace finally found sleep when his limbs grew lax and his breathing steadied, fanning out against my neck and back.
About a half hour after Mace fell asleep, I drifted off as well. Only my sleep was plagued with nightmares that I’d thought had finally become a thing of the past.
Mace
Lyla had a rough night, there was no doubt about it. She tried to keep it from me, tried to hide the fact that she’d tossed and turned all night long, jolting out of one nightmare only to fall back asleep and get sucked into another. But I knew. And I fucking hated it.
I stepped into the kitchen to find her wearing nothing but my tee while she stood at the stove with a spatula in hand. Leaning against the counter across from her, I crossed my ankles and folded my arms over my chest as I watched her.
“Hey.” She shot me a smile over her shoulder before turning back to finish scrambling the eggs she’d cracked into a skillet. “You hungry? Bacon’s done, eggs are scrambling, and the biscuits are in the oven. I can make cream gravy if you want, just let me know.”
“Sweetheart, turn that off and come here.”
“Just a sec,” she replied, eyes to the stove. “I don’t want the eggs to burn.”
“Baby. Just turn it off and come here.”
She let out a bewildered laugh and looked at me. “Honey, these’ll burn.”
“I don’t give a shit about the eggs. Please, Lyla. Just come here.”
Hesitating for only a second, she flipped the burner on the stove off, shifted the skillet to the side, and dropped the spatula on the counter before coming to me. As soon as she got into reach, I shot an arm out and grabbed her, pulling her body flush against mine.
Those honey eyes of hers were full of concern as she looked up at me. “What’s the matter?” she asked as she placed her palms against my chest. The simple touch of her hands on my bare skin was enough to make me hard, but there were more important things than my dick to deal with at the moment.
“You had a bad night,” I stated, making her body going tight. “You wanna talk about it?”
She cast her eyes to the side and over my shoulder, refusing to meet my gaze. “It was no big deal. Like I said, it was just a shadow or something.”
When she tried to pull away, I tightened my hold on her. “I’m not talking about that. You had nightmares. All damn night.”
“It’s no big deal,” she replied, doing her best to play it off. “Seriously. I’m fine.”
“You have to be exhausted, yet here you are, making me breakfast first thing in the morning when you’re the farthest thing from a morning person that exists.”
“Like I said—”
“Don’t tell me you’re fine. Baby, you aren’t fine. You’re trying to pretend you are, but I know better. Talk to me. Why were you having so many nightmares?”
She pulled back once again, and this time I let her go. If she needed a bit of distance, I’d give her that… just as long as she remained in my sight. “I don’t know.”
“You’re lying. This is the second time I’ve been with you when you’ve had a dream shake you like that. I let you blow it off the first time, but not again. How long has this been going on?”
I could tell she’d given up on lying to me when her shoulders sagged and she used the counter behind her to brace herself. “Not long, and not often. They’re sporadic. It’s like they crop up just when I think they’re gone for good.”
My blood started to heat because I had a feeling I knew what those goddamn dreams were about. “They’re because of him, aren’t they?” I grumbled, doing my best to keep myself in check and not explode. “They’re ’cause of what that motherfucker did to you.”
She gave me a tiny smile and quipped, “Well, I’m not a dream analyst, so I don’t want to assume….”
“I’m being serious,” I snapped, and all her humor vanished.
“They’re just nightmares,” she said softly, coming close and placing her hands on my chest again. “Yes, they’re about Daniel, but I meant it when I said I was fine. They’ll go away again. Maybe they’ll pop back up, I don’t know, but eventually they’ll disappear for good.”
Dropping my head on a heavy exhale, I closed my eyes and wrapped my fingers around her wrists, pressing her hands deeper into me. “I fuckin’ hate that he left you with that. What can I do to take those wounds away, baby?”
Her face gentled as her arms looped around my neck. “The only thing that’ll heal them is time, honey. But being with you makes the healing process easier every single day.”
It wasn’t what I wanted to hear. I wanted to be able to take all her suffering away at once, but knowing I was helping was something, at least. And I’d break my back from here on out to make sure each day was a little better than the last for her.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Lyla
It had been a month without another nightmare and, even though I could tell the weight hadn’t completely lifted off Mace’s shoulders, we’d been able to move past it and get back to being us.
My group had been a large part of helping me move on from those nightmares, and I was so glad I’d taken the girls’ advice and found a support network of my own.
After months of darkness, I was finally living in the light, and every day was better and brighter than the last. I had a great family, great friends, and an unbelievable man. Life was good, and I couldn’t ask for better.
“Do you, Ian, take Corrine to be your lawful wedded wife…?”
The minister’s voice yanked me back into the present, and I turned my attention back to the altar where Corrine and Ian were currently saying their “I dos”. After months and mont
hs of planning, their day was finally here.
Corrine was one of the most beautiful brides I’d ever seen. Her dress was the palest of pinks, and hugged her from bust to hips before exploding in a sea of feathers and fringe. It was something a 20s-era flapper would wear, and it was so totally her.
And Ian… my god. What could I say about Ian? The mountain of a man had only ever had one facial expression and one tone of voice in all the times I’d been around him—bored disinterest. But seeing him right now took my breath away. His eyes radiated love and adoration as he stared at his soon-to-be wife like he was the luckiest man on the planet.
As they repeated their vows to one another, my eyes drifted down the line of groomsmen until they landed on one in particular.
Mace’s gaze locked on mine the instant I looked at him. He gave me a sexy wink that made my belly flutter and my nipples harden. God, he was beautiful. I’d seen him in a suit. I’d seen him in faded jeans and tees. I’d had the luxury of seeing him in absolutely nothing at all. But seeing him in a tux was nothing short of breathtaking. All that naughty, bad boy rocker wrapped up like that was enough to make me shiver.
“I do,” he answered in that deep baritone voice of his, snapping me back to the present.
“And do you, Corrine, take Ian to be—”
“Hell yeah!” she cried in excitement before he had a chance to finish, making everyone laugh.
The minister smiled, and a few seconds later announced that it was time to kiss the bride.
We all shot to our feet, hooting and clapping loudly as Ian bent Corrine over his arm and planted a kiss on her that bordered on indecent.
The music kicked in a moment later, and they made their way back down the aisle as husband and wife, the perfect flapper bride in her feathers and fringe holding on to her mountain of a husband.
Absolutely perfect.
The party was in full swing. The champagne was flowing freely, the dance floor was packed to the gills, and the air radiated with happiness and celebration. I had to hand it to Corrine, the woman could throw one hell of a party.
“Ugh! Remind me to kill Corrie for putting my fat ass in heels,” Gwen grumbled as she plopped down in one of the seats at the table Tate and I had commandeered.
My head shot in her direction and my eyes narrowed in a severe scowl. “You aren’t fat. You’re pregnant.”
“Whatever.” She grumbled, kicking off her shoes and propping her feet up in an empty chair. Once she was settled comfortably, she put her hands on her protruding belly and began to massage. She still had a couple months, but I wasn’t sure there was much room left for that baby to grow.
“I need this thing out of me yesterday,” she continued to complain. “The other day Garrett thought it would be funny to sneak up from behind and tickle me, and I swear to god, as soon as I started laughing I peed myself a little bit.”
Gina had chosen that moment to wander up, and her eyes nearly bugged out of her head. “That really happens?”
“I have something the size of a bowling ball sitting on my bladder,” Gwen deadpanned. “What the hell do you think?”
“Oh my god,” she whispered in horror. “I’m never having babies.”
Tate let out a snort-laugh and said, “I don’t think that’s something you need to worry about, G. Killian’s a big dude, but Garrett’s a freak of nature. Of course his baby would be abnormally huge.”
She had a point there. Then something hit me and I breathed, “Holy shit.”
“What?” Gina asked as they all looked at me.
“If Gwen’s this miserable, can you imagine the kind of Hell Corrie’s gonna go through?”
We all shot our eyes to the dance floor where Corrine was slow dancing with her new hubby, staring up at him with all the love in the world.
Garrett was huge, but Ian was the size of a freaking grizzly bear.
“Oh damn,” Gwen said softly. “Any baby of Ian’s is gonna split her right in half.”
With that, we all busted out laughing.
“What’s so funny?”
I lifted my head to see my guy standing over me. “Nothing you’d understand or appreciate, honey.”
He gave me a quizzical look. “That right?”
“It’s a girl thing.”
“Ah. In that case I’ll let it go.”
“Smart man.”
Pulling his hands out of his pockets, he extended one to me. “Come on, baby. Let’s take a couple spins around the floor.”
I couldn’t think of anything better at that moment than Mace holding me as we danced together, so I grabbed his hand and let him lead me onto the dance floor.
The song ended and the DJ started another, keeping it slow with a soft, romantic ballad by Camden Knight.
Mace and I began to sway as Camden’s voice crooned through the speakers of the reception hall. Lost in the moment, I pressed my cheek against his chest and closed my eyes, letting everyone around fade away until it was only us.
His deep, raspy voice vibrated through his chest as he asked, “You having a good time?”
“The best,” I replied, lifting my head to smile up at him. “I really love you in this tux.” I smoothed my hands down the lapels of his jacket.
A low hum rumbled up his throat. “Not as much as I love you in that fuckin’ dress. And those shoes. Goddamn, baby.”
I was glad to hear that he liked my outfit. I’d picked it out with him solely in mind earlier in the week. The dark fabric held a bit of a sheen, making the color look more of a gunmetal than a simple gray. It was totally strapless and hugged from the bust all the way to the tops of my hips before flaring out a bit in a loose, flowy skirt that hit just below mid-thigh.
The shimmery silver sandals I found complemented the dress perfectly. They were made for impact, not comfort, with a whole mess of complicated straps and a zipper at the back, but I’d take the pain of the sky-high heel any day of the week if it meant I got that dark, needy look from Mace. And sure enough, when I’d come sauntering out of our bedroom hours ago, he hit me with that very look.
“I’m glad you approve,” I murmured, lowering my lids to half-mast.
“Oh, I more than approve. When we get home, I’m stripping you naked and fuckin’ you in nothing but those heels.”
A tremble worked its way to my core, and my panties nearly went up in flames. “I can get on board with that.”
We’d lapsed back into silence as the song continued to play, and I thought we’d spend the rest of the dance just like that until he spoke again, asking a question I hadn’t been expecting.
“What would you want your wedding to be like? Big and elaborate, or small and intimate?”
My chin jerked back in surprise. “I….”
“Not a hard question, baby,” he chuckled when I remained speechless. “Would you want to do it up big like this, or have just friends and family?”
I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth and bit down uncomfortably. “I, well… I’ve already done the whole big wedding thing.”
Mace’s body suddenly stopped swaying to the music. “Shit,” he hissed. “I’m sorry, Lyla. I wasn’t thinking. I just forgot for a second—”
“It’s okay,” I said, cutting him off before he could beat himself up too badly. “I forget too.”
His head jerked back in surprise. “You do?”
“Yeah. Now that I’m with you and I’m so happy, the fact that I was ever married before slips my mind sometimes. And it’s been happening a lot more often lately.”
He lowered his forehead and rested it against mine, closing his eyes tightly as he whispered, “Christ, baby. I love hearing that.”
“And to answer your question, small and intimate. Definitely.”
“You sure?” he questioned, skepticism heavy in the furrows of his brow.
“Absolutely,” I declared. “I wanted my wedding to be small and private, but Daniel and his folks just had to show off to their friends, so it blew up into something I nev
er wanted. I hated every minute of it.”
He remained quiet for several seconds as he studied my expression. “You know I’ll give you anything you want, right?” My heart lodged itself in my throat as he continued, “One day really goddamn soon, I’ll give you a diamond to wear on your finger. Then shortly after that, I’ll give you my name. You want to do it up like this,” he said, tipping his chin up to indicate the elegantly decorated room that held Corrine and Ian’s two hundred wedding guests, “it’s yours. Just say the word.”
My eyes started to water, and my nose burned as I struggled to keep from bursting into tears at the beauty of everything he’d just said. “Small,” I managed to croak out. “Just our closest friends and family. On a beach somewhere. I want to wear a flowy gown that blows in the breeze coming off the ocean. I want to wear my hair loose, with big, messy curls and feel the sand between my bare toes.”
Mace’s face stretched into the most brilliant, blinding smile. My belly swooped and flipped as he leaned in and pressed a kiss to my lips. “If that’s what you want, that’s what we’ll do.”
“That’s what I want,” I whispered emotionally.
“Then I guess I need to get on finding that ring, huh?”
Oh crap. I was going to cry. “Yeah.” I sniffled through a grin. “I guess you do.”
His arm around my waist tightened as the last notes of the song faded in the air. “Love you, Goldie.”
“Love you too, honey.”
Mace
It was well past midnight by the time I pulled my car into the driveway. We’d only made it halfway home before Lyla had succumbed to the good food, expensive champagne, and hours upon hours on the dance floor, and fell asleep with her head resting against the passenger window. I was thinking of the most creative way I could go about waking her up so she’d be willing to suck me off once we got inside when my headlights hit the side of her car and all the blood drained from my face.
Ravage (Civil Corruption Book 4) Page 20
