Ryan moved them in the bed, chuckling as some of her clothes fell to the floor. “So much for packing,” he said.
“This was better than packing.”
“Damn straight. I couldn’t resist making love to you one more night before you go to the hotel tomorrow. I love you,” Ryan said, holding her tighter.
Sarah’s hazel eyes met his. “I love you more.”
Chapter 15
SARAH SIGHED AS SHE woke up the next morning and stretched languorously in bed. The sheets were twisted around her, and she flushed remembering their night of lovemaking.
So much for spending the evening packing.
Ryan had taken her again and again, and she was deliciously sore today. Thankfully they both had the day off. They’d decided to forgo any traditional rehearsal dinner tonight. They’d relax together this morning and do last-minute wedding preparations, and then she’d check into the hotel with her girlfriends this evening.
They’d have some girl time, order room service, and hang out on her last night officially single. With hair and makeup appointments, maybe even a massage in the morning, she’d be rested and ready for her wedding ceremony on the beach.
Freeing her legs from the tangled sheets, she frowned as she saw Ryan’s neatly packed bags by the bedroom door.
Damn.
He’d gotten up early and packed while her clothes were still scattered about everywhere?
Good grief.
She’d fully intended to spend the night before organizing her things until Ryan had literally swept her into bed and given her orgasm after amazing orgasm. She needed to get organized, stat, and pack her hotel bag and suitcase for the honeymoon if she wanted any chance to relax with Ryan today before they spent the night apart.
Her phone buzzed with a text, and she grabbed it from the nightstand to see Morgan’s name flash on the screen.
Tomorrow’s the big day!
Can’t wait to see you later.
Sarah grinned, texting her friend back.
I am so ready! And girl’s night at the hotel will be fab. xoxo
She set her phone back down on the nightstand, and Ryan walked into the bedroom, carrying a tray full of food and hot tea. He was already showered, shaved, and dressed, and she could smell the spicy hint of his cologne as he got closer. “I thought I’d make you breakfast in bed,” he said, his voice deep.
“Awww, that’s sweet,” she said, flushing.
“It’s the least I could do after distracting you last night,” he said, his lips quirking.
“True, I’ve still got a ton of stuff to do.”
He set the tray down, smiling as he sank down onto the bed beside her. “I didn’t hear you complaining too much when you were crying out my name,” he murmured in a low voice.
Sarah raised her eyebrows. “You got me there—you’ll get no complaints from me when we’re in bed together,” she teased. “But you know how I hate packing. I don’t want to be frantically racing around before we leave for the hotel.”
“What else is left? You’ve got your dress; the flowers and cake are being delivered. I’ll load up the car later on, drop you off to meet Morgan and Bree at the hotel, and then meet you at the end of the aisle tomorrow.”
“You make it sound easy,” she said with a sigh, spearing a piece of fruit with her fork. “I’ve got packing, prepping, going over my list to make sure I don’t forget anything.”
Ryan chuckled. “All that matters is us. I’ve wrapped up stuff on base for the time being, and you’ve said goodbye to your clients for the next week—all we have to focus on is the wedding.”
Sarah looked at him doubtfully. “And you’re sure you won’t get called back to base for some emergency?”
“I’m sure,” he assured her. “We’ve got other teams on standby if something urgent comes up.”
“The guys out in California?”
“It’s handled,” he said. “And besides, I’m the only one who will be gone for a week while we’re on our honeymoon. The other guys will all be working as usual.”
Sarah lifted the mug and took a sip of her herbal tea. “I just can’t believe our wedding is tomorrow, you know? It seems like everything is falling into place too perfectly—I’m worried something is going to go wrong.”
“Nothing is going to go wrong,” he assured her. “And hell—even if it does, all that matters is the two of us saying our vows. The cake could be awful, the skies could open and rain down on us, and it wouldn’t matter. You know why?”
Tears smarted her eyes as she looked up at him, and Ryan’s gaze softened. “Because we’re getting married,” she said, a single tear rolling down her cheek.
“Why are you crying?” Ryan asked, his voice gruff as he gently thumbed away the single stray tear.
“I’m just happy,” she said. “And a little bit stressed—but mostly happy.”
Ryan chuckled. “I don’t want you so stressed that you’re crying. I’ll help you pack—whatever I’m allowed to see, that is,” he added with a wink. “Eat your breakfast, take a bubble bath, and then we’ll get organized. I’ve got to tie up a few loose ends around here since we’ll be gone for a week and make sure the place is locked up, but then we’ll relax and enjoy the afternoon together before I drop you off.”
“That sounds good,” she said.
Ryan took one of her hands and brushed his lips over the back of it. “I promise—even if everything in the world somehow goes wrong, all that matters is that we’re together.”
“You’re right,” she said. “I’m just being silly. It’s just wedding jitters or something like that. I’m not worried about us getting married, just something going wrong with the ceremony.”
“And like I already said, nothing will go wrong. You’ll walk down the aisle, I’ll kiss the bride, and we’ll sail off into the sunset.”
Sarah giggled. “Except there won’t be any boats.”
Ryan shrugged. “I’m in the Navy—what can I say? That’s how I think. We’ll toast at our reception, and I’ll carry you off to our hotel room.”
“And then we’ll jet off the next day on our honeymoon,” she said excitedly.
Ryan ducked down and kissed her forehead. “Exactly. Now eat your breakfast. Relax. We’ve got our entire lives ahead of us, sweetheart.”
SARAH KISSED RYAN GOODBYE in front of the hotel later that evening, grinning as the bellhop put her suitcase, overnight bag, and dress onto the luggage cart. “Are you sure you don’t want me to help get that to the room?” Ryan asked, his voice deep.
“I’m fine, sweetheart. Morgan will be here any minute.”
He nodded, bending down to brush his lips against her forehead one more time. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach, and she knew it was probably just wedding nerves. “The room’s in my name, and they already have my payment information. When you check in, everything should be all set.”
“Great. I’ve got my wallet and stuff, so no worries if something goes wrong.”
“I don’t need you paying for our hotel on our wedding night,” he countered.
“Good thing that’s tomorrow then,” she said with a wink. “So you have everything you need, right?”
“I’m all set,” he assured her. “Have fun with your girlfriends tonight. And you’ve got those hair appointments or whatever in the morning?”
“Hair and makeup,” she confirmed. “They’ll come right to the room, so after we have a late brunch, we’ll be getting ready for the ceremony!”
“This is the hairstylist friend of that guy you met?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Yep. She’s got her own salon here in Virginia Beach and luckily had an opening, can you believe it? I think she had a cancellation or something, because everyone else was booked since this was so last minute.”
“We’ve had a few weeks to plan,” he said with a chuckle.
Sarah lightly swatted at him. “Trust me, in wedding planning, that’s last minute. You’re just saying that because of all the last-minute m
issions you’re involved with. Some people spend an entire year planning their wedding—maybe even longer.”
“Thank goodness that’s not us.”
“Seriously. All right,” she said, looking into the open hatch of his SUV. “I think that’s the last of my stuff. And you’ll just bring your luggage tomorrow?”
“It’ll be in my car,” he assured her. “We’ll go back to the room tomorrow night after the reception and then fly out the next day on our honeymoon.”
“Sounds perfect,” she said excitedly, jumping up and down. “Oh, my phone’s buzzing with a text. I bet that’s Morgan. So, I’ll see you tomorrow!”
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said, ducking down for one last kiss. Sarah shivered as Ryan’s lips brushed over hers. The bellhop was discreetly looking away when Ryan stood back up, and Sarah flushed. That kiss was completely chaste, but something about the fact that they were getting married tomorrow was turning her into the typical blushing bride.
Sarah stepped toward the bellhop and then turned and blew Ryan another kiss. The next time she saw him, it would be at their oceanfront ceremony. She thought she might actually explode from excitement.
Chapter 16
SIGHING IN CONTENTMENT, Sarah stretched out on the bed in the luxurious hotel suite. Morgan and another girlfriend were in the attached living room, ordering room service. Sarah heard them shrieking with laughter and smiled.
“How many bottles of champagne do you want me to order?” Morgan called out.
“Two!” Sarah shouted just as her friend Bree called out three.
Shaking her head, Sarah rose and walked into the living room. Morgan finished placing the order and hung up the hotel room phone. “It’ll be up here in thirty minutes!”
“Awesome, I’m starving. Ryan made me breakfast in bed, but I skipped lunch. God, will you look at that view?” Sarah said, glancing out the open balcony doors to the waves crashing on the shore.
“And tomorrow you’ll be down there getting hitched,” Bree said.
“I know, I can’t believe it. The weather should be amazing, the florist confirmed the flowers—everything is going to be perfect!”
Morgan flopped down onto the sofa, brushing back her hair. “And then you and Commander Hottie can ride off into the sunset together. It doesn’t get much more perfect than that.”
“Speaking of Ryan, what’s he doing tonight?” Bree asked.
Sarah laughed. “Grabbing a drink with a few officers from base I think. But his relatives are coming into town, so he’ll be meeting up with them later. My parents flew up from Florida, and Patrick said he’d get them from the airport and checked in to their hotel.”
She grabbed her phone as it buzzed and frowned.
“What’s wrong?” Morgan asked.
“It’s that guy Juan who’s friends with the hairdresser. He said she might stay here as well, so I can go up to her room tomorrow to get my hair done.”
“That’s weird.”
“Yeah, kind of strange. The point was to do all our hair at once.” Sarah shrugged. “Maybe she just has a ton of supplies or something? I’ll touch base with her in the morning.”
“And I booked our spa appointments—don’t worry, not too early,” Bree said. “We’ve got massages at ten a.m.”
“Sounds perfect!” Sarah said. “The hair and makeup appointments aren’t until the afternoon, so we’ll be relaxed and ready.”
“And that’s room service!” Morgan said as there was a knock on the door. She hurried to answer the door and watched as a waiter rolled in a cart of food.
“Ummm, that smells amazing,” Sarah said. “Let’s eat on the balcony.”
Ten minutes later the women were all relaxed on the balcony overlooking the ocean. The sun was just starting to set in the sky, the golden rays beaming off the water. “I can’t believe that in twenty-four hours I’ll be down there marrying Ryan,” Sarah said dreamily.
Morgan lifted her champagne flute. “Believe it, girl. To you and Ryan!”
The women clinked glasses and sipped their champagne. Sarah’s phone buzzed with a text, and she glanced down to see Ryan’s name.
Miss you, baby.
She smiled contentedly, planning to text him back after they finished eating. He was no doubt meeting his buddies for drinks soon, and she’d have time later on as she and her friends spent the evening relaxing.
She took another sip of her bubbly, feeling on top of the world.
“Your manicure looks good,” Bree commented.
“Thanks! I splurged and got a mani/pedi the other day.” She giggled. “I got a Brazilian, too. Ryan’s going to be shocked on our wedding night.”
“Ha,” Morgan said. “He’ll love it. Men are all about that sort of thing.”
“Amen,” Bree agreed.
“I packed my sexiest lingerie, too. Anyway, thanks so much for helping me plan my wedding last-minute like this. I love you both so much. Let’s enjoy dinner, girls,” Sarah said. “To new beginnings!”
“To new beginnings!” the women repeated, and they spent the next hour laughing and enjoying life.
RYAN GOT HOME FROM drinks with the other officers later that night and walked into his empty home, double checking the locks. He flipped on the lights, and his eyes fell on his suitcase in the hallway.
Damn.
In less than twenty-four hours, Sarah would be his wife.
She was already checked into the hotel with her girlfriends, and tomorrow they’d be spending the night together in the luxurious hotel suite, their first night as a married couple. He’d already arranged for chocolates and champagne to be sent up the next evening and for rose petals to adorn the bed.
Although he didn’t really consider himself a romantic man, he wanted to surprise Sarah on their wedding night. And he couldn’t wait to see her face when he carried her into the bedroom.
Ryan walked into the kitchen, flipping on the light switch. It was too damn quiet without Sarah around, but he knew she was safe at the hotel, having fun with her bridesmaids. He’d check the home surveillance before going to bed and make sure the house was secure. After he left for the wedding tomorrow, he and Sarah wouldn’t be back for over a week.
His phone buzzed with an incoming call, and he saw Patrick’s name flash on the screen.
“Ice, is everything alright?” he asked.
“Yes, sir,” Patrick confirmed. “Sarah’s and my parents flew in, and I wanted to let you know they’re at their hotel. We picked them up at the airport and dropped them off. I texted Sarah but didn’t hear back.”
Ryan chuckled. “Yeah, she’s busy with her girlfriends at the hotel tonight.”
“Roger that,” Patrick said as he chuffed out a laugh. “I assume you’ll talk to her at some point.”
“Presumably,” Ryan commented dryly. He walked down the hallway and sat down at his desk, pulling up the surveillance footage on his computer screen. “I don’t know what she and her friends have planned exactly, but I’ll send her a text. I’m going to look over my security footage and call it a night.”
“Understood. There’s been nothing out of the ordinary here.”
“Here either. And we’ve been getting updates on base,” Ryan said. “All should go smoothly tomorrow. Sarah and I will be out of the country on our honeymoon, but if anything urgent comes up, I’d like to be updated.”
“We’ll keep you informed,” Patrick assured him.
“I’ll see you at seventeen hundred then.”
“We’ll see you then. Goodnight.”
Ryan set his cell phone down and quickly reviewed the surveillance footage, not noticing anything out of the ordinary. Both teams had confirmed they were taking extra precautions with their families but hadn’t noticed anything unusual either. The leaked names of the Alpha team were looking to be a minimal worry at the moment.
There’d been no sightings of the men who’d escaped jail, and it looked like Ryan and his SEAL teams were not in any immediate danger. H
e’d marry Sarah tomorrow and enjoy his honeymoon with her. Officially move her into his place when they got back and hopefully start a family together.
Nothing sounded better than that.
Chapter 17
SARAH SPUN AROUND IN her fluffy hotel robe, holding her arms up in the air. “That was the best freaking massage of my entire life. Dear God, after that, I’m totally booking a couple’s massage for us on our honeymoon.”
“I agree,” Morgan said, collapsing down on the king-sized bed in Sarah’s hotel room. “That was amazing. We should’ve done brunch afterward though. With all the food, mimosas, and the hour-long massage, I need a little siesta.”
“Then take a power nap,” Sarah joked. “The makeup artist will be here soon to unpack things and set up, and we’ve got our hair appointments.”
“Did you decide to wear a veil?” Bree asked.
“Just for the ceremony—and did you see these cute little dangly earrings I got?” she asked, crossing the room to the dresser. She held them up for Morgan and Bree.
“Cute!” Bree said. “Oh, I think that’s the makeup artist at the door. I’ll go let her in.”
Sarah walked back and forth in the bedroom, continuing to talk to Morgan, who was still lounging on the bed. “Okay, so we’ve got all the last-minute stuff, right? My mom will be coming up here later on, too. She booked her hair appointment with whoever Rebecca usually sees. The cake was delivered to the restaurant; the florist texted that she’s on her way....”
Morgan sat back up. “You’re flushing! I never thought I’d see you as a blushing bride.”
“I’m excited!” Sarah said. “It’s all finally happening.” She glanced over to the closet, looking at her wedding gown hanging there. “God, just a few short hours, and I’ll be walking down the aisle. I just want everything to be perfect, you know?”
“It will be,” Morgan assured her.
“Oh, I forgot to text Ryan back earlier,” Sarah said, grabbing her phone. His message was still on the screen.
SEAL Ever After Page 9
