Rising to her knees, she hovered over his length, moaning as he started to penetrate her. She threw caution to the wind as she suddenly seated herself, taking all of him. Mac’s body jerked in surprise, nearly bowing up before he moaned in desire. “I love you, I love you, I love you,” she chanted as she started rising and lowering herself onto him.
“Ah, baby, I love you too. Shit, you feel so good.” As shivers started to shake her body, Mac thrust his hips upward, going deeper than she believed possible. She was so close. She knew by the restless tempo of his hips that he was as well. When his fingers started circling her clit, she was gone. Her orgasm crashed into her with a suddenness that took her breath away. Her world went black and stars danced in her eyes as her body seemed to spasm forever. With a hoarse shout, she felt Mac release himself into her as he supported her now-limp body with his hands. “Fuck,” he gasped out, seeming to be as overwhelmed as she was. “That was . . .”
“Yeah.” She sighed as she collapsed against his chest. “It was.” They lay there for long moments, simply content to just be together. Finally, Ava propped herself up on an elbow, trailing her other hand idly over his sweaty chest. Was it completely gross that she wanted to lick him? She decided to keep that question to herself, instead asking, “Not that I’m complaining, but where did you come from? I had just been discussing Adam Levine with Emma.” When he raised a questioning eyebrow, she quickly added, “Don’t ask. Anyway, I thought I heard her leaving and then poof, you were standing there . . . looking far too sexy.”
Grinning, Mac said, “Emma let me in. I gave her the universal sign for zip your lips, and she pointed to the bathroom.” As he continued to study her face, his grin slid away and he looked wary instead. “You’re not mad that I came, are you? I know we had another week of the no-sex, date-only plan, but, baby, I just couldn’t hold out. I was miserable without you. I deserve points for being strong enough not to stalk you or have my employees stalk you, though, right?”
He looked so hopeful that Ava was powerless to contain the soft smile on her lips. Moving a hand up to cup his face, she said, “I missed you too, and I’m so glad you’re here. I was wrong to try to force rules on us now. You and I have never had a normal relationship, and maybe it’s time we used that in our favor instead of against us.”
Looking intense, Mac asked, “So, what are you saying exactly?”
Ava swallowed, trying to find the words to tell him how she felt, when suddenly it hit her. Emma was right, this was Vegas. Was there any better place for a grand gesture than the place where one gamble could change your entire life? So, with her heart beating wildly and the worst case of bed head in the history of bad hair, Ava slid from the bed and to her knees at the side of it. Still gripping one of Mac’s hands tightly, she pulled him until he was in a sitting position, then continued to tug until he was standing in front of her.
He looked down at her in concern, probably having no clue what she was about to do—while they were both still naked. Clearing her throat, Ava took a deep breath and for the first time in her adult life, she took a leap of faith with her eyes wide-open. “Mac, I loved you even before I understood what love really was. When I was thirteen I vowed to myself that one day I’d marry you and you’d be mine forever.” When she saw one tear trek down Mac’s cheek, she almost lost it, but a quick squeeze from his hand to hers gave her the strength to continue. “For a long time, I was lost. I never stopped wanting that with you. I just couldn’t find my way back to who we were. You’re my person, Mac, my other half, and you were always meant to be a part of my journey in life. Please say that you’ll marry me and—”
Ava didn’t get any further, because suddenly he was on his knees in front of her, struggling to hold in his emotions as he pulled her into his arms. “Oh, Avie . . . You’ve always been my forever person and, baby, I can barely breathe when you aren’t with me. I’m yours. I always have been.” Holding her away from him, he reached a hand out to wipe away the steady flow of tears from her eyes and chuckled. “I was coming here to propose to you, but I can’t tell you what it means to me that you did it. I was afraid of pushing for too much, too fast, but I don’t want to be apart anymore.” He turned away briefly, digging in the bag he’d dropped on the floor earlier. When he finally turned back to her, he was holding a black velvet box in his hands. Her hands flew over her mouth as she gaped at him. Looking at her with so much love and tenderness that it made her heart hurt, he said, “There is nothing in this world that I want more than to marry you.” A gorgeous princess-cut diamond stole her breath away as he flipped the top of the box open. The ring was a perfect fit when Mac slid it onto her finger. When she finally lifted her gaze from it, Mac gave her a lopsided grin before asking, “I don’t guess you’re interested in being married by Elvis, are you?”
She amazed both herself and him when she giggled before nodding. “How about just a few velvet Elvis paintings around the wedding chapel? I would like nothing more than to leave Las Vegas as Mrs. Ava Powers.” She knew she had Mac’s approval when something hard poked her in the belly.
“I like the way you think,” he growled as he rubbed his length against her. “Now, how about we seal the deal in a way we’ll never forget?”
As Ava took his hard cock in her hand, pumping him slowly, she said, “Our deal was sealed long ago, but I definitely think we need to sign on the dotted line.” Luckily for them, their clothes were still off and there was nothing left in their way . . . absolutely nothing.
Epilogue
Ava stood still in a bubble of complete bliss as a flurry of activity hummed around her. She was getting married in Vegas just two days after she and Mac had coproposed to each other. She hadn’t seen him at all today, as her friends and torturers were insistent that she not see the groom before the ceremony. That didn’t mean that they hadn’t texted each other like crazy for the last twenty-four hours.
She finally looked around the room where they were all busy changing clothes to see a sight that she’d never expected. She had friends, good ones who had worked tirelessly for two days to give her a dream wedding. Suzy, the party planner extraordinaire, had refused to even entertain a trip to a drive-through wedding chapel. She’d paled alarmingly when Mac had jokingly suggested it. Instead she had opened her bag of tricks and secured them a beautiful outdoor venue with a breathtaking view of Red Rock Canyon in the distance. She had handled every detail, and despite their protests, Brant had insisted on paying for the wedding, stating it was his honor as head of their family. God, she loved her uptight brother. Finally, she and her brothers felt like a family.
Truthfully, she had been more than happy to hand over all the planning to Suzy, who seemed to do it so effortlessly. Ava just wanted to get married, and a justice of the peace would have been fine to her. Now her dear friends Suzy, Emma, Claire, and Beth buzzed around her, seemingly overjoyed to be part of her special day. She missed Ella and wished that she could have been there.
A knock sounded at the door and Emma rushed to answer it. When Emma didn’t return after a few moments, Ava looked over at the door to see the other woman passionately kissing Brant, and for once, Ava didn’t want to shudder in horror from seeing her brother making out with his fiancée. Actually, she’d never been happier that both of her brothers had found their forever persons. Despite years of doubt, it seemed as if there was a happily-ever-after on the horizon for all the Stone siblings.
Brant’s face was flushed when Emma finally pulled him into the room after ensuring that everyone was decent. He stopped in his tracks, just looking at Ava for a moment. She had chosen a simple white gown with a square neckline and delicate spaghetti straps. Tiny seed pearls were sewn on the white material, giving the dress a fairy-tale look. She had known it was her dream gown the moment she saw it. Suzy had given her an enthusiastic high five that she’d found her wedding dress within an hour.
“You look beautiful,” he said as he reached her. Emma ushered everyone from the room, seeming to k
now that Brant wanted a moment alone with his sister. He looked at her almost shyly before pulling two boxes from his jacket pocket. “I . . . um . . . think I can help you out with two things you might need before you get married.” He set one box on the table before holding a long, thin box in front of her. “You know that most of Mom’s jewelry has been in a safe-deposit box since their death.” When she nodded, he continued, staring at the box he held. “When you told me you were getting married, I remembered this one necklace. Mom always wore it to every party that she and Dad attended. It’s the only piece of her jewelry that I can remember seeing her wear on a regular basis. I . . . well, I thought you might like to have a part of her here today. I know it’s not the same, but . . .” Without finishing his sentence, he popped open the box, showing her the platinum pearl and diamond necklace nestled within. She choked on a sob as she too remembered it adorning their mother’s neck on several occasions.
Brant removed it from the box, walking behind her to gently move her hair aside before fastening it around her neck. Her hand automatically flew up, feeling the cool weight against her skin. His eyes were bright as he moved back in front of her. “I, um . . . had someone send this to me for you. I thought this could be your something old.”
“Oh, Brant,” she cried, “I don’t know what to say. I never knew how much I needed a part of them until now. Thank you for always taking care of me.” When she went to hug him, he held her off, setting the empty box down before picking up the other, smaller one.
“Wait. There’s another one, and I don’t want you crying more than once, so try to hold it until—” As a knock sounded on the door, Brant smiled and went to open it. Ava’s mouth fell open as her other brother walked in, looking equally emotional as he looked at her.
“Sorry, guys. I . . . got tied up. Oh, sis, you look beautiful.” As Declan leaned over to kiss both her cheeks, he whispered in her ear, “Mac is one lucky bastard.” Brushing an errant tear from her cheek, he pulled back, taking the box from Brant’s hand. His eyes softened as they lit on their mother’s necklace. “Looks beautiful on you, Av. I know she would have wanted you to wear it today.” Clearing his throat, he held up the velvet box in his hand, saying, “Ella and I wanted to give you something new for your day.” Opening the box, Declan turned it for her to see a bracelet very similar in design to the necklace that she wore. As he put it on her wrist, he continued talking. “I’m sorry if I haven’t always been there when you needed me, Av, but please never doubt that I love you. There is only one man that both Brant and I would ever pass your hand along to without reservation, and you’re marrying him today. He’s always loved you, Ava, and I know that he always will.”
After that, they all exchanged emotional embraces and just enjoyed the moment of togetherness with their feelings unguarded. As the rest of the gang filed back in, Suzy shook her head while the other women ushered the men out. “I’m not even going to bother fixing your makeup until your last visitor comes in, because I know you’ll just cry again.” Then in an uncharacteristic display of emotion, Suzy gave her a side hug, saying, “And you know what, you cry as much as you need to. If we can’t fix it, then screw it. Mac will only see your beauty, not your makeup.”
When Suzy moved back, Ella stood there holding her newborn baby, Sofia Grace, and doing a mixture of laughing and crying. They all gaped at their soft-spoken friend when she covered the baby’s ears and said, “Now, would I miss the wedding of my favorite whore?” Laughter rang out in the room, and they all knew they’d never forget Ella’s multiple-personality delivery and the laughs that it would bring to them for years to come. Ava smiled, thinking that now she knew how Brant had managed to get their mother’s necklace here so quickly.
“Now I believe we’re missing the borrowed and blue items, right?” Claire asked while holding a hand behind her back. When Ava agreed, the other woman brought her hand back around, showing Ava the pearl and diamond ring there. “My mother gave this ring to me when I got married and I thought it would go perfectly with your necklace and bracelet.”
Ava wanted to protest, not sure about wearing something so special to Claire, but the other woman seemed so excited. When the ring actually fit Ava’s finger, she found herself hugging Claire while trying to hold back her tears.
Next, Suzy and Beth stepped forward, holding out a long white box. Ava looked at it suspiciously, before shaking her head. “Please tell me that isn’t the Channing Tatum that you bought.”
Beth started laughing as Suzy winced, rubbing her lower back. “Um, no, Gray buried that at the bottom of the trash can. I think he may have stabbed it a few times for good measure.”
“Then he buried something else, right?” Beth joked, holding her sides while she laughed.
Suzy, never one to be embarrassed, gave a smug grin. “Yeah, he sure did, again . . . and again. God, I love pushing that man’s buttons.” Beth finally had to nudge Suzy to shake her out of what appeared to be some vivid memories. “Oh, right, so, anyway, Beth and I took care of the something blue.” When Ava hesitated, Beth opened the box, showing her the light blue garter belt nestled inside it. Ava sighed in relief before donning the last item.
Her friends left to join the rest of the wedding guests, while Brant and Declan returned and took their positions on each side of her. Strangely, she was barely nervous. Nothing had ever felt this right. The only thing she needed now was to be standing next to the man she loved. “Ready?” Brant asked, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze.
Before she answered, she hugged both of her brothers once again. “I’m ready,” she said softly. “I’m finally ready.”
All three of them knew that her words had little to do with the ceremony and everything to do with where she was in her life.
* * *
“A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri was played by a pianist and cellist as the love of his life walked down the canopy-covered aisle holding the arm of each of her brothers. Lights on the surrounding trees twinkled against the darkness, giving the whole setup a storybook feel. As Mac stood waiting for her, he truly understood that all the heartache of the past had led them to this one defining moment.
Since their group of friends and family attending the wedding was so small, they hadn’t bothered with giving anyone in the wedding party formal titles. Instead everyone circled the altar, leaving just a small opening for Ava, Declan, and Brant. Mac’s mom and dad, Dominic, Gage, Ella, and Sofia Grace had been able to make the last-minute ceremony thanks to the generosity of Mark DeSanto. He was a friend of the Stone family as well as a business associate to Danvers. When Brant told him about the wedding, he had insisted on helping in any way possible. His private jet had picked up their guests from Myrtle Beach earlier, and they had arrived in plenty of time for the wedding. Mac’s parents were so thrilled that he and Ava were finally getting married that they wouldn’t have held a grudge over missing the wedding, but he could tell they were happy to be here.
When both Declan and Brant arrived at his side, placing their sister’s hand in his, they clapped him on the back, signifying without words their trust in him. He swallowed a huge lump in his throat as he nodded once to the men he thought of as brothers. Beside him, Gage whistled low under his breath as he glimpsed Ava. Dominic elbowed him in the stomach, causing the other man to let out a low groan before giving Dominic a dirty look. Mac was so grateful to have his friends there with him as he took the step he had always dreamed of with his forever girl.
He took advantage of the fact that Ava wasn’t wearing a veil to lean in and give her a quick kiss on her neck. “I love you, baby,” he whispered for her ears only. She mouthed the words back to him as the officiate started the ceremony. Both he and Ava had opted to have a simple service, including traditional vows. They had already said everything that was in their hearts to each other earlier in private. They answered the questions that were asked of them and repeated their promises when prompted, but their eyes never left each other. The world faded away as the
y were pronounced husband and wife. As Mac pressed his lips to hers, he felt the pain and sorrow of the past slip away and out of the ashes arose a beautiful commitment that staggered him with its perfection. Because he knew that, no matter what happened in the future, as long as Ava was at his side, life would be beautiful. And he intended to spend the rest of his life loving her—always loving her.
Acknowledgments
As always, a special note of thanks to my agent, Jane Dystel, and my editor at Penguin, Kerry Donovan. None of this would ever be possible without you both and I appreciate all that you do.
Also, thanks to Jenny Sims for all your help.
A huge thanks to all the readers and bloggers who continue to embrace the Danvers series. It always touches my heart at how much you love the characters that I’ve created. Thank you for making them as much a part of your lives as I have.
To my special friends: Amanda Lanclos and Heather Waterman from Crazy Cajun Book Addicts, Catherine Crook from A Reader Lives a Thousand Lives, Shelly Lazar from Sexy Bibliophiles, Marion Archer, Lorie Gullian, Stacia from Three Girls and a Book Obsession, Shannon with Cocktails and Books, Sarah from Smut and Bon Bons, Andrea from the Bookish Babe, Jennifer from Book Bitches Blog, Tracey Quintin, Melissa Lemons, Lisa Granger, Chantel Pentz McKinley, Nicole Tallman, Stefanie Eldrige-O’Toole, Tara Thomas, Lisa Salvary, and Jen Maxner.
About the Author
Sydney Landon is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Weekends Required, Not Planning on You, Fall for Me, Fighting for You, and Betting on You. When she isn’t writing, Sydney enjoys reading, swimming, and being a minivan-driving soccer mom. She lives in Greenville, South Carolina, with her family.
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