by Lacey Black
When the song he’s playing transitions to the wedding march, we all stop and turn, glancing toward the back hallway. We all stand as Mallory and Lizzie make their grand entrance in soft ivory satin and lace. My eyes immediately tear up as I witness the moment Walker sees her for the first time. He smiles so widely, his own eyes filling with wetness as he watches her slowly make her way to him.
I feel Jasper’s big, warm hand wrap around mine, squeezing it gently before he slips his fingers into mine. Together, we watch as mother and daughter make their way to where Walker stands, waiting.
“Daddy! Wook at my dwess!” Lizzie yells when they’re barely halfway down the makeshift aisle, making everyone chuckle.
Walker steps down and meets them, dropping to one knee in front of the little girl. “You look like a princess,” he tells her.
“I tolded you it was pwitty.”
He scoops her up and places a kiss on her cheek before standing up in front of Mallory. She’s crying, but they’re definitely tears of joy. “I’ve never seen a more beautiful woman in all my life,” he whispers, smiling so fondly and proudly.
He takes her hand and leads her up to the altar, where they repeat vows and make promises to spend the rest of their lives together. I’ve been to a handful of weddings, but this is the one I truly love. It holds you tight and refuses to let go. Maybe it’s the holiday, but I don’t think that’s entirely it. It’s this couple and the love they share. It’s a living, breathing thing. Something everyone strives for.
By the time Walker kisses his bride, my makeup is good and truly screwed. I spent the entire wedding weeping, as if I’ve known them longer than just a few months. Perhaps it’s because they welcomed me into their circle so swiftly, so easily. And not just me, but Dustin and now Dana too.
As everyone starts to mingle in the bar, Jasper and I slip off to the kitchen. He spent the afternoon preparing tonight’s meal, even though Walker was prepared to have it catered. Jasper refused, stating no one but him would ever cook in this kitchen or serve meals in this restaurant. I guess they just realized it was easier to relent than to argue.
We slip inside the kitchen and find it coming to life. Jasper and his team quickly go to work, finalizing the plates of fresh salmon and filet mignon, roasted potatoes, and grilled tomatoes covered in spinach and cheese. That one made me giggle.
I stand back and watch as he moves in the kitchen, commanding the space with his expertise and precision. If I’m being honest, watching him work gets me a little excited, if you know what I mean, and if the way he grins at me from across the room is any indication, he knows it too.
But what’s a girl to do? I have the most gorgeous, infuriating man on the planet, and his eyes are set on me. I’m not strong enough to fight it or him, not that I want to. I choose him. From the moment I read his words in the newspaper yesterday, I chose him. We may not be perfect, but we’re real and committed to making this work.
It won’t be easy, of that I’m sure.
Not when you’re dating a man who has a natural ability to push all your buttons and get under your skin.
But I must say, the make-up sex is even better than I thought it could be.
I learned that fact last night.
Twice.
***
Jasper
“May I have this dance?” I ask, extending my hand to the most stunning woman in the room.
Lyndee smiles and places her smaller hand in my larger one. I lead her to the dance floor and pull her into my arms. Together, we sway in beat to the music as Jameson plays guitar and sings about finding love. I hold her against my chest and rest my chin on the top of her head. Walker gives me a wink, as he slowly spins his new wife and daughter around the dance floor. I’ve never seen him smile so much in my entire life.
I’m so fucking happy for my friend.
“Did you get a slice of cake?” she asks, dark brown eyes meeting mine.
“I didn’t. I was going to sneak a piece back for later, but I caught Lizard shoving her finger into a few slices and licking the frosting off. I thought better of it,” I state, recalling the mischievous grin the little girl gave me when I busted her on it. The chocolate smeared on her chin let me know she’d probably been at it awhile.
“Oh, well, it was pretty good. I was able to get a piece without finger marks,” she replies with a chuckle.
I glance over and see Dustin and Dana. They’re sitting together at a table, their heads very close in conversation. “What’s going on with those two?” I ask.
Lyndee sighs. “He asked me if I was okay if he went back to her place tonight. It’s the first time he’s ever stayed out all night. I feel bad though. I don’t want him to not feel welcome in his own house.”
“I’m sure that’s not it, sweets. He just wants to be alone with her. And do all the alone things you don’t want to think about him doing,” I state, wiggling my eyebrows and making her laugh.
“Gross. Stop. That’s my brother.”
“You should hear about all the dirty things I did to his sister this morning in the shower. There were all kinda naughty impressions left on the glass door,” I reply, earning a slap on the arm.
“Stop that. Someone will overhear you,” she says.
“Someone did,” Numbers grumbles, quickly spinning Savannah away from where we’re dancing.
“See? You’ve scarred him for life,” she teases.
I glance over to Lyndee’s brother, who catches my gaze. He gives me a chin lift, letting me know he sees me. There’s also a hidden message that says I better treat his sister right, or else. At least that’s the message he gave me loud and clear earlier this morning when I went to make coffee and found him standing in their kitchen. I’ve never been more honored to hear one of those brother speeches than I was at seven o’clock this morning.
“You about ready to blow this Popsicle stand?” I ask, kissing her forehead.
“You don’t want to stay? The party’s just getting started,” she insists.
I shake my head and pull her flush against me. My hard cock rubs against her stomach as realization settles into her eyes. “No, I was hoping to take this party somewhere else. Somewhere a little more private.”
“Why, Mr. Kohlmann, you sure have a way with words,” she quips, batting her eyelashes.
“You know it, baby,” I reply, spinning her out and pulling her back into my chest.
She settles her cheek against my chest, her warm hands holding my back as we sway to the music. “One more dance.”
“You got it, sweets,” I tell her, completely content with dancing, as long as she’s my partner.
And we do. Until the very end of the celebration, I dance with the woman I fell in love with. The one who owns me, heart and soul. The one I look at and can picture in a white dress, our own family and friends gathered around us.
Not now, but someday.
Until then, I’ll keep trying to prove she made the right decision in forgiving me. That nothing is too big of an obstacle to overcome, as long as we have each other. My goal is to keep her happy and smiling for the rest of my days.
Well, maybe having the occasional argument isn’t so bad. After all, I discovered making up with Lyndee is greater than any sex I had before her.
Plus, my girl’s a tiger in bed after she’s been upset.
Maybe making her mad every now and again isn’t so bad after all.
The End
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Books Also by Lacey Black
Rivers Edge series
Trust Me, Rivers Edge book 1 (Maddox and Avery) – FREE at all retailers
~ #1 Bestseller in Contemporary Romance
Fight Me, Rivers Edge book 2 (Jake and Erin)
Expect Me, Rivers Edge book 3 (Travis and Josselyn)
Promise Me: A Novella, Rivers Edge book 3.5 (Jase and Holly)
Prot
ect Me, Rivers Edge book 4 (Nate and Lia)
Boss Me, Rivers Edge book 5 (Will and Carmen)
Trust Us: A Rivers Edge Christmas Novella (Maddox and Avery)
~ This novella was originally part of the Christmas Miracles Anthology
BOX SET – contains all 5 novels, 2 novellas, and a BONUS short story
With Me, A Rivers Edge Christmas Novella (Brooklyn and Becker)
Bound Together series
Submerged, Bound Together book 1 (Blake and Carly)
~ An International Bestseller
Profited, Bound Together book 2 (Reid and Dani)
~A Bestseller, reaching Top 100 on 2 e-retailers
Entwined, Bound Together book 3 (Luke and Sidney)
Summer Sisters series
My Kinda Kisses, Summer Sisters book 1 (Jaime and Ryan)
~A Bestseller, reaching Top 100 on 2 e-retailers
My Kinda Night, Summer Sisters book 2 (Payton and Dean)
My Kinda Song, Summer Sisters book 3 (Abby and Levi)
My Kinda Mess, Summer Sisters book 4 (Lexi and Linkin)
My Kinda Player, Summer Sisters book 5 (AJ and Sawyer)
My Kinda Player, Summer Sisters book 6 (Meghan and Nick)
My Kinda Wedding, A Summer Sisters Novella book 7 (Meghan and Nick)
Rockland Falls series
Love and Pancakes, Rockland Falls book 1
Love and Lingerie, Rockland Falls book 2
Love and Landscape, Rockland Falls book 3
Love and Neckties, Rockland Falls book 4
Standalone
Music Notes, a sexy contemporary romance standalone
A Place To Call Home, a Memorial Day novella
Exes and Ho Ho Ho’s, a sexy contemporary romance standalone novella
Pants on Fire, a sexy contemporary romance standalone
Double Dog Dare You, a new standalone
Grip, A Driven World Novel
Bachelor Swap, A Bachelor Tower Series Novel
Burgers and Brew Crüe Series
Kickstart My Heart
Don’t Go Away Mad
Co-Written with NYT Bestselling Author, Kaylee Ryan
It’s Not Over, Fair Lakes book 1
Just Getting Started, Fair Lakes book 2
Can’t Get Enough, Fair Lakes book 3
Fair Lakes Box Set
Boy Trouble, The All American Boy Series
Home To You, a second chance novella
Acknowledgments
So much work goes into a book, and this is my opportunity to say THANK YOU to those who helped along the way!
My editing team – Kara Hildebrand, Sandra Shipman, Joanne Thompson, and Karen Hrdlicka. You ladies are THE best! I couldn’t do it without you!!
The book team - Photographer, Wander Aguiar; Model, Lucas Loyola; Cover Designer, Melissa Gill; Graphics Designer, Gel with Tempting Illustrations; Formatting, Brenda with Formatting Done Wright; and Promotions by Give Me Books. You each make this entire process easy!
Kaylee Ryan, Holly Collins, Lacey’s Ladies, and my ARC team, thank you for listening, for your encouragements, and for your constant support.
To my husband and kids, thank you for always standing by my side and forgiving me when I submerge myself into my book world. It’s not easy, but we make it work together.
To all the bloggers and readers, thank you, thank you, thank you. I hope you enjoy this story as much as I loved writing it.
About the Author
Lacey Black is a Midwestern girl with a passion for reading, writing, and shopping. She carries her e-reader with her everywhere she goes so she never misses an opportunity to read a few pages. Always looking for a happily ever after, Lacey is passionate about contemporary romance novels and enjoys it further when you mix in a little suspense. She resides in a small town in Illinois with her husband, two children, and three rowdy chickens. Lacey loves watching NASCAR races, shooting guns, and should only consume one mixed drink because she’s a lightweight.
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorlaceyblack
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthLaceyBlack
Website: www.laceyblackbooks.com
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