by Toni Aleo
He knew they needed to get out of bed, shower, and maybe get something to eat since they had a flight to catch, but he couldn’t bring himself to leave the bed. He didn’t want to leave the easiness they had in this room. Here, it was him and her—no one else—but once they set foot outside of this room or answered their phones, the rest of the world would be there, and that worried him a bit.
He knew their love was strong and that nothing was going to come between them, but Nate Martin was a different kind of crazy and Karson had just eloped with his only daughter. He didn’t regret his decision one bit; he just wished he could shake the nervousness of having Nate and Grady come after him once they found out. They could do anything they wanted to him—he wasn’t going anywhere—but if they touched or hurt Lacey, he’d end up in jail. He’d die before anyone or anything hurt her.
He had somehow been blessed with one more chance with this angel of a woman, and he had no plans other than to make her completely and utterly happy. And satisfied in bed, of course. As they say, a happy wife, a happy life, and he wanted the best life ever with her. He couldn’t wait to get back to Nashville so they could find a house. It was bound to be one of the many adventures they would go on throughout their life together, and Karson would be lying if he said he wasn’t ecstatic about turning some house into their home.
They would have kids there, grow old, and hopefully have their grandchildren there. They would need a dog, one that would be good for kids—not saying they were ready for that yet, but one day, he wanted a houseful. Girls with Lacey’s eyes and spirit and boys strong like him but also with her eyes. He couldn’t wait to watch her with a baby in her body. The cravings, the moods, and the late-night runs for whatever she wanted. Watching his child be born from her body and afterward holding them both, knowing he was the luckiest man in the world.
It would be a blessing, and he honestly couldn’t wait for that part of their life. Threading his fingers in her hair, he brought his mouth down on hers, feasting on her succulent mouth as his body caught on fire with desire for her. It seemed like he was constantly hard, wanting her at every second. He couldn’t believe that his hopes and dreams were coming true. That he finally had Lacey as his.
“I still don’t believe this,” he whispered against her lips.
Her lips curved in a little half grin as she nodded. “Yeah, but it’s real. It’s us, Karson.”
“Forever,” he promised, running his thumb along her cheekbone. “And then some.”
Her cheeks reddened as she nuzzled her nose with his. “I know I’ve said it a billion times, but I do love you, Karson.”
He smiled as he framed her face with his hands. “Don’t ever stop saying it either. I love you too, Lacey.”
She gave him a happy grin before wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, holding him close to her. Letting out a contented sigh, he smiled as she said, “I really need to check my phone.”
“Why?” he asked incredulously. “The outside world is on that phone.”
“Exactly. I ran off without telling anyone where I was going. My family is probably freaking out.”
“Yeah, mine too,” he said, letting out a groan. “I know that when my mom saw I was scratched from the game tonight, she probably flipped. That’s why I shut my phone off.”
She giggled. “Great, now she is going to think I told you to shut it off so we could elope.”
“Ha, my mom knows me. She’ll know I convinced you to do this.”
“Didn’t take much convincing,” she laughed, but he set her with a look.
“Whatever, I saw the panic on your face.”
“Of course, it was out of left field!” she said, her face full of delight before she ran her thumb along his bottom lip. “But it was probably the smartest left-field suggestion on the face of this earth.”
He chuckled as she smothered him with kisses. Rolling him onto his back, she covered him with her sexy body and smiled down at him. “We did this,” she said and he nodded.
“We did,” he said, kissing her palm and then the finger that held her engagement ring and wedding band.
“We really need to tell people.”
“Yeah,” he said, sliding his hands up her thighs before cupping her sweet ass. “Or I can sit here and massage your ass before hitting it again.”
She scoffed as she shook her head. “You’re impossible.”
“You’re the one lying on me—naked, I might add. What did you think? I’d be like, ‘Yeah, let’s call my mom and tell her we are married!’” he joked, and she laughed like he wanted. “I’d much rather bury myself so deep inside your tight pussy and get lost in the feel of you.”
Her face turned red as her legs fell to the sides of his hips, her wetness hot against his growing erection. He thought he had her, and slowly his fingers slid up the inside of her thigh, tracing the lips of her sweet pussy, but as he went in for the kill, she stopped him.
“We have all night.”
“No, we have to leave to catch a plane at four in the morning. I gotta get in while I can because once we get back to Nashville, we are going to be going twenty-four-seven.”
“We can sleep on the plane, and I promise, we will never be too busy for naughty time. So call your mom. I don’t want her to hate me.”
“She couldn’t hate you, not with how much I love you.”
She bit into her lip, cupping his face as she looked deep in his eyes. “Please, call your mom?”
She batted her eyes and grinned triumphantly because she knew she had him. Laughing, he pushed her off him to retrieve their phones. If all she had to do was bite her lip and bat her eyelashes at him to get him to do things, he might as well accept that she would be running things because he was a goner when she that. Finding a pair of boxers, since calling his mom naked was a little weird, he slid them up before finding his phone then hers. Turning them both on, he walked over to the bed to find that she had found a shirt.
“I’m hungry. Wanna order room service first?” she asked as she flipped through the menu.
“We can if you want, or I can take you out.”
She smiled sweetly up at him. “I’m with you that once we leave, things are gonna be nuts, so I’m all about spending all our time just with each other.”
He leaned into her, kissing her temple. “Good, me too. Now, what do you want to eat?”
As they waited for their phones to boot up, they decided on dinner, and just as Lacey went to call, Karson’s phone went crazy. Looking up from the menu, they both watched as it rang with text messages and then with voice mails. Just when he thought it was done, Lacey’s started to go off. Reaching for her phone, he watched as her brow furrowed, and he hated that she did that.
“Ignore it,” he demanded but she shook her head.
“My father called the cops on you,” she said, letting out a long breath. “They think you abducted me.”
“Seriously?” he laughed. “Are they after me?” he asked, a little worried.
“No, it hasn’t been twenty-four hours.”
“Oh, well, that’s good,” he scoffed. “They are really going to think I abducted you when you tell them we are married. They’ll probably say I drugged you too.”
He thought she would laugh, but his heart sank when she didn’t. He watched as she scrolled through the text messages, her brow furrowing more with each text. When she dropped the phone to her lap and turned to look at him, he knew she was going to say it.
That this was a mistake.
“I’ll deal with them later. Let’s call for food and then call your parents.”
“Really?” he blurted out, feeling like an idiot. This was real; they were real. He needed to stop worrying that she might leave.
She smiled. “Yeah, check your phone while I order.”
She leaned over, kissing his cheek, but before she could pull away, he asked, “Are you sure you are okay?”
She nodded earnestly. “Yes, nothing can ruin the mood I’m in right no
w. I love you and nothing can stop that. Not even my dad calling the cops on my husband.”
Relief flooded him as love poured out of his pores for her. “I’m so glad I abducted you to be my wife.”
She giggled as she nodded. “I know, and to think, you didn’t even have to drug me.”
“Yet,” he teased with a wink, and she grinned as she reached for the phone to order. While she told room service what they wanted, he clicked on his messages to find that he had a text from almost every player on the Assassins. All wishing him well and hoping that everything was okay. He was surprised that Elli hadn’t told them why he’d left, but then again, he was glad she didn’t. It was his news to share.
“I think once we have a house, we should have a reception, housewarming kind of thing,” he said more to himself than to her, but she nodded with a bright smile on her face.
“That would be fun— Yes, I need the chicken linguini,” she said, turning the page of the menu.
He kissed her temple again and then turned to see that he had a text from JT.
Thomas: Where the hell did you go?
Thomas: Did that chick break your heart again?
Thomas: Did you off yourself, you asshole?
Thomas: I really don’t like being ignored. You better be getting laid or dead.
Karson laughed to himself as he texted him back.
Karson: I’m fine. I’ll call you when I get back.
He didn’t expect JT to text him back since he was probably showering as the Assassins game had just ended. They had lost, and Karson couldn’t help feeling guilty that it was his fault since he wasn’t there. He then reminded himself that he had put hockey above Lacey before, and he refused to do it any longer. It was one game. It would be okay.
When he came to a text from Kacey, he clicked it and smiled at what she said.
Kacey: So. Um. You’re scratched from the game tonight. This means one of two things: Dinner with Lacey went well and I have a new sister-in-law or it went really bad and you offed yourself. Which is it? Inquiring minds need to know and plus Ma is freaking the shit out. Might want to call her. Love you!
Why did everyone think he would off himself?
“How did she know?” Lacey laughed from beside him. He looked over and kissed her nose.
“Kacey knows me and knows what I’ve wanted to do since I met you.”
Her cheeks warmed as she leaned her temple against his. “That’s sweet. What are you going to say?”
He smiled as he quickly texted Kacey back.
Karson: My wife and your new sister-in-law says hi! Love you too. I’ll call you in a bit. Gotta call Ma and Dad.
She texted back quickly.
Kacey: I knew it! HI LACEY!
Lacey smiled beside him, and he clicked his camera to where it was on them, causing Lacey to cover her face quickly. “I look like hell!”
“You look gorgeous, come on,” he urged, bringing her hands down. Holding her jaw in his hand, he brought his lips down to hers and kissed her as he took the picture. Kissing her nose, he pulled back and hit send, and Kacey texted back just as quickly.
Kacey: Aw! I can’t wait to see you two! Congrats! Ma is going to flip!
Karson: I know. Lol. It’s gonna be fun.
Kacey: for sure, call me tomorrow! I want to fly down and see you two once you’re settled.
Karson: Sounds good to us. :)
Kacey: :)
“When she says your mom is going to flip, she means that in a good way, right?”
He grinned as the nerves settled in his stomach. He wanted to believe that his mom would be happy for him, but he was pretty sure she was going to freak out that she wasn’t there. No need to let Lacey in on his fears, so with a nod, he said, “Sure.”
He then found the number to dial his mother, hitting the speaker so Lacey could hear as it rang.
Regina King answered on the second ring with a loud, “Karson Jett King, where the hell have you been! I’ve been calling since last night, and then when I saw that you were scratched from the game, your father and I were sick with worry! Kacey tried to convince us not to worry, but it was hard when my baby was missing.”
Karson laughed as he rolled his eyes. “Ma, I’m fine. I promise.”
“You say that, but why were you scratched? You don’t miss a game for anything!”
She was right. Even when he was sick, he played. But he’d miss a game to marry Lacey.
“I know,” he said slowly. “The thing is, Ma, I flew out to Vegas.”
She paused. “What the hell for? Karl, what the hell is in Vegas?”
Karson laughed as his father said, “I have no clue. Is that where he is?”
“Yes!” she screeched, causing Lacey to giggle. “What the hell is going on, Karson Jett! Is that a woman I hear?”
Lacey shut her lips tightly, her eyes dancing with laughter as Karson chuckled. “Yeah, Ma.”
“Why are you calling me when you’re in bed with someone?” she yelled, obviously freaking out a bit. It was bound to get worse once he dropped the bomb of information he was holding. Glancing over at Lacey, he shot her a grin, kissing her lips before looking down at the phone.
Taking in a deep breath, he said, “Because I wanted you to say hi to your daughter-in-law.”
Crickets.
Karson swore he could hear the crickets on the other end of the line. Lacey looked over at him with worry lining her lips, but he shook his head. He knew his mom just needed to process it, and then she would be okay. Regina wanted nothing more than for her baby to be happy, and Lacey was the one to do just that.
“What’s going on, Regina? Why are you looking at me like that?” Karson heard his father ask.
“Our son got married,” she breathed and Karson grinned.
“What? Who?”
“Karson, he got married in Vegas.”
“What! Did he knock the chick up?” his father boomed.
“Oh my God,” Regina breathed. “Karson, am I going to be a grandmother?”
Before Karson could answer, he heard his dad snatch the phone out of her hand and then said, “Karson, son, what the hell is your mother talking about?”
“Hey, Pops,” Karson said slowly.
“Don’t ‘Hey, Pops’ me. You got married? To whom? Did you knock her up? Did you at least get a prenup before you went and married some girl you don’t know?”
“At least they want to protect you,” Lacey commented with a grin.
“Who’s that?” his father asked. “My daughter-in-law?”
“Yeah, Dad, and it isn’t just some girl I don’t know. It’s Lacey Martin.”
“Lacey? Why do I know that name?”
“Because I’ve loved her my whole life,” Karson answered, cupping Lacey’s face. “And I married her, Pops. I couldn’t waste another second without her.”
“Wow. You sound like a damn pussy, Kar, get it together,” Karl grunted as Lacey snickered against his lips.
“Oh, he’s a character,” she whispered.
“You have no idea,” Karson laughed as he kissed her nose. “I’m in love, Pops!”
“Still, be a man about it. Smack her ass, tell her she’s pretty and that you love her. No need to get all sappy and shit,” he said, making them both laugh again. “But okay, congratulations and can’t wait to meet you, Lacey.”
“Can’t wait to meet you, Mr. King.”
“That’s Pops to you, honey. Here is your mother. Maybe she can process some info now, but is she pregnant?”
“No, Pops, no kiddos yet,” Karson answered, and he didn’t miss the way Lacey bit her lip, the worried look back on her sweet face. Lacing his fingers with hers, he kissed her knuckles as Karl said, “Here, Regina. He married that girl he was in love with from college, Lacey, and they aren’t pregnant. Just in looooove.”
Lacey laughed out loud before saying, “I already love him.”
“Yeah, he’s pretty loveable,” Karson laughed as his mother got back on the pho
ne.
“You married Lacey? How? I thought you hadn’t seen her in years!”
“Yeah, I got in a cab in Chicago, Ma, and she was there. It was like time hadn’t even passed,” Karson admitted, and it felt good to say that to someone else. “I went and won the game for her and then asked her to marry me. She said yes.”
“Oh my God, how romantic! That is just darling. I’m so excited for you and her,” she said, heavy emotion in her voice.
“Thanks, Ma. Once we are settled, I want you to come meet her,” Karson said as Lacey grinned.
“No, you two come here. Your next game isn’t till Friday. You can come here before going home,” she insisted.
“Ma, we have to pack her up and stuff. I’ll fly you two out to Nashville.”
“But I want to meet her now!” his mom protested. “You didn’t give me the chance back then, and now that you two are married—which by the way I didn’t get to be a part of—I think it is only fair that you stop in. Even if it is only for a couple hours.”
“Fucking hell,” he muttered and Lacey chuckled beside him. “Hold on.”
Hitting mute, he looked at Lacey. “What do you think?”
“I mean, if we don’t, she’s going to assume I said no. We really have no choice.”
“I know. She is a sneaky little shit.”
“Yeah, let’s stop on the way home. I’ll call and see what I can do.”
“We have to deal with your family next; are you sure?”
She nodded, her face warm with love. “I like that you said we.”
“’Cause that’s what we are. A unit. I’m not going to sit back and let you take shit for this, Lacey. We both wanted this.”