by Nikki Paris
Kate gave Maci a quick hug. “Okay, it’s time to start. I love you so much, sweetie.” She hurried out to take her place in the woodland wonderland that Maci had designed in the back yard.
I grabbed my best friend’s hand and smiled at her. “Maci Myles, I am so damn happy for you.”
She gripped my hand and smiled. “Thanks. I’m happy for you, too, just so you know.” Maci let out a deep breath. “Oh my God! In like twenty minutes, I’m going to be Maci Middleton!” She squealed and squeezed my hand even tighter.
“Ow, Maci!” I laughed but didn’t pull my hand away. Maci could break all my fingers today. It was her wedding day, and I’d accidentally kept her up all night with noises she definitely didn’t want to hear.
There was a knock on the door. I pulled it open to find the groomsmen and Maci’s dad in the hallway. Kai offered me his arm with a stony glare. I sighed and took it. Derrick licked his lips at me when I walked past him, and I prayed that his father didn’t see. Bri took his arm, Trinity took Jayden’s arm, and we all headed out the back door.
The yard looked stunning. Maci was an event genius, now. The rows of wooden chairs were decorated with fairy lights and the cream ribbons I’d spent hours cutting. A pale pink, silk runner ran the length of the yard and ended at a breathtaking macrame arch. I’d almost murdered Maci while I helped her string flower after flower onto the massive macrame backdrop, but she was right. It was perfect.
The music started, and Kai and I headed down the aisle first. I smiled at Blake and gave him a subtle thumbs up. When we reached the arch, Kai moved away from me like he couldn’t get away fast enough. I felt bad that I’d hurt him, but I’d done nothing to lead him on. I wasn’t going to let his bad mood ruin this day.
Trinity and Jayden came next, then Bri and Derrick. Derrick locked eyes with me and made my heart race. Was this thing between us for real, or would I end up with my heart completely shattered? Derrick had the power to destroy me, and it terrified me. But Derrick also made me feel like I could take on the world. If he saw me and loved me, it didn’t matter what anyone else thought.
◆◆◆
After the ceremony, Derrick slid his arm around my waist. “I know Maci said not to touch you, but I have to.”
I leaned into him and smiled. “I know. I look good enough to—”
“So!” Kate came up behind us and clapped her hands together.
I covered my mouth and slowly turned around to face her. I could feel the color draining from my face. I knew Kate loved me as Maci’s best friend. But how would she react to me as Derrick’s girlfriend?
Derrick took my hand in his. “Mom, I want to introduce you to my girlfriend. This is Skylar. She’s smart and tough, but also a little sweet, and she owns her own dance studio. I’m crazy in love with her, and no, I never did anything inappropriate with her under your roof.” Derrick rolled his eyes. “Well, nothing too inappropriate.”
My heart rammed against my ribcage, but Kate just pulled me into her arms for a hug. “Skylar, honey, you’re perfect for him. Promise me you won’t take his crap and that you’ll make him come to all the family dinners?”
I laughed. “Promise.” I stepped back from her embrace. “I’m sorry about Clara. I know you liked her.” I bit my lip and looked down.
Kate laughed and glanced over at Derrick. “She was nice, but she wasn’t his perfect.” Kate patted my shoulder and then walked away.
“Hear that, Skylar? You’re my perfect.” Derrick grinned and pulled me into his arms.
I sighed and melted into him, letting the relief wash over me. I’d told Derrick I loved him. I’d told Maci I loved her brother. I’d told Kate I loved her son, and the world hadn’t imploded like I’d always believed it would. “You are so damn lucky, Derrick.” I smirked at him.
“I know.” He leaned down to kiss me softly.
29
Six Months Later
Derrick
I grinned over at my gorgeous girlfriend. Skylar sat on my couch, leaning forward, eyes glued to my TV. “Skylar,” I said, “what are you gonna do with that battle rifle?”
Her beautiful blue eyes flashed over to meet mine. “Just a little face painting, Derrick.”
I didn’t even try to stop her kill shot. She was so fucking sexy when she played video games like a pro. I leaned back on my couch. “Okay, the next round, we play naked.”
Skylar shrugged. “That idea’s not half bad. I think it would be more fun if we played strip Halo, though. Like, I kill you, you take something off. You kill me, I take something off.”
“Love it.” I leaned forward and started the next round. I killed Skylar in ten seconds flat.
“Whoa!” She laughed. “Someone’s a little more motivated than usual!” Skylar pulled her shirt off over her head and tossed it on the floor. I gazed at her perfect tits in her sexy, red lace bra. I wanted the bra off, so I killed her again in five seconds.
Skylar rolled her eyes and stood to slide out of her jeans. I shook my head. “The bra.”
She slowly unhooked her bra and let it fall to the floor. Damn. Those. Tits. I reached out to grab them, but she slapped my hands away. Skylar sat on my lap, rubbing her ass into my hard dick, and turned over her shoulder. “Let’s go again. I won’t go easy on you this time.”
In thirty seconds, she tossed a grenade at me. I tugged my shirt off, and she turned to straddle me, pressing her mouth-watering tits against my chest. Skylar kissed my neck and sucked on my earlobe. I started the game again and shot her avatar before she even had the controller in her hand.
She burst out laughing. “That doesn’t count!”
“Yes, it does. Pants off, now.” I took her left nipple in my mouth and then moved to her right. She stood and slid out of her jeans. Now the only thing between me and her naked body was a pair of red lace panties. “Get your sexy ass back over here, Skylar.”
She straddled me again and pressed her forehead against mine. Skylar pushed her pussy hard against my jeans and sighed. She wasn’t slow or shy about grinding against my dick. “Mmm…” She moaned as she rocked her hips back and forth. “That feels really good, Derrick. Mmm.”
I flipped her over and laid her down on the couch. Then I slid my hand into her panties. She was soaking wet. I gently rubbed her clit with my thumb and kissed her gorgeous pouty lips. I could tell when she was about to come now. Her body always froze, and her breathing got heavier right before she’d start those sexy orgasm moans. Skylar’s body was freezing now.
I leaned back so I could watch her face as she came. I almost burst in my jeans. “Fuck, you’re so sexy, Skylar.” I couldn’t get the rest of my clothes off fast enough. I couldn’t even be bothered to take her panties all the way off. I just slid them to the side and drove into her. She wrapped her arms around my waist, then slid her hands down to grip my ass. I buried my face in her tits and thrust into her over and over again. She felt incredible. I was blind with desire and wholly lost in Skylar. She made me feel like no one ever had. Skylar just got me. She understood me, and she pushed and teased me when I needed it, but she was soft and sweet when I needed that, too.
After I came deep inside my sweet Skylar, I brushed the tangled hair off of her forehead and grinned down at her. “I love you, Skylar.”
She smiled and said, “I know.” Then she rolled her eyes and said, “I love you, too, Derrick.”
I was right. Her eye rolls did mean, “You’re adorable, and I want you.”
I rolled onto my side and pressed her naked body up against mine. “Are you picturing a beach-side wedding? The house and the kids?” I asked.
Skylar scoffed and tried to pull away from me, but I held her fast and said, “Because I am.”
Her eyes widened, and then they softened, and she gave me a sweet shy smile that I rarely got out of her. “Really? Are you fucking with me?” Skylar narrowed her eyes.
I shook my head and grinned at her. “You’re it for me, Skylar, and I’ve known that for a long time. I just
needed to grow up a little.”
Skylar laughed. “You mean, I needed to grow up a little.” She gazed into my eyes and traced my lips with her fingertips.
I caught her hand and kissed it. “Nope. You were always perfect. I was definitely the one that needed to grow up.” I kissed her soft lips and gazed into her eyes. “I’m sorry for all the times I hurt you because I was too stupid to see that the girl of my dreams was right in front of me.”
Skylar ran her fingers gently down my chest. “And I’m sorry for all the times I hurt you because I was mad about how much I loved you.” She gave me a soft smile and kissed me. “All the pain was worth it, though, right?”
I nodded. “I mean, if I could do it all over again, I would have shown up at your door on your eighteenth birthday, fucked you, and then dated you until you were ready to get married.”
Skylar laughed out loud. "That would have been the best birthday present!”
I sat up and gazed at my girlfriend’s gorgeous, almost naked body. I slid her panties off and grinned. “That’s better.”
I had the engagement ring in a box in my closet. I had a big, fancy proposal planned involving all of the students at her dance studio and a candlelit dinner, but I had this overwhelming urge to make her mine and not wait another second. I stood up suddenly. “Don’t move, Skylar. I’ll be right back.”
I headed to my bedroom and reached my hand up to the top shelf of my closet until my hand closed around the ring box. I pulled it down and opened it. Maci helped me pick it out two weeks ago. We’d been sitting in the porch swing in our parents’ backyard after a family dinner. Our dad was “teaching” Blake the correct way to mow a lawn, while Maci and I looked on and laughed at her new husband.
I’d turned to Maci and said, “I want to marry her.”
Maci’s mouth dropped open, and she squealed loud enough to make our dad turn off the mower. “Ohmygod! Ohmygod!” Maci screamed and threw her arms around my neck. “Ahhhh!!!! Skylar’s going to be my sister for real!”
“What’s that now?” our dad called over to us from across the yard.
“Maci!” I laughed. “Chill, okay? I haven’t even talked to her about it yet! We’ve only been officially dating for like five months!”
“Well, yeah, but you’ve known each other and loved each other for like a million years! Duh! Of course, she’s going to say yes!” Maci rolled her eyes. “Come on!” She stood up and yanked on my arm. “We’re going ring shopping. I know exactly what kind of ring she wants.”
I laughed. “How do you know that?”
“Um, I’ve just been her best friend for sixteen years, Derrick.” Maci turned to Blake, “Baby!” she yelled. “We’re going ring shopping for Skylar! We’ll be right back!”
My dad gave me a big grin and a thumbs-up, and Blake called after us, “Okay! I’ll just chill here with your parents…”
When Maci and I walked into the jewelry store, she made a beeline for the biggest diamond on display. “This one,” she said.
The price tag should have shocked me, but I just smiled and said, “Okay.”
Maci’s mouth dropped open, and she said, “Aw! You really do love her, you dumbass! I’m kidding. Skylar hates big ass flashy jewelry like that. I was just testing you to see if you knew her worth.” Maci had then directed me to a much more reasonably priced black diamond with a halo of smaller white diamonds.
I smiled down at the ring now, and my heart raced. I knew Skylar loved me but was she ready for this? I made my way back to the living room to see that Skylar had started a new game of single-player Halo. Fuck, I loved her.
“Skylar.” I smiled at her when she looked up at me. “Come here.”
She rolled her eyes and paused the game. “What, Derrick?” she asked with a smile. Skylar stood and slid her arms around my neck.
I held up the ring box, and she gasped and covered her mouth with both hands.
“I had a whole thing planned for next weekend. It was going to be off the charts romantic, Skylar. But, this seems more us — just hanging out, playing Halo, teasing each other, being naked. I want to do this with you for the rest of my life. Knowing that you love me feels a million times better than having a line of women drooling over me.” I laughed when she rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her tits.
“Seriously, Derrick? You’re bringing up all the other women that want you while you’re proposing to me? You’re so full of yourself!” Skylar laughed out loud and shook her head.
“I’ve never heard that before!” I laughed and pulled her back into my arms. “And, I said that I want you a million times more. Skylar, do you know how much a million is? It’s a lot. Trust me — I’m good with numbers.”
I kissed her again and again until she pulled away and grinned at me. “So was there something you wanted to ask me, Derrick?”
“Will you marry me, sweet Skylar?”
She shrugged and smirked at me. “Let me see the ring.”
I flipped open the ring box and dropped to one knee. Skylar gasped and said, “Holy shit! That is perfect! How did you — Maci. Maci picked it, huh?”
I nodded. “So, do you have an answer for me?”
Skylar rolled her eyes and let out a long exaggerated sigh. “Yes! I’ll marry you! I’ve only been waiting for you to ask since I was ten!”
I slid the ring onto her finger with my heart racing. I loved the way Skylar smiled and bit her lip when she held up her hand to look at the ring. I scooped her up in my arms and carried her to my bedroom. She immediately climbed on top of me and laughed. “I see why you proposed naked. It was so obviously going to lead to sex. This is just efficient, you know?”
“Exactly.” I grinned at her and then moaned when she lowered herself onto my hard dick.
“I love you, Derrick. It’s always been only you.” She leaned down to kiss me, slow and soft, and then she rode me hard until I came inside of her.
After the mind-blowing sex, we spooned and teased each other and talked about our future until 2 am. Then Skylar fell asleep in my arms. I gazed at her sweet, vulnerable, sleeping, form and knew I’d do anything to keep her safe and happy. I was so damn lucky that she was mine, and tomorrow, we’d tell the world.
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About The Author
Nikki Paris
I write sweet and steamy novels and novellas. I love coffee, rum, and the word f*ck. My other hobbies include creating Pinterest fails, and pretending I enjoy working out.
Follow me on Instagram @nikkiparisromance for updates on my current works in progress.