Mr. All Wrong

by R. C. Stephens

  She looks confused and maybe a little shaken, but she gives me her hand. There isn’t much room in the aisles, but I pull her toward me. She looks like a skittish cat, and I remember the night we first danced at the gala. She had a similar look on her face. “I’m going to kiss you now,” I say, and I need some response from her that she was okay with that.

  “I…” she mutters.

  “I want to kiss you now,” I repeat. “I did not fall in love with you because of some weird projection theory. I fell in love with you because you are kind, and caring. I love the way you care for Carter, I love how passionate you can be about helping others.” I pause because I loved her passion in bed too, but I kept quiet given our audience. “You are beautiful, feisty and stubborn. I love everything about you. Now, I need to know if you love me back. I only want a one-word answer.”

  Her mouth which had been hanging open snaps shut and I see her give a slight nod. Then her lips curl at the corners, that warm smile that she keeps just for me. “Only one word?” she says, and I knew I have her. She is playing me.

  “Dammit woman,” I joke. I hear the laughter of some other passengers behind us. Then one guy shouts. “Kiss him.” She can’t hear him. Then more passengers begin to cheer, “Kiss, him, kiss him.”

  Carter taps his mother on her hip and signs to let her know what is happening around her. Her eyes widen, and she bites her lip nervously as she looks over the plane and takes in all the passengers chiming in together. She bursts into laughter, the apples of her cheeks turning a beautiful rosy color. I capture her lips, kissing her with everything I have. She kisses me right back, and it is hot. Her lips on mine make my body stir in ways I didn’t know existed. I am ravenous for her, and I am also kissing her in front of one hundred eighty-four other passengers some of whom are clapping and cheering.

  I slow the kiss, and we press our foreheads together for a moment so we can catch our breath. “I’m coming to Canada with you.” I pull my head away, so she has a clear view of my lips.

  “I figured as much,” she shrugs and goes back to her seat. The seatbelt sign had come on.

  I look at the older woman sitting beside her and ask if she’d mind switching seats with me. Mine was two seats ahead. “Glad you two worked it out,” she says before getting up. “Saw your whole story play out in the newspapers. That must have been a nightmare.”

  I nod in agreement. It had been a nightmare that was on replay for days.

  “You can’t fight fate,” she says, moving into my seat.

  “No ma’am, you can’t fight fate,” I agree and take a seat between Carter and Evie. They both look up at me with a smile. I take Carter’s hand in my left and Evie’s hand in my right. “This is exactly where I should be.” I look to Evie knowing she needs to see my lips. She blinks, and I see the recognition in her blue eyes.

  “I’m glad you’re here,” she signs.

  “I can’t wait to see Grandpa Jack again. He told me I needed to work for it if I was going to get you. I have to thank him for the good advice. And for warning me that you are a real spitfire too,” I joke. Evie punches me in the shoulder. The plane took off and Evie, Carter and I flew across the country into the sunset.

  Epilogue

  Eight years later

  “I think we should wake her up,” my daughter urges with her sweet little voice as we stand at the foot of the bed waiting for my beautiful wife to wake up. It is Mother’s Day and our five-year-old daughter is waiting impatiently to serve her mom the breakfast in bed we made her. The problem is that Evie was up half the night nursing our three-month-old son, Liam, who was a little colicky.

  “Mommy is very tired. Liam was up crying most of the night. I say we leave the breakfast here on the nightstand for her and let her sleep. I think sleep is the greatest gift we can give Mommy today.” I smile down to my daughter who considers my words very carefully. She has Evie’s fire red hair and a feisty personality to match.

  “Okay, we won’t wake her up, but can we go outside and play for a bit?” she coos, batting her blue eyes at me, apparently trying to make a deal with me. Little does she know that she has me in her back pocket already.

  “Sure, but I hear Liam stirring in his crib. Let’s take him with us,” I suggest.

  Sophia claps her small hands together and cheers. We head into Liam’s nursery. His eyes are open, and he’s whining but when he sees me, his bright blue eyes sparkle, and he smiles. It warms my heart every time.

  When I got on that plane eight years ago, I was filled with hope and a dream. I never expected this to be my life. I was one lucky bastard. That day I flew with Evie and Carter to Vancouver, Canada and from there we spent some time touring the beautiful sights before renting a car and driving down the coast to LA. We were lucky to spend the summer there with Grandpa Jack because he died that fall. His death was hard on Evie because he was her last blood relative that she knew of. She leaned on me and with time things got better. We also decided that a fresh start in a new city was the way to go. Chicago no longer felt like home after the scandal and Evie didn’t feel any more ties to LA after Grandpa Jack died, so we settled on Washington State. Our sprawling mansion was located on Pine Island, a small island off the coast. It was beautiful and quaint and had the perfect views of the ocean. My little Sophia loved to play in the sand.

  “Daddy come make a sandcastle with me.” Sophia grins, already running off into the sand.

  “Not today, honey, I want to see what you can make all by yourself. You can show little Liam how it’s done.”

  Sophia got to work on the dark sand, molding it and forming it. I loved just watching her play. I loved the sound of the waves brushing up on our shore. There were so many things I loved about my life. Things I never knew existed growing up in my father’s home. A home that I now knew was devoid of love and warmth. I didn’t even know those things existed until I met Evie. As I thought of her, I noticed the sliding doors to the master bedroom open. Evie had a white nightgown draped on, the soft wind blowing her hair as she steps down the few steps toward the beach. She still takes my breath away eight years and two kids later. Carter had gone off to college this past September. He was attending the University of Washington. He wanted to become an engineer, and I couldn’t be prouder of him for following his passions.

  “Hey, there,” Evie says and signs. Our little Sophia was very good at signing too. She can hold a conversation easily with her mother. I am now proficient in ASL, but with a baby in my arms, it makes communicating with my hands a little difficult. “You let me sleep.” Evie’s voice sounds sleepy and oh-so-sexy.

  “Daddy said you needed the rest,” Sophia signs.

  “Did he now,” Evie responds, her gaze landing on me, her eyes filled with love and affection. It makes my heart flutter and come to life every time she gives me that look. “Those pancakes you made were delicious. Thank you very much,” Evie signs to Sophia.

  “They were heart shaped because you’re the best mom.”

  “Thank you, sweetheart.” She bends down and presses a kiss on Sophia’s head then walks over to thank me too, pressing her warm lips against mine. “Hello, there handsome.” She smiles at Liam.

  “Thanks, I’m glad you still think so,” I joke with her. It isn’t the first time I cracked that terrible joke either but it bought me a smile, and it was worth it.

  “We should go up and get ready. Uncle Jake and Auntie Selena will be here for brunch with Grandma Veronica,” Evie says, urging Sophia to finish up her sandcastle.

  The summer Evie, Carter, and I went sightseeing in Vancouver. Jake took a trip to Cabo. He spent two weeks on the beach there. He met Selena, a Hispanic woman who was living in the US. She had gone back home to visit her family in Mexico. They fell deeply in love and married the following year. Jake and Selena moved to the Seattle area where Jake works at a school for the deaf as the gym instructor. Selena became fluent in ASL. She’s an interior designer. My mom moved to Seattle too. She never liked Chicago, and s
he wanted to be close to her boys. I learned over the years that she was nothing like the villain I had made her out to be. She was a sweet, kindhearted person who was dedicated to her family.

  We all rush back to the house to get ready for our guests. Evie ordered catering for the brunch, but we still needed to get some clothes on.

  “Here give me Liam, he needs to eat before my breasts explode.” She laughs, reaching for our son. My eyes drop to her breasts which look full, her nipples pressing against the sheer fabric of her white nightgown. My eyes grow heated. Evie lifts a finger to me. “Don’t even think it, Colton Mathis. There’s no time. Our guests will be here in fifteen minutes.”

  I chuckle. My wife knows me well. “I wasn’t thinking anything,” I feign innocence.

  “Yeah, right.” She takes Liam and stalks off to our bedroom. “Can you help princess Sophia get dressed?” she hollers.

  I go to help my little princess who is having a hard time picking a dress from her closet. She finally settles on a purple lace one. “Do I look pretty, Daddy?” she asks, twirling around.

  “Beautiful. Gorgeous. Stunning, beyond pretty.”

  “I love you, Daddy,” she giggles, and I lean forward to press a kiss on her soft cheek, but she beats me to it and kisses my nose. That bought me a bubble of laughter.

  I hear the doorbell in the distance. We also had red lights installed around the house notifying us of a guest. Evie comes dashing out of our room in a white pair of linen pants and a loose beige tank top. “I’m so excited to see them,” she cheers as she makes her way quickly down the staircase.

  Lila, our maid, was getting little Liam ready. I loved that Evie was so close to my blood relatives who are truly her family.

  Evie practically slides across the foyer on her quest to open the door quickly. She unlocks the latches as fast as she can as I watch her, making my way down our long winding staircase at a much slower pace with Sophia. When the door opens, and Evie sees Jake, her eyes light up like Christmas. At one point, I may have been jealous, at least at the beginning when I didn’t understand the nature of their relationship. Their bond was strong but more like brother and sister. Jake hugs Evie fiercely. Then Evie moves on to Selena and their four beautiful girls. Yup, my brother is raising four little princesses. Eva is seven. Mia is five - Sophia’s age, Bella short for Isabella is three, and little Mariana is one.

  “Come on in,” I motion. My brother comes to me and embraces me in a hug. We are close now. We missed years together growing up but these last years we made up for it as best we could. There were some things we would never get back. The last time I saw my father was the day the scandal broke over eight years ago and I stepped out of his limousine. We had a few conversations after where I warned him about any retaliation, and that was it. He was out of all of our lives. He tried to make contact but I never responded.

  My grandparents on his side, Lily and Edward Mathis, had set up trust funds for Jake and me when we were born. I had access to my trust fund when I turned eighteen. Jake didn’t. That was later rectified. My father had also kept me away from the Mathis family growing up. Which meant I didn’t know what type of people they were. I was grateful that Grandma Lily reached out to me in the days after the scandal broke and we have been in touch ever since. My father was simply the bad apple of the family. Grandpa Edward and Grandma Lily were truly good people. People I was honored to call family. Both Jake and I return to Chicago at least once a year with the kids to visit. Usually around Thanksgiving since the whole Mathis clan is gathered together. They may be one of the richest families in America but they are kind, considerate people. They help third world countries and donate large sums of money to disaster relief. I don’t know why my father kept me away from them or why he was so determined not to be involved with them because they are good people. The only conclusion I can make is that he wasn’t a good person and had no place there with them.

  My mother showed up for our Mother’s Day celebration a few minutes later, and even Carter made a surprise visit. That made Evie’s day. We sat around a long table filled with good food, great company and most importantly, a table that was filled with love and family.

  If you are wondering about my good friend Albert Walsh the III. Well…when I left for Canada with Evie and Carter eight years ago, Al felt like he had hit a crossroads in his life too. He decided to take a road trip across the country because he needed time and space to clear his head, but that’s a story for another day.

  As I pop a grape into my mouth, Evie comes to sit on my lap. “Hey baby,” I sign.

  “Hey yourself.” She grins back then presses a kiss to my lips. A long time ago she had confessed that she truly believed I was all wrong for her. The problem is, she had the situation all wrong. I was perfect for her, and she was made for me. And do you know what happens in such a scenario? That’s right. We live happily ever after.

  Also by R.C. Stephens

  The Twisted Series

  Bitter Sweet Love

  Twisted Love

  Wild Cards

  Standalones

  Dick: A Bad Boys Novel

  Halo

  Where Promises Die

  Mr. All Wrong

  Mr. So Wrong Coming winter 2018

  Read on for an excerpt from HALO

  HALO

  R.C. STEPHENS

  2016

  “Not all those who wander are lost”- J.R.R. Tolkien

  Prologue

  Rogers Park, Chicago

  Christmas morning 2002

  Thomas

  I lie in bed waiting for Halo to wake up. I know Christmas was a big deal around her house when she was growing up. Even though her parents are gone I still want her to feel the magic of the holiday. When I was a kid Christmas was another shitty day in my life. Nothing to celebrate. Another mark on the calendar moving me closer to the time I could leave my father and my dirty past behind.

  Halo begins to stir in bed, shifting toward me with her eyes shut. A sweet smile plays on her pink, lush lips and my chest bursts with love for this woman.

  “Hey.” Her morning voice is raspy and thick. She opens her eyes. I couldn’t love this woman more even if I tried. She’s my everything.

  “Hey yourself.” I grin as my eyes roam over her rosy nipples. The memory of making love last night gets me all hard again. I would take her right now if I didn’t have something planned. I let out a grunt.

  She stretches out her arms and her body moves into a delicious curve. I lean down and close my mouth over her nipple. Damn, she tastes good.

  I groan. “Baby, you can’t be teasing me now. It’s Christmas morning and I got stuff waiting for you under the tree downstairs.”

  “Stuff?” Excitement grows in her eyes. “Like presents?” She instantly pops up to her knees, bouncing on the bed. She’s too cute. It’s taking everything in me not to claim her right now. I want to give her Christmas.

  Seeing her smile means everything. Not too long ago she was drowning in darkness. The healthy gleam in her eyes tells me she’s feeling good now. It will make my news a little easier to deliver.

  “Yes, baby, the stuff is presents.” Before I can say anything else she pops out of bed and grabs her T-shirt off the floor. I must have thrown it there last night during our lustful attempt to actually make it to the bed as opposed to having sex on the floor again.

  There’s nothing wrong with floor sex but it can get hard on the back and Halo’s knees. Halo throws on the shirt and darts down the hallway. I hear the small patter of her footsteps as she makes her way down the stairs. I slip on my boxer shorts and follow her. I placed a number of presents under the tree and she won’t know which to open first.

  I swiftly walk down the stairs to the living room where our Christmas tree is shining bright. I look out the window to see a small dusting of snow falling from the sky. Halo seats herself on the floor in front of the presents. This is my second year with a Christmas tree and her second year without her parents—bittersw
eet.

  “Which one do I open first?” she asks like a little girl rubbing her palms together. It makes me laugh. I mean we are young. I’m twenty and she’s nineteen. We were both forced to grow up too quickly. I guess it’s memorable times like this that we cherish.

  “If I knew presents made you this excited I would try to get more.” I chuckle.

  “It’s not just the presents, Thomas. It’s Christmas. Do you feel that? It’s magical.” She stares out into space with a peaceful look on her face.

  “Sure baby, I’m feeling it.” I look down to the chub in my shorts from this morning’s perusal of her body.

  “Thomas,” she chides, punching my shoulder.

  I chuckle again. “I’m just joking, this day is special for me too.” She’s too cute. I lean in, pressing a soft kiss on her lips. I pull away and lean toward the first box I want her to open. “This one.” I pass her a little red box wrapped in pink ribbon. She opens it in a hurry. It’s a thong from Victoria’s Secret. It’s not meaningful, but I couldn’t help picture how hot she would look in it.

  “Thank you.” She leans forward and places a kiss on my lips. Then she rises to her feet and walks over to the closet by the front door. She retrieves a box from the closet and comes back to the tree.

  “This is for you,” she says, extending the box with one hand. I pull her toward me, guiding her to sit in my lap. Then I open my gift. It’s a dog tag. Engraved. “I will always love you. You are the light in my darkness.” My chest grows tight.

  I enlisted in the navy and went through SEAL boot camp, passing with flying colors. Then I was shipped out to Coronado, California a year ago for more training.

  Becoming a SEAL was a dream I had all my life. Originally I wanted to be a SEAL to get away from my father. Then I met Halo. She was only fifteen and perfect. She made me want to be a SEAL for an entirely different reason—I wanted to prove myself worthy of her.

  I haven’t told her yet, but I’m deploying. I was putting it off until I knew the depression was better. I also know that she could feel me itching to leave. My friends from boot camp had already been assigned to teams that had left for Afghanistan. Being a newlywed meant I could put it off for a while. Now I was deploying. I worried she would take it hard. That’s another reason I wanted to make Christmas extra special for us.