by Alexa Riley
“Though it took me a minute to realize it wasn’t so much me he was interested in.” Miles glances around the room, and my face turns red.
I look at Captain, but he doesn’t seem to care that everyone can see his crazy little picture collage of me. He absolutely doesn’t give a shit what anyone thinks.
“Oh. My. God,” Mal says, noticing the pictures for the first time. “Are you sure Captain and Oz aren’t related? Because they’re definitely both stalkers.”
I can’t help but giggle again. I like that Captain is a little crazy. That his walls are covered in me. Mal squeals, making us all jump.
“Your finger!” She breaks from Miles’s hold and grabs my hand. “It’s perfect. It’s so you.” Her eyes start to water all over again.
“You have got to get this crying thing under control,” I tell her.
“Totally fine,” she sniffles, as Miles pulls her to him again. I’m not sure why she even tries to leave his reach. It’s pointless. I laugh as she sneakily wipes her nose on his thousand-dollar shirt.
“This has been great and all,” Captain says, clearly wanting everyone out of his bedroom. We’d made plans to not leave the bed all day.
“That’s sweet, but I’m not going anywhere,” Mal tells him, grabbing me by the hand. Captain lets me go as she pulls me from his room and down the hallway to the kitchen.
“You can’t live here. There’s no food in here,” Mallory says, opening all the cabinets and looking around. “Captain, you know you’re marrying Paige, right? Wait.” She stops moving around the kitchen. “Where will you live? Are you leaving? Does Captain still work for Oz now that this whole Alexander thing is over?” She lets out a little gasp. “Are you still with the CIA?”
She whispers the last question, like she hasn’t been asking the room questions all at once. We let her get all of them out before I answer.
“He will no longer be with the CIA, we are both staying at Osborne Corp, we will live in my place because it’s bigger,” I tell her. “But we’ll have to move the Paige shrine because that’s obviously coming with us. And never once has my man let me go hungry.”
Captain rounds the kitchen island, picking me up by my hips and sitting me on it, then placing a deep kiss on me. “What do you want, kitten?”
“The bakery.”
“I’ll be right back.”
“Oz is going with you,” Mal adds. She walks over and gives Miles a kiss before pushing him out the door with Captain. I sit on the island, watching her rush them out.
“This is crazy,” she finally says, when the door closes. “What happened last night? I really am sorry I broke down and told Oz. He was so worried about you. You should have seen him.”
Her words warm me deep inside, knowing how much Miles actually cares about me. After the past week, I think he always has. He just hasn’t known how to show his feelings. That is, until Mal ripped them open, and now they seem to be pouring out.
“He killed him for me.” I lick my suddenly dry lips.
“The oh-so-perfect Captain isn’t so perfect, after all. Guess you don’t have an excuse now,” Mal says, hopping up on the kitchen island with me.
“No, he is. Perfect for me.” I look over at her, and her whole face lights up with a smile.
“That’s the cheesiest thing I’ve ever heard you say.”
“I know. You three must be rubbing off on me.”
“Oh, I think someone has been rubbing on you.” She wiggles her eyebrows.
“I thought when I lost him yesterday I’d never pull through. It hurt so bad. Worse than anything.”
“I knew something wasn’t right. I mean, I see the way he looks at you. I see the same look when Miles looks at me. Captain’s so in love with you. He’s been giving you that look from the first time I saw the two of you together.”
We sit in silence for a moment. She reaches over and grabs my hand.
“How do you feel today, now that it’s over?”
“All I feel is happy.” I squeeze her hand. “And I don’t think the happy comes from him being gone. I know I’ve wanted that for so long, but last night gave me Ryan. That man would do anything in the whole world for me. I have no doubt of that. I am the single most important person in the world to him. That’s not something I’ve ever felt before. To be someone’s whole world.”
“I get that,” Mal agrees, and I know she understands. She never had a family of her own, and she has a man who would do anything for her, too. It’s empowering.
“So you need that pink wedding dress?” She bumps my shoulder with hers.
“You know, I think I’d wear anything as long as I got to marry that man.”
“You going to be this cheesy all the time now?”
“Are you going to keep bringing up cheese when you know I’m hungry?”
“Hey, I’m the pregnant one.” Mal jumps off the island suddenly. “I am the only pregnant one, right? Or are you and the Captain wrapping it up?”
I bite my lip, not sure what to say because I have no idea if I am or not. I hadn’t given it much thought before now. I can’t really think at all when Captain gets his hands on me.
Mal starts jumping around excitedly, and I can’t help but join in.
Chapter Thirty
Paige
* * *
STANDING IN FRONT of the long mirror, I look myself over. My auburn hair is swept to the side and pinned with wavy curls over one shoulder. Mallory chose a deep blue color for me to wear as a bridesmaid because she said it matches my eyes perfectly. She’s right, of course, and I look amazing. The halter neckline is silky, with a dark blue lace trim. The dress is fitted until it gets to my knees, flowing out slightly in a mermaid style. I look like I’m about to walk a red carpet, not walk down the aisle to watch my best friend get married.
“Perfect,” I hear Mallory say from behind me, and I turn to look at her.
“I could say the same thing.” I take in her white dress, and love how amazing she looks.
Her dress is off the shoulder, with long lace sleeves. Her dark hair is up, exposing her beautiful neck and collarbone. Her dress is fitted to the waist and then flares out a little. The bottom of it is lace, and when she takes a step, her pink glittery heels peek out.
“You just had to have the pink, didn’t you?” I ask, laughing.
She shrugs a shoulder, like of course she did, and comes to the mirror beside me. “We look amazing,” she says excitedly. “I can’t believe we pulled this off in a month.”
Oz wanted Mallory to have everything she ever dreamed of, and with enough money, you can have that in four weeks or less.
She rubs her belly. She doesn’t look pregnant, but I think she keeps sticking it out deliberately, trying to give the appearance.
I twist a piece of my hair so it’s perfect and check my dress again. I can’t wait for Captain to see me in this thing. He’s probably going to want to rip it off me the second he does, but I’ll enjoy teasing him in the meantime.
“So. There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you,” Mallory says, turning to me.
“What? There better be crab cakes at this reception. You promised.” I put my hand on my hips, getting fired up again. She said I could pick what I wanted, without argument.
She smiles at me, and it’s a little wicked. Suddenly I’m wary.
“So today isn’t just my wedding day.” She grabs a bouquet of bloodred roses from the side table and hands it to me. “It’s our wedding day.”
I take the flowers and look at her quizzically. “You mean ours as in you and Miles?”
“No. Ours as in you and me are the brides, and we are both marrying our men today. Surprise, Paige! It’s a double wedding!”
She sings the word wedding like somehow it will soften the blow.
“What?” I say, dropping my voice. “I didn’t agree to this. Captain and I said we were going to work it out after yours. That we didn’t need to plan some big…some big thing!” I half shout, and
Mallory only smiles more.
“It’s cute you think I haven’t been planning this with Captain since the beginning. Why else do you think he went to see the wedding planner with me every time I went?” She grabs my upper arms and leans in. “Remember that time you lied to me for four years and pretended to be my friend? Payback is a bitch, Paige, and you owe me. Big time.”
She steps back, and I stare at her in utter shock. What the fuck just happened? I’m getting married?
“Captain and I knew you needed a little push, so here you go. You can thank me later for doing all the work for you.” She winks and turns, grabbing her own pink bouquet. Then she puts her arm in mine and leads me out of the room.
“Mallory, I can’t do this.” I tug on her, but somehow she’s got a superhuman grip on my arm. “Let me go.”
“What are you afraid of, Paige?” She looks in my eyes, and I can see she doesn’t have a hint of worry or doubt. She’s calm and smiling, like it’s her wedding day and nothing can go wrong. “On the other side of those doors is the man you love, waiting to make you his forever. Think about that for a second.”
She’s right, and I don’t know why I’m freaking out. Maybe it’s because I wasn’t expecting this, and Captain and I haven’t really discussed details. I knew that in his heart we were already joined, so this is just a formality. Nothing in the world could break us apart. Having a wedding wasn’t something I dreamed of, and maybe it’s another thing I didn’t allow myself to hope for. But here it is, laid out for the taking, and I want to run.
No. Not ever again. The only running I’m doing is straight into Captain’s arms.
“There you go,” she says, seeing the change in my eyes. “Took you a second, but you got there. Now let’s go get married to our men.”
“Holy shit,” I breathe, as the double doors open.
*
“I SHOULD HAVE known better than to leave you two alone,” I say, looking between Captain and Mallory.
I’m sitting on Captain’s lap, and his arms tighten around my waist. He kisses my shoulder, and I can feel him smile against it. I pick up the champagne bottle, drinking straight from it, and Mallory laughs.
The party went late into the night, and our guests have left. We didn’t have a big wedding, considering all the people Miles knows. Captain invited his family, and I was happy to meet them. They were all very nice, and we made plans to maybe visit during Christmas, and that seemed to suit everyone. Captain even invited Patrick and his husband, Amos, which I thought was a sweet gesture. It’s been nice seeing Patrick from time to time. He’s a reminder that not everything in my past was horrible. There were sweet points in my life, and it’s not so bad revisiting them.
Mallory had a couple people from work, but other than that she and I didn’t have any guests. I kind of liked it that way, because we have each other. And that’s more than enough.
The band is still playing softly in the background, and I lean back against Captain, closing my eyes. It’s been the most perfect day ever. Mallory and I walked hand in hand through the doors and to our future. When I looked up and saw those dark green eyes waiting on me, every thought I had went out the window. Mallory had to tug my hand a couple times to keep me from running down to him. I didn’t realize how much I wanted a wedding until that moment, something to celebrate us becoming one and to let the world know I belong to him.
The ceremony was mercifully quick, and I didn’t have to stand in front of the crowd too long. We said traditional vows, except Captain had asked the minister to take out obey and replace it with feed. God, I love that man.
After it was over, the four of us came to the garden for our reception. It’s the place Miles built for Mallory, but I feel like it’s a part of me, too. Their story is so much a part of mine and Captain’s that it made sense for us to have a double wedding. There are twinkling lights strung everywhere, and the garden looks so beautiful. It’s peaceful here, with the music and the waterfall, and I don’t know if I want the night to end.
Mallory is sitting in Miles’s lap across from us, and I reach out, grabbing her hand and squeezing it. “Thank you,” I say to her, and I see little tears form in her eyes.
“I think it’s time we head out. We’re wheels up in an hour,” Miles says, and picks Mallory up.
I stand, taking Captain’s hand, and we make our way out behind them. He wraps his arm around me, and we exit the front of Osborne Corp. The limo is waiting on them, and I see Mal wiggle in Miles’s arms before he puts her down. She runs over to me, wrapping me in a huge hug before kissing me on the cheek.
“I love you so much, Paige,” she says, and then pulls away, getting into the back of the limo.
Miles comes over, kissing me on the cheek and shaking Captain’s hand. “We’ll see you guys in two weeks. Have fun.” He winks at Captain and then joins his bride. The limo pulls away from the curb.
I turn to Captain, feeling a little bummed that the night is over. “Think there’s any crab cakes left?” I ask, looking back at the building longingly.
“I think they were all gone when you made the caterer cry, kitten.” He pulls me into a hug and kisses the top of my head. “Besides, we don’t really have the time.”
Just then another limo pulls up, and Captain opens the back door.
“What’s going on?” I ask, excitement bubbling up inside me.
“Get in, kitten. We’ve got a honeymoon to catch.”
I beam at him, thinking this is the kind of surprise I could get used to. I’m not one for having everyone look at me, but I’ll take a vacation any day of the week. I climb in and I’m bouncing in my seat as he comes in after me. The car pulls away, and I look at him, suddenly feeling wide-awake.
“Where are we going? I didn’t pack a suitcase. How did you do this? I’m so excited.”
Leaning forward, I plant a kiss on his lips, and he laughs as he takes over. My back hits the seat of the limo as he covers me with his body.
“It’s a surprise, and I packed your suitcase. Some things are worth waiting for, Paige. And you were worth every second.” His mouth moves down my neck, and I feel the slick heat of his tongue between my breasts. “My God, I know I’ve told you seven thousand times today, but you look so beautiful. The most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
I wrap my legs around his waist, and I feel the limo hum beneath us. The vibrations along with Captain’s mouth have me all too ready for him. The whole night has been full of sneaky touches and soft kisses, both of us knowing what was to come. That tonight we would make love as husband and wife, and though it would be the same as before, it would be something new. I can’t keep my hands off him as I run them up his dress shirt and under his suit jacket. I want him naked and grunting on top of me, but this limo seat isn’t big enough for that. It’s barely able to hold me, and Captain has his knees on the floor.
“How long do we have?” I ask, panting with need.
“Forever,” Captain says, pulling one of my nipples free and latching on to it.
“Ryan!” I cry out as the pain turns to pleasure. “I meant to where we’re going.”
He releases my breast and looks up at me with a wicked grin. The limo comes to a stop, and I want to curse. He moves my dress back in place and gives me a soft kiss before sitting up and adjusting himself. Once we’re both decent for the public, he opens the back door and helps me out. Our driver holds the door as someone takes our luggage out of the trunk and wheels it away. We’re on tarmac, and I see a plane a few feet away.
“Is that us?” I ask, looking over at my new husband.
“It is, Mrs. Justice.”
I love him calling me that, and I wrap my arms around him. “That thing have a bed?” I ask, wiggling my eyebrows.
“It does, Mrs. Justice.”
“Looks like you get to fuck me in the air. You really are a superhero,” I say, giving him a quick kiss.
He scoops me up, causing me to squeal out in surprise as he walks us to the plane. �
�You seem to have forgotten that. So I suppose I’ll have to show you. But I plan on making love first. Then fucking you.”
Captain carries me onto the plane and then buckles me up. I look around and see the thing is bigger than I expected, with bench seating on one side and a table and chairs on the other. There’s a door in the back that I assume leads to the bed, and I look at it and then at Captain, giving him a wink. He sits beside me and buckles up as the plane gets ready for takeoff.
“Are you sure you won’t tell me where we’re going?” I ask, giving him my best soft pouty face.
“Hmm,” he says thoughtfully, like he’s seriously thinking it over. “Tell you what. If I can get you off ten times before we land, I’ll tell you.”
“Ten!” I shout, and one of the crew turns to look at me. “Sorry,” I mumble, and look back at Captain. I lower my voice this time, not wanting anyone to hear us. “That’s impossible.”
“Oh, sweet kitten,” he says, taking my chin. “You forgot you’re married to me.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Ryan
* * *
I STARE DOWN at my wife, her auburn hair spread out all over the white sheets of our bed. I’ve said the word over and over again and I still can’t wrap my mind around the fact that she’s really mine now. Wife.
She hasn’t stirred in hours. Not since I pulled her from the plane. She barely even opened her eyes. Not that I blame her. I hardly left her alone the whole flight and I knew she was exhausted.
Her body looks so soft and welcoming. After I ruined her wedding dress, I had to give her my button-up shirt. I’d carried her from the plane into the car and right into our little hut over the water. As I stripped her bare and put her into bed, she didn’t make a sound. She didn’t wake for any of it. If she hadn’t placed a few sleepy kisses on my neck throughout the night, I would have been worried.