by Willow, Jo
“Yeah.”
“Good. Because I’m going to be touching you a lot. Every chance I get as a matter of fact.”
I missed something. That was the only thing I could come up with. Somewhere along the line I’d dozed off or I was so wrapped up in the feel of him, I missed something important.
“You need to know something Anton. I can’t go back to how it was before. I’ve said this before and I mean it. I’d rather do without than only get a small piece of you when you’re lonely. I haven’t changed my mind about that.”
His lips grazed mine and I leaned my head back and sighed.
“Good. It makes this next part that much easier.”
He still held the hand that he’d removed from his back. He released it long enough to slide my engagement ring back into place.
I began to tremble in earnest and he kissed me until I stopped.
“Anton...”
“Melody, I’m going to tell you how this is going down and I want you to pay close attention. Ready?”
I nodded quickly and waited. His eyes twinkled and he kissed me again, quickly but firmly.
“You and I are flying to Vegas this weekend and we’re doing this. No long engagement or stressful wedding. That won’t work for us. Do you agree?”
“I do.”
“Remember that line, it’ll come in handy. After we tie the knot, we’re flying to Catalina and we’ll be spending a week hammering out the details. Either that, or we’ll spend the week screwing each other’s brains out. I vote for number two, but the devil is in the details so I imagine we’ll have to slip in some of number one as well. Baby, we will make this work. I went crazy without you Melody and you weren’t doing so well yourself. I’ve come to the conclusion that we can’t be apart. We may fuss and fight, but I’d rather fight with you than live without you.”
I pushed my fingers through his hair and pulled him in for a kiss guaranteed to drive that point home. When we came up for air, our clothes were half off and his hands were in interesting places.
“Anton, are you tired?”
“Tired? Fuck no, I’m not tired. Not yet anyway. Give me an hour or two and ask me again.”
“You look tired. You look like you could use a hot shower and a nap. In our bed. With me. For the rest of the night.”
His face changed and I got the rogue grin with the dimples that made the cleft in his chin pop, and his eyes sparkle.
“Will you make me a sandwich later? I’ll need to keep up my strength, you’re insatiable.”
“I’m a woman. Sandwich making is a skill we’re born with. If you tell anyone I said that, you’ll be making your own sandwiches for the next ten years. Got it?”
“Your secret is safe with me baby.”
He stood, bringing me up with him. We started climbing the stairs hand in hand.
“Think you can plan a wedding in three days? We’ll fly out Friday night and be married on Saturday. We’ll ask Deke and Dor’ to go, but she’s been complaining of swollen feet lately so I think it’s a coin toss on whether or not they’ll accept. Pierce and Ayla will come with us regardless. Ask Sean and his partner if you want, the more the merrier. We’ll take the corporate jet so everyone will be comfortable.”
I was blinking rapidly and practically hyperventilating. We’d reached our bedroom and he was removing my clothing while kissing the skin he was slowly exposing.
“Mel’? You okay baby?”
“I’m gonna be a Sloan.”
He grinned and grabbed my hips, rubbing his against them suggestively.
“You sure are. Know what else?”
“No. What else?”
“You’re gonna promise to love, honor, and obey. It’s that last one that’s the clincher Mel’. No more sneaking out to do stupid shit without talking to me first. No more flirting with Austin to make me crazy. You’ll be mine and only mine. It’s in the vows. I read ‘em.”
I screwed up my face because I could not believe what he’d chosen to focus on.
“You want me to do what with who behind what barn?”
“Love. Honor. Obey. Remember those words along with, ‘I do’, and we’ll ace the test on Saturday.”
“What do your vows consist of exactly?”
“Love, honor and cherish. I checked into that too.”
“I see. Can this cherishing be done naked?”
“I’m pretty sure that’s a perk of the cherish vow, yes.”
“Then get naked cause I could definitely use some cherishing Anton.”
He pulled his shirt over his head and with a flick of his wrist, his pants and boxers hit the floor. Two seconds later I was tossed on the bed and the cherishing commenced.
Pierce, Ayla, Dorothy, and Deacon sat in an exclusive restaurant at a table in front of a low burning fireplace.
They discussed their reservations at a well appointed hotel on Catalina Island and the magnitude of things that would have to do be done before they left on Friday evening. Deacon was assigned the task of convincing Grant and Bree that they needed to at least attend the ceremony in Vegas. The Lincolns were trying to change commitments to clear their calendar for the wedding day.
All of this was being done without anyone having heard from either Anton or Melody. Pierce looked at Deacon.
“How do you know that Mel’ took him back?”
Deacon winked and sipped his wine.
“I’ve got a monitor for that ankle bracelet too. Remember? She hasn’t left all week. She’s been waiting for him. He finally wised up and realized that she was his once in a lifetime. He’s got her now and he won’t let her go.”
Pierce rolled his eyes.
“And how do you know that Deacon?”
“Because he’s a Sloan and she’s a Lincoln. I happen to have a Lincoln of my own. I know how this works.”
Dorothy leaned over and placed her hand on his thigh while she kissed him in a way that was entirely improper for their surroundings. He loved it so much, he kissed her back. Pierce cleared his throat and they both smiled at him.
“Is this where I say, ‘Thank god there are no more Lincoln women out there’?”
Deke shrugged.
“You’ve got your hands full with Ayla. The clock is ticking Pierce. You’re the only one that can’t hear it yet.”
“I’ve got perfect hearing.”
Pierce looked over at his companion who was watching him and wondering what he’d say next. He’d stopped just short of insulting her on several occasions this evening and she wondered when he’d cross the line. He was a Sloan and it was coming, she could feel it.
“Tell them Ayla. Tell them how things are between us. They obviously don’t believe me.”
God only knows what possessed her.
She bowed in deference to Pierce and then smiled serenely at Deacon and Dorothy.
“Gladly Pierce.”
She winked at Dorothy before saying, “I wouldn’t marry a Sloan if every other man on the planet had the last name of Marconi.”
Dorothy erupted in a giggling fit and Deacon fought to stay in control of his own laughter.
Pierce was the only one at the table that found no humor in her remark. His eyes darkened to a violet shade of blue and he tilted his head slightly towards her. Ayla knew that look and knew it well. Her skin grew hot and her hands itched to touch him. She wouldn’t though. Not unless he gave her permission. Even though he’d never caused her one second of pain, he was still Dominant to her Submissive. He might be her big Teddy Bear, but she still called him Sir.
Movement distracted him for a second and Pierce broke eye contact with Ayla. Someone large, dark, and moving quickly had brushed by him, leaving in a hurry. There was something familiar about the man, but not in a personal way. More like he’d seen a photograph of him before but he couldn’t quite place him.
That was a shame. Because if it had been Ayla that had seen him, she would’ve recognized him immediately. Why was he in such a hurry? Because Tony had two days
to organize his trip to Vegas and he didn’t own a corporate jet.
The End.