Take My Hand: BWWM Romance

by Shanade White

  To his relief, she smiled up at him and said, “There’s nothing to be jealous of, you know. Those guys are just friends, I’ve dated a few but nothing serious.”

  Scott felt that flare of jealousy again but tramped it firmly in place. “I’ll try not to be jealous, but I know that every one of those guys would be perfectly happy to be more than just your friend.”

  “That’s ridiculous, I’ve known most of them for my entire life and they certainly aren’t into my, uh, curvy figure. You saw their dates, they wouldn’t ever think of me that way. I’m just the fun friend who’s always good for a laugh.”

  “I’m not going to fight with you about this, but I have news for you, those guys would be at your feet if you snapped your fingers. If they were so hot for their dates, then why were they all hanging around you?” he asked, stroking her face with his fingers making goose bumps erupt on her arms.

  “I think you’re wrong, but you’re right, it’s not worth fighting about. Before long, we’ll be married,” she said, trying to make a joke.

  “Speaking of the wedding, I’ve arranged something for tomorrow,” he said, hoping she’d be open to the suggestion after their fight.

  Marissa was surprised but pleased that Scott had done something about their wedding, “You planned something for tomorrow?” she said, unable to hide her surprise.

  “Well, I didn’t want to get married at city hall either,” he said. “So, pack a bag and your wedding dress and be ready in the morning. Our flight leaves at noon. I assume you have a dress.”

  “I’m a woman, of course I have a dress,” she said, glad that she’d had one made while she was out of town. It wasn’t a traditional wedding dress, but it was perfect for anything Scott had planned.

  Scott growled in his throat and pulled her tightly against him, “You are definitely a woman and I’m looking forward to tomorrow night,” he said, then lowered his mouth to hers, his relief at their having survived their first fight evident in the gentle kiss he gave her.

  By the time Scott left her that night, she was so exhausted from the emotion of the day that she could do little more than peel off her dress and take off her makeup before collapsing into an exhausted sleep. As she drifted off, it occurred to her that tomorrow was her wedding day and there would be no one there who cared about her. Her father certainly wouldn’t be there to give her away.

  It hurt to think what their relationship had come to, but she had so much hurt and anger built up that she didn’t know if she’d ever have a normal relationship with him. But Scott’s words were still echoing in her mind. He wanted to actually try and make the marriage work, which sounded great until she realized that she’d have to tell him about her charity. But if she was truly committed to him, she’d have to tell him, it was too much a part of her life not to.

  There was a huge risk that he’d put a stop to her going into the dangerous places she did, but really what could he do to stop her if she refused to stop? Only her identity getting out would stop her and she felt sure that he wouldn’t do that to her. It would be a real test of her trust to tell him and that was very scary. Not sure she was ready for that, she decided that there was plenty of time to tell him before her next scheduled visit.

  The next morning, she packed a bag and zipped her dress into a garment bag, her hands shaking when she carefully folded the skimpy lingerie she’d picked up for the wedding night. She hadn’t been sure that she was going to take it, but now that they were going to treat this as the real thing no way was she leaving it behind. It was far more risqué than anything else she’d ever owned. The garter and silk stockings had taken some practice, but even she could see how great she looked with them on.

  When Scott picked her up, she was more than ready to go, her nerves strung so tight she thought her head would explode. As he walked next to her, he took her hand and gave it a squeeze, then said, “Relax, I think you’re going to be pleased, don’t look like it’s the end of the world.”

  “I’m just so nervous, I know it’s stupid, but...” She trailed off, shrugging her shoulders.

  Scott stopped and set her bag down. “Come here,” he said and pulled her into his arms. “We can still back out of this and just go down to city hall if you want. I don’t want this to be something you have to get through.”

  Marissa rested her head on his chest and listened to his heart beating steadily in his chest, a reassuring sound that calmed her immediately. He smelled good and he was rubbing her back, releasing the tension in her muscles. “I’m okay, I want to do it this way,” she finally said, taking a deep breath. “It’s an adventure.”

  Chapter 7

  When the plane landed in Denver, she looked at Scott expectantly, but he only shrugged and said, “One more flight, then a short car ride and we’ll be there.” Then he picked up their bags and led her though the airport and outside to a small plane that looked like a toy.

  “We’re going to fly in that?” she asked, not sure if she was that brave.

  “It’s only a forty-five-minute flight, but we could drive if you’d rather,” he said, looking at the plane through her eyes. He could actually fly the plane if he wanted to, but that was too much of a hassle.

  “No, I’ll be brave,” she said, forcing a shaky smile.

  “I’ll hold your hand the whole way,” he promised.

  The flight wasn’t as bad as she’d imagined, but she was glad when the flight was over. “We’ll drive back to Denver on the way home,” Scott said, kissing her as he pried her hand out of his to help her out of the plane.

  They got in a car that was waiting for them and drove down into the town that she’d seen from the air. “Welcome to Pleasant Valley, this is the town that my family owns. I made a few phone calls and they’ve got everything all ready for us,” he said, clearly happy with what he’d accomplished.

  Marissa had to admit that if the town of any indication of what was to come, he should be proud. “What an adorable little town, I could see myself living here,” she said, watching as the quaint little town passed by the window.

  The wound their way through town and up into the mountains again. Then as they came to the top of a rise, Scott turned off onto a little dirt road. Marissa gasped when she saw the little church nestled in the forest. “Oh, Scott, it’s adorable. How did you find it?” she asked, stepping out of the car when he stopped, unwilling to wait for him.

  “That would be my doing,” a black woman said, stepping out of the church. “I’m Sabrina Terrell. It looks like we’re going to be cousins.”

  “Oh, Scott didn’t tell me. I’m Marissa,” she stammered, holding out her hand, surprised when Sabrina ignored her hand and gave her a hug instead.

  “Welcome to the family. Has anyone told you what a handful these Terrell men are? Because if they haven’t, it’s time we had a little talk,” she said, pulling Marissa with her around the side of building. “We don’t have much time to get you ready, but you’re gorgeous just as you are, so it won’t take long.”

  Scott followed them with her dress and bag, shrugging his shoulders when she gave him a questioning look over her shoulder. When they came to a door in the back of the church, Sabrina took Marissa’s things from Scott and said, “You’re wanted it at the ranch and don’t worry I smoothed the way for you. I don’t think any of them will try to kick your butt, at least not today since it’s your wedding day. Now go,” she said and shoved Marissa through the door.

  Less than an hour later, she’d met and become friends with all the Terrell women. Each had given an abridged version of their love affairs with the Terrell men and she’d actually felt comfortable enough to tell them the truth as embarrassing as it was.

  “But that doesn’t matter anymore, does it?” Leslie asked. “You two are obviously in love, I saw the way he looked at you.”

  “I don’t know about love, but at least there’s some serious lust.” Marissa laughed, but deep down she knew that love had become a part o
f it as well.

  “There’s no way a man who wasn’t in love would have gone to all this trouble, Marissa. Trust me on that one, he’s in love with you,” Sabrina said, nodding her head.

  “But...that wasn’t...I mean we’re so different...” Marissa tried to deny what she’d know for a long time but had been afraid to face.

  “That’s okay, you’ll find your way together. That man you’re about to marry isn’t the man I knew a few months ago, so there’s proof that things can change for the better, you just have to have faith,” Sabrina said, fastening the last button on her dress.

  “Oh, it’s just so hard, I’m scared I’ll get hurt.”

  “Sometimes to have the wonderful things in life we have to take a risk, but I think Scott’s worth the risk, don’t you?” Sabrina said, handing her a bouquet of flowers and giving her a hug.

  “Thank you all for everything you’ve done, I really appreciate it,” Marissa said, tears coming to her eyes.

  “You’re family now. If you ever need anything, you just call us and we’ll do whatever we can to help. The first year of marriage can be rough even in the best of circumstances, so when you feel like you’re ready to kill him, call one of us, we’ll talk you down,” Leslie said, giving her a hug.

  “And just remember when a Terrell makes a promise, they always keep it,” Elizabeth said, taking her turn. “Now, let’s go get you married.”

  When Marissa walked into the church, her breath caught in her throat, it was beautiful. Flowers lined the walkway, candles covered every surface providing the only light in the sanctuary. Scott was standing nervously next to the minister at the end of the aisle, but when he saw her, his eyes got big, then a huge smile spread across his face and all the nervous tension left his face.

  She’d chosen a simple flowing dress in cream instead of white and she looked more beautiful than she ever had before, just as a bride should. Her hair was up, but curly tendrils had escaped softening her face and making her look even younger than she was. As she walked down the aisle on Garrett’s arm, it hit Scott all at once that in only a few minutes this incredible woman would be his forever. Somewhere deep inside him, a dam broke and all the love he’d been refusing to feel came rushing out.

  Hardly able to breathe, he took her hand when Garrett handed Marissa off to him, unable to believe that this was actually happening. Garrett had insisted on not only giving the bride away, but having a heart-to-heart talk with him like he was a child. Looking into Marissa’s eyes now, he understood what Garrett had been trying to tell him earlier and all his protective instincts kicked in. He’d never let anything hurt Marissa and that included himself, and no matter what, a year from now, he wasn’t letting her go.

  Marissa was fighting tears. When this whole thing had started, she’d expected her wedding to be held in a small cramped office at the courthouse with only she and Scott, but instead he’d given her a wedding any woman would have died for. The little church was perfect. With the candlelight and the soft fragrance of the flowers, she could almost believe this had been planned for months. As Garrett released her hand and she took Scott’s, she had a strange sense of déjà vu, like she’d been in just this position before.

  When Scott took her hands in his large ones and turned to face her, their eyes met and locked, the words the minister was reciting echoing through the building. As she listened, she realized that if they were going to make this work, it wouldn’t be easy, they’d only know each other for a short time, not nearly long enough to really get to know one another. As she pledged her life to him, the words, instead of feeling false like she’d expected, rolled off her tongue with a sincerity that she felt deep in her soul.

  When the minister pronounced them husband and wife, Scott cupped Marissa’s face in his hands and kissed her until her knees went weak, then together they turned to face their cheering guests. As they walked back down the aisle together, their hands intertwined, Marissa stopped in front of Sabrina and quickly gave her a hug. Scott smiled at her, happy with his new bride, but also thankful that Marissa had forced him to begin mending his relationship with his cousins.

  It was a beautiful summer night, the starts shining brightly in the mountain sky as Scott and Marissa waited to greet their guests on the front porch of the church. As each guest passed, Marissa tried to keep the names straight, but all the Terrell men looked so much alike she knew it would take time for her to keep them straight. As for the women, they’d already formed a bond as only women could do, Sabrina filling a space in Marissa’s heart that had been empty for a long time.

  Sabrina and Garrett were last in line. “Congratulations, you two,” Garrett said. “Now, the fun part.”

  Sabrina punched him in the arm. “You’re terrible, behave yourself. The cabin is just up the road, there’s food in the kitchen, stay as long as you want,” she said, giving Marissa a big hug. “Call if you need anything.”

  Scott helped her into the car, and in only a few minutes, they were at the cabin Sabrina had rented for them. Again, Marissa was charmed by the simple one-bedroom building that was clearly very old, but it had been well cared for and looked snug and warm. Even this time of year, it was chilly at night, the altitude so much higher than in California.

  When they stepped through the door, Marissa felt the butterflies in her stomach explode. It was almost like this was her first time she thought, glancing around the cabin while Scott put their bags away. The cabin was small, but had everything they would need, including a cute little fireplace in the tiny living room. A comfortable couch and table were the only furnishings in the room, but she could just imagine curling up there with Scott.

  He came out of the bedroom, his tie undone but still hanging around his neck. His shirt was unbuttoned about halfway down, giving her a delicious view of his muscular chest. Her blood began to pump hotly through her veins when his eyes met hers as he crossed the room to where she stood. Taking her in his arms, he lowered his mouth to hers in a searing kiss that she felt to her core. Then he pulled back and looked at her for a minute, then gave her one of those heart melting smiles.

  Scott was almost as nervous as Marissa, their night together having taking on much more significance than it would have had they not waited, but somehow it seemed right that they had. He could feel Marissa trembling in his arms, but he wasn’t sure if that was from nerves or desire.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, wrapping a loose curl around his finger, the smoothing his thumb across her cheek.

  Marissa could hardly breathe at the intimacy of what Scott had just done, but finally managed to say, “I’m just a little nervous that’s all.” Then she giggled when she realized how ridiculous that sounded.

  “I’m a little nervous too,” Scott said, surprising her with his honesty. “But let’s just take this one step at a time.”

  “How did this suddenly become so important?” Marissa asked him, bravely undoing the rest of the buttons on his shirt.

  Scott sucked in a deep breath when her fingers brushed his skin. “Hm, maybe it should always be this important,” he said, turning her around to unzip her dress which slid off her shoulders and fell to the carpet.

  When he turned her back around, he pulled her into his arms and pressed her tightly against him, making her tremble even more. He tipped her head up and looked into her eyes. “Are you sure about this? Because I don’t want you to do anything you don’t want to do.”

  “I want you, Scott. I want you more than I’ve ever wanted another man,” she said, pulling the shirt off his shoulders and placing a tentative kiss on his chest.

  That was all the permission that Scott needed. He swept her up in his arms and carried her to the bedroom. When he set her on her feet, his mouth came down on hers in a kiss that left her trembling, but this time it was with desire. His hands roamed over her body, the silk of her slip sliding deliciously against her skin as Scott slowly pulled it over her head.

  Standing only in her lace
panties and bra, she shivered when Scott stepped back and looked at her, his eyes leaving her skin heated as they traveled from her feet to her face, stopping a long time at the juncture of her thighs and breasts. Her chest was rising and falling with the effort to breathe. His pupils dilated and his green eyes became even more intense shade of green as he licked his lips in a predatory way.

  Marissa’s legs were trembling, but Scott stepped up and pulled her to him, supporting her weight, then reached behind her and unclasped her bra. He lowered his mouth to her breast and took one hard nipple into his mouth, sending a lightning bolt of pleasure rushing through Marissa. She wrapped her arms around his neck afraid that her legs would no longer hold her, prompting Scott to switch to the other breast, his own growl of pleasure filling the room.

  As the pleasure swirled through her, Marissa began to explore the taunt skin of Scott’s back, sliding her hands over the tight muscles loving the feel of his skin under his hands. When his pants became an obstacle in her explorations, she quickly unbuckled them and helped him remove them, suddenly shy when faced with the sheer power of his body.

  His erection was large and throbbing, but Marissa hesitated for a second before taking him in her hands and tentatively stroking him. When Scott moaned in pleasure, she grew bolder and stoked him until he grabbed her hand and made her stop, then pulled her against him and drove his tongue into her mouth. Stumbling to the bed, they sank down together mouths still joined, bodies vibrating with need.

  Scott broke the kiss to slowly slide Marissa’s panties down her legs, trailing his fingers along her skin making her squirm under his gaze. Once he’d slid them off her feet, he slid his hands back up her body until he had both of her breasts cupped in his hands. He stretched out next to her and leaned his head down to take a hard nipple in his mouth, biting gently with his teeth until Marissa cried out in pleasure.