by Alexa Riley
“They don’t have a choice. I’m done living for everyone else. Now it’s you and me.” His hand goes to the back of my neck and he pulls me to him. Our mouths are a breath apart and I can feel his warm lips almost touching mine. “And whatever family we make inside of you for us.”
I can’t stop myself from pushing my panty-covered clit into his hard cock and thinking about him putting a baby inside me. For all I know he already has.
He groans, standing with me in his arms.
“Get dressed or we’ll never leave. I have to get us a place where I can have you anytime and anywhere without thinking about someone seeing or hearing you cum.”
My cheeks heat but I hurriedly dash for the closet. I grab some jeans and pull on a sweater.
“I’m ready.”
“Good.” He takes my hand and we tell Elvis goodbye before we leave. I lean into him as we take the elevator down and then walk out of the building. I’m full of love and happiness as we step outside and suddenly a flash goes off in my face. Then several more all at once.
“Mr. Clark, is it true you were never married?”
“Medical reports claim Savannah Caldwell is still a virgin!”
“Is she the other woman? Is she the reason you never slept with your wife?”
“Was Savannah Caldwell's family trying to con you?”
Questions rain down on us and flashes blind me. Aiden pulls me back into my building. We race back to the elevator and the doors close, leaving us alone. I glance over to him, unsure of what to say. I’m not even sure what the hell happened.
I don’t know how they found out where I live or that Aiden got an annulment, but the whole world now knows that we’re together.
11
AIDEN
We rush back inside her apartment and I pull out my phone.
“Do you think it was the driver you fired?” Caroline asks, her eyebrows pulling together in worry.
“I don’t know. Possibly. If he did, he’s a fucking fool. I have all my employees sign non-disclosure agreements and if he talked I’ll own his life.”
“Maybe someone offered him a lot of money?” She shakes her head. “Should we call Savannah?” I can see concern in my girl’s face.
“I’m calling Wyatt,” I say. I enter his number and hold the phone to my ear. When the line connects I start talking. “I need you to handle a situation for me. I’m at Caroline’s apartment and there are paparazzi outside asking questions about my annulment. How can they possibly know that’s happened already? Did you talk to anyone?”
“Is this not what you wanted, Aiden?” There’s a bite to his question
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” I ask. “I think it might have been a driver I fired a couple of weeks ago. I can email you his credentials.”
“That won’t be necessary.” He says coolly, and I’m starting to get pissed.
“What is your problem? You’re my lawyer! Aren’t you getting paid to figure this shit out?”
Caroline comes over and stands next to me and I feel calmer when she puts her head on my chest.
“For a smart man, you really don’t get it,” Wyatt says and lets out a humorless laugh. “I’ve only been working for you this whole time because of Savannah. Now that your marriage is finished, so are we.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” My jaw clenches and the hair on the back of my neck stands up. “You’ve known us since high school, Wyatt.”
“Exactly. I was the scholarship student that had to work for every single thing I had and I watched you get handed everything. Even the woman I wanted. I waited and bided my time and now that you’re out of Savannah’s life we’ve got nothing left to talk about.”
“I thought you were my friend. And you were supposed to be Savannah’s, too.” My mind catches up and I grip the phone tighter. “You leaked this to the press, didn’t you?”
“Looks like you finally opened your eyes. Congratulations.” I can almost picture his arrogant face and I wish I could punch it right now.
“Did you release her medical records, too, saying she was a virgin?”
“You bet your fucking ass I did.” He’s so smug I want to reach into the phone and rip his throat out. “I wanted the world to know she never belonged to you, not even when the law said she did. She’s kept that sweet cherry for me, and it’s time I fucking take it.”
“You think she’ll want you after this betrayal, Wyatt? You think she’s going to go running into your arms when I tell her what you’ve done?”
“Oh, she’ll want me. Her daddy might not have wanted her to marry me when I came from nothing and didn’t have a penny to offer her. But I’ve got something he wants, something that will have her eager to agree.”
“Wyatt,” I warn. “I might not be married to her, but she’s family. If you hurt her, I’ll kill you.”
“I don’t plan on harming a hair on her head.” I can hear him smile. “Come on, Aiden, you know I’m an asshole, but I’m not a monster. It’s the reason you hired me. I’ll get what I want, even if I have to play dirty to get it.”
“The second I hang up, I’m going to tell her what you did.”
“Don’t bother,” he says, and I hear the chime of his office door opening. “You’re already too late.”
The calls ends and I stare down at my phone.
“What happened?” Caroline asks, looking up at me.
“Wyatt was the one to leak it to the press.” I shake my head in disbelief. “He wants Savannah.”
“Oh.” She bites her lip for a second and then cocks her head to the side. “You said you knew him since you were kids.”
“Yeah, we grew up together.”
“Is he a bad guy?”
I think for a second and really search my heart. He’s definitely an arrogant asshole, but he’s not bad. He may be sneaky about getting what he wants, but he wouldn’t hurt Savannah. I believe that deep down in my soul. I shake my head as I try to think back to a sign or something that would make me think he wanted Savannah.
“Would it be so bad that he wants to be with her? I know that you had your reasons for getting married, but would her being with Wyatt be so bad?”
He never said a word to me about wanting her or anything about it when he did the paperwork for us to get married. But she always asked about him and made a point to talk to him if we were together. Could she have secretly had feelings for him?
I decide to take a chance and send Savannah a text message telling her to call me when she gets a chance. I know that she’s not in danger and that she’s not going to do anything crazy before I get a chance to speak to her. I want to see what Wyatt has to say to her, and then I’m going to tell her what he did. But until then, I’ve got to get out of here and get Caroline somewhere safe.
“Grab a bag,” I order, and we both go to the closet and get our things.
We take enough for a few nights, which should be long enough to let things blow over. Once she’s got what she needs she sends a text to Gia and lets her know to stay at her parents’ place for a few days. I scoop up Elvis, and Caroline gets his bag of food and treats.
We take the elevator down to the parking garage since I’ve got my car here. A security code is required to enter this part of the building, so there won’t be any reporters down there. I get everything loaded in and put Elvis in the back seat. He’s lies on it just like the sofa and goes to sleep instantly. I drive out into the back alley and into traffic. When I pull onto the highway I finally breathe a sigh of relief.
“Where are we going?” Caroline asks as I twine our fingers together.
“It was going to be a surprise, but I guess now it’s a necessity.”
“That sounds ominous,” she says, and I bring her hand to my mouth so I can kiss it.
“What about fortuitous?” I suggest, and she nods in agreement.
We don’t have to drive too far to get to the other end of the city and where we’re headed. The trees become thicker a
nd in the distance I can see the destination.
“Is that where we’re going?” she asks as she moves to the edge of her seat.
The large iron gates open and I turn down the long tree-lined driveway. At the end is a big white house with a lake behind it, and as soon as I stop, Elvis perks up. I get out and open the back door and immediately he takes off towards the water and barks at the ducks.
“Where are we?” Caroline asks when I take her hand in mine and we follow after him.
We walk onto the small dock so she can get a good look at the place.
“We’re home,” I say, and she looks at me and gasps.
“I thought we were looking for a place!” she says as she puts her hand over her mouth. “Are you serious?”
“I am if you want it. I found this place right after I met you and knew it would be perfect. But if you don’t like it, we can live somewhere else. I just want to be by your side. I don’t care about where that is.”
“Oh Aiden, I can’t believe this.” She throws herself at me and I catch her and spin her around. “I love it so much. And I love you.”
“I love you too,” I say as I put her on her feet and kneel down in front of her. “I’ve told you from the beginning that you’re my heart.” I reach into my pocket and pull out the box.
“Holy shit,” she whispers when I show her the five-carat heart-shaped diamond.
“I’ve loved you from the second I saw you and I can’t imagine a life without you in it.” I kiss her finger before I slip the ring on. “Marry me, Caroline. Marry me and be my everything.”
“Yes!” she answers instantly and nearly knocks me over as she jumps in my arms.
Elvis comes running over at the same time and barks at us as we embrace on the dock. He jumps around us, making us laugh, and I can’t imagine a life more perfect.
“I think he’s happy for us,” I say, and Caroline laughs.
“He’s excited he’s got ducks to chase.”
“Wait until he sees the inside. There’s a couch right by a window so he can keep an eye on them full time.”
“Is there a bed?” she asks, leaning in close.
“You bet your sweet ass there is,” I answer and scoop her up in my arms and carry her into our house.
Elvis follows us inside and sure enough goes straight to the couch and lies on the back of it. He looks out at the water and then lays his head down to go to sleep.
“We can change anything you like, just say the word,” I tell her as I carry her through the place. “These will be the kids’ rooms.”
“How many are there?” she asks, her eyes widening excitedly.
“As many as you want.”
I glance down at the ring on her finger and my cock gets hard. I never proposed to Savannah and she wore whatever ring she wanted to. Proposing to Caroline was something I dreamed of since the day I met her.
I don’t even make it to our bedroom before I push her up against the wall and tug off her jeans. They’re around her ankles and I turn her around and pull her ass out. I kneel down behind her and lick the seam of her pussy to taste her tight little bud. She’s already wet and ready, but I just need her pussy on my mouth when I fuck her. She pushes against my face and I moan as I fumble with my belt.
When my cock is free I stand up and slide it between her folds. Her warmth surrounds me and I thrust home. It’s hot and fast and I can’t hold back as I grab her hips and pound into her.
“Fuck, you’re probably already pregnant but I’m going to make sure.” I hold myself deep inside her and reach around to play with her clit. “I need you to cum so you open up for me.”
I kiss her neck and she moans as I strum her just the way she likes it. Her body responds in kind, squeezing me, and I feel her sweet juices coat my cock. Her legs tense and she cries out, climaxing all over me.
“That’s it,” I whisper while she milks my cum from me.
It’s messy and I can feel our release coat the insides of her thighs. I smile to myself, thinking about her walking around all day with that on her and I can’t wait to taste it later. It might seem dirty and like something I shouldn’t want, but when it comes to my heart, I want it all.
“I love you,” I say, trying to catch my breath.
“I love you too,” she says and leans back in my arms.
I plan on making love to her in every room in the house today. And then starting all over again tomorrow. We’ve got lots of time, but it feels like we’re trying to catch up. Maybe that’s what it’s like when you have to wait for the one? All I know is that I’m going to spend the rest of my days worshiping my wife and making her mine. I may have been a virgin husband when she met me, but now I belong to her. For life.
EPILOGUE
CAROLINE
Two weeks later…
Aiden’s finger brushes against my skin as he zips up the back of my dress. He kisses my bare shoulder and I gaze at him in the mirror. I’m not paying any attention to the wedding dress I’m in, merely staring at the man who is going to be my husband in a few short minutes. I don’t know how I was lucky enough to find him, but I did. Well, with a little nudge from Elvis.
This isn't the first time I’ve put on the dress. I’ve seen it before. Aiden’s mom Joyce and Gia helped me pick it out. They’re both as excited for this wedding as we are. Then pouted when we informed them it would only be Aiden and me there at the wedding. It was what we both wanted. Him and me alone, making the choice to do something because it was what we chose to do. No outside influence anywhere. Two people starting a life together. We weren't leaving everyone behind—it was just more symbolic to the two of us.
It helped that it gave me a reason to not invite my own family who was trying to work their way into my life. I’m not sure how I feel about it, but I’m not in a rush to try and figure that out. It was like they put me to the side when they were busy, so I’m simply choosing to do the same. Maybe it’s petty of me, but right now I don’t care.
“I hope you’re not in love with this dress.” Aiden gives my shoulder a nip before kissing the same spot. I turn in his arms and wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him down to kiss. I’m not in love with it. As much as it cost, though, I should care about his destroying it. But I don’t.
“I’m in love with you.” I smile against his mouth. “You can rip the thing from me after we say ‘I do’ for all I care.” It’s the truth. Aiden’s mom and Gia made me try on dozens of dresses. To be honest they all felt the same. All I cared about was getting married to this man and living up to the promise he’d made to me about us making a family of our own. Picking the dress was more to get close to his mom.
She’s sweet and I could see, like Savannah, she still has hurt riding her from the loss of her daughter. She’d actually been upset when she found out that Aiden and Savannah never shared true love. Once Aiden told his mom and dad, it was like the scales fell from their eyes and they now saw things they should have seen long before Aiden told them they didn't love each other.
Now both his parents are making an effort to make sure they’re involved more in Aiden’s and my life. It’s sweet and I can see they love him. They had only done what they thought was best.
“Come.” He locks his hand with mine and pulls me from our bedroom. Elvis jumps up from where he was lying on the floor in the hallway. For some odd reason he enjoys plopping himself down right in the center of the hallway so that we almost trip over him in the mornings. He’s either there or in his window watching the ducks. His bittersweet love of chasing the ducks is one of the most adorable things I’ve ever seen. More so because the ducks are onto his hatred of water. Now they toy with him and know he won’t get too close to the water. It really is a love hate-relationship. Still, I got scared of what would happen if he finally caught one. That fear passed when I saw him sleeping on the dock, a duck resting its head on him, fast asleep too. Elvis is all bark and no bite.
He barks as he follows us, as if knowing today is special. I smil
e when we step outside. The sun feels good on my skin. Aiden and I haven't spent much time anywhere but locked in our room. He’s trying to fill the spare rooms of the house already.
We only left for a few visits to the city to see his family and for me to finish up with my dress. It was bittersweet having to let my clients go. Not because I’d wanted to, but the paparazzi didn't make walking a herd of dogs the easiest task to do. Luckily Aiden made sure someone could take over for me. I hated leaving clients hanging. I knew dog walking wasn’t my long-term career choice, but I still took my responsibility seriously. I followed through on my work and I was thankful that I had Aiden to help me do that.
“Judge Prescott and his wife are here.” Aiden tells me. I’m ready to be his wife. He told me Prescott was a friend and had a hand in getting the annulment taken care of quickly. He knew all too well what it was like to fall madly in love with a woman and do anything to make her yours. Even if that meant bending the rules to make it happen. He’d done it himself to claim his wife, who is now standing by his side to bear witness to our marriage.
We walk hand in hand down to the pond where the judge and his wife are waiting. The vows are short but sweet. Aiden is kissing me before the judge finishes his instructions. Somehow when I open my eyes I find myself in our bedroom, in the center of our bed.
I remember hating the house I grew up in. It was so far from the rest of the world—a giant mansion filled with pretty things but somehow still always felt empty. I felt alone in it even when Yana was there. She tried her best and gave me all she could, but there was always an ache for something else. At one time I thought maybe it was not having my parents’ love. Now I know it was an ache from not having the other half of my soul with me. Here, I know it will never be that way. I enjoy being away from the rest of the world because this home was filled with love. So much it could burst.