He doesn’t answer.
“Marcus?”
“About you.”
“Seriously?” That makes me mad. “Why?”
“No good reason. Just…they picked a reporter at random to target today. They wanted to scare you.”
“They succeeded.”
He tightens his hold on me as the door opens, and I close my eyes as the police commander introduces himself to Marcus. I listen to the steady, rich buzz of his voice through his chest as he tells the supervisor what he just told me, with more details I want to not hear. In my head, I start to say la-la-la, and when the other cop returns with juice, I sit down at the table and down it.
Only when I set down the empty bottle do I realize that my hands are shaking.
It’s another hour before we can leave. I check in with James, who says there’s a new phone waiting for me at the hotel, organized by our editor. I thank him, and when we arrive at the hotel, I call our editor and thank him as well.
“Take the next day for yourself,” he says.
I tell him about Marcus showing up. He knows I’m taking a few vacation days to go to the wedding, and I tell him I might go sooner than later.
“You’ve worked hard these last few months. Take the time you need. And Poppy?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m sorry. We’ll work on better barricades for future events.”
“Yeah.” I take a deep breath. “I’ll have a personal reflection piece on today in a few days. I know you don’t need one, but I’ll want to write it anyway.”
“Sounds good.”
I hang up, then pace across the room. Marcus watches me silently.
“I used the interceptor device,” I tell him. “So whoever got my phone…it won’t do anything. They won’t get anything.”
“Good.”
I pace again before finally stopping in front of him where he was sitting on the bed. “You came out to the east coast early for this, didn’t you?”
He looks me right in the eye. “Sure. A little. But I also need to do some real estate hunting while I’m in New York.”
“For you?”
“Not exactly.”
I laugh. “You know what my favorite thing is about you? How forthcoming you are with interesting facts and explanations. It’s so refreshing—”
He cuts me off with a demanding kiss, then he tugs on my ponytail. “It’s for my cousin Astrid. She has an exhibit that needs a tall, vertical space. She doubts she’s going to find a gallery that can accommodate her, so we’re going to use this as an opportunity to try something new with our foundation.”
“Oh.” That sounds cool. “What kind of exhibit?”
“It’s called Climb a Mountain.” He eases me onto the bed, and I roll onto my side. He fits in behind me as the big spoon and keeps talking about the exhibit, but I’m drifting again.
The next thing I know, he’s quietly rubbing my wrist.
“I’m fine,” I say for the hundredth time today.
“I know,” he whispers. “But that was scary for me, too.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
MARCUS
I DON’T LET Poppy out of my sight for the next five days.
I’m starting to irritate her, and I’m not sorry, not even a little.
“It wasn’t that big a deal,” she insists, like it matters that he only grabbed her. It’s what could have happened that has me losing sleep at night.
But once we’re in New York for the wedding festivities, my worry lessens. It’s hard not to be happy when Jake and Jana are over the moon and intent on sharing that joy with the world. Instead of separate bachelor and bachelorette parties, they have a big rehearsal dinner followed by a grown-up pajama party, complete with board games that Jana did custom illustrations for—a touch Poppy adores.
Before the rehearsal dinner there’s a riddle scavenger hunt which leads guests around the Plaza Hotel, deftly facilitating a wide cross section of family and friends and acquaintances to meet each other by happenstance.
We end up helping Jana's friend Nina decode a riddle at in the basement, and we're rewarded with shots from her purse flask.
“I like her already,” Poppy says as we head back upstairs.
I squeeze her tight.
The next morning we shower and get dressed together. I leave the tie for last, and watch Poppy do her makeup instead.
She smiles at me in the mirror. “Ready to go?”
“Yeah.”
“Want me to tie your tie for you?”
“Damn straight I do.”
Her laughter is still ringing in my ears as we make our way to the ballroom.
“You don’t look comfortable in a suit,” she whispers.
“I’m not.”
She turns her head toward me. “That’s too bad.”
“Why’s that?”
Her voice drops. “Because looking at you in a suit makes me wet.”
Jesus.
Well, now.
Just ahead of us there’s a bathroom, and I yank the door open, sliding us in. Good, the door locks. I flip that and press her back against the wall.
“What are you doing?” she breathes against my mouth.
“Ruining your lipstick.”
“Don’t you dare.” But she smiles.
I kiss her lightly. Okay, we’ll do this the hard way. Hovering my mouth right above hers, I pull up her skirt and slide my fingers between her legs. She’s warm and soft and so damn responsive. This is what I needed to ground me. Poppy’s breath against my mouth, her essence on my skin. “Shhh,” I warn her, and she gasps. “I can kiss you if you need that to stay quiet.”
“I’m…oh…okay.” She presses her lips together and closes her eyes.
So beautiful. “Come for me, baby. Ride my fingers.”
She groans and rocks her hips, her clit swelling against the heel of my hand. I need to taste her. Dropping to my knees, I lick that sweet spot at the top of her cleft, forcing my tongue against her flesh as she slowly, carefully fucks herself on my hand.
Fuck, yes.
“Come on,” I urge her between licks. “Come for me.”
She freezes as her sex clutches around my fingers, tight spasms that I want to feel on my cock. Later. Definitely later.
When she finishes, I lick her clean, then slide her panties back into place.
She watches me with a satisfied smile on her face as I wash my hands.
Then I prowl back to her and cage her against the wall. “You can’t tell me something like that and not expect me to follow up.”
She gives me an amused look. “I guess not.”
“Come on, let’s get this over with.”
“Is that any way to talk about your best friend’s wedding?” She’s laughing at me. I’m desperate and she’s enjoying herself.
I haul her close, pressing my erection into her belly. “Feel that?”
“Oh, yeah.” She bites her lower lip.
“All I care about right now.”
“So we should talk about math or something?”
“Or something. Yeah.”
“I love weddings,” she whispers. “Dressing up, drinking champagne…it’s like a throwback to days of yore that never really existed. But it’s all just so pretty. And then there’s dancing.”
“You want to dance tonight?” I’m all over that. “I’m your man.”
“Yes you are.” Her lips twitch, and I’m tempted to just fuck her right now, just because. Just to put my mark on her, to leave a bit of myself inside her for the rest of the day.
Maybe I like weddings too, in my own twisted way. At least I like this one. I like the look on Poppy’s face when she talks dreamily of dancing and dressing up and champagne.
Fuck it, maybe I should do this now.
But she’s still talking… “Besides, the sooner the wedding is over, the sooner we get on the road to go meet my parents.”
“You think I’m nervous about that?” My voice catches on a thick bur
r. Okay, I’m nervous about it, but not for any reason she might think.
For the first time in my life, I want to make a good impression on a girlfriend’s family.
“Maybe not nervous…” She slides me a sly glance. “But they’re going to be all over you.”
“I can handle that.”
“It’s loud. Chaotic.”
“Worse than a middle grade field trip group?”
“At least.”
I grin. “I’ll manage just fine.”
The wedding ceremony is short, romantic, and funny. Jake pumps his fist in the air after Jana says, “I do,” and she gets teary during his vows.
More of Jana’s illustrations are found in the paper details. The ceremony programs, the instructions for the cocktail hour, and then the seating chart for the reception, too. The cards at our seats are a special surprise. Jana’s drawn cartoon characters for each of us. Poppy’s writing in a notepad, and I’m wearing my ranger uniform.
When Jake stands to give his speech, the whole room goes quiet. “Thank you all for coming,” he says, and even though he made it through the ceremony without getting choked up, now his voice sounds a little thick.
I give him a thumbs up, and he grins.
“A year ago, I embarked on a new business venture. I do that a lot, so normally this story wouldn’t be anything special. But as those of you who have fallen in love know, there are these moments in time. Special, unexpected, magical things that happen. And this particular business venture happened to lead me to Jana’s doorstep. From the first second I laid eyes on her, I knew she was the one.” He breathes in an exaggerated inhale. “Sadly, she thought I was some shmuck named Marcus Dane.”
My mouth drops open. I didn’t know this part of the story.
And from the look on Jana’s face, she didn’t either.
He shakes his head and laughs at himself. “See, I was working as a SwiftEx driver, and when they asked me whose name I wanted on the uniform, I thought, shit…I can’t use my real name. Just in case. So I gave them the name of one of the best men I know, my friend Marcus, who left the tech world a decade ago to do a real days’ work instead. So I told them to put Dane on the name badge. Man, do you know how awkward that was?”
Jana’s laughing now, and she gets up and takes the microphone. “Don’t worry, Marcus, we straightened out the name thing before we got too serious.”
“Phew,” I say, lifting my voice.
“But anyway, that was the moment when my life changed. When I least expected it. When I wasn’t even myself. And I count my blessings every single day that I went to Baltimore and chose that route, because Jana is everything to me.” He takes her hand. “I love you so much, and I’m damn proud to be your husband.”
Everyone raises their glasses in a toast, and Poppy and I exchange a private look.
Yes, we know what that kind of a moment is like.
And I count my blessings every day, too.
THE END
for Marcus and Poppy…
But Ben’s story is coming, and Marcus’s cousin Astrid gets a book, too! Visit my website to keep reading!
And if you want to hear about the next release in this series, or any other sexy rom com news from me, join my VIP reader list at www.smarturl.it/AinsleyMail!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mom by day and filthy romance writer by night, Ainsley is a three-time USA Today bestseller (Hate F*@k, Prime Minister), and super grateful for caffeine and yoga pants. Born and raised near Toronto, Ontario, Canada, she's traveled the world and come back home to write about book boyfriends with maple leaf tattoos.
www.ainsleybooth.com
www.friskybeavers.com
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This story was originally written for the Rogue Desire anthology, a resistance romance collection I was thrilled to be a part of. Emma Barry and Tamsen Parker had the original idea on Twitter, and I’m grateful that they let me horn in, take over the cover design, and write a perverted park ranger story, too. The romance community is a wonderful thing!
ALSO AVAILABLE FROM AINSLEY BOOTH
FORBIDDEN BODYGUARDS
Hate F*@k
Booty Call
Dirty Love
First Lady, His Lady
Wicked Sin
BILLIONAIRE SECRETS
Personal Delivery
Personal Escort
Personal Disaster
Personal Interest
FRISKY BEAVERS
Retrosexual
Prime Minister
Dr. Bad Boy
Full Mountie
Mr. Hat Trick
Bull of the Woods
Cover Design by Oh So Novel
All rights reserved
2017, Ainsley Booth
Table of Contents
About this Book
Dedication
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
About the Author
Acknowledgments
Other Books by Ainsley Booth
Copyright
Personal Disaster (Billionaire Secrets Book 3) Page 10