Wasted Vows

by Colleen Charles

  I took the unspoken challenge and quickened my pace. I pumped my mouth over him in long, languid strokes, using my tongue to increase his pleasure each time I swallowed him deep. I wanted to make him explode with pleasure.

  I could tell by Corban’s breathing and body language that I was winning the pleasure war. He couldn’t hold back now, and I didn’t want him to.

  Corban’s breaths hitched in his chest. “Wait,” he said. “I want to come inside of you. Luna, wait.”

  I relinquished my hold on him and rose from the floor, rubbing the red spots on my knees. I looked around, uncertain. “Should I lie on the–?”

  Corban didn’t give me a chance to finish speaking. He dove forward, hoisted my one leg over his shoulder, slapped his other hand onto my ass cheek, then dropped me down on his cock. I stilled, delighting in the sensation of being impaled. I wanted to swallow his orgasm, but he stopped me. I wouldn’t be denied, so that would have to happen some other time. And we had a lot of that. We had forever.

  He clutched my hips with his hands. “Don’t move, woman,” he said between long, ragged breaths. “I’m in control this time.”

  I pressed myself against him, working my clit against his body until he stopped me again. “Corban, please.”

  Inch by inch, ever so gently, he separated my folds and penetrated the deepest piece of my desire just like he’d done with my shattered heart. But was it still in pieces? I didn’t think so. Humpty Dumpty had been put back together again by this incredible man. The secrets I’d hidden from him had scattered away on the breath of desire. We shared everything now, and we would from this moment forward.

  Corban continued kissing me, working his shaft inside me, slowly, long strokes that became more urgent with every beat.

  I broke the kiss with a moan and grabbed handfuls of the flesh on his back. “Corban, oh god.”

  He bit down on my shoulder, a gentle nibble as he growled. He thrust through his orgasm, hardening inside me. God, it felt like he’d doubled in size. He pulsed and throbbed inside me, and I savored every last tremor, knowing I’d caused them all.

  “Corban,” I whispered and kissed the length of his neck and that muscular shoulder.

  He shifted his weight off me but didn’t get up. “You’re amazing,” he said. “I feel like I wasn’t even living until you. Like I just woke up from a black and white dream to find everything’s turned to color.

  “I know what you mean.”

  And for once, I felt like it was true – he knew everything about me, now, and none of it had scared him off. Not even the fact that I’d been forced to legally conceal my truth from him. He’d accepted everything about me. I felt like I’d come home to myself. Whole.

  Complete.

  Chapter 23: Luna

  Corban got up first. He handed me my dress, then tugged on his pants. He didn’t bother with his shirt, and I admired the indentation of his chiseled abs from under my eyelashes. Even though I still felt shy around him, another part of me thought I could conquer the world with him by my side.

  “That was unbelievable,” he said, lacing his fingers with mine and bringing them to his lips. “Really.”

  “For me too.” I tugged my dress over my head with my free hand. I shimmied into it the same way I’d gotten out of it. I didn’t know how to express myself to him. I’d never felt this way about a man. Just like I fumbled with my physical body, I now seemed to be fumbling over my words.

  I’d been in love with Thorn, sure, but had I actually loved him? No, I really hadn’t. Now that I had Corban here in my house – my house – and in my heart, I doubted everything I’d felt before. Nothing had been real before him.

  He’d taken all the pain and wiped it away over the course of a few weeks. It was too fast – Larissa would probably tell me I was crazy. No, that was a lie, she’d wholeheartedly support this because it was Corban. Ross and Larissa loved Corban. He already had a coveted label, the bestie stamp of approval.

  I’d have their full support. I didn’t have parents to worry about. And I’d long ago given up on the approval of anyone else thanks to the constant slew of insults and taunts from the general populace. I’d refused to be driven from my hometown, and dammit, I refuse to be driven away from my feelings on this one.

  Which meant it was time to man – no, woman – the hell up and tell him how I felt. Take a risk. My palms grew sweaty, and I wiped them on my silky dress. Ugh, that would have to go to the cleaners right away.

  “Are you okay? You’ve gone pale,” he said and brushed a few moist strands of hair from my forehead. He tucked them behind my ear.

  “Yeah, uh, yeah. I’m fine.” I puffed out my cheeks and exhaled. “I guess.”

  “Tell me what’s wrong,” he said, voice deepening. “Whatever it is. We can deal with it together. I won’t let anything or anyone hurt you again, Luna.”

  This incredible man had a way of making a girl’s heart grow three times in size. But not just any girl.

  This girl.

  I stepped up to him. “Corban, I feel like I should tell you something, but I’m kind of hesitating. I – uh – darn it,” I said and laughed. How the hell was I supposed to say this without sounding like a desperate–

  “I love you,” he said and smiled at me. “Does that pretty much cover it?”

  “Yeah,” I replied and grinned back. “I love you. It feels right to say it to you. It feels better than anything I’ve said before.”

  “Man, I’m glad you feel that way,” he said and scratched the back of his neck. “I was starting to think I was crazy for feeling this way after such a short period of time. But you’re addictive, Luna. The way you smell.” He bent his head and inhaled the scent of my hair. “The way you feel.” He ran his fingers down the sides of my neck, over my shoulders, down my arms. “The way you taste.”

  I held up a hand. “You’re not going to bite me again, are you?”

  The grin grew wider. “Only if you want me to.”

  “I was kidding.”

  He nibbled on my ear lobe, and my knees went weak all over again. I pressed my palms against his chest and held myself upright. “You’re too good at that.”

  “One of my rare talents,” he replied. “So that settles it. We love each other. We’re together. That’s never going to change.”

  “Never say never,” I said, then rammed my teeth together. I winced. “Sorry.”

  “It’s okay. You’ve been scared, Luna, I know what you’ve been through now. I can’t believe what that scumbag did to you,” Corban replied, and he actually trembled. “It makes me crazy just thinking about it. Everything he did and that I wasn’t there to protect you from it.”

  “Then don’t think about it,” I said and slung my arms around his neck. I drew him into a quick, light kiss. “We don’t have to think about him anymore. You took care of that.” I’d already been at that desperate point where I’d have done anything to get out of the situation.

  I’d been on the verge of giving up everything I had. I’d have taken a damn job at the bottom if needed just to escape the hatred and control of Thorn. But the trouble was, if I’d done a tell-all would anyone have believed me? Probably not. No, then I’d have been the bitch who ruined their favorite player’s dreams and ratted him out in the process, spoiling their image of him.

  “You’ve done everything for me,” I said. “You realize that, right? If you hadn’t pulled that trick, I’d be totally adrift on an endless sea of pain and regret.”

  He kissed my forehead. “I wish you could’ve told me.”

  I opened my mouth, but he cut me off with a wave.

  “I know you couldn’t,” he said. “I spoke to the Twins lawyer about the nondisclosure agreement you signed because of Thorn’s people.” He spat the words out as if they tasted like battery acid on his tongue. “I’m just saying if I’d known sooner we would’ve been together sooner. Or you’d have been free of that asshole sooner. Even if I hadn’t loved you, shit, just on principle. Th
at guy is a total douche. I’m glad he can’t play anymore.”

  “I don’t care what he does. Just as long as he stays away from me,” I said. “Away from us?”

  “Why is that even a question?” He lifted me and planted another kiss on my lips. He swung me in a circle, then placed me on my bare feet once again. “How about you and I spend the evening indoors. We’ll eat, get a movie, all that jazz.”

  “That sounds like heaven,” I said and stretched my neck. “But first, a shower.” I couldn’t wait to wash this day out of my hair.

  “Mind if I get in on that action?”

  “What action are you referring to exactly?” I asked and wiggled my ass on the way through the living room door.

  “Don’t tempt me, woman.”

  “Oh please, you couldn’t go again if you tried,” I teased and headed for the stairs at a swaying trot.

  Corban growled. “It’s on now.” He started after me.

  I squealed and darted up the stairs, giggling hysterically, surprised that I didn’t topple on my face.

  But it was okay if I did, I realized. Because Corban would just laugh and pick me up, dust me off. He loved me just the way I was.

  I felt like I’d finally come home to myself and my future.

  EPILOGUE

  “Anywhere but Summit Avenue.” That’d been our decision a year after the debauchery that’d been the Twins event and Thorn’s declaration in front of millions of fans.

  We’d chosen something upscale but not too fancy and Corban had told me to go to town with redecorating. We could afford it after all – my event planning business had boomed since the Twins event. People hired me for the décor, and partly because they wanted the dirt on what had happened in the past. I’d become an anomaly, only this time, in a good way.

  They were always disappointed when I refused to give them the gossip. But that disappointment transformed once they turned up at their event and saw the venue, the food, and everything else in between. And I loved their eyes shining with pride and gratitude more than anything. It made everything I’d gone through to get here seem worthwhile. And the destination that much sweeter.

  “It’s gorgeous,” Larissa said and looped her arm through mine.

  We stood in the back yard, a few paces from the grill, where Ross stood flipping burgers in his ‘Feed The Chef’ apron. He gave us a thumbs up mid-flip and tossed a burger to the grass.

  A Labrador puppy dove for the meat. “No, Rory, no!” Ross yelled and guided the dog away with his foot, waving the spatula around.

  Larissa and I laughed. “Dinner and a show,” Larissa hooted.

  “Watch it, woman,” Ross growled, but there was no heat to his tone. There never was with them. They’d found each other young, and their marriage had stayed strong all these years. I would’ve been jealous, but things were great with Corban.

  Our move had only brought us closer together. The sex hadn’t faded, though we were likely due to move out of the honeymoon phase of our relationship pretty soon. But that thought made me sigh because my deep love for him made me relish peeling back the layers of our relationship to find new delights underneath.

  “Are you happy?” Larissa asked.

  “Over the moon,” I replied and took a sip of my wine.

  We’d settled for just the four of us at our housewarming party. Neither Corban nor I had any other intimate friends apart from these two, and Rory was a grand addition to the group.

  Larissa leaned forward, eyes shining with gossip. “Guess what I heard?”

  “What?”

  “Thorn’s getting married.”

  “Ugh.” I didn’t care what he did. His downfall had sent him straight back to Georgia, and the family bosom. “Sorry. I would be happy for him but he’s so far in the past, he’s just a blur. I pity the woman who fell for him.” It was weird to be able to talk about Thorn without flinching or feeling guilty. I’d carried that around with me for so long that the freedom from it made me feel like I’d missed something.

  “He’s marrying a single mother.”

  “What?!” A laugh burst from my lips. “Please tell me you’re joking.”

  “Nope,” Larissa said. “They’re calling it the publicity stunt of the century. And Thorn’s publicist is working damn hard to cover his tracks. Something about losing all his endorsements and his financial empire plummeting.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “One of his assistants went to the press with a tell-all and revealed that the whole wedding is a total setup. That Thorn doesn’t even plan on staying in the same house with the woman and her kid but has offered to pay for the child’s schooling for the entirety of his life. All the lady has to do is stay quiet, and she gets the cash,” Larissa replied.

  “Whoa. That’s twisted.” I grimaced. Thorn Edwards had hit another all-time low. He’d hit rock bottom, sunk deeper into a pile of mud, and now proceeded to dump another ten sacks of sewage on top of himself. “I wonder if he made this woman sign an NDA too.”

  “Probably. She’s kept to herself during the whole thing,” Larissa said. “It’s pretty horrible, but I can’t say I blame her. She’s beautiful, but I think she comes from a really tough background. Below poverty level. She just wants to do the right thing for her child.”

  “I’m not judging her,” I said. “Not that I care what he does. It’s just sad that he hasn’t learned anything from what happened to us.”

  “I don’t think guys like him ever learn,” Larissa replied. “But yeah, so he’s in a world of pain. Now that the story’s broke, they won’t let go of it. I’m surprised they haven’t tried to contact you.”

  “They probably have,” I said. “Lacey manages my phones and social media, so if they try, she just doesn’t let it through. And she doesn’t tell me about it either.”

  “Nice.” Larissa downed the last of her drink and placed it on the table nearby. She perched beside it and folded her arms. “As long as–”

  “Tables are for glasses not asses, Lar,” Ross said.

  “Kiss it, Ross,” she called back and spanked her lush behind, rodeo style.

  He chuckled. “Gladly. But not here, okay. You’ll scar Rory for life.”

  “You’ll scar me for life too,” I said. I looked up at our house, a brick construction similar to the home I’d had on Summit Avenue, except more compact, homier, and with a wood shake roof. Corban was inside having a quick shower after work, except he was taking longer than I’d expected. I missed him already.

  “So, I have a question for you,” Larissa said and shifted that wine glass further away from herself.

  I pulled my gaze back to her. “Sure. Go ahead.”

  “Would you say this is the happiest you’ve ever been?” Larissa asked.

  “Yeah, totally.” Sometimes the depth of my joy threatened to overwhelm me. The sun shone overhead. I felt healed. Whole. I’d stepped back into my confidence and self-esteem with Corban.

  It was a perfect afternoon with a blue, cloudless sky, and Rory had managed to steal the ruined hamburger patty after all. My gorgeous boyfriend was naked somewhere inside our new home, and my business had finally taken off. As an added bonus, I could walk down the street without being glared at or heckled. I’d even received a rash of apologies from Minnesotans whose eyes had been opened to the real Thorn Edwards.

  “All right, so you’d say that this is the happiest you could be, right?” Larissa asked.

  I narrowed my eyes at her. “Where are these questions leading?”

  “Just answer me,” she said and rolled her eyes. She should’ve been a lawyer – if lawyers huffed and rolled their eyes at their witnesses on the stand.

  I considered the future. It seemed bright, but I couldn’t bank on what hadn’t happened yet. Things could get better or worse, and all I’d been through had taught me to live in the moment and not take things for granted.

  “Yeah, I can’t imagine being any happier than right now.”

  “You’re wrong
,” Larissa replied with a smug smile.

  “What?”

  “You heard me. You’re wrong.” She giggled this time.

  “What are you two hens clucking about?” Ross asked. “The burgers are done. I’m grilling the bratwurst now.”

  “I know you didn’t just call me a hen,” Larissa said. “If you just called me a hen, I can think of another fat sausage to throw on the barbeque.”

  “A hen? No, I would never call you that, gorgeous. Never,” he said and crossed himself, then kissed his fingers and pointed to the sky.

  I blinked off another of their half-insult, half-loving conversations and focused on my best friend. Larissa bore that same smile. She positively seethed with happiness.

  “How might I be wrong?” I asked.

  She lifted a shoulder. “You’re going to find out really soon.” Before I could interrogate her further, she hopped off the table, grabbed her wine glass, and moved to the cooler Ross has set up beside the grill.

  “Now, you’re drinking my beers too?” Ross asked. “Gosh, woman, you’re going to make me cry in a second.”

  “Relax, I’m just getting a glass of wine.” She bent to open the cooler’s white plastic lid, but Ross got there first, extracted the wine bottle and poured for her. He corked it again, put it back, then drew her into a hug and kissed a long line down her neck.

  “Have I told you how gorgeous you look today?” he asked, all innocence and charming grins.

  I glanced up at the house again, and pleasure flushed through me. Corban strode across the lawn, sexy in a blue button-down shirt and jeans. He flashed that easy smile that made my heart turn over in my chest, but then his expression grew serious.

  “There you are,” I said. “I thought you drowned.”

  “I had to find something,” he said. “And I needed to prepare a speech.”

  “Prepare a speech? For a housewarming party with four attendants?” I laughed. “You’re something else. Should I have unpacked the crystal champagne flutes for your soliloquy?” I craned my neck and planted a kiss on his cheek.