by Morgan Henry
“I’m just not the giant dress, walk down the aisle, formal dinner, and dance kind of girl. And you know my parents won’t come.”
When Karen added the engagement to two men to the whole fiasco with supporting Mary and not leaving the broken store, their parents had pretty much stopped talking to both women.
Mary was still getting nasty phone messages and e-mails from Bob. He vacillated between wanting her back and cursing her. It was kind of weird, and though Colin and Marcus hadn’t any evidence he was responsible for the damage to her store, they were still investigating. They kept saying something about the whole thing was wrong.
Karen had put the break-in behind her, but she was a little worried about her sister. It helped a little to know that Logan and Derek Murray were watching over Mary.
Karen had called her parents to let them know she was engaged, and Mary had insisted on being present.
“No one knows as well as I do how they can be,” she said and sat down beside Karen. Mary burrowed her butt into the couch, obviously not prepared to move.
Karen took a deep breath and called.
“Hello, Karen,” answered her mother.
“Hi, Mom. I thought I’d let you know what was up with Mary and I.”
“Really? I can’t imagine what would be up, given that Mary doesn’t have a job and you don’t have one either.”
“Mary’s working at the store, which is better than ever. The insurance came through and so did a lot of great people in this town.” Karen still felt a wondrous sense of warmth when she thought about all the help from Hardwick Bay.
“Oh, yes, and being a clerk hawking candy is such a good use of her degree,” snapped her mother.
“Well, things are fine for us.” Karen spoke quickly to forestall any further comment on their jobs. “I’m getting married and I wanted you and dad to know.”
“Who on earth did you find to marry you?”
“Gee thanks, Mom. I know I didn’t have a line of suitors out the door, but you don’t have to sound so surprised.”
“Well you haven’t even talked about a boyfriend.”
“Things are a little different here in Hardwick Bay. I’m actually living with two guys and we’re going to get married and have a life together. They’re wonderful to be with.”
“Oh, good God, Karen. That’s just preposterous. Do you have any idea how ridiculous you sound? What you’re proposing is bigamy, for one thing.”
“Actually, it’s only bigamy if I legally marry both of them. I’ll only marry one and we’ll have an unofficial ceremony for the other.”
“How could you do something so stupid to your father and I? And Mary. How can we be taken seriously if our daughter is off having a wild affair with two men? It will end badly, and I don’t know how you’ll pick up the pieces later. We certainly won’t help.”
Mary had been getting more and more agitated listening in. She finally growled and grabbed the phone from Karen.
“Listen to me, Mom,” Mary barked. “Karen is marrying two of the most wonderful guys I’ve ever known. I can’t wait for her to walk down the aisle and call Allan and Zander my brothers. We’re both doing great and acting like sisters again. If you’re too blind to see that we’re happy, and to be happy for us, that’s your problem.”
“Our problem? Our problem is that we have two daughters that can’t seem to face reality. I really don’t think we can continue in this fashion. You two need to come to your senses before we can be a family again.” LeeAnn’s voice was back to the icy hardness that meant she was deadly serious.
“So we shouldn’t send you a wedding invitation?”
“We certainly will not acknowledge such a union. If you come to your senses, call us.” LeeAnn hung up.
Karen and Mary stared at the phone for a second.
“Well, that’s that, I guess.” Karen wasn’t really surprised at her Mom’s decision.
She was surprised that she didn’t feel terribly upset. She didn’t feel much of anything, except happy that Mary was around.
Mary smiled at her. “I don’t actually feel that upset. I’m happy for you and happy that I’m here, but I don’t really care that the snobs are gone.”
“Me, too.”
* * * *
“I really don’t think I can do a huge wedding thing,” Karen reiterated.
“Well, my family might send someone, and Zander’s aunts and uncles should at least be in the know,” Allan pointed out.
“See, and it keeps snowballing. Next thing you know your fifth cousin twice removed will have to be invited. It’s too much. We don’t need a big production.”
Karen could feel her heart rate increasing with the thought of planning a big wedding. Anxious tears were threatening to fall.
There were just so many reasons in her mind not to have a giant wedding.
She couldn’t deal with the thought of being the center of attention of so many people, while having to look perfect, for starters. The thought of two hundred people watching her every move made her want to elope for that alone. A few people—fine. A few hundred—not okay.
She had never wanted a giant wedding. When she saw the huge weddings on the reality TV shows, she just didn’t get it. She wouldn’t be more married if they spent a huge amount of money, so why bother? Yes, her store was doing fine and the men made good money, but why spend a ton of it on just one day?
And then there was the actual planning. She couldn’t get excited to plan something she didn’t really want anyway. But she would try to do a good job, and it would make her nuts trying to balance everyone’s wants.
“Is it just the amount of people that bothers you?” Zander asked as he rubbed her back soothingly.
“It’s the whole circus. I don’t need it and I don’t want to be one of those brides that goes psycho crazy planning the whole thing. I know Cailynn and Hanna are having a great time planning their weddings, but I think of doing that and shudder.” Or almost have a panic attack. Karen wasn’t sure what was bothering her the most, but she really didn’t want a huge fuss. “And I don’t want to have to be perfect in front of a couple hundred people.”
“Well, compromise is a good thing in marriage. Will you at least get a pretty dress to wear?” At Karen’s look of horror, Allan put up his hands.
“I don’t mean a fluffed-out, giant bride dress, just something new and pretty that makes you feel good.”
“Well, okay.”
“You and Hanna should make a day of it. You know, go shopping, get your nails done, or whatever the hell you women do at a spa.” Zander fluttered his hands in some bizarre manicure imitation.
“Now that I can do.”
* * * *
“Hey! You’re home!” exclaimed Zander as Karen walked through the door.
“Yeah. You look surprised. Were you expecting your other girlfriend?” Karen teased.
“Ha-ha. Let’s order pizza for dinner tonight.” Zander was starving and he couldn’t wait to show Karen his new toy.
“Sure.” Karen headed upstairs to change.
She returned in lime-green plaid, flannel pajama pants and a hot-pink T-shirt. Zander loved it. He hoped she was wearing her Halloween panties. “You better order enough so Allan can have leftovers.”
Allan loved cold pizza. Zander and Karen found it a bit revolting, but Allan would almost rather have it cold than hot.
Allan was currently at a seminar in the city, so Zander had Karen to himself for the night. Zander couldn’t say he minded, both because the seminar was on the foreman crap that hydro couldn’t pay him enough to do, and because he and Karen got to break in the new toy.
When the pizza came, Zander brought it into the living room along with a beer for him and a cooler for Karen. He plunked it on the big leather ottoman along with some paper towels.
Karen raised her eyebrows in mock horror. “Eating in the living room? Without plates? Allan probably senses it from afar and is having a coronary right now.”
&
nbsp; “There’s method to my madness, baby. And we won’t tell Allan.”
Zander served her up a slice and grabbed one for himself. He went over to the cabinet that housed their media and opened it with a flourish. “Ta-da!”
“Oh my God! I can’t believe you did that!” Her mouth was open in shock but there was a devilish light in Karen’s eyes.
“You betcha, sweetness. Who do you love now?”
“You, sweetness. And Allan. But right now, mostly you.”
Zander was so happy his ribs had to expand to hold his chest contents in. He loved that he put that excited and shocked look on her face. And the anticipation in her eyes made it all the sweeter.
Zander had bought and hooked up the latest and greatest gaming system. He bought three of each controller and a bunch of games for them to get hooked on. He had been dying for this. Allan wasn’t much of a gamer and neither was Karen really, but Zander loved them. He had an older system up in his room and he and Karen had goofed around and played a few games. Enough to know it was an activity they could enjoy together.
Karen bounced up on her knees, wiggling enthusiastically. “What are we playing first?”
“You pick.”
Her eyes flamed again but she settled back on her heels.
“No way,” she said with a smile. “You bought it and hooked it up, you get first pick. Really.”
Zander could see she really meant it. It made him all warm inside that she loved and appreciated him enough to let him go first. After all the times in his relatives’ homes, going first at a new toy was still rare and exciting for him. His heart swelled just a little more with love for his Karen.
He kissed her hard and sweet. “Thank you.”
He pulled out a racing game. It wasn’t one of the more complex role playing sagas that were out there, but he knew Karen would have fun with it. He was rewarded with her grin.
“Let’s eat first so we can then play until our eyeballs fall out,” she suggested.
“Okay.” Zander crammed an entire slice of pizza in his mouth.
Karen collapsed in laughter. “I’m jealous. I can only do half a slice!” She stuffed her mouth full.
Zander was still chewing, which was really difficult when he was laughing at the same time.
“So, what are the stakes?” he asked when he finally swallowed.
Karen winked at him and gave a sexy smile. “Winner on top?”
“How about winner’s choice for the first round?”
“Okay. Prepare to lose, sucker!”
Zander gasped. “Clean up that trash talk, candy ass!”
They each ate another slice of pizza and grabbed the controllers. For a few rounds of racing they were relatively well behaved. There was lots of laughter and good-natured name-calling. As they played on, the competition got more intense.
Karen was in the lead, for once, and Zander’s elbow accidentally-on-purpose bumped her, sending her car way off course.
“You rotten bugger!” Karen’s elbow joggled Zander’s.
It then turned into an elbow-bumping wrestling match while still trying to drive the cars and laughing hysterically. As they crossed the finish line, Karen narrowly won with a well-placed foot to Zander’s knee.
“Cheater!” Zander flung himself on top of Karen.
“You started it!” Karen grabbed his hair and pulled his mouth down to hers. She slid her tongue into his mouth, twining it with his. Laughter quickly turned to moans as Zander pinned her to the rug, game forgotten.
He loved this woman. Loved her ability to play. Loved her bright wardrobe and crazy panties. Loved her big heart and caring nature that was completely buried when she was playing video games.
Zander slid the T-shirt up over Karen’s breasts. He loved that she went braless in the evenings. Latching onto a nipple, he sucked and pushed the T-shirt up further, trapping Karen’s arms above her head.
Her moans made his already hard dick harder. The zipper of his jeans might do permanent damage if he didn’t unleash his cock soon. He worshiped her breasts, switching from one nipple to the other until they were brick-red and swollen. Karen was writhing under him, her soft cries making him hotter.
He pulled away from her breasts reluctantly, but he had to get rid of his jeans. He pulled his zipper down and his cock sprang free, narrowly missing the teeth of the zipper. There was a downside to not wearing underwear. He shucked his jeans and turned his attention back to his lovely fiancé.
“Let’s see what surprise is under these pants,” he drawled, truly wondering what she was wearing.
Her arms still trapped above her, Karen giggled. “You’ll be surprised.”
“I love surprises.”
Zander inched her pants down.
Nothing. He frowned and inched them a little further.
And further.
No panties at all.
“Nice.” He pulled her pants down and licked his way up her legs to her pussy. He would never get tired of eating her sweet cunt. He pulled her legs apart further, unable to go slowly. He gave her a big, hard lick with the flat of his tongue.
And was rewarded with a cry, a gush of liquid, and Karen trying to thrust her pussy into his face.
“You’re so close already, aren’t you?” he asked, his mouth against her pussy still.
“Zander! Need you!” she cried.
“I think I won in the points race, which means I’m in charge.” He licked her again.
“I won the last race!”
“But you cheated,” he pointed out then circled her clit with his tongue.
Karen rid herself of the shirt trapping her arms and grabbed his head. She tried to push her pussy into his face. He pulled away and crawled up her body.
Licking a trail around her belly button and between her breasts, he settled between her thighs. He pushed the head of his cock against the entrance to her pussy.
“Who won?” he asked, not penetrating any further.
“I won.” Karen pouted at him.
He rubbed the head of his cock over her clit. “Who won?”
She growled and tried to impale herself on him.
He laughed. “Who won?”
“Ah! You did! Now fuck me!”
Zander rewarded her with a swift, deep thrust. “Such a good girl.” He fucked her hard and fast because she liked it that way and because he was too damn horny to go slow.
He managed to hold off his own orgasm, barely. Karen came with a wail and her chest and face flushed that beautiful pink he loved. His own orgasm coiled in his spine and unleashed itself like a whip. It cracked through him, lashing down his cock and exploding a pleasure bomb in his dick as Karen’s pussy milked him.
Gasping, he pulled out of her, pathetically happy that she gave a mew of disappointment as his penis slid out.
He collapsed beside her and pulled her into his arms, curling around her curves.
“I love you, Karen.”
“Love you, too, Zander.” She tilted her head back to look at him with her beautiful eyes. “And not just because you got us video games.” The side of her mouth curved up and she waggled her eyebrows at him.
His heart tried to leap out of his chest with the love of his wonderful woman. He growled and rolled on top of her again.
Chapter 26
Allan checked himself in the mirror. He nodded at himself and checked his pocked for the tickets. Yep, still there.
“Hey, Karen. Are you ready?” he called up the stairs.
“Coming!”
Allan heard the patter of her heels on the stairs. His heart expanded when he saw his lovely fiancé. She was wearing a flirty little dress that wrapped around her somehow and floated down her body to her knees. It was blue, his favorite color.
That made him smile. He knew she picked the color out for him.
“You’re beautiful. Breathtaking.” Allan couldn’t take his eyes off her. She had on some sparkly jewelry that seemed to make her eyes dance.
“You swe
et talker.” Karen’s eyes crinkled a little with her smile. “Keep it up and you might get laid.”
Allan couldn’t help but laugh at that. He held out his arm to her and they walked downstairs together.
The restaurant was nice. Karen deserved to be taken to nice places like this. She deserved to be cared for and showered with little luxuries and not have to worry about paying the mortgage.
“How’s the pasta?” Allan was a little disappointed that she had ordered some fancy version of spaghetti at first. He wanted her to have lobster or endangered whale flipper or something really expensive. But then he saw her face when she had her first bite.
She looked like she was in heaven and that look carried him up to the clouds with her.
“It’s so good. Honestly, this is the best pasta I’ve ever had.” She licked a little of the sauce off her lip.
And that gesture made his cock so hard, he didn’t know if he would survive the rest of the evening.
“So, when were you going to tell me you and Zander ate pizza in the living room?”
Karen gasped and her eyes dropped away from his. She fiddled with her napkin. “Er, it was my fault.”
Allan laughed so hard, wine almost came out his nose. “I don’t care, sweetness. I’m just teasing you.”
“Well, you are a little fussy about the house,” Karen chided him gently.
“I know. I’m getting better. And it’s your house now, too. So you can eat pizza wherever you want. Honest.” He took her hand and kissed it.
“You are. I even saw you with a hot dog in the living room the other day. You almost got mustard on the couch.”
He laughed again. Karen was good for him. She and Zander made him more relaxed, more spontaneous, more fun. Yeah, he still planned too much, but it was livable.
“So where are you taking me?” Karen asked when they got back into the car.
“You’ll see.”
“Oh, come on. I’ve been good.” Karen drew circles on his thigh with her finger.
He grunted a little. If she kept doing that it was going to be an uncomfortable evening. “Now that we’re here, you can guess, I’m sure.”