by V. Theia
He was outside Paige’s room in seconds. He knocked and waited. It was Winter who answered. She was smiling so he took it as a good sign.
She patted his arm. “She’s inside, go in. I’m going to find that hubby of mine.”
Snake was probably dealing with his hangover like most of the boys were doing. They had one helluva party for him last night. Reaper had fun but didn’t drink to excess, he wanted to be clear headed today.
Slamming his eyes shut he called out her name from the doorway. “Bug?”
“Why do you have your eyes closed?” She was amused. Another good sign.
Navigating into the room he closed the door behind him, still looking at the insides of his eyelids. “I remember clearly the rules you said we had to follow, bug. Seeing the bride in her dress before you came to me at the alter was a big fucking no. What’s going on? If you’re having second thoughts, then prepare to be fucked in that dress I know you’re look fucking stunning in.”
“Nothing is wrong. I missed you, wanted to see you. I was so lonely last night.”
He fucking knew it. When he grunted his disgruntled noise she giggled and the last piece of stress he carried in his shoulders drifted away.
He held out a hand. “Come here to your man.” Her hand came immediately, tucked gently into his fingers, and he pulled her the rest of the way. He felt lace and a lot of fucking dress up against him before he finally got to hold his girl.
“You look so handsome,” she sighed dreamily, and Reaper had to fight really hard not to open his eyes and look at her. He was so hungry for her face and her smile. “You might be sexy as all hell in your biker clothes, but god, Reaper, you are so handsome in a suit and your hair free like that.”
“I’ll keep the threads on later when I fuck you.”
He was classy to the last. Truthful too.
Having spent a night away from her and the way she crawled over him to get at his dick on any given night, he felt like he hadn’t tasted the sweet between her legs in months instead of hours.
He was about to suggest they have a quickie before their wedding when she said. “I remembered something…”
His heart stopped and then restarted, dropping his head he pressed their foreheads together while he cupped each side of her face. “Paige…tell me, baby.”
“I’ve been having feelings lately, like déjà vu of our first apartment you described to me and this morning I woke up remembering the feel of sand between my toes. I remembered some of our other wedding, Reaper.” Hearing the smile in her voice it shot adrenalin straight to his heart. Fuck it if she was wearing lipstick cause he was about to kiss it off. He crushed her lips, swallowed her gasp and kissed her savagely.
“God, I fucking love you, bug.”
“I love you more.” She smiled into his lips.
They’d been to see the top neurology specialist in Denver twice already and he was confident over time and with therapy, which Paige was now receiving a couple times a month, that her lost years would return. It wasn’t only Paige who needed to talk to someone, Reaper was man enough to realize he’d kept a lot of shit bottled up. They’d started marriage counseling too and it was bringing them closer together more than ever before.
Did it matter in the grand scheme of things if she didn’t remember the first five years of their life together when they had the next sixty ahead?
For Paige she’d say absolutely, she wanted all her memories back.
It was a mixed bag of emotion for Reaper—sure, he wanted her to remember how they met and fell in love the first time, but he didn’t want his wife to remember what Sony did to her and the pain of losing their baby all over again.
Her therapy helped and she’d grieved over the past few months in her own way, but to have that recollection back?
He wasn’t sure he wanted that for her.
They had each other now today, he could live with her not knowing what came before.
“You’d better get out there because I think we’re already late.” She said, nuzzling his chest. Reaper curled a hand around her neck, gave her one last kiss and turned, only then opening his eyes so he didn’t smash his face into the door.
“I love you, Paige. I’ve always, always loved you.”
“And I’ll always love you,” she told him. “No matter what. Today, tomorrow, yesterday, you’re it for me.”
His whole chest inflated, and he smiled to himself as he walked back towards the tent.
For a man who’d lived the last few years on the outskirts of life like a ghost, he was suddenly air-dropped into the center of attention and he wasn’t sure how he felt about accepting so many back slaps.
But the minute she walked into view; Reaper didn’t exist.
His heart was toast and he was sure he felt the back of his eyes tickling because his girl…
His fucking girl was a vision levitating towards him.
One thing he knew for sure, he would never tire of just looking at her. Kissing those luscious lips, holding her in his arms and seeing her smile.
He felt like he’d been through hell and back and Paige was his reward.
Loving her was his reward.
Taking care of her was his privilege.
Being her husband—his fucking heaven.
Just the flash of her lips and he wanted to kiss her, wanted to forget there was a tent full of people watching them and a pastor in front waiting to start their ceremony.
He wanted to devour those lips and the way she twitched a smile she knew it too.
It was Pastor Danny Murphy who brought Reaper’s attention back into the room by clearing his throat. “If you’re ready?” The guests laughed and catcalled as only dirty bikers could and Reaper nodded, giving Paige’s hand a squeeze.
He couldn’t stop looking at her all through the vows and when they were declared man and wife … again, the tent of guests whooped and hollered and whistled and Paige smiled so big at him before he took her mouth.
It felt like coming home all over again.
The Renegade Souls had given Reaper a purpose the last few years. They’d offered him friendship and a job and a sense of harmony while he tried urgently to hold his life and his love together by the very tips of his fingers.
Those guys whooping and acting like dogs were a big part of his family and he’d always, always be grateful to them.
But it was the woman in his arms who gave him something he didn’t fully believe he deserved but was keeping it all the same because that’s what selfish pricks do.
Smiling down at her, he looped his arms around her waist, their foreheads together. “Happy?”
“Stupidly happy.” He swore to himself he’d always keep his ladybug happy whatever he had to do. “Let’s dance, eat cake and then get to what we’re both dying to do.” She moaned a little into his mouth and his cock went from half-hard to full raging bat of steel.
Reaper whispered something equally crude back to his wife to which she giggled and the pastor who was still standing in front of them coughed into his hand and gave Reaper a grin.
See, the man understood Reaper’s desperation—if the uncle Jed gossip was true, then the holy guy had a woman of his own too, a young redheaded woman had been seen going in and out of his church rectory recently.
It was during their first dance to Queen’s Born to Love You that Paige lifted a corner of her dress to showcase what was beneath and he didn’t even stifle his laugh when he saw she wore her black and red ‘ladybug’ tights. Similar to the ones she’d been wearing that first day.
He pulled her closer into his chest, kissed along her neck whispering starved, loved words.
His girl, always dancing to her own tune and he was the lucky guy who got to stand by her side while she lapped up life, a smile at a time.
Their passion might have resurfaced after a time, but their love… Always there.
As Reaper liked to tell her, he’d always, always loved her.
And always would.
* * *
Hours and hours’ worth of dancing, food and drinking left them both quite desperate.
The bottom of her dress was so full of flowing lacy underskirts trailing on the floor that no one in that tent noticed how Reaper lifted her carefully to straddle her over his lap and unzipped his gray pants at the same time, pulled out his very hard cock and dropped her down on it until she buried every last inch and tried not to squeal in the process.
“Ah, fuck. That’s better. Wanted to fuck you all damn day, ladybug.”
Air whooshed out of her lungs. Pleasure assaulting her senses. Nothing felt this good. Her lips twitched gazing into his aroused eyes. “And you thought now in a room full of people who could come over to talk to us at any moment was the best time?”
His dirty smile turned her on and she laughed burying her hands in his combed hair and rested their foreheads together.
“The tent is dark and full of drunk people, no one is noticing us, baby.”
That was true. It had been a hell of a reception party. Paige was danced out and her cheeks hurt from smiling so much.
They didn’t so much as move, but she was so full of his thick length that it felt impossible to stay still as he urged her to do with his hands locked on her hips. “It feels good. You feel so good.”
He grunted, knocking a wisp of hair from her face that had escaped from her loose knot. She loved her wedding dress, the fancy underwear, even her tights, but god in a straitjacket, she was dying to rip them off and be naked with him. That would have to wait until they were at their hotel, and then tomorrow they were taking three weeks to visit New Zealand.
Paige was fit to burst with excitement.
His mouth brushed her earlobe, sending shivers through her at the speed of light. Every touch caused a reaction in her skin and she moaned into his mouth.
“Have you had a good day, ladybug?”
“So much,” her smile ached, their noses knocking gently. “I married my best friend again.”
His groan was music and love. “Let me give you a memory, baby.”
“Yay!” she gave a little wriggle.
“The day I proposed … the first time, we’d been arguing for hours. You wanted to go to the movies, but I had all this shit set up at the beach for us and you were ruining my plans and I couldn’t tell you why I was being so stubborn, which pissed you off and you stormed out of my motel room, you only got a few feet and I caught up to you, pinned you to a wall, told you how much I fucking loved you and asked you to marry me.” A grin split her lips. “You of course burst into tears, flung yourself at me. I took it as my yes.”
Oh, that did funny, lovely things to her heart.
Lips brushed the side of her neck. She needed to dig her nails into her palms just to stay sane. There was no point trying to squeeze her thighs together, she had a big—very big man between them. Thank god for the reams of tulle hiding what was going on beneath. She couldn’t move, but what Paige could do was loop both arms around Reaper’s shoulders, brush her lips to his as he talked and tighten her inner muscles. His grunt was delicious.
“That’s how crazy you have me now, baby, always.”
Game over. Ding. Flipping. Ding.
Paige wanted to get out of that tent like ten minutes ago.
She wanted that memory back. She wanted them all. It hurt her heart to know she’d had wonderful years with Reaper and couldn’t recall a second of them save for a few glimpses here and there. His stories would fill her with love and tears every night. It became their ritual when they were in bed he’d give her a memory back.
“Ten.”
Paige’s brain checked back in, her head was so foggy with desire she could barely think and when he lifted her just a tiny inch then dropped her back down so his glorious cock delved back to its place she had to fight not to scream.
Reaper was smug as could be but a tiny bit of sweat dotted his upper lip.
He was tortured by their game too.
Around them their party went on. Drinks and revelry galore and all she could think about was her husband had his cock inside her and hoped nobody would notice.
God, she loved him so hard and she loved him being hard.
“You asked for my number last night. I finally made a decision.” He rasped, kissing a necklace around her throat.
“Wait...what? You want ten kids?” He had to be joking, right? Ten!
“Maybe twelve.”
“Twelve kids…” Air whooshed out her lips, imagining Reaper surrounded by all those kids rough-housing and loving their perfect dad.
“I’d be happy with one, bug.” He kissed the side of her neck. “I’d be happy if it was just you and me for the rest of forever, we don’t need kids to be a family. I got my queen, I’m a happy fucker already.”
“And puppies and kittens.”
Her patient boy groaned, making her smile. He liked to protest but she knew she’d get her own way if that’s what she wanted.
“It’s you who makes me happy.” He declared, swelling her heart. “Anything, kid or dog, that joins us after that is just icing on what’s already a perfect cake.”
She swooned and kissed him hard before moaning again. God, he felt so incredible inside her, but she knew they couldn’t do what they both ached to do. She gave him one last squeeze before he gently slipped out of her, tucked himself away and pressed his face into her neck. “As your husband, you should know that’s the last time I pull out of you without making you come three times on my cock, ladybug.”
Serious swoons.
She chuckled and cupped his grave face with her two hands. His eyes brilliantly bright with color and love. So much love, it was astounding now how she never saw it those years he quietly followed her.
Some things could be forgotten and left behind.
Loving Reaper was not one of them.
Paige had a feeling wherever she went he would be close behind, stalking her like a great prowling animal. Her blood shivered at the thought.
This life and the next, they were destined.
She’d found happiness twice now and was blessed it was with the same man.
Some loves were meant to be, she firmly believed it.
She believed two people found each other at the right time.
She also believed in a man so strong in his love that he would do anything to safeguard it.
She rolled her forehead on his. Purred his name and repeated a line of their vows. “In sickness and in health, forever and ever, not even death or amnesia will part us.”
“Paige…” he breathed and squeezed her tight, murmuring his love over the pulsing beat of the music.
“You’re the kind of person who only loves once and it’s with me. I want you to know, to feel how deep I am lost in you, Reaper. My forever man. You waited. Watched and protected me. You waited.”
She’d fallen in love with a sweet boy from a faraway land.
Now he was a fully-grown man, filled out into his strong skeleton. A biker with a convoy of amazing friends who would do anything for him, they’d taken care of her man for years while she couldn’t, and she would forever be truly grateful to the Renegade Souls boys for giving Reaper a place to call home.
Now it was theirs.
“You once looked at me in the same way you’re looking at me now, bug.” he shared in a kiss that was just lips touching.
“How am I looking at you?”
“Like you’ve got everything you want.”
“I do. Right here.” she smiled into those perfect lips and felt how he shuddered. “Was it on our first wedding day? The look?”
He hummed, a deep bass noise that rattled all her bones into slick honey. God, she loved him so very much.
“Yeah.”
She beamed hotter than the sun. “Two for two, baby. We’re going to have to go big or go home for our third wedding.”
This place right here, it was solely Jud and Paige Renner’s.
They both felt it, inside t
heir bubble of togetherness.
“We’re gonna rock this second marriage.” She exclaimed and wasn’t it just uplifting to hear how loud he laughed, drawing startled bikers eyes like they’d never heard the noise from Reaper before.
Six months and five days later.
It was Friday night in the Renegade Souls MC. Paige, perched on the lap of her husband, was having a great time. She was waiting for her turn in the what the boys called the Tiny Tournament. Video games to the death… or until there was only one winner left. There was a lot at stake, she wanted to win that vintage bottle of scotch for Reaper, but she’d seen Zara’s Mario Kart skills and wasn’t feeling so confident any longer.
And Tag wasn’t half bad either, but then the blond Adonis could easily be swayed. She nuzzled a kiss to Reaper’s neck and hopped off his lap. She came back from the kitchen a few minutes later, carrying the specially made shoofly pie she’d baked that morning. A little gossiping bird by the name of uncle Jed told Paige it was Tag’s favorite, it reminded him of his nana.
Bribery, plain and simple.
It didn’t take long, like a magnet, the movie-star looking biker lifted his nose into the air and sniffed out the good scent. Nonchalantly, Paige carried her sweet wealth, carefully cut into six pieces on a blue plate.
“Holy fuck, is that shoofly?”
“Depends.” She answered, swatting his grabbing hand away before he could hook a piece up.
Oceanic blue eyes, she was sure drove girls crazy, narrowed. “What do you want?”
“Throw the game.” she said from the side of her mouth.
The deal was struck, and Tag was given the whole pie plate to stuff into his mouth.
“Fucking hell, that was heaven.” he professed like a lover would over his girl, hand on his flat belly, eyes glazed with pleasure. “Run away with me, Paige. Bake me pies all day long.”