Playboy in Paradise: The Complete Set

by S. L. Scott

  Evan is waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs. When I’m almost all the way down, he steps up one to meet me. Standing eye level now, he grabs both my hands, and says, “You’ve never looked more incredible than you do right now.”

  “Mahalo.”

  Leaning forward, he kisses me lightly. “I love you, Mallory.” His lips are against mine and his words are just a whisper between us.

  He takes my breath away every time he says those three magical words. I rub his shoulders and whisper, “I love you, too. So much.”

  When he pulls back, his eyes linger indulgently on my lips and then slowly looks up to meet mine as that half smirk appears—the one that creates a current of desire throughout my body. He proudly extends his elbow and I take hold just as proud to be his—legally and eternally. “Mrs. Ashford, it’s show time.”

  We walk into the kitchen, which is bustling with caterers and waiters, and Zach stands up from a chair and makes his way to the door, taking hold of the handle.

  “Are we all good here?” Sunny asks, eyeing us both and smiling.

  “All good,” I reply, straightening my skirt.

  “You ready?” Zach asks when we stop in front of them.

  With a glance and a nod, we go.

  “You ready to do this?”

  “Absolutely.”

  Sunny rushes outside with Zach following behind, but instructs us first, “Wait here until you’re announced.”

  My palms start to sweat, but I’m not alone with the nerves. Evan shifts on his feet and takes a long pull from the beer. I laugh to myself that our introduction as husband and wife is what makes us nervous. Not that we eloped. Not the vows that we made up on the spot. The introduction. Go figure.

  From just outside the back door, a man on a microphone announces, “Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce for the very first time, Mr. and Mrs. Evan Ashford.”

  I step forward, but Evan is an immovable wall and I’m jolted back in place.

  When I look at him, he says, “We’re still us out there, okay?” He’s more serious than I expected. “Don’t let their judgments change who you are.”

  The meaning of his words sink in as I realize he’s referring to the uppity crowd from New York. Raising my chin up, I squeeze his hand. “I promise I won’t.”

  Nodding, he steps forward, taking charge of the situation and leading us to the door. We walk out and Evan smiles, walking with pride into the setting sunset of the reception to a huge round of applause, cheers, and whistles.

  Claire rushes over, hugging me, and whispers, “Congratulations, Mallory. This may seem rushed, but the photographer needs you two on the beach right away. We only have a few minutes of sunlight left.”

  “Alright,” I say, returning the embrace.

  She hugs Evan, and I overhear their exchange. “Congratulations, Evan. You heard me tell Mallory about the photographer?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay, take care of the photos and we’ll talk about what happened today when you’re finished.”

  Claire whispers to the guy with the microphone and he instructs the guests to hold all personal congratulations until we return from the beach. Of course, no one does as we work our way around the pool and down the stone steps. People seem genuinely excited for us though I don’t recognize anyone we pass. We give lots of thanks until we’re down the step and on the beach. We kick our shoes off again and continue walking, warm sand between our toes.

  Claire was right. We only have a few minutes before the sun dips into the ocean, leaving a blanket of bright stars to softly light the sky. We take a lot of pictures and then make our way back up, this time stopping to shake hands, receive hugs and lovely words of wishes for our future. Back on the pool deck, I stand on my tiptoes to scan the crowd for my parents. The congrats are great, but I want to see my family.

  Sarah surprises me when she shows up at my side and says, “Your parents are over here. Follow me.”

  I take Evan’s hand again and we weave through the party, running into Ms. Chart. Evan hugs her tight, both of them taking the time to appreciate the special moment. “I’m so proud and happy for you, Evan,” she says with tears in her eyes.

  “I’ve never been happier. She married me. She actually married me,” he says, releasing her and taking my hand back in his, holding it to his chest.

  “You make a beautiful couple. Congratulations.” She leans forward, hugging me. “Mallory, I’ve never seen a more radiant bride.”

  “Thank you.” I’m too choked up to say anything more. Gail Chart has always been a good friend to me and I know Evan is like a son to her. She should be proud of him since she’s played a big part in raising him.

  “Take care of him.” she whispers.

  “I promise I will.”

  We welcome Harold and Nellie to the reception before finally spotting my dad. I rush over with Evan in tow until I reach my dad and see my mom behind him. Throwing my arms around our co-conspirator, I hug my dad tight. “Was it beautiful, sweetheart?” he asks, holding me tight. “Was it everything you wanted?”

  “It was perfect, more than I could dream of. Thank you for helping us.”

  Releasing him, I give him a quick kiss on the cheek before hugging my mom. Swaying in each other’s arms, appreciating all that’s led to this day, she sniffles. “I’m sorry, Mom.”

  She whispers, trying to calm herself to keep from crying. “Don’t be. It should be about you, not us.”

  My mom always knows the right thing to say. My guilt over them not being there to see me get married was starting to cloud my happiness. But the clouds have cleared and happiness returns. “I love you,” I tell her.

  “I love you too, honey.”

  When I look back at Evan, he extends a hand to my dad, which he happily accepts. With a shaky, emotional sigh, my dad abruptly and surprisingly pulls Evan into a hug. “I thought you weren’t a hugger, Sir?”

  “You just married my daughter. I can hug ya if I want to. We’re family now and call me Clay or Dad, whichever you prefer,” my dad says, holding back the tears. Evan’s smile might be best described as victorious, but I don’t make a big deal of it, not wanting to embarrass my dad.

  After making a round through the party to say hello to everyone else, Kate finds us and leads us to Evan’s parents who are waiting by the cake with champagne. Hugh hands us both a glass and Evan hugs him. “I’m really proud of you, son.”

  I hear that right before Claire looks at me fondly, and says, “Mallory, you make a beautiful bride. I’m happy for you both. Congratulations.”

  Setting my glass down on the table next to us, I hug her—not because I have to since she’s officially my mother-in-law and not because I really believe she’s being nice. I hug her simply because I want to hug the woman who has opened her heart to me and finally accepted me into her family. She welcomes me with open arms and returns the embrace. “Thank you.”

  “I’m so glad that Evan has found you. I think you’ll be very happy together,” she says before releasing me. When we part, Evan and Hugh are smiling, acknowledging the significance of the moment we all just shared.

  Hugh hugs me, and says, “Welcome to the family, Mallory. We couldn’t have wished for a better partner for Evan.”

  “Thank you. I’m thrilled to be an Ashford.”

  When we part, Murphy hands us our champagne again and we take a sip in celebration.

  Evan steps forward and hugs his mother again, trying to ease the blow when he says, “I hope you understand why we eloped.”

  I watch as she rubs his back, holding him close, as if she knows he’s his own man now, her little boy all grown up. “I would’ve loved to have been there, but Clay explained, so I’m trying to understand.” She hides her face against Evans shoulder and I hear a small sniffle escape her. “I love you, Evan.” She leans up and kisses him on the cheek while patting a tissue to the corner of her eyes. “I’ll get over it.” Claire backs away, but says, “Let’s celebra
te and toast to the happy couple.”

  I move back to Evan’s side, slipping my hand into his. He leans over and kisses my temple as Murphy raises his glass in our honor and starts his toast. “I couldn’t have picked a better match for Evan if I’d tried. Mallory, you brought our boy back from the dead and for that, we will always be grateful. May your days together be long and the sex be plentiful. Ow!” Our tight-knit group bursts into laughter as he grabs his stomach. “Fuck, Kate. That hurt.” Hugh clears his throat, giving Murphy a dirty look. “Oh, sorry for the language, Mr. Ashford.”

  Kate grabs Murphy by the elbow and starts to drag him away from the group, griping at him. “I can’t believe you just said that in front of my parents.”

  Evan leans down and whispers, “Not gonna lie. I want a long and sex-filled life with you, baby.”

  “Me too. What about the gut punch? You don’t want one of those?” I tease, poking him in the stomach. Damn, his abs are hard. I’m a very lucky girl.

  Laughing, he wraps his arm around my shoulder as Sunny pulls us over to see the cake. “It’s cake cutting time,” she adds with a wink. “We’re doing things out of order, so you don’t have any obligations later tonight.”

  She gives us a moment while she searches for the planner and photographer. “I love it,” I say, leaning forward to see the details of the beach-themed cake.

  “Guess what flavor it is?” I look at Evan when he asks this question, his gaze nothing less than seductive. How cake and seduction have come to be mixed together I have no idea, but I’m kind of excited to find out. “Pineapple,” he says, my insides tightening just from the mere mention of the fruit. He’s trained me well as images of sexy beach time fill my thoughts.

  Evan’s warm breath brushes across my skin as his lips touch the shell of my ear. “I requested it especially for you.” He plants a sweet kiss on my cheek then laughs, knowing he’s left me turned on and heated while trying to keep my composure as our picture is taken with the pineapple cake.

  With a big smile on my face for the photographer, I mutter under my breath, “You play dirty, surferboy.”

  I’m just about to tease him some more for that pineapple stunt, but the planner with her perfectly bad timing walks up with the knife for us to cut the cake. I should make him squirm the way he has me, but that leaves us nowhere but in the middle of a party all hot and bothered, so no one wins. And really, will I ever be able to look at a pineapple the same? I remember more innocent thoughts of the sweet fruit, but I can admit I prefer the naughty ones I have instead these days.

  He seems to notice my wiggle. “Feeling a bit tense, my love? I know how we can relieve that discomfort you’re feeling.”

  Pursing my lips to the side, I try to show him I’m irritated, but I’m not, so I can’t hold the face and I laugh. “You’re very persistent.”

  “I am when it comes to getting you in bed. Anyway, I have a rain-check to cash in.”

  “Yes, you do, so I guess we should get to cutting this cake then.”

  “I like the way you think.”

  Much to everyone’s disappointment we don’t smash the sweet confection into each other’s face. Local favorites are served for dinner as well as a mix of delicious culinary creations.

  The sun set a while ago and the landscape is lit with soft lights, setting the mood for our first dance. We’re introduced and my husband offers me his hand while we stand on the dance floor beside the pool. When I take it, he spins me to his chest then wraps his arm around me, and says, “I’m never letting you go.”

  “I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m yours just like you’re mine. Always.”

  84

  Evan

  “May I have this dance?” I ask, holding Mallory to me.

  “Yes.” She nods, looking me in the eyes. I can see her vulnerability from all the attention present in the pretty green depths of her eyes. I hold her close, wanting to comfort and protect her while we dance cheek-to-cheek.

  The song we chose for our first dance may not seem typical for us, but it spoke to our hearts. I agreed with Mallory when she suggested ‘Embraceable You’ by Nat King Cole. It was the first song we heard as an engaged couple. It was playing at the gala and then again when we were ice-skating the next day. Maybe the song is sappy and traditional, but it works for us and stuck.

  I surprise her by swinging her out and bringing her back to me again. Tilting her head, she laughs, making me laugh, her happiness contagious. With our noses touching, I hold her steady in my arms and we sway to the music. Feeling the importance of the day, I say, “I’m going to give you such a good life.”

  Without missing a beat, she says, “Better than good. I know it’s going to be the best life possible.” Her lips are against my jaw, planting kisses. “I can’t wait to be alone with you tonight. When we’re together, it feels like home.”

  “You are my home, Mallory. Forever.”

  We continue dancing to the rest of the song, holding each other close, her head on my shoulder as we move together to the music. Another song starts playing and the dance floor fills up as other couples join in around us.

  “May I have this dance with my daughter,” her father asks, tapping me on the shoulder.

  “Of course.” I place her hand in his, and leave to walk to the bar. Just as I order a whiskey and Coke, Zach joins me, ordering the same. He leans his elbows back on the bar, his own girl hanging out with Kate near the dance floor. “So what now?” he asks.

  We drink in silence for a minute before I glance over at him. He seems genuinely interested, not like the small talk I’ve had to make with my parent’s friends tonight. I shrug, “School, I guess.”

  “I heard your parents talking to Kate about Murphy.”

  “What’d Kate say?”

  “She said he was moving to New York.”

  Shocked, I turn to him. “Really?”

  Zach clinks his glass against mine. “Really. He’s graduated. Guess he’s leaving the island.”

  “I’ve been too caught up in school and all of this. Guess I missed the little detail that he’s moving across an ocean and the country to be with my sister.” I take another sip of my drink, and smile. “But good for them.” When I look at Kate, she waves and I raise a glass in silent toast to her. I’m proud of her for letting love into her life. She can be a hardass in business, but she’s a softie when it comes to matters of the heart. “So what about you?” I ask Zach. “What’s next for you?”

  “Sunny and I have graduated,” Zach says, looking up at the moon hanging over the water. “Do you think she’ll think I’m selfish if I ask her to move in with me without asking her to get married first?”

  “I think you should do what works for you guys. It’s not a race to the end of life. It’s about the journey and the life you lead. What anyone else thinks doesn’t matter.”

  “I’ll admit that I never thought you’d be the first of our friends to get married.”

  That makes me laugh. I rub my lower lip with my thumb, signaling my wife. I miss her and ready to have her back. I lean closer to Zach, and whisper, “I’ll admit I’m just as surprised, but there just wasn’t any other way my life could go.” I nod toward Mallory. “That girl right there took me by surprise and changed everything. I never knew someone could come into your life with a foul mouth and such a stubborn side, and make you rethink everything about your own life, but she did. I’m just lucky that both of those same qualities were attached to a woman who is forgiving and loves harder than anyone else I’ve ever known.”

  He laughs, noting I mentioned some usually not so great traits along with the good ones. “So it’s okay if she’s not perfect?”

  “She’s perfect for me.”

  With a sigh, he says, “Sunny likes pink a lot.”

  This time I laugh, imagining how his house will be redecorated soon after he asks her to move in.

  He smiles. “It drives me nuts, but I wouldn’t have her any other way.”

  “Be
cause you get it.”

  Zach nods. “I totally get it.”

  Mallory joins us. “Hey lover, you wanna blow this joint?” she asks, looking up at me. She looks a little tired, but she’s still stunning.

  “Anything you want, baby,” I say, wrapping her arm under my arm and holding her close.

  Unlike our greetings to everyone when we arrived, we make our goodbyes fast. Cocktails have relaxed our parents who’ve spent the evening chatting. I have a feeling they’ll continue the party long after we’re gone.

  We say our goodbyes and start to leave, but Clay catches up and pulls an envelope out of his suit jacket. “This is our gift to you. I know it’s usually the bride’s parents who pay for the wedding and the groom’s that pays for the honeymoon, but since your family paid for the wedding, we wanted to take care of your trip.”

  “You didn’t have to do that,” I say, touched by his generosity.

  “We wanted to. We did a lot of checking around with your parents and your friends and they all suggested somewhere tropical where you could surf and Mallory could relax. We came up with Costa Rica.”

  Elise comes up behind him and leans her head on his shoulder. “We wanted you to have some time together, just the two of you before diving back into your studies and work.”

  Mallory’s eyes fill with tears again, the weight of the evening hitting her. “I’ve always wanted to go to Costa Rica. Thank you. Thank you very much.” Mallory’s voice cracks at the end. I wrap my arm around her shoulder and hold her tightly to me as a single tear escapes and rolls down her cheek.

  “Oh, honey, don’t cry. Focus on this husband of yours and it’ll be just fine,” Elise says, taking her daughter into her arms. “We love you.”

  I know the move to Hawaii will be hard on Mallory because she won’t get to see her family as much as she likes, but I’ll do everything I can to make her happy here with me. This is where we should be right now, which reminds me that I need to give her my present when we’re alone tonight. I feel a pang of excitement rush through my body, a smile showing as I imagine her face when I give it to her.