"Didn't think I'd forget, did you?" he asked.
I shook my head. Linden didn't forget. He didn't break promises. He didn't let me down. Like he'd said all those months ago, he wasn't going to be one of those people. I'd assumed that was nothing more than pillow talk. The kind of things people said when they were drowning in sexual tension.
I knew better now. I knew he'd meant it.
"Never doubted you for a second," I said.
He stepped closer, his hands held wide as they ghosted over my dress. "How long do we have?"
In the reflection, I spied the digital clock beside the bed. "Five minutes. Maybe one or two more if Magnolia can stall."
He shucked off his suit coat, tossed it to the bed. Flipped his tie over his shoulder. Rolled up his cuffs. "Gonna have to be quick," he said, dropping to his knees behind me. He carefully lifted the skirt to my waist, skimmed his hand up my thigh and dragged my panties down. "Hold on, Peach. I'm gonna make this good for you."
He placed a hand below my navel, an anchor to keep me from pitching over when I lost my footing. I would, of course. I'd fall apart for him now the same as I always did.
His lips traveled up my bottom, his soft-coarse beard the very best tease, and I groaned out loud when he elbowed my stance open and ducked his head between my legs.
He parted my folds with his tongue, licking just enough to force a desperate moan from my lips. My heels came out of my shoes as I leaned up on my tiptoes. He speared his tongue inside me and I arched into it, into the devastating heat of it. His growl rumbled through me. "Oh, fuck, yes. Yes. Eat that pussy."
"That's right, little wife," he said. "This is all mine."
I stared at my reflection in the mirror, finding myself with hazed-over eyes and slack-jawed lips as he tugged my most tender places between his teeth, sucking and nipping, and fucking me with two fingers. There was no way I'd walk down the aisle on steady legs and that was exactly the plan.
"I can taste myself on you, from this morning," he whispered.
"I love that." This position didn't let me see him—not much, anyway—but I loved that too. It was a perverse spin on wedding day superstitions. Though I didn't have to see him to know he was hard and throbbing right now. "Get your cock out. Make yourself come for me."
"Not until you do," he said.
"I asked you," I started, my tone as clipped as ever, "to get your cock out. It would be a terrible thing to disappoint me on my wedding day."
I heard his belt rattle and the rustle of clothing. I felt his groan when he had himself in hand. I didn't have to see him to know he was treating himself to a slow rub down his length, a twist at the crown, and then a rough jerk back to the base. I knew he'd let out a hummed growl any minute now as he sped up, let his hand fly faster over his cock as he found the rhythm he needed.
Linden sucked hard at my clit as he stroked himself, his fingers still working my pussy, and the mixed chorus of our groans and cries seemed to gather around the fine lace of my dress, the crisp cut of his suit. We were getting married within thehour.
"I love you so much," I gasped. "I want you to come on my ass."
I didn't know what it was about those statements that made them so profoundly right but my orgasm came at me fast, a jagged, thorny throb that spiraled through me and left everything from my belly button on down shaky and unsteady.
Linden growled out something as he pushed to his feet, replacing the hand around his cock with the one he'd had buried in my pussy a moment ago. He held my dress in place as he pressed me down, his big palm on the center of my back. "I fucking love you," he rasped.
I watched in the mirror as his arm flexed, his hand shuttling over his cock. The sound of slapping flesh and the brush of his knuckles between my ass cheeks left me aching and clenching and clinging to the last aftershocks of my orgasm.
Again— "I fuckingloveyou."
And the hot lash of his release hit my skin.
This new chapter of my life, it wasn't nearly as tough as the ones that came before. It wasn't lonely or sad or defensive. It was dirty and messy, rude and lusty, and safe and loved. It was everything I'd ever wanted.
Epilogue
Linden
Three yearslater
We namedthem Sawyer Reuel and Savannah Eowyn.
It surprised me when Jasper suggested names that called to mind her home state but home wasn't something she needed to avoid anymore. The middle names were straight out ofThe Lord of the Ringsand I was very pleased about that win.
