Chapter one
Kat
“All I’m saying is, eloping could be kinda fun. You, me, a tropical beach…” Hunter’s hand draws lazy circles over the bare skin of my abdomen. “Think about it, Kitty Kat.”
I gaze down at him, his chin propped on one hand as he lies between my legs. If it weren’t for the blissful post orgasmic high I’m still riding, I might be annoyed that he’s bringing up the stupid idea of eloping yetagain, but instead, all I can think is how adorable he looks right now.
I’m just as obsessed with the man as I was at the start of our relationship, heck, even before that, when he was just my neighbour I crushed on from afar.
My, how things have changed… Now there’s a sparkly diamond on my finger, our clothes share one closet, and our cat Gigi is scratching at the door. Hunter’s rule — she’s not allowed in the bedroom overnight, since he says the only Kat he wants in bed with him is me.
“Hunter, I would marry you anywhere, anytime. You know that. But I need my family there. Besides, do you really want to face the full wrath of the Donnelly boys if they don’t get to be at our wedding?” I keep my tone light, because I’m fully aware that his reasons for suggesting a private wedding stem from his darker parts. I love those parts of him just as much as his light, happy, and kind parts.
His anxiety is so much better these days, thanks to the hard work he puts in with his therapist. And not to toot my own horn, but also the work we do as a couple to stay strong as individuals and together.
Raking my fingers through his hair, I give him a soft smile. “You’re right; all I need is you, and our wedding would be perfect. But we’ve been planning for the ceremony to be in the old barn at the Martin family farm since the beginning. We’re not changing all of that at the last minute, especially not when the wedding is next month.”
Hunter’s head drops to the top of my thigh as his arms wrap around me in an awkward sort of hug. When he speaks, his voice is muffled, but the vibration from his words is dangerously close to my still sensitive core. And even though I know I need to focus on the conversation, it’s kind of hard not to think about him putting his mouth to a different use.
“I know, I know. I’m sorry I brought it up again.” He sounds embarrassed and full of remorse.
I feel his chest rise and fall, and I know I’ve got to help him move forward. Squirming out from under him, I tug under his arms until he slides up the bed and flops onto his back. The lock of hair that never seems to want to stay put is flopping over his forehead, and I push it back with a smile. His eyes are closed, so when I lean down and kiss him, he doesn’t see me coming.
That doesn’t matter, however, given how quickly he responds, wrapping his arms around me and holding me tightly against him.
Our tongues tangle slowly, in a languid dance. Lazy mornings with Hunter are my new favourite thing.
“Ask me again,” I murmur against his lips, feeling his own turn up in response.
“Again? Kitty Kat, that’s like the five hundredth time.” His lips move to pepper kisses along my jawline and down my neck. I tilt my head to the side to give him more access, my pulse kicking up in response.
“I know, but I love hearing it.”
His low chuckle promises all kinds of dirty things to come, and I know he’s managed to pull out of the negative spiral he was headed toward.
“Kat Donnelly, I dare you to marry me.”
“Yes. A thousand times, yes. Forever yes.”
When we get out of Hunter’s truck at the farm where we’ll get married in just under a month, I flip up the hood of my jacket. “November is such a gross month. Freezing, grey, gross.”
Hunter walks around the front of the truck and drapes his arm over my shoulders, pulling me in close. “Good thing it’s December tomorrow, then. And don’t worry. I put in a special request with Mother Nature. We want a white wedding, not grey. She promised to deliver snow, the night of December 23.”
I grin up at him. “Just in time. Christmas Eve is the extra best day of the year, right?”
His lips find the top of my head. “Yep. And this year is even more extra best since it’ll be our wedding day.”
My heart flutters with happiness.I can’t wait to marry this man.
“Hi, guys!” Abby Corser waves at us from the porch of the farmhouse. She and her uncle have been running this farm for a few years now, and she’s taken it to new heights by opening their barn up for event rentals. What could be better than a rustic wedding in a beautiful barn?
“Hi, Abby,” I reply as we hurry through the drizzle to the house. Once we’re inside the warm kitchen, seated around her table with a baby monitor in the middle so she can keep an eye on her newborn son, Abby grins.
“Only a few weeks until the big day; are you getting excited to stand up in front of everyone and sayI Do?”
Hunter’s hand that’s resting on my leg tightens ever so slightly. I cover it with my own and give what I hope is a comforting squeeze. I know he’s nervous about the spectacle of it all, even with us keeping the guest list small. If you don’t know Hunter, you’d never expect him to have severe anxiety, but he does. And wedding planning uncovered a new layer to it. Hunter absolutely hates having the limelight on him when there’s a lot of people around.
Put him in his police uniform, and he can handle a crowd calmly and confidently. But in his personal life, the idea of being the focus of so much attention has brought on more than a couple of bouts of nerves.
