Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 25937 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 130(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25937 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 130(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
“Obviously.” I grin. Then, I pull my vows out of my pocket and rip them up.
“What are you doing?”
“I don’t need them. You don’t need prewritten vows either. We’ll get up there and speak from the heart. We know what we are to each other and what we want to say.”
The smile he gives me is big and bright enough that if I wasn’t already sitting, it would knock me on my ass.
“God, I love you,” Derek says before his mouth crushes mine. He leads the kiss and I follow, knowing there isn’t anywhere I won’t follow my boy. “This wedding, it’s kind of us, right? From the get-go, we were always perfect in a messy sort of way. Something that maybe never should have worked but does. I guess it’s only fitting that our wedding would be the same. Maybe a bit of a mess, but works in all the best ways.”
I tighten my hold on him and kiss him again. “I couldn’t have said it better myself.”
“You guys aren’t in there fucking, are you?” Travis calls from the hallway.
“Trav!” Gary shrieks. “We didn’t hear anything! We just got up here and wanted to make sure everything is okay!”
Derek slides off my lap and holds his hand out for me. I take it, and he pulls me to my feet. “Are we going to go get married so you can make an honest boy out of me, or what?”
I swat his ass. “Damn right we are.”
9
Derek
I peek out a doorway to see the wedding guests seated in the wedding hall at the lodge. On the opposite side of the room, Steph seems to be cracking jokes at the white-orchid archway before a window overlooking the picturesque, snow-covered landscape. Apparently, she’s been buying us time since my freak-out.
I scan the room, appreciating all the people who’ve shown up to share our magical moment with us.
“…then you’ll be mine, and that’s all that will matter.”
Jackson’s so right—that’s really all that matters.
I take a breath, allowing that awareness to fill me, when I feel hands wrap around my wrists. I turn either way to see Gary and Hayden at my sides. All studly and sexy in their tailored suits, they look serious as fuck, less like supportive groomsmen and more like they’re about to drag me away to punish me for my near escape earlier.
“Oh no,” I say. “Is this some sort of belated bachelor party where you guys are gonna force me to be the center of a violent gangbang with some rugged, angry Canadian bikers?” I sigh. “Do what you must, but let Jackson know in case he wants to take pics.”
Hayden’s straight face transforms into a grin as he laughs. “Whatever. You know damn well we’re just securing our runaway bride.”
“Yeah,” Gary adds. “And aside from that being a reward, not a punishment, I’m pretty confident if we let Jackson know we were dragging you off for a gangbang with rough bikers, he’d kick their asses and take you for himself. So why not skip the epic fight scene and get straight to the point?”
I enjoy Superass’s tease before his expression turns serious. “You okay, though? You seemed fine after Jackson found you, but just checking.”
“Yeah, that whole ink issue was easy enough to fix, so—”
“Easy enough to fix?” Evan hollers from a nearby chaise he lounges across. “Are you kidding? You’re gonna stretch my extrawhite button-down with your thick twink body!”
“Who you calling thick?” I ask.
“Like in a sexy, working-out-at-the-gym way,” he replies, rolling his eyes. “Relax, Groomzilla.”
“Yeah, Groomzilla,” Hayden follows, playfully reiterating the name as he tilts his head slightly, glancing at me over the frames of his glasses. “But seriously, you’re cool?”
They release my wrists at the same time, and I appreciate that they’re checking on me, that they care. Reminds me why they’re my besties.
“Yeah,” I reply. “I had a moment…a few of them, really, on this trip. I just wanted to make our wedding special, ya know? I wanted Jackson to always remember this perfect moment with me. But he helped me remember that having him here is all that matters. I feel invincible. It’s like that Zen moment when we’re at hot yoga.”
“Like when you’re really into the feelings and sensations of your body?” Hayden asks.
“Eh, or when you catch the right glimpse of the shirtless guy nearby whose junk is hanging in his gym shorts in just the right way?” I kid, which makes Hayden and Gary snicker together. “But really, like nothing in the world could possibly shake me from this feeling. The fucking archway could collapse on top of us, and I’d be fine.”
“Hey, where’d those rings go?” Evan asks.
“The fuck?” I ask, rage radiating through my body as I realize I wasn’t quite as unshakable as I imagined.
Evan’s eyes are wide with concern as he glances around the sofa, and then his gaze meets mine. “Kidding! Kidding!” he calls out as a smile sweeps across his face. He raises his hand, revealing the box with the rings.