Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 33298 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 166(@200wpm)___ 133(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33298 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 166(@200wpm)___ 133(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
There’s a knock on the door, and I call out. I expect to see Gwen’s parents. After I sobered up, the first thing I did was go to the fancy college where they teach and demand to see both of them. I made it clear that I’m the man that loves their daughter and if they didn’t shape up, they wouldn’t be seeing her or any future grandchildren. They were on the plane within two hours of my lecture.
But it’s not Gwen’s parents. It’s the bride herself. She gives me a dazzling smile. She’s wearing a white dress with over the shoulder sleeves and a tight, fitted bodice. The puffy, tulle skirt has me longing to stick my head underneath it to find the exact shade of underwear she’s wearing. Is she wearing underwear?
Fuck, I definitely shouldn’t be thinking about that right now.
“You’re not supposed to see the—” Rafe starts.
I hold up my hand to stop him. No one reprimands my queen. No one dares to speak to her with anything less than complete respect and adoration. All she has to do is look at me, and I will lay siege to cities. All she has to do is whisper my name, and I will lay the world at her feet. She’s my everything.
Gwen gives me a soft smile, taking in the animals. “You made them all look so cute! The girls are going to flip!”
I don’t care about impressing her friends. There’s only one woman whose smiles I want to earn every day.
“We’re going to go check on…” Roman says. I don’t even pay attention to how he finishes that sentence. All of my attention is focused on how sweet Gwen looks standing there. Like something out of a dream or a fairytale.
My friends exit the room, leaving the two of us alone.
I cross the floor to take her hand in mine. There’s something troubling her, and I want to know what it is. I don’t want this day to be anything less than perfect for her. “What do you need, sweetheart?”
“This is beautiful and amazing and so perfect…”
“But?” I prompt. Normally, there’d be a rock in my gut and I’d be expecting her to leave me. But it’s not there today because I’m confident that she loves me just as much as I love her. We can overcome anything together. “You don’t want it?”
“It’s not that.” She shakes her head and puts her hand on my shirt. Even with the layers of fabric between us, her touch warms me. It always will. “I don’t want you to feel like you have to make some big, over-the-top gesture. I love you, Blade, just as you are. And I need to know you know that. That you understand how much—”
I stop her words by pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. My heart is too big for my body. It’s filled with too much love, and I’ll never be able to contain it all. “I want to marry you. I want to watch you walk down the aisle in a white dress. I want to hear you tell your friends and family that you’ll be mine forever. And then I want to take you back to our hotel room and make love to you again and again.”
She beams up at me. “I like that plan, Mr. Shaw.”
I put my arm around her shoulders and kiss her temple. She’s so soft and sweet. So mine. “We’re going to write a beautiful love story together, and it starts right now.”
Together, we make our way to the wedding chapel. Roman and Rafe corral the fur babies at my feet and take their places beside me.
Jacob is our ring bearer, having recovered from his brief cold. Pride is etched on his little face at being given the most important job. I look at him and hope that one day I get to have sons. Sons to love and mentor throughout their lives.
Gwen’s parents walk her down the aisle and pass her to me. They just gave me the most precious treasure in all of the world, and I’ll always love her. Always protect and pleasure her.
When the priest pronounces us man and wife, I don’t even wait for him to finish. I kiss my girl straight on the mouth, sweeping my tongue into hers. I devour her, like the beast I am because I don’t care that we have an audience.
I only let her go when the priest clears his throat and murmurs something about children being present. I break the kiss and pull my wife even closer. I need these curves pressed up against me. Need her to understand that I’m her man now. “You’re my fated mate. I’ll never let you go now.”
Gwen is mine. I’ve claimed her heart and her soul. I’ve put my ring on her finger, and there’s one last thing to do—put my baby in her belly. I plan to work on that immediately.