All Good Things Absolved (16 page)

"You're a temptress." He sounded short of breath. "So fucking beautiful."

"Take me, Jace." I whispered as I leaned back into the water. He held my breasts up, making them appear even more perky and alert for him. Not that they needed any help.

"I will, Angel." He pushed his jeans from his body before shedding his boxers. A long, hard penis stood proud and moist at the tip as he walked toward me. I couldn't take my eyes off him. Every time I saw his penis hard and wanting I couldn't help but wonder how he fit within me. But he did. I fit him like a glove and he filled me entirely. Perfectly.

Jace stepped into the bath behind me and I quickly turned around to climb into his lap. "Eager?" He raised a brow.

"Only a little." I nipped his nose. "You've deprived me."

"And you've turned into a lioness." He grinned. "I should deprive you more often."

I gasped. "Don't you dare!"

"Hmm," he grunted mischievously and my belly flopped.

I ran my hot wet core along his thick shaft and he groaned as he tilted his head back. I kissed his neck before biting gently. "Two can play that game, Jace." I lifted myself from his throbbing tip and his eyes flashed to mine. They were filled with daring and his hands instantly found my hips in an ironclad grip.

"You're not going anywhere so don't fuck around, Angel." He warned. There was no play in his voice and I loved that he wanted me - needed me now.

I let his hands guide the rhythm of my hips against his cock. "Don't threaten me then, Jace." I looked him in the eyes and felt myself grow drunk off their blue. "You're mine just as I'm yours. You belong to me."

He smiled. "I'm yours, Angel."

I positioned him at my opening and he held my hips in place. I knew he was keeping me from slamming down on him the way I really wanted to. He was going to make me take it slow, but I didn't care. I would take it anyway he gave it to me. All I cared was that I had him inside me tonight.

"Slow," he urged as he pushed inside me. His movements were agonizingly gently and I leaned my head back as I sighed my pent-up sexual energy.

Jace griped my hips, owning my body as he pushed inside me to the hilt. I felt complete and so very full. It wasn't something that could be rivaled and when I looked back into his eyes, I found he was staring at me with hot desire that was flooded with love. This man loved me so much more than I ever thought I could be loved. He owned me - he possessed me - and I loved every minute of it. In him I had found everything I'd ever wanted.

I leaned down to claim his mouth and he let me. He shifted his hips and I moaned my pleasure into his mouth as he found rhythm inside me, pushing gently into my womb before stroking the walls of my innermost place tenderly. When I broke contact from his lips for air he took my breast into his mouth, suckling me. I felt my muscles clench around his cock as his teeth bit into the tender flesh of my nipple and a gasp escaped from between my parted lips.

I looked back down to him and felt my heart jump in my chest. His eyes were a new color of blue - so intense and dark it was almost like looking at the night sky. There was so much love within his eyes I felt as though my heart was about to burst.

"This is home, Angel." He thrust deep and I bit my bottom lip into my mouth. "Me inside you - it's where I belong."

Chapter 15

"Good morning, Angel." Jace breathed against my lips as he kissed me awake. "You have to wake up now."

"No," I protested, but somehow found the energy to kiss him in return. "I can't."

"You can and you have to." I felt his hands on my hips and his knees pry my legs apart. He slid between my legs and found my spot quickly. It wasn't hard. I was already wet for him. "Today's the day I make you mine for forever."

I opened my eyes to look into the blue abyss I adored. "I've been yours since the first time I saw you."

"You've been mine since the first time
I
saw you." He corrected as he slid inside me. I gasped as he filled me quickly. "But today I make you mine - legally."

I smiled. "Hmmm," I purred in pleasure. "You do."

"I can't wait to see you walk toward me." His voice was deep and thick. It coursed through me with the impact of his words.

"I can't wait either." I kissed him. "Shut up and make love to me."

***

My hands were sweating as I sat on the foot of the bed I'd made love to Olivia in only a few hours ago. I hadn't seen her since, and in all honesty, I hadn't wanted to let her go. The only reason I allowed Jaylah and Trisha to pull her away from me was because by the end of the day she would share my last name. She would be mine in every sense of the word. I kept thinking to myself that all I had to do was wait out the next hour and I would see her. She was due to walk down the aisle at two. We'd slept in until eight and I had her until nine-thirty before her bridal monsters took her away from me. If her eyes hadn't have been filled with such light excitement, I would have fought them for another hour with her, but I couldn't do that. She looked so happy and carefree that I let her go with them. Now I was regretting that moment of foolishness. What had I been thinking when I thought I could stay away from her for hours?

She was in the same house as me and I wasn't allowed to see her because of some ancient - and I believe fucking ridiculous tradition where the groom simply cannot see the bride before the wedding. It's fucking silly. And worse, it's angering.

Caleb's hand settled against my shoulder. "Settle down."

"Will you go see her again?"

"Jeez," He shook his head. "I know you're afraid to let her out of your sight after what happened with that fucker, but she's fine."

"I know," I breathed. I'd told Caleb what happened with Olivia and Bryce and I thought he was going to go out in search of the bastard and kill him himself. It made me happy that he cared for her. When he looked at her, I saw the same light in his eyes I saw when he looked at Jaylah. He saw both women as his family - his sisters and I loved him for it. I really did. Caleb was my brother. He was my best man.

"You gotta settle down." He handed me his phone. "Call her. The girls will let her talk to me."

I looked at his phone and sighed in relief. "Thanks."

I dialed Olivia's number and waited three rings before she answered. She was breathless. "Hello?"

"It's me."

"Oh God," she sighed. "Hold on."

There was a muffled sound. "It's Caleb. I'm going to take it in the washroom."

"Is it really Caleb?" I heard Trisha demand. I clenched my teeth. That woman was like a freaking lie detector. She could sniff out deceit like a drug hound sniffed narcotics.

"Give me the phone." Jaylah barked immediately after Trisha spoke the words. Jaylah never would have thought to inquire - she was too trustworthy and sometimes oblivious.

I handed Caleb the phone. "Talk."

He put the phone to his ear. "Yeah, it's just me. Put Olivia back on." There was silence as he listened to the women bantering and then there was light in his eyes again. "Hey Liv, you good?" Caleb asked before handing me the phone. My heart was a raging mess.

"Angel?"

"I'm here." She sighed. "And alone."

"I miss you."

"I miss you." She sounded sad. "I wish I could see you."

"Only an hour." I found myself trying to cajole her happy side. I wanted her to miss me - but this was her day. I wanted her happy.

"I know." She hummed into the phone. "I always miss you. Even when I'm only away from you for an hour." She grew quiet. "Or a minute."

"I like that." My throat felt tight. She did that to me. She made me feel. It was why I loved her so damned much.

"I know you do." She laughed.

"Where are you?" I asked. I held my breath as I waited for her reply.

"In your mother's bathroom."

"What are you doing?"

"Sitting on the toilet seat." She laughed again and I closed my eyes. I was committing the sound to memory. I loved that sound. "Where are you?"

"Sitting on a bed."

"The one you made love to me in?" She sounded breathless and I felt my cock twitch at the mention of loving her. I knew with certainty that she would one day be the death of me.

"Yes." I replied. I wished Caleb weren't standing in the room with me. "I'm going to let you go, Angel. I'll be waiting at the altar."

"I'll be there." She promised. "I love you, Jace Rush."

"I love you, Olivia LeRoux."

"I can't wait for my new name."

"I can't wait either." I admitted.

"Bye Jace."

"Angel." I spoke softly and I knew she was holding the phone to her ear, waiting for me to hang up first. She did that sometimes. I didn't know why, but I could always hear her breathing ever so quietly into the receiver as she waited to hear my end go silent. Finally, after a long minute of waiting on the phone, I hung up.

***

I slid my arm into the nook of Trey's and took a deep breath.

"Are you nervous?" He asked carefully.

"No." I smiled. "I'm so excited."

He grinned. "He's a lucky guy. You'll make an amazing wife."

"Thank you."

"I hope he gives you everything you want, Liv." He sighed. "You deserve it."

"Thanks Trey." I squeezed his arm. "I love him."

"He loves you." He admitted with the reluctance of a big brother. I loved the relationship I'd developed with Trey. When I first met him, this was so not where I saw our friendship going, but I was happy that it had. Trisha and Trey were nearly inseparable now and he had developed the protectiveness Trisha held for me from her. It was a comforting thought. They were my family. This was my family. The small, elegant gathering we had here in Karen and John's back yard was my family now. I loved having a family.

"Take me to him." I beamed and Trey chuckled.

"Always so demanding." He shook his head. "He might love you, Liv, but he sure as hell has his work cut out for him."

I nodded. I fully agreed. There was no way I had any intention of allowing even a moment of our life together bow down to boredom. There would always be surprises and new memories to cherish. I wanted that for us. I wanted that for Jace.

Trey held my arm tighter as he took the first step toward the love of my life. I moved alongside him eagerly. My heart raced in my chest and I felt as though I had a nest of butterflies of the most iridescent blue fluttering around within my stomach. When the aisle came into view, my heart literally stopped in my chest. It wasn't nerves. It was serenity. I knew without doubt or reservation that this was exactly where I was meant to be. In this moment, I was on my destined path. I was ready to give myself to a man in the only way I'd ever feared. I was finally ready to belong to someone because I knew he belonged to me. This wasn't an unfair exchange of hearts, but a dance of love - a contract of binding between two consenting souls where only their purity reigned and the desires of the body fell away. In this moment, I was home.

I walked through the aisle without seeing the faces of those whom we'd chosen to celebrate this day with, but I felt them. I knew they were here and I knew their eyes were on me - but mine were on him. I couldn't see anything but Jace and his blue eyes waiting to make me his. Claim me. Love me. For eternity.

Trey stopped walking at the end of the aisle and before he released me to go to Jace, he turned me to face him. "You've become an important person in my life, Liv. I care for you the way I'd care for a sister and I need you to know you have my trust and support for life." His voice was low and I knew apart from Jace and myself, no one heard him.

Tears misted in my eyes and I squeezed his hand. "Well, I love you too."

He laughed and released me to walk to Jace. To my surprise, he moved to stand on the other side of Caleb. I had no idea Jace had asked him to stand up with him and by the grin on Jace's face at my surprise, it was obvious he'd been expecting the reaction. He took my hands in his and whispered.

"For you," his eyes swept over my face. "Always for you, Angel."

My lips were shaking as I replied. "I love you, Jace."

A man cleared his throat ever so slightly and my heart set to racing again as I realized what was happening. The Officiant was about to begin. "Dear family and friends; we've been gathered here today by the joining of Olivia LeRoux and Jace Rush. We've been chosen to witness and celebrate the union of love and compatibility between Olivia LeRoux and Jace Rush as they join in the union of marriage."

Jace took in a deep breath and I knew his heart was pounding just as hard as mine. I could feel its steady beat in my palm as I held his hands in mine. "Olivia," His eyes softened as he looked into mine. "I vow to forever be your friend, your confidant, your lover. I will stand beside you in times of joy and trouble and I will fight with every power I possess to ensure your eternal safety and happiness. I vow to love you in sickness and health, sorrow and bliss. I vow to be the man who kisses away your tears and chases away your fears. I vow to bring your dreams to life and desires to flourish. I vow to ride beside you in your quest for speed and when you come down, I vow to catch you. I pledge before all who share this day, I will from here on out be the man who walks beside you, not in front of or behind you, but next to you as we walk - or run - through the journey of our life." His voice lowered and my stomach fluttered. "I vow to be the man who wakes beside you each morning and falls into the vulnerable state of sleep with you in my arms. I vow to trust you with my secrets and dreams. I vow to love you and most importantly, I vow to honor this promise to you every day from here on out."

My eyes were pooled with tears and I fought hard against them, but the moment I smiled, they fell from my eyes. Jace laughed and leaned in. His lips pressed against my cheek and he did as he promised - he kissed away my tears. "These better be happy." He teased in a whisper and because I couldn't speak, I nodded.

When I finally got hold of my bearings, I spoke. "Jace," I focused on his eyes and the world fell away. "I vow to be the woman you need and the woman you want. I'll stand at your side and be not only your support system; I'll be your teammate. I vow to challenge you and test you at least once a week." He smiled and my heart fluttered. "I vow to be faithful. In sickness and health I will love you. In sorrow and bliss I will cherish you. I pledge from this day on to trust in you to guide me through our lives together. I give you my hand and heart today to hold for eternity and I trust you will cherish every moment we have together. I vow to chase your dreams with you and celebrate in your success. I vow to provide you with unwavering love and affection - a gift from me to you, from this day on, as I become your wife. I love you, Jace Rush."