Beauty from Surrender (35 page)

Emma and Chloe hug me and look at my ring while Margaret quizzes me. "Have you picked a date?"

"Not yet, but we're keeping it small and want to do it soon, so we were hoping we could depend on all of you to help plan it." I see the sheer joy on her face.

"Of course, we'll help. How soon is soon?"

We look at one another and shrug because we've not gotten that far. I think he has an idea in his head but is afraid to say it, so I speak up. "I know six weeks would be pushing it, but maybe it could be accomplished since it'll be small."

He frowns at me. "That's five weeks longer than I was planning."

Chloe punches him in the arm. "I don't think we can put a wedding together in a week unless it's at the courthouse, dummy."

"I'm okay with that."

Margaret puts up her hands. "Well, I'm not and I'm guessing Laurelyn isn't, either."

"Laurelyn, you have to let me help organize the catering," Chloe offers. "I have all kinds of new and innovative ideas for us to try."

"Absolutely, Chloe. I wouldn't dream of attempting it without your help." And it's the truth. I have no idea where I'd begin.

"Would you mind if I organize a dinner for next weekend?" Margaret interjects. "Just a few friends and family to celebrate?"

Jack Henry doesn't let me answer. "We should've done it in Vegas while we were there."

His mom whirls around on him. "I would've killed you if you had. I want to see my son get married."

"I know, Mum." He's laughing as he elbows her. I love their relationship—it's not like anything I've ever seen before. "I was kidding. And the dinner is fine with me if it's all right with Laurelyn."

I have no objection. "Of course that's fine. I need to start meeting your friends and family."

"Can we take you dress shopping tomorrow?" Emma asks. "You can't really plan anything until you have that because everything revolves around its style."

I'm certain dress choices in Wagga Wagga will be limited, and shopping in Sydney sounds like fun. "Sure. I'd love that." I always thought wedding dress shopping would be something I'd do with my mom, but quite honestly, I think I'd be more disappointed if my future mother-in-law didn't come to help me make my decision. "Will you come with us, Margaret? I'd really love for you to help me choose."

"Absolutely. I wouldn't miss it for anything."

Jack Henry is driving us home when he reaches for my hand and gives it a squeeze. I love when he does that. "You're very quiet. Everything okay with you or should I be worried?"

"No worries. I was just thinking about the wedding. How would you feel about having it at Avalon? I think the vineyard would be beautiful and the wine cave would be perfect for the reception with the long banquet tables." He grins, and I suspect he's remembering what he did to me on one of those.

"I think you can have anything you desire. If you want to get married at Avalon, I'll make sure it happens." Will he always be this way? Giving in to my every whim?

"I think it's very fitting to be married there because it's the place so many firsts happened for us. It's where we came to know one another. And where we fell in love." Quite honestly, I can't think of anywhere else I'd want to be married.

"And we don't have to worry about booking it, so that means we can make this happen sooner."

As much as I'd like to, I hope he's not thinking we could do it in a week. "Not five weeks sooner like you suggested."

"Maybe not. What about having it a month from Saturday?"

"The second weekend in December?" I take out my phone and look at the date. "The fourteenth?"

"Why not? If we waited six weeks, that falls a few days after Christmas. I can't imagine that being a good time for anyone." He's right.

"Six weeks is pushing it, and four will be even tougher. But planning a wedding a few days after Christmas would be a nightmare. I can handle the fourteenth." I always wanted a summer wedding anyway. Looks like I'll get one in December.

"And it'll be our anniversary—a whole year since I met you."

I didn't even think about that. "Amazing. I can't believe it's been a year."

"That's because we've spent most of it apart."

So true. "Well, that's never happening again. I don't ever want to be away from you. I'm already contemplating never letting you leave to go to the other vineyards without me. I'll probably go with you every time and you'll be sick of me."

"I could never be sick of you, but I have been thinking about how we'd handle me going out of town for so long." He takes his eyes from the road for only a second and glances at me before he looks back. "I've especially thought about how to handle it after we have kids. I know we have plenty of time before we have to worry about that, but I've been thinking about selling some of the vineyards. I have too many anyway. And I want to spend time with you. All of this money means nothing if I can't be with you and our little ones when they get here."

Sometimes I can't believe how lucky I am to have him. He says I'm his dream come true, but it's the other way around. "You're absolutely amazing. I'd rip your clothes off and do dirty things to you if you weren't driving."

"This car has pull-over capability," he laughs, but something inside tells me he isn't kidding.

"That'll only prolong us getting home."

"We're in no hurry." He releases my hand and slides his up my skirt between my legs until he's rubbing my panties over my most sensitive spot, and I let him. "Hmm…I thought you said this was hands-off tonight—something about me wearing out my welcome." His fingers feel exquisite and I'm certain he can feel the moisture collecting on my underwear. "I think someone might be changing her mind according to how wet she's getting."

"Maybe." I don't know where we are or how much longer it'll be until we're at the apartment, but unless he's parking in the garage, it's too damn far away to suit me. "Are we almost home?"

"No. Do I need to pull over?" He wags his eyebrows at me.

Is he completely nuts? "You can't pull over on the side of the road for sex."

"Says who?"

"I don't know who actually says it, but I'm pretty sure it's frowned upon."

He uses his finger to push the crotch of my panties to the side. He slides his fingers up and down through the slick moisture pooling there. "Somebody is turned on! Do you want me to pull over yet?"

I put my hands on the seat and push myself up. When I lift my bottom, he grasps the crotch of my panties and pulls them down. "I'm taking that as a yes."

We're on what I consider a rural road. There's little to no traffic so I'm not worried about being seen or disturbed. That's a good thing because in the blink of an eye, he pulls to the side of the road and slams the car into park. He opens his door and races around to my side—not what I expected at all. What is he doing?

He opens my door and I'm a little dumbfounded because I don't know what's on his mind. He pulls my panties down my legs and over my shoes. "Out. Now."

"What are you…," I say before trailing off when he touches his finger to my lips.

"Shh…no talking."

He grabs my hands and helps me out before leading me to the back of the car. He puts his hands around my waist and hoists me up onto the trunk. He slips my sandals off and places my feet on the bumper before he pushes my knees apart. "I want to fuck on the bonnet, but it might be a little warm for that bum of yours." He pops his button and unzips. "So I'm gonna fuck you on the boot and save the bonnet for another time." Will I ever get used to these Aussie phrases?

Good thing he's tall and this car is low or this wouldn't work out at all.

"You still think we're good since you're supposed to start soon?"

"Yeah, we should be." I feel him at my entrance one moment and then inside me the next. I put my hands on the trunk and scoot my bottom closer to him while I lean back so he can go in deeper. He wraps his hands around my hips and holds me firm as he slams into me over and over.

"I'd hate to know we conceived a baby on the trunk of the Sunset."

"That's what's on your mind right now? Let me give you something else to think about." He moves his hand from my hip to between my legs and begins to rub his thumb just above our union. "What are you thinking about now?"

My mind quickly shifts to other thoughts. "How good that feels and how you always make sure I get mine too."

"I always want to make you feel good."

He's circling my clit slowly with the perfect amount of pressure and the tingling waves of pleasure grow in my pelvis. "I can feel it starting." My legs are trembling and I lie back against the car as he does his thing. "I'm right there."

"Me too, babe."

And then I squeeze my eyes shut as my body does its own magical thing. I have no control over it and it's sensational when I feel those rhythmic contractions deep inside. "I'm coming."

As if my words trigger him, I know the moment he joins me and his body synchronizes with mine. "I love you, L."

L.? That's a new one but I like it. "You sort of have to love a girl who would let you do this to her on the side of the road."

"I'd still love you if you didn't, but I admit your ability to match me in the kink department is the icing on my cake." He pulls out and then slips my sandals back onto my feet before helping me down from the trunk. When we walk to the passenger side of the car, he takes my panties from where he tossed them on the seat and holds them out for me to step into. "Do you remember the first time I did this?"

"How could I forget? You had just spread me out on a banquet table and had your own little buffet."

He pats my bottom when he finishes as he always does. "That was a very good day."

It was the beginning of us—not at all a traditional start—and what an unexpected surprise it has been to fall in love with this man. He will forever be my heart, my love, my life.

How lucky am I?

***

Laurelyn is wedding dress shopping with Mum, Emma, and Chloe, so I have the day to myself—or so I thought. Evan blames me for getting stuck taking care of the kids all day while Em is shopping for my wedding and insists I come over to help him. Little prick.

Yeah, I guess I am the reason behind it, but they're his kids, not mine. I don't mind hanging out with them, though. It might be good practice and I'm sure it's better to experiment on someone else's kids before ruining your own.

I walk into Evan's and Aidan is throwing one hell of a fit. "Bro, what did you do to your kid to make him scream like that?"

He gives me that look that says he'd kill me if he could. "You did this."

Oh, hell no, I didn't. "What did I do to make him scream like that? All I did was walk through the door."

"He's mad as hell because he wants Em's tits. He doesn't want to take a bottle."

He's a McLachlan—enough said. "I don't blame him."

"Shut up. I can't wait until this shit happens to you. Won't be quite so funny then, buddy."

"Sorry. Anything I can do to help?"

He holds a screaming Aidan out for me. "Take him and see if you can do anything with him while I get the girls some lunch. And me too. I'm starving."