Independence (27 page)

"Me, too," he said. He looked at Fiona over Maggie's head.
He smiled at her and she smiled back. She stood there in her red dress, purse in hand, and she didn't look very nervous either.

I took a deep breath. It wasn't a steadying breath, 'cause I didn't need that. It was just a breath. Dad had sat me down earlier today, pulling me away from Jim, Bish and Kyle and all of my uncles. He wanted to speak to me about Maggie…and the wedding night.

"Son, I just want you to be prepared. I know it's awkward to have this talk with me."
"Awkward," I mused. "Yeah, that pretty much covers it."

He smirked. "Look. I know that you know that your imprinted body will know what…to do. And I know that you know the basics and what happens. What I want to talk to you about is the other stuff."

"Other stuff?" I asked.

"Things like the fact that our bodies don't allow us to hurt our mate." He gave me a knowi
ng look. "Ever think about that?
We aren't allowed to hurt our mate in
any
way. Not even on our wedding night."

Oh, yikes. That had never even crossed my mind. "Oh…well then what happens? What am I supposed to do?"

"Well, your body will take care of her. She won't actually feel but a second of pain if that before your body is already healing hers. I just wanted to you to understand that the birds and bees discussions we had, they are still true of course, but things are a little different for Aces."

I pondered that. It was actually a relief now that we were ha
ving this discussion. I would
have probably freaked later on tonight and screwed up everything.
"Is there anything else?"
"Well, I know that you've mutualized already," he looked at the floor for a few seconds, "but things are also a little different when you add…things
to it
."

And so the conversation went. By the time we were done, over an hour had passed. I was so grateful for it now. I was grateful in general. In relative terms, Maggie and I were pretty lucky. Our families were great. No matter what happened, even when Dad didn't agree with my decision
s
, he still was my father and helped me in any way he could. I hoped to be half the man my father was some day.

Maggie released Jim and
h
e nodded to me before taking Fiona's hand. They were the laid back couple of us all. They walked leisurely away and Bish and Jen followed a few seconds later after saying their goodbyes to Maggie. She turned with a small smile to me. Her star bracelet jingled as
she
rubbed her arm. The wind off the ocean was warm, but steady and lots of it.

I held my hand out to her and she took it willingly. I grabbed our bag from the back of the truck and went to the door of the cottage I'd rented. It was a gated condo community with a few cottages right on the beach. It seemed safe for our situation, but still romantic and secluded enough for a honeymoon. It was pretty perfect for last minute.

Th
e door opened with a click and Maggie
flicked the light
s
on
with a flip of her hand
to the small living room. I put the bag down in the foyer. There was only one bedroom and the door was wide open in invitation. I shut the
front
door and wondered how long we were going to dance around the obvious before
starting the awkward advance toward that room.

But I underestimated her once again. She surprised the heck out of me by not even taking in the room, not even looking around. She kicked her shoes off by the door. Her Converses. I smiled at them before looking at her face again. She was right up against my chest and took my hand, putting it on her cheek. I leaned down and kissed her slowly and sweetly. I thought about my strategy. I should take things really slow and
even though she was calm, I wanted to keep her that way. If she started to freak out…I'd freak out. Just thinking about her freaking out was making me crazy. The imprint in my chest started
to
hum. It was telling me I had take care of her, that I needed to make sure she was perfectly comfortable and-She cupped my face and looked at me closely. "Stop."

Then she lifted up on her toes to kiss my mouth and I chuckled under my breath. I was completely being the girl in this scenario. She smiled against my mouth and I leaned back just an inch to see her.

"I love you," I told her with her hands still on my face. My hands rested on her hips, claiming their first piece of her for the night. "I don't have to tell you this, I know, but if there's anything you need to say or do, including telling me to stop, at anytime. Say it."

She nodded and I swooped down to claim her lips once more. Her hands were cool on my cheeks. When she opened her mouth to me that effectively ended any resolve I had.

I pushed her gently to walk backward as I
guided her to the one bed
room in the house. The light remained off and we didn't even know what color the walls or bed was, but it didn't matter. When we reached the end of the bed, I debated on how I wanted to take that dress off. I leaned down and kissed her
bare
shoulder. My hands made the decision for me and
bunched
the hem of the dress in their fingers. I paused just a beat to make sure Maggie was on the same page with me. When she lifted her
arms, a little growl escaped my throat. I couldn't see her, but I knew she was smiling.

I lifted it gently over her head and tossed it behind me. I reached for her sides and found them as I found her mouth again.
She was unbuttoning my shirt before I could even think to do so. I let her and
didn't help
her.
I reached into my
pants
pocket, pulling the cog family object ou
t that I always kept with me, and set
it on the bedside table.
When she reached for the button of my black slacks, I couldn't stop my breath from catching. She let them drop and I stepped out of them as I moved closer to her.

I stopped thinking. I let the way my body wanted and knew her guide me. Her heart in my chest beside mine beat steadily
,
and her happiness and contentment coated my tongue. It
was everywhere. I was drowning in her, a dying man, content to asphyxiate as long as I could keep my lips on her.

My hands ran the path from the front of her belly to her back while my
lips moved in to kiss the side of her neck. She leaned her head back, giving me an all-access pass to her skin, and her fingers dug into my shoulders. I
moved my lips lower to her throat
and then the lowest I'd ever been and kis
sed the spot right above her bra
. If the little noise she made was any indication, I'd say she was enjoying it.

We’d barely even started and it was already the best freaking day of my life.

Her fingers hooked into the waist band of my boxers as my mouth moved back to her like a magnet. I swept in deep and long. I'd never get tired of
this. When I felt her fingers
slid
e
my boxers down in slow inches, one side an inch and then the other, I felt a slice of ego go through that she wanted me just as badly as I wanted her.

I hugged her to me to tackle the bra and found no clasp in the back. "Front," she whispered. I gulped in thanks to whoever had p
ut her in that
daggum bra. For some reason a 'front' clasp sounded a hundred times more sexy.

I could just make
out her face and silhouette
now that my eyes had adjusted to the dark room. I could hear
the waves outside and there were
no streetlights, but the moon was bright.

I kept my eyes on hers as I let my nimble fingers find the clasp that was about to change my world. Her eyes bore into mine and when the clasp clicked, she didn't flinch. The kissing took on new meaning after that, the touching took on new levels, the tingling and humming on my skin from my b
ody finally getting what it
needed took on new heights. And I knew she was right there with me, on the same page, feeling the same things and understanding them for what they were.

"I love you…with all that I am," I heard myself whisper before gently laying her down and then following her.

"I love you, Caleb," she sighed my name. "Oh, my…" She gasped when my tongue touched her collar bone.

"I once told you
not
to say my name like that because it was too distracting," I mused and chuckled. "
But now I'm asking…say it again."

She pulled me down to her, pressing her lips to my ear. "Caleb," she whispered it and then bit into my earlobe, causing me to groan.

"Yeah," I praised. "Ah,
hell
." I hadn't felt her try to press into my mind yet, but I knew exactly what I wanted. "Baby, listen. I want this first time to just be us." I felt her confusion. "I mean let's save the mutualizing for another time. I just… this time I just want to feel you and only you."

I
felt her nod. "I love you,
" she told me. "I love you so much."

"Gah, do I love you,
baby,
" I growled. And then stopped talking.

Maggie

His heart worked its way into my chest to beat with mine and I'd never been more
focused on anyone's every move and every thought before. His sole purpose, what was his only motivation, was me. His heart pounded in his chest and I clung to him as he did everything he could to put me at ease while
simultaneously driving me insane.

His lips proved to be their own entity. They were alive and as they worked over my throat, I was lost. "Caleb," I found myself saying once again. I couldn't seem to stop saying his name.

He stopped and lifted his head. He didn't say anything, but this was his way of silently asking me if I was ready. There was nothing left between us and straddling the line was a thing of the past now. And yes, I was ready.

I pulled him down to me, giving my answer as I kissed him. He moved his lips to kiss my forehead, my cheek, my nose. He stopped there, letting his forehead rest to mine. "
You're mine
," he said softly. "And I'm yours."

"I'm yours," I repeated to him and he smiled as he kissed me.

"I won't hurt you,
Maggie,
"
he
promised.

"I know you'd never hurt me," I said with certainty. "I'm r
eady,
"
I whispered.

His breathing was rough. "I love you."

Before I could say it back, I was lost in him. I welcomed it.
His hands possessed me. His mouth owned me.
I was his.

The morning light swept over me. I was warm and comfortable in a big white bed. I moved just an inch to get comfortable and heard Caleb's grunt as he pulled me closer back into the cocoon of blankets and his chest. I felt my lips smile as I remembered everything from last night.

Everything.

The trail of clothes was just one reminder of the night I'd had. And if that wasn't reminder enough, I was naked, too.

I giggled into my pillow. I couldn't believe it! I was married. I was Caleb's wife. I was a woman and I felt like one. I turned a bit to see his face over my shoulder. The man could pull of
f
the tossled look better than anyone.
I rolled over to snuggle
into him and let my fingers run the length of his jaw and chin.
He had one arm under his head like a pillow and the other arm was thrown over my waist.

He already had a little scruff going on. But last night…it had been smooth and soft as he nuzzled my neck. I let my fingers run through his hair. I enjoyed, very much, the groans and little movements he made as I did it. I leaned forward and
kissed his nose. Then I kissed his cheek and he moved his face to find my lips. I laughed silently. He wasn’t even awake yet. So I kissed his other cheek and covered my mouth to stop the laugh when he moved his face again to find my lips. So I gave in and gave the poor guy what he was looking for.