Teddy Bear Sir (The Sloan Brothers Book 3) (14 page)

His tie was gone and his shirt had three buttons undone.  His jacket was draped over the chair next to the sofa.  He stepped aside as we followed him in.  It quickly became obvious that he was talking to Chase, and it was then that I realized that Chase had disappeared shortly after Anton during the ceremony.

“
...but if he rented a damned car, can’t we track him?  I thought car rentals were only good for bordering states.  He can’t drive the damned thing all the way back to New York, right?”

I looked at Deacon who seemed as puzzled as I was.  Who rented a car?  Sean?  Melody didn’t seem like the runaway bride type to me.  Besides, they would have jumped on a flight.

“
I’ll round everyone up and we’ll meet you at the jet.  The sooner we get home, the better.  Our people are there and we’ll track his ass.  This is the last straw Chase.  You’d better hope and pray to god that you catch him before I do.”

Anton ended the call and turned to us.  He raked a hand through his hair before he sat down heavily on the sofa.

“
Marconi has Melody and Sean.”

Five words that sucked the air right out of the room.  I sat down on a chair and Deacon started pacing, his hands in his pockets.  I recognized the look.  Deacon did this when he went into “War Room” mode.  He was now deep in thought, weighing implications against actions.  I addressed Anton.

“
How did he get to her?”

“
The lady at the chapel - Elsa - said that Mel’s phone rang and it was a number she didn’t recognize.  She stepped outside to take the call in case it was one of her parents calling from a hotel somewhere.  Sean went with her to keep her safe.  When they didn’t return, Elsa went outside to tell them the ceremony was starting and they were gone.”

“
How do you know that Marconi has her?”

“
The dickhead rented a car using his own credit card.  Chase used his connections and found out that he had a woman in a wedding dress and a tall blonde man with him.  He rented it for a week.”

Deacon spoke softly, but we both heard him.

“
He could drive home in a week Ant’.”

Anton stood and poured all of us a much needed drink.  We accepted the glasses before he answered.

“
He could, but he won’t.  Every state trooper from here to New York is looking for that car and the driver.  They also have pictures of Melody and Sean, thanks to Chase.  If one of them pops up in a gas station bathroom, alarms will go up.”

“
How will he get them on a flight?  Won’t they be looking for him there as well?”

“
Chase thinks the car was a diversion.  He thinks it’s parked somewhere in Vegas.  Mel’ has her purse and Sean has his wallet.  That’s all the I.D. they need.  Chase is working on the assumption that they’re already airborne.”

I had a question of my own.

“
Why would they go willingly?”

“
Who said they did?  Marconi is a crafty bastard.”

I raked my hands down my face and Anton grabbed my wrist.

“
Is that my ring on your finger?”

I froze before I pulled free.

“
About that.  I’ll give it back when I get home and we get rings of our own.”

“
You said ‘rings’ plural.  Is Ayla wearing Mel’s wedding ring?  What the fuck Pierce.”

I stood and started pacing the same route that Deacon had taken.

“
It wasn’t planned!  Elvis tricked us!”

“
You’re telling me that Elvis used coercion to get you and Ayla married?!”

Deacon stepped between us and clenched his fists as he bore down on Anton.

“
Will you fucking listen to yourself?!  Newsflash Anton:  Elvis is dead.  D.E.D., dead.”

Then he turned to me.

“
And another thing.  Pierce, when did you and Ayla get a marriage license?”

I started pacing again while running my hands through my hair.

“
It all happened so fast.  When we went in with them yesterday to offer moral support, the clerk thought that we were applying.  We took the paper and Ayla started talking about how it would help calm them down if we filled it out.  The next thing I knew, I was holding a marriage license!  I never thought we’d use it!”

Anton reached out and stopped me.

“
You hijacked my Elvis ceremony dude.  So not cool.”

Deacon rolled his eyes and put his hand on Anton’s chest to push him back.

“
Anton, think about it.  Do you honestly believe that Pierce would’ve let Elvis marry him if he’d had a choice?  He was in Vegas.  In a chapel in Vegas.  Standing in front of a fucking Elvis impersonator.  Use your head.  This is Pierce we’re talking about.”

Something about this upset me.  Deacon was right, but how the hell did they view me?  Was I that much of a stuffed shirt?

I almost asked the question when Anton blew out a breath and threw up his hands.

“
You’re right.  You’re right and I apologize.  If it were anyone else, maybe.  But Pierce?”

He looked over at me and patted my shoulder.

“
Sorry bro’.  But congratulations anyway.  Wish I could’ve been there.”

What do you say to that?  I was still reeling from them thinking I was too stiff to get married outside of the Vatican.  I sincerely needed to work on my damned image.

Deacon nodded at both of us as if to say, “We’re good?”, and we nodded in return.  Back to business.

“
What’s the plan now Anton?”

He grabbed his jacket and started for his bedroom door.

“
Now we all pack up and go home as soon as possible.  Deke, call the pilot and have him get the jet ready if you would.  No matter what, they’re heading east, Marconi doesn’t know anyone out here that we’re aware of.  He’ll take them back to his comfort zone.  Once we’re there, Chase has more pull and we can get things done easier.  I’ll meet you guys downstairs in thirty minutes.”

If it hadn’t been for my new relationship status and my bride tucked sweetly into my side, I’d say that leaving Las Vegas was the bright spot in the whole trip.  As the plane taxied down the runway, I couldn’t help but watch my brother go insane.  He was in a deep conversation with Chase, Austin, and Deacon, all of them hunched over open laptops.  Dorothy was napping, bless her, and the atmosphere was decidedly more serious than it was on the way in.

Ayla looked up at me and patted my chest.

“
I’m Mrs. Sloan now.”

“
You are indeed.  It’s not exactly the way I would’ve planned it, but the end result is the same.”

“
I’ll do my best to make you proud Pierce.”

I kissed her forehead and wondered where she came up with these ridiculous ideas.

“
Baby, you always make me proud.  I’m the one that needs to work on making you proud.”

She sat up straight and pierced me with her gaze.

“
Let’s get something straight.  I didn’t get engaged to you in hopes that you’d change.  I know how lucky I am and I know how lucky we are.  People search forever to find what we’ve got.  You’re twenty-seven, successful, and happily married Pierce.  That’s unheard of.  I’m so proud of you I grin when I think about you.  You’re everything to me Mr. Sloan.  Don’t forget that.”

Could I get any happier?  I think not.

“
You’re everything to me too Mrs. Sloan.  You make me think about things I’ve never considered.  Long term things.  Life changing things.  Houses, children, family cars and life insurance.  The whole enchilada.  I want everything with you.  I want the kind of marriage my parents have and I want that with you.”

“
Oh shit Pierce.  Your parents.  They’re gonna freak.”

I waved away her concern.

“
They were expecting a wedding and a wedding happened.  It wasn’t the one that everyone THOUGHT would happen, but beggars can’t be choosers.  Right?”

“
Who are you pod person and where’s my husband?”

I pulled her close and chuckled against her hair.

“
I’m attempting to chill.  According to the Brothers Grimm over there, I have a stick permanently lodged up my ass.  Now that I’m married, I shall attempt to remove said stick.  I expect you to help me with that.”

“
I don’t know hunka burning love.  What if I like the stick?”

“
Then you can frame it.  We both deserve a little fun in our lives.  We’ve been through enough drama.”

“
Amen baby.  Does this mean we can have hot monkey sex now?”

I slid my lips to her ear and took her earlobe between my teeth.

“
The minute we get home I plan on going Magilla Gorilla on your ass babe.  Think you can handle it?”

She slid her hand down my chest and lodged her pinky beneath my waistband.

“
I’ve been waiting to handle it for months now.”

My eyes glazed over and every thought in my head aligned on one track.  We were three hours from home and that was three hours too long.  No amount of adjusting my position would offer the kind of relief I needed and my mind was racing.

Her hand never moved and a significant part of my anatomy was straining to meet that pinky.  Something had to be done and no matter what that something was, it would no doubt be embarrassing.  It couldn’t be helped.  I wasn’t going to last.

Hiding my intentions would be futile.  Granted, Ayla would probably kill me, but it didn’t change the facts or my condition.  I was finished with waiting.

The bathroom was small and at the rear of the plane.  The walls were thin.  I sincerely hoped that Ayla wasn’t a screamer, but if she was, the back-up prayer was that she could control it.

I reached over and unbuckled her seatbelt before I unbuckled my own.  Her look of surprise was priceless and I saw it as my opportunity.  If I gave her a chance to regroup or think, she might fight me and the shock of what I was about to do would be lost.  Catching her unaware was quite possibly the only way I could pull this off quickly.

I stood and pulled her up with me.  I started walking towards the bathroom while clutching her hand in mine, giving her no choice but to follow.  All eyes were on us and every one of them looked curious.  They hadn’t put two and two together yet.

Not wanting to spur any more speculation than would already exist once we were locked away in the only private area offered, I kept the explanation brief.

“
I need a moment alone with my wife.”

I didn’t pause for a reaction, I kept walking until I reached the door to the bathroom.  Turning the handle, I pushed her inside.

Ayla’s eyes were huge and she licked her lips.  I turned back to the door and engaged the lock before turning back.  Her eyes were different.  In the time it took for me to lock the door, her wide eyed expression of surprise turned to a hooded look of lust.  We were finally on the same page.

I waited for the questions or the anger.  I waited for reasons to spew forth about how this was not a good idea with everyone seated not twenty feet away.  I even waited for her to tell me that there wasn’t enough room.  Not a word was spoken.

She kept her eyes on mine while she reached for the button on her jeans.  I snapped.  I pulled her against me in a kiss so fierce I worried that I was scaring her.  Then she started to respond.

Her hands went to the back of my neck and she began to pull my hair while I growled my response, her mouth absorbing the sounds.  I leaned down, skimming her jaw with my lips until I was close to her ear.

“
Face the mirror and lean over.  We don’t have much time.”

She didn’t nod or speak, she simply did what I told her to do.  Something about this simple act of submission ramped my hunger for her up to an uncontrollable level that approached obsession.

I moved quickly and she stayed silent.  With barely enough room to maneuver, I tore at our clothing, removing impediments.  Our breathing quickened as she watched me in the mirror.  When everything that stood between us was gone, I slid against her and watched her eyes.

Poised at her entrance I whispered, “Remember, not a sound”.  Her eyes stayed glued to mine and I pushed roughly inside.

Nothing prepared me for the intense rush of feelings that swept over me.  My head fell back and I closed my eyes, staying perfectly still until I could gain some small bit of control.

Ayla wasn’t having it.  She pulled forward as best she could and then pushed back.  My head shot up and my eyes focused once more on hers.  This unexpected opportunity was affecting her just as much as it was affecting me.