The Strength of the Pack (Suncoast Society #30)(63)

They’d be taking two different vehicles, since Leo and Jesse would be bringing Laurel home and Nate and Eva would leave right after the wedding reception.

“Yes, I think so.” He took a deep breath. “I can’t wait for Cherise and Wade to go through this.”

“Laurel already called dibs on the flower girl gig,” Jesse said. “And she told Cherise that. So she’s not getting away with a wedding at the club like she wanted.”

“Ha. Serves her right.” Nate grinned. “Why shouldn’t she suffer like the rest of us?”

When they arrived at Lucas and Leigh’s, Tilly, Eva, and Laurel weren’t there yet. Tilly had taken them out to breakfast and to get their hair done before the ceremony.

When the women finally arrived, Nate thought he’d be okay, but the sight of his slave took his breath away. He’d made her shop for a dress and she’d finally settled on one that wasn’t quite formal, but that he loved. Thin straps, a billowy hem that sat just below her knees, and a beaded bodice that shimmered in the afternoon sunlight. Kel and Mal photographed and filmed the day for them as Leo and Jesse both walked Eva down the aisle, following their flower girl extraordinaire.

I’m one lucky bloke.

Loren addressed the crowd. “Gilo?”

“The flower girl promised me a frosting flower off her piece of cake to keep my mouth shut.”

Laurel grinned. “Thank you, Uncle John,” she called out.

“You’re welcome, sweetheart.”

Nate tried not to laugh and failed, since Loren looked like she was going to wet herself.

As she finally got herself under control, she said, “Since I know darn well there aren’t any objections to this union, who gives this woman away?”

Leo spoke up. “My husband, daughter, and I do.”

Now Nate had to fight not to cry, because he could see Eva struggling to keep it together.

Leo and Jesse handed her off to Nate, both men squeezing his shoulder as they moved to take up the best man positions on Nate’s right.

Tilly, who stood with Laurel as the matron of honor, looked pretty damn close to tears herself.

Nate barely heard a word of the ceremony. All he could do was stare down into Eva’s beautiful sweet brown gaze and for once give thanks that his thoughts were firmly rooted there, in that perfect moment, and not partially stuck on a hot runway with Cherise’s screams in his ear.

The best day of his life. His life was filled with them, lately. The next best day would be welcoming their baby into the world.

Not just him and Eva, but all of them together in the delivery room, as a pack.

“I do,” he said when prompted.

They exchanged rings, and when Loren said, “…I now pronounce you man and wife, you may kiss your bride,” the burst of applause and cheers faded as his world collapsed into a tiny, round bubble of just him and Eva, there together.

He took her into his arms and kissed her, long, sweetly, savoring every second before touching his forehead to hers. “I love you, slave,” he whispered, brushing a tear from the corner of her eye.

“I love you, too, Master,” she whispered back.





Before they could have cake—and Gilo could collect on his bribe—they needed pictures.

In addition to the usual ones, Eva insisted on a “pack picture.” Her and Nate, with Laurel in front of them, flanked by Leo and Jesse, and Cherise and Wade.

It didn’t matter to her that none of her “family” was there. They hadn’t been invited.

She and Nate had driven up to visit her grandmother Friday night and told her both the wedding and baby news, and she promised not to breathe a word of it.

“Serves them right for how he acted that day,” her grandmother had said. “Do what makes you happy, honey. Life’s too damn short to be unhappy.”

Then it was finally time to cut the cake, and Eva made sure to give Laurel a piece with plenty of frosting flowers that would allow her to pay off her bet and any vig Gilo might charge her.

To her daughter’s credit, Laurel made an immediate beeline toward Gilo, who seemed confused at first when she tried to get his attention.

Eva watched as he laughed and then leaned in to talk to her. Laurel wore a beaming grin as she headed off for a table.

Gilo caught her watching and flashed her an okay sign.

Tilly had apparently seen the exchange, too.

“Dammit, I love that SAM,” she whispered to Eva as she helped her and Nate serve the cake.

“I thought he aggravated the crap out of you?”

“He does, but that’s only because I love the hell out of him.” She sighed. “Abbey’s a lucky woman. With different timing, I might have ended up with him.”

“I need to hear that story.”

Tilly smiled, but it looked a little melancholy. “Different day. Today’s about only happy stories. And my story turned out okay.”

“You got a happy ending.”

“Yeah, but I had to go through hell to get it.”

“I’ve got that well-worn T-shirt,” Eva mumbled.





Chapter Twenty-Three


When they arrived at Nate’s, he wouldn’t let her walk in. He opened the door and scooped her up, carrying her over the threshold. After kicking the door shut, he carried her to the bedroom.