Claiming Felicity (Ace Security #4)(76)

“I love you,” he mouthed.

She smiled back and returned his words to him.



The wedding was small. The brothers had only invited close friends. Detective Baker and Detective Peterson from the Denver PD were in attendance, as were quite a few of Joel’s classmates. Alexis’s family was there, including her brother, Bradford, who’d gotten the time off from his new job as a cruise director for a large cruise line. He’d brought his partner, and the two men beamed at Alexis from their seats in the front row of the church.

All the men from Clayson’s Auto Body shop, where Bailey worked, were there. Duke, Henry, Ozzie, Bert, and Clayson had showed up in their overalls. But they were quick to point out that they were their good overalls. Not stained with grease.

Brian and Betty Grant, Alexis’s parents, hadn’t stopped smiling since they’d arrived three days earlier. They’d insisted on paying for the rehearsal dinner and had generously paid for a honeymoon for not only their daughter and Blake, but for Ryder and Felicity too.

Francesca Scarpetti was standing at the back of the church, and as soon as the ceremony was over, she would be rushing back to her restaurant to make sure everything was running smoothly for the reception. It was being held at her Italian restaurant, Scarpetti’s. When she’d heard about the double wedding, she’d insisted on it.

Bailey and Grace were standing to the left and acting as bridesmaids, and Logan and Nathan were on the other side as the groomsmen. Grace held Nate, and Logan held Ace. Both babies were sleeping soundly, as if the excitement of the moment didn’t interest them in the slightest.

The wedding went off without a hitch, and Felicity only giggled once, when the pastor asked her, Felicity Sinclair, if she would take Ryder Sinclair to be her lawfully wedded husband. He’d definitely jumped the gun and caused confusion all around by officially giving her his name before they were married. But she couldn’t argue that it made her life easier. She was pleased she wouldn’t have to worry about changing her name . . . again . . . now that they were officially wed.

Later that night, as Felicity swayed back and forth on the makeshift dance floor at Scarpetti’s in her husband’s arms, she looked up at him and said, “I’m happy.”

She felt his hands on her lower back, caressing her just above her ass with his fingers. She wished she could feel his fingers on her bare skin. Biting her lip, and wanting him . . . again, she looked up at him.

“I’m happy too, love. You’re all I ever wanted in my life. All I’ll ever want.”

It was sweet. Very sweet. But Felicity didn’t want sweet. She wanted passionate. The quickie they’d had on their way to the reception hadn’t been nearly enough. Ryder had stopped by their house, carried her over the threshold, fucked her in their entryway, and had whisked her back out to his car and to Scarpetti’s before she had a chance to think. She would’ve been embarrassed, but Blake and Alexis had arrived thirty minutes after them, and it was obvious her new husband had the same ideas as Ryder. Alexis had had a dreamy, yet satisfied, look on her face when she’d followed her husband into the restaurant.

Trying to take her mind off how badly she wanted Ryder, Felicity looked around the dimly lit space. She spied Zariya sitting at a corner booth, Ro at her side. They looked to be deep in conversation. She gestured to the duo with her head. “What do you think?” she asked her husband.

Ryder glanced over and saw who she was talking about. He looked down at her with a huge grin on his face and shrugged. “I can’t lie. I’d be over the moon if that worked out. Seeing Zariya happy and with a man I like and respect would be like a miracle to me. But don’t get your hopes up. Ro’s a hard man to really get to know, and I can’t see him settling down anytime soon.”

“Hmm,” Felicity agreed. “I just want her to be happy.”

“She is happy,” Ryder said. “Thank you again for tracking her down and flying her out here. Seeing her alive and well and healthy is a miracle.”

Felicity smiled at him, then tilted her head to the side when Ryder dipped her and brought his lips to her ear. “Enough chitchat. Think we’ve been here long enough for Francesca not to give us the riot act if we leave?”

“We’ve cut the cake, danced our first dance, and the toasts have been given. I don’t care if she bans us for life. I want to go home and fuck my husband,” Felicity murmured, feeling goose bumps race down her arms at the feel of her husband’s warm exhale against her neck at her bold words.

Without another word, Ryder took her hand and led her off the dance floor. He ignored the catcalls and good-natured ribbing from his friends and brothers.



Later that night, Ryder held his new wife in his arms and sighed. His life was so much better with Felicity by his side. His eyes roved over her hair. It was sticking up in all directions after their enthusiastic lovemaking. A week ago she’d been to a hairdresser and had gotten her hair dyed back to what she said was close to her natural color. It had been a little tough to get used to her blonde locks, but now he loved it. It was her, and it matched her new life. Lighter. Freer.

“Do you think you got enough new pictures for the house today, love?”

Felicity chuckled at his side. “Yeah, Ryder, I think the three thousand and forty-three pictures the photographer took should be enough.”