One Night to Risk It All(50)

He gripped her hips, tugged her to meet his body with each movement. He couldn’t get enough. He didn’t think he ever would. He’d never felt like this before. Like he was unraveling at the seams.

She cried out her release and it pushed him over the edge, his climax engulfing him as he leaned forward, hands braced on the mattress on either side of her as he shuddered out his release. His muscles were shaking, his body trembling. It had been the most intense sexual experience of his life.

But it hadn’t taken away the weight. The pain. The confusion.

But it had left one thing deeply rooted in him. She was his.

He moved away from her, lay down on the bed beside her, his legs off the edge like hers, as he tried to catch his breath.

“I will plan the wedding for as soon as it can possibly be coordinated,” he said.

“What?”

He looked over at her, watched her breathe hard. It was rewarding when she was topless. And yes, even with all of his inner turmoil he appreciated the gentle motion of her breasts. Or perhaps, because of the inner turmoil, he appreciated it particularly.

“The wedding. There is no point in putting it off. Your pregnancy is going to become evident soon.” He put his hands on her stomach, it was a bit fuller than the last time he’d done that. A strange surge of pride shot through him, one he didn’t want to examine too closely.

“Maybe I like the maternity bride look.”

“Do you really?”

“No.”

“Okay then, since you’ve made the decision. And since you love me...I see no reason to put it off.”

“You’re high-handed.”

“Yes.”

“You’re the younger man. You’re supposed to be my boy toy, but you’re all alpha and stuff.”

He rolled over and put his hands on either side of her, his chest touching her breasts. “You like it.”

“I do.”

“So don’t complain. We will be married within the next couple of weeks. I’ll hire a coordinator and you can submit all of your ideas to her.”

“Well, that sounds...easy.”

His heart seized up. “You have a complaint about it?”

“No, not at all. Not really. I already kind of just planned a wedding. For the entire last year of my life. And I ended up not going to it, so this is kind of... I don’t really care what this one is like.”

That hit him wrong. “You don’t care what your wedding to me is like after you spent a year planning your wedding to Ajax?”

“Don’t be that way. That’s not what I meant. I’m just... The wedding itself doesn’t seem that important, all things considered. It’s what it means. It’s what our lives will be after.”

“And what will our lives be?” he asked.

“We’ll be together.”

Yes, she was his. She truly was. His muscles relaxed, his entire body getting the post-sex languor he’d been anticipating.

There was nothing to worry about. He’d been in control of all of this, from beginning to end. Sure, things had gone off the rails a couple of times, but in the end, he was getting what he wanted.

In the end, he was getting her.





CHAPTER ELEVEN


IT WAS HER WEDDING DAY. Again. How strange to have a second wedding day in just over three months’ time.

But here it was, that time again.

She smoothed down the front of her wedding gown and looked in the mirror. It was a simple chiffon dress that flowed over her stomach. Her stomach which was not up to being squeezed into anything fitted. It was tender and she was already having to ponder maternity pants.

The difference this time was that she loved Alex, and she knew that being with him was what she wanted. No, he didn’t exactly love her back. Or at least he hadn’t said that he did, but she wanted to be with him.

And as Leah had said, sometimes you had to make choices.

They were marrying on Alex’s island, rather than her father’s estate. It made her feel sort of wistful and sad. Actually, the fact that her family didn’t feel as much a part of it as her first wedding made her feel wistful and sad.

And Alana hadn’t been able to make it, either, because she was attending a movie premiere in the States, as the guest of a celebrity she’d dressed. Great for her, but sucky for Rachel. Not that she would have ever asked her friend to give the opportunity up.

It was for their business, after all. It was Alana’s career, but it was Rachel’s investment. It was a nice distraction, really. Knowing that was going on halfway around the world.

Weddings, whether she loved the groom or not, made her nervous, it turned out.

But at least she knew she wasn’t going to have any past lovers crashing this one.

She took a deep breath and picked up her bouquet. No, nothing was going to mess this day up. And then she and Alex would be married and the rest would...just work itself out.

She ignored the leaded weight in her stomach that said otherwise.

* * *

Alex looked out his office window, down to the grounds below. Chairs had been set up by the water, and people were already filling them. An arch was in place at the altar. There were flowers all over it. It looked a little bit fussy for Rachel. Not any more indicative of who she was than the first wedding had been. But then, she’d said she didn’t want to be part of the planning, so the coordinator had taken the helm.