Chapter 53
brEAKING: MAN WHO PHOTOSHOPPED ROMANCE NOVEL COVERS, NOW LIVING IN ONE. #IRONICTWIST
AXEL
Dakota and I locked eyes as she stood next to the other bridesmaids, sharing an intimate moment that belonged only to us before the collective gasp of the crowd cascaded through the audience.
Everyone rose to their feet.
Tessa glided forward, ethereal in white silk that pooled behind her in an endless train.
She didn’t acknowledge the hundreds of guests watching her with hushed awe.
Didn’t notice every meticulous detail she’d obsessed over in her planning: the archway of white roses and peonies, the cascades of ivy draping the stone walls, the hundreds of flickering candles casting everything in golden light.
The only thing she saw was Blake.
He stood at the front of the altar, looking like he was about to cry and trying desperately not to. The expression on his face hit me square in the chest. Something I never would’ve understood a few months ago, but now felt in every fiber of my being.
It was the look of a man who’d found his purpose. His soul’s other half. His reason for existing.
And standing here, watching as one of my closest friends was about to marry the love of his life, I knew with absolute certainty that I would make Dakota my bride.
That pathetic “proposal” she’d called me out on when we’d been making love hadn’t been a proposal at all.
She deserved something magnificent. Something worthy of her.
Complete with a brand-new ring, created just for her.
Ryker stood as the best man on Blake’s side, lips curved in the slightest smile. Which was as close to emotional as the criminal lawyer ever got. Then, second, stood me. And then third, Jace, looking annoyingly dignified in his tux.
I’d been calling him Number Three all day, and he fucking hated it.
Worth it.
The fourth groomsman spot remained empty. I worried that Knox’s absence at the wedding might be hard on Dakota. But either she was handling it well or choosing to focus on the positive: two of our closest friends were getting married today.
And that was worth celebrating.
Scarlett, Dakota, and Faith were dressed in matching colors of peach, but I only had eyes for Dakota.
Christ, she was breathtaking. I didn’t want her to upstage the bride, but Dakota was hands down the most beautiful woman in this room. On this planet. Her hair was swept up in some elegant style that left her neck exposed, and that dress hugged every curve I’d memorized with my hands.
The old me would’ve gagged at this whole production. Would’ve checked my watch every five minutes, mentally calculating how long until I could escape to the bar. Would’ve made sarcastic comments about the over-the-top flower arrangements and the string quartet playing sappy love songs.
But as the ceremony progressed—listening to Blake and Tessa exchange vows they’d written themselves, watching them slide rings onto trembling fingers, feeling the pure love radiating from them like heat from a fire—I found myself completely captivated.
More than that, I was eager for this. Desperate for the day I’d get to watch Dakota walk down an aisle toward me.
Because this woman had changed me. Forever and always. She’d reached deep into my soul, pulled out every dark fear I’d buried there, and crushed them to dust in her capable hands.
Never before had I felt so free. Never before had I been this excited about the future. Because every single day of it would have her in it.
And someday, with little kids that looked just like her.
When Blake finally kissed his bride and the crowd erupted in cheers, I caught Dakota wiping tears from her eyes. She was glowing with happiness, and something in my chest tightened with the overwhelming need to be the one to put that expression on her face every day for the rest of our lives.
The ceremony was beautiful, but it was the reception I’d been looking forward to most. Because now Dakota was finally in my arms, and I could stop pretending to pay attention to anything else.
“Tessa did such an incredible job, planning this.” Dakota beamed, practically bouncing on her toes. “Did you hear where they’re going for their honeymoon?” Her eyes lit up like Christmas morning.
“Italy.” Blake had only mentioned it about fifty times today. The guy had chartered a private jet and booked some exclusive villa right on the Mediterranean. “He’s taking her to tour the vineyards in Tuscany.”
“Can you even imagine?” Dakota’s smile was infectious. “Going all the way to Italy? Seeing all that beauty? The history, the art, the food …”
“Would you like to do that?”
She wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling herself closer.
“I want to see everything.” Her eyes sparkled with dreams. “Italy and Paris. I want to see Rome and the Eiffel Tower. I want to swim with the dolphins, visit every single national park in this country, and watch the sunrise from Machu Picchu.”
I swept my thumb along her lower lip, marveling at how soft she was. “Make a list. We’ll start working on it tomorrow.”
She arched one perfect eyebrow. “You know, I never thought I’d see the day that Axel Pierce became a bit of a golden retriever, ready to fetch whatever I want.”
“I didn’t just bend to your will, Sunshine.” I pulled her closer. “I broke completely. I’m yours. And from this point forward, I want to spend every minute of my life making you happy.”
Her eyes widened, shimmering with tears of joy.
Something shifted in that moment: a realization that hit me right in the sternum.
This incredible woman had never been anyone’s priority.
Not really. Her family loved her, sure, but between Knox’s imprisonment and her parents’ struggle to cope with their shattered world, Dakota’s needs had somehow gotten lost in the chaos.
She’d handled it the way she handled everything: with strength and grace and endless love for everyone around her. But no one had ever put her first. Not even close.
So help me, I would put her first every single moment of every single day forever.
Starting right now.
“Dude.” Jace glided over, spinning Scarlett in some elaborate twirl that was way too smooth for a guy who used to think romance was a line item in his quarterly reports. “You look like a lovesick puppy who just found his favorite tennis ball.”
I shot him a death glare. “That’s rich, coming from Mr. I Bought Her Entire Company Because I Had a Crush.”
“I bought her company before I knew she worked—”
Scarlett immediately smacked Jace’s chest. “Quiet. He’s happy and in love.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Jace said. “Are we forgetting that this is the same guy who Photoshopped my picture onto a romance novel cover called Douchebag Cowboy, book one of the Men Who Surrendered Their Balls Series, and had it delivered to my office? On a six-by-nine-foot corkboard? You think I’m not going to give you complete shit now that you’re the one whipped? ”
My grin stretched wider. “That was art, my friend. Pure art.”
“Leave him alone,” Scarlett demanded, but she was fighting a smile.
“You heard the boss.” I arched an eyebrow at Jace, daring him to challenge the fact that Scarlett owned his ass completely.
Because she absolutely did. And honestly, I loved it.
Jace had been nothing but an uptight billionaire workaholic before Scarlett came along and loosened him up into something resembling a human being.
“We should all go on a trip together!” Dakota suddenly squealed, bouncing on her toes.
“Oh my God, yes!” Scarlett clapped her hands.
“I already spend enough time with these idiots,” I muttered. “Now you want me to vacation with them too?”
“Well, get used to it,” Scarlett shot back, “because we’re going to be spending tons of time together now.” She actually clapped. Like full-on seal clapping.
Dakota nodded enthusiastically. “Let’s talk to Tessa when she gets back from the honeymoon. Maybe we could plan something for spring?”
Speaking of the happy couple, Blake and Tessa were lost in their own world on the dance floor, gazing into each other’s eyes like they’d forgotten the other three hundred guests existed.
“Look at those two,” I said. “Blake’s probably already calculating how many hours until he can get her alone.”
We all danced near each other for a few more songs, lost in love and all that.
“Let’s grab drinks,” Scarlett said, tugging on Dakota’s hand.
I smirked, shoving my hands in my pockets as Jace and I dutifully followed our women toward the bar. “They’re plotting something.”
“They have a plan,” Jace agreed, then nodded toward the bar. “Speaking of plans, look who’s doing his best impression of a stalker.”
Ryker stood about twenty feet away from Faith, nursing a whiskey and staring at her like she was evidence in a case he was dying to examine more thoroughly.
“Someone needs to put that poor bastard out of his misery,” Jace muttered.
We approached our self-appointed brother.
“Dude,” I said, clapping him on the shoulder. “If this is you trying to be subtle, you need to work on those googly eyes. You’re about as covert as a neon sign.”
“Shut up, Axel.”
“What’s stopping you from asking her to dance?” Jace asked.
“It’s not just …” Ryker stopped. Was it just me, or did he smirk a little, as if hiding a secret, only to swallow it? “What if she says no?”
I threw my arm around his shoulders in mock sympathy. “Aww, don’t worry, buddy. I heard from Jessica, who heard from Stacy, who heard from Kevin that Faith totally likes you and wants you to ask her to the spring formal. Maybe you two can share a milkshake after!”
“Fuck off.” Ryker shoved me away while I snickered.
“Either make a move or stop staring,” Jace said with typical CEO bluntness. “You’re making the rest of us uncomfortable.”
“Spoken like a true executive,” I said. “What’s next, a PowerPoint presentation on Effective Dating Strategies?”
Jace shrugged. “I’ve got another piece of advice: shit or get off the pot.”
Ryker glared at him. “Your romantic wisdom is truly inspiring.”
“What’s your actual holdup here?” I pressed. “You’re a criminal defense lawyer. You’ve stared down murderers without flinching. One tiny woman shouldn’t be this terrifying.”
Ryker rubbed the back of his neck. “Blake may have given me a warning that involved the precision of surgical scalpels if I hurt his sister in, and I quote, ‘any way, shape, or form.’ ”
I burst out laughing. “That’s pretty ironic, considering he just married your sister.”
“Right?” Ryker sighed heavily. “His hypocrisy is stunning.”
“Blake’s all bark,” Jace claimed. But we knew better. “Besides, what’s he going to do? Stitch you back together wrong?”
“Don’t give him ideas,” Ryker muttered.
“Look,” I said, getting serious for exactly three seconds. “You’re overthinking this. Just ask her to dance. Worst-case scenario: she says no, and you go back to your corner to brood some more.”
“Thanks for the pep talk, Coach.”
Ryker continued gawking at the bar behind me and then said, “I’ll ask her out.” Ryker straightened his shoulders. “But not tonight. I don’t want to risk ruining Blake and Tessa’s wedding if she shoots me down in flames.”
“Smart man.” Jace nodded approvingly. “Always have an exit strategy.”
“Plus, look how much fun she’s having.” Ryker added, watching the girls behind me. “I’m not about to interrupt that.”
“When did we all become so …” I searched for the word.
“Whipped?” Jace supplied helpfully.
“I was going to say considerate, but yeah. Whipped works.”
We stood there for a moment, guys who used to think relationships were for suckers, now completely gone for our respective women.
“This is pathetic,” Ryker said.
“Absolutely,” Jace agreed.
“Completely,” I added.
We clinked our glasses together.
“To being pathetic,” I toasted.
“To being happy,” Jace finished, and somehow, that felt exactly right.
I turned to look at our women, expecting to see them laughing at the bar. Instead, I found Scarlett and Faith on the dance floor, spinning each other around like teenagers. Tessa was still locked in Blake’s arms, lost in newlywed bliss.
And Dakota was …
Where the hell was Dakota?