Chapter Fourteen #2
When Raina and Troy drove off to take wedding pictures, we had a few hours before getting ready for the party.
Back in our room, I collapsed on the bed.
“Are you okay?” Rowan asked, standing above me with a worried expression on his face.
“Yeah. It was all so exciting, it drained me.”
Rowan sat at the edge of the bed and stroked my shin. “I was planning to mingle in the gardens to kill the time, but we can stay here, relax, listen to music, or play something random on the TV.”
“You go ahead. I think I need a nap.”
Rowan took my hand and kissed the inside of it. “As long as you’re fine here.”
“Oh yeah. Go.”
The darkness that sometimes would take over my brain was trying to tear through the veil of lighthearted happiness I’ve been feeling with Rowan for the past weeks. I couldn’t let it win.
With one last peck on the cheek, he was gone, and I drifted off, relaxing into the bed.
The day was the most beautiful of the year, with not a cloud in the sky and the perfect breeze from the lake.
My father gave me away at the altar while my mom dabbed under her eyes with a white handkerchief.
In front of me at the arch stood a big guy whose face wasn’t clear, yet my feelings for him were.
Love. The chairs were full of people I recognized but couldn’t name, except Anabelle and Ethel in the front row.
The officiant cleared her throat, and I turned to begin my vows, letting the joy seep into my bones.
A loud screech of tires stopped me, and when I swiveled around, all the guests were seated in the middle of a motorway and a swerving car was heading their way.
I screamed when my future husband pulled me to safety, just as a lightning strike brightened the sky, and the car rammed into my family.
“Milo! Milo, wake up.” Rowan’s voice brought me back to reality.
I was still flailing my hands and legs when I saw his concerned face above me. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. I got enough socializing downstairs, and I came here to your screams. You had a bad dream, I think.”
“I never had them when sleeping with you,” I blurted out and blushed.
Rowan sat next to me. “Do you need anything? Water? A hug?”
I nodded, climbed onto his lap, and burrowed my face in his hairy chest. “I’m all better now.”
“Do you wake up like that a lot then?” He handed me a wedding-branded reusable bottle from the nightstand.
I took a sip from it. “Almost every night. Except when I’m with you for some reason.”
Rowan smoothed my hair back. “Is it a recurring dream?”
I scrunched my nose. “It has a common theme, but this time the wedding was in it.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” Rowan stroked my back in circles, the warmth from his palm as soothing as the motion.
I mulled it over and wiggled my hands under his shirt to make contact with his skin. “It always starts with something happy—a family trip, a lazy day at home, a walk in the park with my parents. And at the end, they die one way or another that involves a drunk driver.”
“I’m sorry, that’s so fucked up.”
“That’s why I left that first night I fell asleep at your hotel. I didn’t want you to witness this. But every time I sleep next to you, the dream doesn’t come. I thought it would stay away, but I guess not.”
“I wasn’t in the room with you.”
“Yeah. But that’s a coincidence.” Only fated mates are connected by dreams.
“Yeah, it must be. You were so upset.” Rowan kissed my sweaty temple. “So let’s try to keep doing what works, okay?” He hugged me to his chest as if he could protect me from my own head.
“Sleep together. Yeah, that’s not a big hardship.” I relaxed against him. “How did your mingling go?”
“I talked to aunts, uncles, and cousins who had already arrived. It was nice, but you didn’t miss much.”
I glanced at my watch. “Shit, we need to start getting ready for the reception.”
“Yeah, we should.”
We both showered and laid out our clothes.
The set I bought for the occasion included elegant white slacks and a sheer black shirt paired with the heeled boots I’d worn to the ceremony.
“I packed this, but I’m not sure if it’s appropriate.”
Rowan turned my way and stared, pausing mid-zipping his pants.
Under the see-through shirt that hinted at my pierced nipples, I put on a set of gold link body jewelry weaving over my chest and ending in a chain around my waist. I spread my arms and twirled. “Say something.”
“If we had more time, I’d take everything off you but this chain and wrench as many orgasms from you as you could stand.” He swallowed. “Dear gods, you look gorgeous.”
“Oh.” Heat shot to my cheeks and my groin. “So, should I take it off?”
“No. Please don’t. I’ll get to look at you all night like this knowing you’ll sleep in my bed after.”
I beamed. “Okay. I’m ready then.”
“Did you pack the instant camera? I’d love to take a picture of you like this.”
My confidence grew tenfold. “It’s in my suitcase.”
Author’s notes:
I’m screaming!!! I'm working with a fandom artist on art for this chapter with Milo wearing chain body jewelry! He looks perfect!!! Come back here to see the art and check out their other works (thank me later!)