Chapter 42 After All – Rhodes
AFTER ALL
RHODES
Rory recited her vows first. They were no less beautiful or less meaningful because they were the traditional ones.
Then it was my turn.
“I wrote something—I know it’s last-minute,” I said, shoving a folded piece of paper at the officiant.
“This is about you. Clearly, you two can do whatever you want,” he teased. He smiled as he smoothed my vows out. “Please repeat this first part after me. I, Rhodes Barrington, take you, Rory Harris, to be my lawfully wedded wife…”
I repeated the words while holding tight to Rory’s hands. Even with her mascara smudged beneath her eyes, she was the most gorgeous woman I’d ever seen.
Once we’d finished, it was time for me to speak the words I’d written that morning.
I swallowed hard.
“Rory, you were the plot twist I never expected—my greatest adventure,” I began, my voice a little hoarse. “Opening my heart to you has been the most challenging and the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done.
“To be honest, I never thought I would fall in love. I didn’t think that could happen to me.
But as soon as I started getting to know you, something changed inside me.
You opened me up to the possibility of truly loving someone.
I didn’t ever feel like it was safe to do that, but you make me feel safe because you are good. So good.”
My eyes filled with tears. I squeezed her hands, and she squeezed back, giving me the courage to continue.
“You’re my home now. My sanctuary. I love you, Luke loves you, and Philips told me I would be a fool to let you go. So I won’t. Not now, not ever.
“I promise to work on our love and always put you first. I’m not afraid of the hard times, because I know we will face them together, and there is no one better to have by my side. You taught me something important, Rory. It’s that we aren’t defeated when we lose—only when we stop trying.
“You have my solemn vow that I will never stop trying for you and for us. You are my person, my love, and my life. I am yours, now and forever.”
I heard Philips sniffle behind me, and I knew I’d done good.
Rory looked up at me. “I love you,” she said.
Probably the biggest smile of my life broke out over my face.
“I love you, too.”
The reception was more raucous than I’d expected. Abigail Furst led the charge, leading the board in The Cha Cha Slide and another phenomenon I’d never experienced, The Wobble.
Rory made me dance, too. We held hands with the kids, Josie, Bo, and Luke, laughing and forming a fast-moving circle for so long I got dizzy.
It was worth it. It was all worth it.
I spied Miranda and Gigi in a corner. They looked perfect but bored, borderline truculent, as I approached.
“This is quite a show you’re putting on,” Miranda said. She drained her wine.
“It’s not a show, and you know it—at least, I hope you know it now.” I shrugged. “I really do love her.”
Miranda glanced at me quickly, then resumed frowning at the crowd. “If you say so.”
“I do.” I sighed. “Listen, I’m about four bourbons in, and I’ve just danced The Macarena. This is about as loose as I’m ever going to get.”
I sighed again. “I’m sorry about the Hot Sauce Debacle. That was mean of me.”
Miranda looked like she might choke.
“I didn’t feel like you were ever nice to me, and once Dad married you, I felt like I didn’t ever really have a home anymore.
But that’s not all your fault. It’s mine, too.
I felt like I was staying loyal to my mother by being mean to you.
That was unfair—and she wouldn’t have wanted that.
She would have wanted my father to be happy. I’m sorry.”
“Well. I…” Miranda opened her mouth and snapped it shut.
After taking a deep breath, she said, “I’m sorry, too. I’d never been around children before. I’m sure I could have done things differently. Better.”
I nodded, touched.
She nodded back.
Then I turned to Gigi. “I’m not adopting Luke to spite you. It’s because I love him, and so does Rory, and I want to offer him a stable childhood.”
Gigi scowled at me.
“I’m not trying to assault your character,” I continued. “I know it’s been hard. I know my brother could be difficult, and there are two sides to every story.”
The scowl receded a bit.
“I don’t want to adopt Luke without your blessing. You can be as much a part of his life as you want. I only want what’s best for him.”
Gigi blinked at me. “Okay,” she said after a minute.
“Okay.” I patted her on the arm, nodded at Miranda, and took my leave.
I knew exactly where I was going. It was the same place I’d be going for the rest of my life: to my wife’s side.
When I found her, the music changed to a slow song. “May I have this dance?”
I slid my arms around her, holding her close, relishing the feel of our bodies pressed together, swaying in time to the music.
“Thank you for bringing my family here.” She pressed her face against my chest.
“It was the right thing to do,” I said. “And I intend to start doing the right thing every chance I get. You deserve that.”
She beamed up at me. “When you say that, Rhodes, I don’t know… It makes me feel like I actually do.”
“You do.” I bent and kissed her.
It got heated, fast. When we broke apart, her grin turned wicked.
“We finished dinner, we had cake, we had so many toasts… We danced The Macarena.” The smile went all the way to her eyes.
“How about we get out of here?”
“I thought you’d never ask.”
We spotted Rory’s grandmother sitting at a table with Maria, Josie, Bo, and Luke. The kids looked sleepy, and the adults were beaming. “They look okay,” Rory said, clutching my hand. “Let’s make a run for it!”
We ducked out of the tent, not before being spotted by Abigail Furst and Cousin Andrew, who were dancing by the exit.
They laughed when they saw us sneaking out. Abigail gave us a thumbs-up.
Once we finally reached the house, Rory sighed in relief. “We made it!”
“Not just yet.” With that, I swept her into my arms and carried her across the threshold of Barrington Manor. I didn’t put her down until we made it inside my suite.
“Here we are.” I put her down gently on the bed. “How’s that for service?”
“It’s amazing, just like you.” Rory’s expression turned serious. “Thank you for bringing Grammy and the kids here. You totally surprised me.”
“I know how important they are to you.” I hesitated. “I didn’t invite your mother, though. I wasn’t sure how you would feel about that.”
“Your instinct to hesitate was correct.” She shrugged. “It makes me sad, but our relationship isn’t what I wish it was. Maybe someday it will get better.”
“Maybe. I actually apologized to Miranda at the reception. So if I can do that… Maybe your mother will wake up someday.”
Rory blinked at me. “You apologized to Miranda?”
“I did.” I slid out of my jacket. “It was about old business. I wasn’t always nice to her when I was younger.”
“Wow, Rhodes.” Rory looked impressed. “That’s some serious self-awareness.”
“I know, right?” I grinned at her. “Speaking of awareness, I’m aware of something else right now.”
I let the silence stretch out between us. The energy in the room shifted as we watched each other.
Rory’s cheeks started to flush. “What’s that?”
“It’s our wedding night.”
“I know.” She tilted her chin and looked at me. “I’ve missed you these past couple of days.”
“Not as much as I’ve missed you.” I crossed the space between us and crushed my lips against hers. Our tongues connected, and I felt a surge deep inside me—need and deep, deep relief.
Rory’s chest was heaving when we finally broke apart. She rose from the bed. “Can you help me with my dress? It has five thousand buttons.”
“It would be my honor.”
My hands trembled a little as I carefully undid the fastenings. Once she’d slid out of the gown, my skin grazed the smooth skin of her bare back. “Finally.”
“I told you there were a lot of buttons.” She moaned as I pulled her against me, my hands roaming, my kiss against her throat. “But it was worth the wait. All of it was.”
She turned to face me and drew me in for a deep kiss, igniting a fire between us.
“And now we get to spend the rest of our lives together,” I said.
“Yes. I’m yours, Rhodes. Forever.”
“And I’m yours,” I growled, gently forcing her back on the bed.
I had to take her, now—I couldn’t wait any longer.
But she was my virgin bride, and I had to make sure she was ready for all of me.
I kissed every inch of her incredible body, nipping at her greedily, my kisses working over her incredible breasts, to her stomach, to her thighs.
She whimpered when I put my mouth on her sex, cried out when I grazed my teeth over her clit, and bucked against me as I gently inserted two fingers inside her, testing and stretching. She was so wet, ready for me.
Ready to be claimed.
“Are you ready for me, Mrs. Barrington?”
Her eyes flashed. “I’m ready.”
It was impossible to keep my wits about me, but my famous control served me well. I brought her to the edge. Rory cried out as she circled the precipice of pleasure. But I made her wait, each stroke of my finger and my tongue timed to give her the maximum bliss.
“Rhodes!” She sank her fingers into my hair as my tongue lashed at her. “Baby, please! I need you.”
I got more insistent with my finger thrusts, stroking her deep inside, and latched my mouth onto her clit. Rory screamed as she exploded.
And then, while she was still shaking, I notched myself inside of her. She was so tight, so wet, so warm. I was about to lose it. Leaning up on my forearms, I smiled at her when she opened her eyes. “Are you sure you’re ready for me?”
“Please,” she said. “I want you. I’ve been waiting for you my whole life.”
I leaned down and kissed her, hard. She moaned and arched beneath me, rolling her hips to urge me inside.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” I said, moving slowly. Once I slid in further, her eyes rolled back in her head. She moaned and opened up, bringing me further inside.
Rory grabbed my ass and ground herself against me.
“Fuck that feels good! I want it all—I want you.” She opened her eyes and smiled at me, a wondrous expression on her face. “It feels incredible. I’m ready for you, babe. Take me.”
That was all I needed to hear. I grabbed her hands, held them above her head, and thrust my hips.
Once, twice—and then I was all the way in.
Rory cried out, but in pleasure, not in pain.
That was all the encouragement I needed.
I increased the pace of my thrusts, out of my mind because she was so tight that she felt like she’d been made for me. “My wife. My love. Mine.”
I reached down and fingered her clit as I drove into her.
“Rhodes!” she cried, and her orgasm rocked the bed.
My release chased hers. I saw white. I died and was reborn inside of her, my whole life starting over in that moment, in that bed, in that act of our two souls becoming one.
I collapsed next to her, both of us sweating, gasping heaps.
After a few minutes, I opened one eye and looked at her. “That was something.”
“It sure was.” She giggled. “And it was only the beginning… Sir.”
The End
Thank you so much for reading my book, I hope you enjoyed it!