Seduction - Chapter 30
Saturday
I broke my gaze with James’ as the music changed.
Daphne stepped into view and everyone stood.
I held my breath as she started walking down the aisle. And I felt a tear slide down my cheek. This was going to be the best day of her life. And there wouldn’t be anything at the end to ruin it. Tonight would just be…perfect.
James was right. Bee was right. Matt was right.
We were safe here. This wasn’t an outdoor venue in the middle of Central Park.
We weren’t exposed to any strangers. We were in a cute little corner of Delaware, tucked away from the rest of the world.
There weren’t even any paparazzi trying to get in.
The whole wedding had been very hush hush.
And thousands of women would be crushed when the headlines hit Monday morning that one of the most eligible bachelors in New York had been taken off the market.
But there was no one more deserving of Rob’s love than Daphne.
I was still getting to know her. But I could tell that they couldn’t get enough of each other.
And they made each other laugh every day.
And they had so much in common. But all that mattered was that they were both smiling as they stood right here in front of all their family and friends.
And Rob was right…they weren’t nervous. They were excited to spend the rest of their lives together.
Rob pulled Daphne in for a kiss before the pastor even started speaking.
There were a few whistles in the crowd.
The pastor cleared his throat. “Jumping the gun a little, aren’t we?”
Rob laughed as he finally broke the kiss. “Can you blame me?” The smile on his face was contagious.
And I knew I looked crazy. Smiling so hard it hurt, as tears rolled down my cheeks. I barely heard the pastor speaking as my eyes locked with James’.
His eyes were watery too. “It hurts me to see you cry,” he mouthed silently at me.
Which just made me cry more. Because he’d said those exact same words to me on our wedding day.
“I’m crying because I’m so happy,” I silently mouthed back to him.
“The happy couple decided to write their own vows. Take it away Rob.”
I tried to blink away my tears as I turned my attention back to Rob and Daphne.
“Daphne,” Rob said as he held her hands in his. “You know I could go on for hours about all the reasons why I love you. But I love a good party, so I’m gonna cut to the chase.”
That got a few laughs from the audience.
Rob smiled. “Because it all comes back to one simple thing. You’re terrible at making choices, and I barely think anything through. So we balance each other out.”
Daphne laughed. “I hope you thought this marriage through.”
He put his hand on the side of her face.
“I didn’t have to think about it. In all seriousness, Daphne, you’re the first person in my life I’ve ever been able to talk about everything with.
I’ve felt your pain. And I would never let you face that alone.
I’ll never let you face anything alone ever again. ”
There were tears in Daphne’s eyes again.
He grabbed both her hands again. “I promised you that if you gave me your hand…I’d never let it go.
And I’m here promising it again. Take this crazy leap with me.
Let’s explore the world together. Let’s make a family.
Let’s do life together. The two of us. All of us.
” He laughed and looked over at his groomsmen.
“My boys and I are kind of a package deal.”
Daphne nodded and removed one of her hands from his grip to wipe her eyes. “A family,” she said and kept wiping under her eyes. “I’ve so badly needed family. That’s what you are to me, you know. As soon as we met…I tried really hard to fight my feelings for you.”
“I know,” Rob said with a laugh.
“But you feel like home to me. I had a whole speech planned, but I just need you to know that one thing, Rob. You’ll always be home to me. Promise you’ll never let me go?”
Rob dropped his forehead to hers. “Not in a million years, baby.”
“You taught me what it was like to live again,” she continued. “That the best things are crazy and fast. You’re the best thing in my life. I owe you everything. I love you. Every piece of you. I waited my whole life for you, Robert Hunter.”
“Robert Hunter? We’re barely married, am I in trouble already?”
“That depends.” She blinked away the tears in his eyes. “Kiss me.” She tilted her head up to kiss him. His hands slid to her ass as he kissed her back.
The pastor cleared his throat.
I smiled when Rob and Daphne didn’t even care.
The pastor cleared his throat a little more. “Daphne, do you take Rob to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold until death do you part?”
Daphne pulled back. “I do. The easiest decision I’ve ever made.”
Rob reached out his hand and James handed him the rings. He slid one onto Daphne’s ring finger.
She smiled up at him.
“And Rob, do you take Daphne to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold until death do you part?”
“Damn right I do,” he said. He tossed Daphne the other ring and she almost dropped it.
She laughed as she slid it onto his finger.
“Then by the power vested in me by the state of Delaware, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Go ahead and kiss again already,” he said with a smile.
Rob smiled down at Daphne. “It’s the start of our love story,” he said. “Let’s make it memorable.” He grabbed Daphne’s hips and lifted her up. She wrapped her arms behind his back and her legs around his waist as their kiss turned sinful.
I cheered at the top of my lungs.
Rob threw his fist in the air as he continued making out with his new bride.
And everyone stood up from their chairs and started cheering too.
The gunshot rang out, and I stumbled backward. And ran straight into James’ hard body.
“It’s okay,” he whispered. “It’s just fireworks.” He pointed into the sky. The sun was just setting behind the trees. And another loud bang went off and the sky was ignited.
I hated the noise. I hated everything about it. I flinched when another went off.
James wrapped his arms tighter around me. “We’re okay.” He kissed the side of my neck. “I tried to talk Rob out of them, but he swore they were necessary.”
Rob would think they were necessary. As if their amazing vows weren’t enough to wow the guests.
I winced again.
“I’m right here,” James said. “I’ll always be right here.”
I turned to face him. I didn’t care about seeing the fireworks. I’d always take a view of him instead. “When we promised that to each other under the altar, I almost lost you.”
“But I’m still here. And if you think I’ll ever leave you, you’re dead wrong. I can’t get enough of you, baby.” He pulled me closer.
I wasn’t worried about that. Yes, I was quick to get jealous. Last night was evidence of that. But I knew James wouldn’t leave me in that way. I was more worried about him being forced to leave me. With a gunshot. “Can’t get enough of me, huh?”
“Never.”
The fireworks faded away in the distance when I was wrapped up in him.
“I’m sorry about today,” I said. “I…I’m going to be okay. I was just feeling…”
“It’s okay. I was too.” He slid his fingers into my hair and pulled lightly. “Let’s face it together, head-on, okay?”
I would have nodded if he wasn’t holding my head in place.
“Us against the world, Penny. The three of us.” His free hand slid to my stomach.
I linked my arms behind his neck and pulled him back into a kiss. We were supposed to be walking down the aisle toward the reception. But I didn’t even care. When he kissed me I was reminded of our wedding day. But this time, it was the good parts.
When I cried at the altar and got so nervous I forgot my words.
When his hand steadied me.
When he promised me a lifetime of him.
It felt like my world was caving in around me today. But tonight in his arms? His love was enough. His love would always lift me up out of the darkness.
“You’re all I’ve ever wanted,” he whispered in my ear.
I loved that he remembered what he said to me on our wedding day. I pressed the side of my face against his chest and listened to his heartbeat. “You’re all I’ve ever wanted,” I said back and held him tight.
“What in the ever-living Hades are you two doing?” Justin said and stomped his foot. “It’s time for pictures and you’re holding everyone up. Didn’t you notice all the guests head out to the cocktail hour?”
“No. I did not,” James said, his eyes glued to me.
“Uh. To be young and in love. Snap out of it!” He snapped in front of my face for the second time today.
I really didn’t love when he did that. “Justin, it’s fine,” I said, reluctantly turning toward him. Rob and Daphne were still making out and the rest of the bridal party was just hanging around chatting. “We’re not even the only ones being bad.”
“But I have my eyes on you right now, honey.”
I laughed. “Okay. Where do you need us to be for pictures?”
“We already got plenty up here during the ceremony.” He pointed over to the willow tree. “So get over there. Now.”
“Yes, sir,” I said.
I grabbed James’ hand and pulled him toward the willow tree.
“I knew I’d get you over here tonight,” James said.
I laughed. “Everyone else is about to join us for pictures. We don’t exactly have time for tomfoolery.”
“Tomfoolery?” He laughed. “I wouldn’t call what I have planned for you tonight tomfoolery.”
“What exactly do you have planned?”
He dropped his lips to my ear. “You’ll have to wait and see.”
A chill ran down my spine and then Bee gave me a huge bear hug from behind and squealed. “Party time!”
I laughed and turned toward her. I hadn’t even seen her sneak off to the bar.
“It’s such a bummer that you can’t drink,” Bee said. “It would have been so much fun to go nuts tonight.”
I’m pretty sure she was going to go plenty nuts without me. “I’m still fun,” I said.
“Gah.” Bee kicked off her high heels.
“Bee!” I leaned down and picked them up. “We’re about to take more pictures.”
“More? We already took a billion.”
I laughed. “But now the bride and groom can be together in them.”
“Gah,” she said again.
Mason wrapped his arm around his fiancée and started laughing.
“You’re both wasted,” I said.
“Me?” Mason pointed to Bee. “Or her?” He pointed to me.
I laughed. They were so drunk. I looked up at James. If they had gotten this drunk at our wedding, I didn’t remember it. He started laughing too.
“Where are Matt and Brendan?” Rob asked as he and Daphne joined us.
I looked around his shoulder. Matt and Brendan were standing there talking to… oh no. They were talking to Tanner. Who Rob didn’t know was coming. Shoot. Maybe Rob was as drunk as Bee and Mason and wouldn’t even be mad…
Rob followed my gaze. “Party crasher,” he said. It looked like he was about to storm over to them, but I grabbed his arm.
“Tanner didn’t crash your wedding. Matt invited him as his plus one.”
“His plus one? To my wedding? Matt knows I fucking hate that guy. Why would he do this to me today of all days?”
“Rob…Tanner is so nice. Can’t you just ignore him?”
“At my wedding?!”
“Yeah. Just focus on Daphne. Pretend Tanner isn’t even there.”
Rob scowled at me. “It’s a little hard when we’re supposed to be taking pictures and Matt and Brendan are chatting Tanner up like he’s a smoking hot drunk chick.”
I laughed. “You’re ridiculous.”
“You’re ridiculous.” And then he laughed and pulled me into a hug. “I got married!” He lifted me up and twirled me around.
I wasn’t sure if he’d had more to drink than I realized or if he was just drunk on happiness.
“Whoa, whoa,” James said and put his arms around me to stop Rob from twirling me around. “Be careful.”
“Right,” Rob said and released me from his embrace. “Gotta be careful with the pregnant ones. I don’t want your baby to pop out and steal the show.”
“Of course,” I said with a smile.
Rob reached over and grabbed Justin’s arm. “Go get the rest of my groomsmen and that stupid idiot they’re talking to.”
Why does he want Tanner to come over? Is he gonna murder him?
Justin looked over at Matt, Brendan, and Tanner. “You mean the one in that fabulously fitted tux?” Justin asked. “The tall one with the fantastic haircut? The one with the piercing eyes? The one that’s making all of your hot friends laugh so hard?”
“No, the hideous unfunny one,” Rob said.
Justin looked confused.
“Yes,” I said. “His name is Tanner. He’s the one in the fabulously fitted suit with the fantastic haircut and piercing eyes and amazing sense of humor.”
“I’ll be right back then,” Justin said. He hurried off as he straightened his tie.
Rob glared at me.
“Jealousy doesn’t suit you, Rob,” I said and patted his chest.
“It doesn’t suit you either,” Rob said.
“What?”
He nodded over at James.
Kristen was practically all over him, a cocktail glass in her hand. Son of a bitch.
“We’re even,” Rob said.
“We are not even. I’m mad that some girl is throwing herself at my husband. You’re upset because your best friend has another friend.”
“Same difference,” Rob said.
I shook my head.
“Smile,” Rob said and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. The cameraman started taking pictures.
“One with my new sister-in-law!” Daphne said and joined me on the other side. She squeezed me tight and we smiled at the camera.
But out of the corner of my eye I saw Kristen laughing at something James just said.
Mother fucker. So maybe I was quick to judge Rob. Because I was really jealous right now too.
I heard her laughing again and I tried to focus on the pictures we were taking.
But it was really hard when I was seconds away from punching Kristen right in her perfect stupid face. God, when had I turned into Rob?