Epilogue #2
“What? He was asking for it, yelling for his bitch sister and the man fucking her, if Edge hadn’t hit him I would’ve. Fuck him,” he spits out, not hiding his distaste for my brother-in-law.
“This is a mess.” I sigh, throwing my head back, thinking about how I’m going to tell Lyndsey about all of this. I wanted today to be a happy day, not shadowed by her brother or all the bad she has overcome in the last few months.
“I’m going to sort it out, I’m waiting for a car to take me to the station to get Edge out.
Just enjoy the rest of your wedding day, okay?
I’m so sorry.” She looks as worked up as I feel.
Cassie is the woman who keeps us in line, she is used to control and there is nothing she can control about this.
For someone always so put together she looks one wrong move away from falling apart.
“You have nothing to apologise for, go get our boy, okay?” I tell her, hoping I can give her a little boost of confidence.
Instead of replying she just nods, pulling her phone out of her small purse.
Before she leaves, I pull her into my side in a small hug to show her that I don’t blame her for this.
Knowing her, she will be kicking herself for calling the police in the first place, but it was the right thing to do.
If Edge had a hold on his anger, he would still be here right now despite her calling the police.
Ruin pulls her out of my arms and into his own. He whispers something in her ear, making her nod. Then as quickly as she came to get me, she is gone again. Like a whirlwind she takes off down the front steps and into a car without looking back.
As soon as I walk through the door Lyndsey runs up to me with Ellis behind her.
The two of them look between Liam and me but instead of telling Lyndsey what is happening I take her hand in mine, bringing her onto the dance floor.
I settle my hands on the small of her back.
The ribbon of the corset back of the dress is soft between my fingertips and I’m glad it wasn’t me that hit Peter.
I want to use my hands to make her happy, to bring her pleasure, not for hitting her brother. No matter how much of a dick he is.
“Aiden?” She looks up at me with furrowed brows, wanting to know what is happening, but I refuse to darken her day with everything.
“Not right now, darlin’. I’ll tell you everything tomorrow but let us just enjoy tonight, okay?
” I wouldn’t keep it from her if I didn’t think it was best. I don’t want to start our married life with lies but I also don’t want to start it in a jail.
If I told her that Edge has been arrested, she would demand to go see him and make sure he is okay.
I have to trust that Cassie has it handled for now and by tomorrow Edge will be in his own house where Lyndsey can go and yell at him for rising to Peter’s bait.
“Fine, but don’t think your off the hook.
” She is still worried but I think I’m keeping calm enough that it placates her.
I feel her muscles relax as we sway together.
She looks so beautiful under the lights of the chandelier casting rainbows over the white satin of her dress.
The flare of white tulle is hard to dance around so we keep our feet planted, just swaying to the beat of the big band music playing around us.
Off to the side I see my sisters dancing together and Rook trying to join them.
Alice rolls her eyes before letting him into their dance circle.
Felix, the Spears goalie, has his wife wrapped in his arms and Ruin is dipping Ellis.
His parents, Tracy and Alek, came up from Florida so they could look after the kids for the night, plus they want to help them plan their own wedding.
They keep putting it off because they want to wait until Charlotte is old enough to be their flower girl.
Though I know Liam is desperate for Ellis to have his surname.
Lyndsey pushes up on her tiptoes to kiss me lightly. When I try to deepen it, she pulls away with a sly smile.
“Want to get out of here, husband?” she whispers against the shell of my ear. Her warm breath causes goosebumps to flare down my neck under the collar of my suit.
“I’ll go anywhere with you, wife,” I tell her truthfully, and she takes my hand in hers, pulling me out of the reception hall, not bothering to say goodbye to anyone. They can entertain themselves with the DJ and open bar.
As soon as the elevator door shuts behind us, I pull her to me, kissing her hard. Now that we have some privacy, I show her exactly how crazy she has made me today. I have wanted to take her from the minute the doors opened revealing her to me and I’m not going to waste any more time.
We don’t even make it to the bridal suite before I’m pulling pins out of her hair, desperate to run my hands through her rose-gold locks.
I want to mess her up. She looks so perfect, her make-up still intact and her dress perfectly ironed.
I want to kiss her until her lips are swollen and her lipstick has smudged.
I want to run my fingers through her hair and wrap it around my fist pulling her to me.
I want her dress forgotten in a rumpled pile on the floor.
She scrambles to the bed, throwing herself down on the rose-covered sheets, laughing when I pull her down the bed by her heel-clad feet.
I lean my body down over her, covering every part of her with me.
Her chest heaves and her eyes are blown wide as she smiles at me, her hair fanned around just as wild as I pictured it.
“You get naked, I’m going to run us a bubble bath.” I kiss her lightly as she hums.
On my way to the bathroom I pick up the ice bucket and bottle of champagne, leaving it next to the sink.
The claw-foot tub will take a little while to fill but it will be worth it to have her soaped up in my arms. I pour a healthy measure of the complimentary bath stuff under the streak of water, watching steam curl around the room.
I take my time lighting candles and opening the bottle of champagne, pouring us two glasses.
I stop the water with enough room to make sure it won’t overflow when we both get in the water and walk back into the bedroom. What I find halts my plans.
Lyndsey is in nothing but crisp white lingerie on the petal-covered sheets, her make-up wiped bare, meaning my plan to make mascara run down her cheeks is foiled, but she is basically glowing as she lies there.
A lacy bra and a scrap of lace between her legs that leaves nothing to the imagination.
She looks like a vision. The only problem is the quiet snores that puff between her lips.
My wife is asleep.
I guess the tub took longer to fill than I thought.
Today has been a long and exciting day. She told me she had been up since five a.m. this morning getting ready, it shouldn’t be a surprise that she is exhausted.
I don’t bother emptying the tub. It can wait.
Instead, I quietly strip out of my suit until I’m just as naked as her, nothing but my boxers.
Then I pull back the covers, sliding her from atop the sheet to under it.
I worry she will wake but she just lets out a contented sigh, pushing her face further into the pillow.
I slide under the covers beside her, lifting her head to rest on my chest. This isn’t how I imagined this night going but it’s probably better.
I get to look as my wife relaxes in my arms and wraps a hand around my waist. Her skin is warm against mine and I can’t help but kiss her head.
Even in sleep she must feel it because a small smile flits across her face before I turn out the light, blanketing us in darkness.
I fall asleep knowing everything is exactly as it was always supposed to be. Lyndsey in my arms and my heart filled with love.
My dad was right after all: having a woman by your side does make life better.