Chapter Twenty-One
The ceremony was perfect, right down to the deep rose dress that Ty and Marcus’s mother had brought along to wear.
The elder McCarthy’s were a charming couple and embraced their new daughter-in-law lovingly.
All the ladies in attendance were sitting gingerly except Susan, who ironically had been the only one to escape unscathed last night.
They had a hell of a fight, with Marcus putting her in the shower fully dressed to wash the smell of whiskey and men’s cologne off her.
He was so angry he decided he couldn’t spank her and he went to bed alone.
Today he’d been so busy with Ty and his parents he’d never gotten around to it, which suited her just fine.
Susan wore a vintage tea length black chiffon dress that hugged her waist and accented her pale skin and flaming hair.
As she walked down the aisle ahead of Kelsey she saw Marcus staring at her suspiciously as though she’d worn black to signal her disapproval of the wedding, but she pointedly ignored him.
She’d already asked Kelsey’s opinion on the dress and her friend thought it was perfect, so screw him.
The brothers were very easy to tell apart, now that she knew them so well, and she often wondered how their differences could have escaped her when they’d first met.
Marcus was clearly a much more complicated man, and it was totally obvious as he waited at the altar in his black, perfectly tailored Italian suit. He looked far more dangerous than Ty, or maybe that was because she was looking at a serious spanking in her near future.
Standing as tall as possible in her designer stilettos, she ignored Marcus and flashed Ty a brilliant smile and wink as she took her place at the altar.
All eyes turned to the bride as the music swelled and if Sue didn’t know better she’d think she’d been transported to some kind of fairyland.
Kelsey was easily the most beautiful bride any of them had ever seen.
She glowed, sending shafts of light with each step she took and as she got closer to Ty it was clear that her crystal blue eyes were shining with tears of happiness.
Ty was speechless and absolutely awed by her loveliness. As delicate as a breeze she glided to him and took his hand.
The ceremony itself was relatively short and they spoke their vows, Kelsey in a voice that sounded almost musical and Ty in a deep, emotional baritone.
As he slipped the wedding band on her finger, the minister pronounced them husband and wife and Ty kissed her with a passion that affected everyone in the room.
It took several not very discrete coughs before he released her and Susan helped her straighten her veil as the guests erupted in laughter.
All too soon the guests were off to the hotel leaving Susan and Marcus with Kelsey and Ty to sign the official documents. As soon as Ty had the papers in his hand, he picked Kelsey up and swung her in a circle as she hugged him tight.
“Well Mrs. McCarthy, let go celebrate,” he crowed joyously. “Come on you guys,” he called to Marcus and Susan as he carried his bride to the waiting limo.
Marcus took Susan arm and quietly helped her into the car. He was silent for most of the ride, but neither of the newlyweds noticed. About three blocks from the hotel he touched the intercom and told the driver to pull over.
“What's wrong?” Ty asked, eying Susan suspiciously, thinking he’d missed something that had upset his brother.
“Nothing, I feel the need of a little fresh air,” Marcus replied smiling. “I’m sure spending a few minutes alone with your bride won’t be a hardship.”
“No, as long as everything’s all right,” Ty replied. “The ceremony was quicker than I expected so we have some time to kill. Maybe we’ll take a little ride,” he grinned, wiggling his eyebrows at Kelsey as she blushed.
“That’s a good idea,” Marcus agreed smoothly. “Susan and I will walk the last few blocks to the hotel. We’ll see you in the private dining room at eight,” he added helping a surprised Susan from the vehicle.
“What’s going on Marcus?” she asked, although she was pretty sure she already knew the answer to that.
She could smell a dump a mile away. They had only made love once the entire time they’d been in Vegas and Marcus went to bed alone last night.
Yup, here it comes, she thought as she stood beside him.
She was surrounded by the glitz and glitter, yet it was all fake, as fake as her relationship with Marcus.
It consisted of a piece of paper and it didn’t have nearly the meaning of the one in Ty’s pocket.
Pulling her thin wrap around her shoulders in the cooling desert air, Marcus tucked her arm through his and matched his pace to hers in those ridiculous shoes.
“Susan, are you happy?” he asked.
“No,” she answered. There, how do you like that?
“Why do you suppose that is?”
“I don’t know. Who is happy, I mean really happy? It’s fleeting at best, in my opinion.”
“Ty and Kelsey are happy,” he replied, “And Sam and Jo seem happy. Elena was so excited at the wedding she could hardly sit still.”
“Yeah, most likely because she got her butt roasted last night,” Sue replied dryly.
Marcus smiled. “You’re probably right. Jeff certainly would never let that kind of behavior go. You may be the only one who got out of it, although it’s only a temporary reprieve of course.”
“Of course,” she drawled sarcastically.
“So what would make you happy, Red?” he asked as they reached the intersection, his arm around her waist as he hurried her across.
“I don’t know,” she replied honestly. “I thought money would do it, but I guess not. I’m not unhappy either, Marcus,” she said, stopping him and resting her hand on his chest. “You’ve done everything you said you would, and I mean everything,” she continued with a grimace that had him laughing.
Sue jabbed him with her elbow as they continued walking.
“Mike and Brandy make a good pair, don’t you think? They seem happy,” he continued.
“What’s with all this ‘happy’ shit?” she demanded.
“I’m just a little concerned with where this relationship is headed, that’s all,” he replied calmly.
“Look, I’m happy, all right. I’m fucking ecstatic. You’re fulfilling your contractual obligations, mostly,” she hissed, trying not to let anyone nearby hear their conversation.
“Mostly? What’s that supposed to mean?” he demanded, stunned.
“Well, to be perfectly honest, the ‘loved to near insanity in the bedroom part’ has been a little lacking in the last few days, if you know what I mean. Not that I’m complaining, but you did bring it up.”
“And you’re missing that?” he asked grinning like a fool.
“Of course, I’m missing ‘that’, you ass! It’s incredible, even with your kinky little quirks.”
“Good.”
“Good? How the hell is that good?” she demanded, stopping in her tracks and turning to face him.
“It gives me an edge,” he answered, smiling.
“You already have all the edges,” she spat. “You have the money; you get to spank me whenever you want and apparently, now you want to deprive me of the main benefit of this relationship! How is that fair?”
“So the main benefit of the relationship, for you, is the love making and not the money?” he asked, biting his cheek to keep from crowing.
“Did I just say that?” she asked, stunned.
“Yes, I believe you did.”
“Well, that’s not exactly what I meant to say,” she backtracked, wondering how she’d lost control of this conversation. If he was going to dump her, he’d better get to it because as soon as she got her head screwed on straight, she was gonna beat him to it.
They’d stopped in front of a fountain and when she tried to tug him away he refused to budge.
“Susan do you know what we have that all the other ‘happy’ couples don’t?” he asked, forcing her to meet his eyes.
“No, I don’t but I’m sure you’re going to tell me,” she shot back.
“Yes, I am. A contract, that’s what we have.”
“I knew it, I damn well knew it,” she shouted, stomping her foot.
“I knew you were trying to dump me sure as shit, and I still couldn’t beat you to it.
You have no idea how much that pisses me off,” she said, shoving at his chest and backing him up.
“I have never been dumped in my life, Marcus McCarthy, and you’re not going to be the first,” she yelled, giving him a hard push that sent him right over the edge of the fountain into the water.
Marcus came up sputtering and cursing as Sue stood there with her hands over her mouth, horrified and wide-eyed at what she’d done. She wasn’t sure if she should help him or run like hell.
“Red,” he growled, slogging through the water and pulling himself over the edge. “Do you remember what happened the last time you caused me to get this wet and ruined my Rolex?” he demanded, advancing on her as he wiped the water off his face.
“Yes,” she whispered, backing up and covering her bottom with both hands.
Neither of them had any idea of the crowd of people they had attracted, nor of the officer making his way to them through the crowd.
“Well, that’s nothing compared to what you’re going to get for this little escapade,” he promised.
“I didn’t mean it,” she shouted back at him. “I didn’t know you were so close to the edge, really. And besides you were trying to dump me,” she wailed, hating the sound of the sob in her voice.
Marcus grabbed her shoulders and pulled her up until they were almost nose to nose, the toes of her shoes barely touching the concrete.
“I’m not trying to dump you, you red headed terror. I’m trying to ask you to marry me for God’s sake,” he roared.
“What?” she asked gulping.
“Miss, are you all right?” the officer asked. “Is this man bothering you?”
“Shut up, will you,” she ordered, pushing the cop away without even looking to see who it was.
“Now look here,” the voice began again until Susan turned and screamed at him.
“We are having a private conversation here,” she shouted before turning back to Marcus.