Chapter 44 #2
My laughter came in a short burst as I grabbed the blanket and magazine so it traveled with me. “Dammit, I knew the gay porn was the wrong direction to take.”
I tried my best to wriggle away even though the laughter was still coming on odd hysterical bursts.
Drew being Drew was unrelenting, and no one, not even me, could stop him as he bent to grab me, pick me up and throw me away from the bed playfully. It took him all of three seconds to remove me from the situation, grab the blanket and the magazine and hold it above his head.
“Last chance. Tell me the truth or pay the price.” He grinned.
In an act of impeccable immaturity, I lifted the hem of my shirt and pulled it over my head with a giggle that made me feel lighter than I had in weeks. I could still see him through the thin material, just a little fuzzier than he normally was. “Just look. You know how shit I am with lies.”
“Damn,” he muttered. “This must be solid gold midget porn.” With a huff of laughter, he sank onto the bed and unwrapped the magazine, letting the blanket drop to the floor.
For a few seconds, he just stared at the cover, not moving or saying a word as a woman in white stared back at him like she was the happiest chick alive.
“See,” I mumbled with a quiet snort. “You should have let it go at porn.”
I pulled my shirt back down and approached him with a small skip, one hand landing on his shoulder as I slipped between his legs.
“I don’t know why I bought it.”
He flicked through a few pages, lingering on some longer than others before he closed it and rang his thumbs over the cover and looked up at me. “Why the hell would you be embarrassed by this?”
I gave a half-laugh, shrugging as I looked down at him. “It’s such a chick thing to do.”
“Last time I checked, you had all the chick components.” He raised his brows in waiting.
I took a deep breath and straddled his lap, my forearms resting on his shoulders as I met his gaze again with a warm smile.
“I know, but it’s not the right time for this.
I was buying milk at the gas station, and there it was, all white Chantilly lace and tulle, and it called my name.
No matter how much the other part of my brain screamed ‘inappropriate’. ”
The magazine slipped from his grip as he wrapped his arms around my lower back and pulled me closer. The humor had gone. His eyes, however, were full of heat and heart.
“I’ve let you down. You’re wearing my bright yellow sunshine ring on your wedding finger, yet you’re so focused on me, on this club and Harry, Eric, and all the other shit we’ve got going on, you’re feeling guilty about drifting off into a daydream.
When did we stop talking? When did you stop telling me your every fantasy, whether it’s tulle or lace or bright lights in dark Babylon skies, Ayda? ” he whispered.
I smiled at him, one hand moving to the nape of his neck and squeezing as I let my lips brush against his.
“Drew, you don’t know how to let me down.
It’s not that I’ve stopped telling you anything.
I’m just saving it all up to talk your ear off when things have become a little easier.
This ring is my sunshine, it keeps me going and focused on the future, but you need to deal with today and yesterday before tomorrow is in your line of sight.
This isn’t me hiding things. This isn’t you letting me down.
This is us handling what we can so tomorrow will come. ”
“Fuck off,” he pushed out through a cheeky, seductive grin. “This is you putting everyone before yourself, and you know it.”
“Jesus Christ, I love you.” I chirped in giddiness. “Fine. Give me what I want right this second.”
Drew squeezed my ass, gripping it tight before he spun us about around in one swift move, my back landing against the comforter on the bed before he shuffled me up to the pillow and made me comfortable.
His hands seemed to be everywhere as he climbed on top of me.
He ran his fingers through the lengths of my hair, fanned it out on the pillow, and whispered, “So much sunshine” with a smile.
He traced my cheek, my neck, and let his finger slide between the curves of my breasts before he found the hand wearing my engagement ring and brought it up between us.
On his knees, there was a space for us to play hanging between us, and he used it.
He used everything around him to make every moment more special and every touch more perfect.
Kissing the ring he’d given me, he dropped my hand to my stomach and hovered over my body, resting on his arms, which were propped up on either side of my head.
“What you want right this second is what you’ve not had yet. As good as this body of mine is…” He winked, letting his eyes fall to my mouth. “You need more than that. You need to be reminded of what I’m going to give you. So let’s start with the wedding…”
“What about it?” I asked with a grin, my hands trying to make their way to his belt.
“Well, I figure you’ll be the star of the show, as always,” he whispered, running his thumbs over my hair.
“Libby, Sloane, Autumn, all the chicks will help you become the lady in white, while my guys will try to get me drunk before breakfast. But I’ll refuse it.
I’ll refuse everything. I want to be more sober than I’ve ever been when I see you walking toward me with that sexy as sin smile on your face.
I’ll be wearing a suit.” He opened his eyes wider.
“You heard me right. A damn fucking suit. Sharp and crisp. Tailor-made. Shiny shoes and the whole shit.”
A giggle slipped from my lips as my fingers released his belt. “How do you expect me to control myself? I’m going to take one look at you and I’ll be absolutely lost in my own fantasies of what will be happening behind closed doors the second I get you alone.”
“Fantasize away. If I’ve paid hundreds of dollars for a suit and shiny, shiny shoes, you’re gonna have to hold the ovaries, darlin’.
At least until we’ve said the vows.” He beamed, flashing his brightest, whitest smile.
“The vows will be poetic, by the way. I don’t know if you know this, but I’m quite the wordsmith when it comes to you.
I could write love songs for days. You’ll be crying, ruining all your makeup, and I’ll be standing right above you, lovestruck on your streaming mascara and wishing I could screw you up against the altar in front of everyone. Panda eyes and all.”
My hands abandoned their work on his belt and moved to cups his cheeks.
I couldn’t explain the sudden emotion that came over me with his words, but I could see it.
I could see me in a dress, him in a suit and I could imagine how overwhelmed I would be—how happy I would be seeing him there waiting for me.
“Tell me more,” I whispered desperately.
“Some guy we don’t know will tell us we’re husband and wife,” he whispered, leaning in closer.
“And I’ll get hard, and you’ll get swoony, but we’ll both know we have to hold off.
Because all our brothers will be in the front rows, cheering us on.
Even Harry.” He stopped, a flash of uncertainty washing over him before he flicked it away and said it like he meant it.
“He’ll be coughing and spluttering, and he’ll annoy the shit out of us, but he’ll be free, and that will be good enough.
All we’ll be focused on is each other. You’ll be the star.
I’ll be the guy whisking you off your feet and carrying you to his bike to go and ride on a straight road that leads us to the horizon.
It’ll be perfect, Ayda. Every second will be perfect.
You’ll wake up the woman you used to be and go to sleep as the woman you were always meant to be. My wife. Mrs. Drew Tucker.”
I pulled him to me, our mouths crashing together in need and desire.
Always desire. With my eyes closed, I could see it, and I wanted it so badly.
I wanted every little detail of the wedding he’d built for us.
So I absorbed every image and held it to my heart so I could pull it out whenever I needed it the most.