Mosquito Chase (32 page)

The strings of a violin bled around us. We rose from our chairs and watched as Devon walked up the aisle in a black tux. He escorted his mother, dressed in an Ellie original of deep orange, while his father walked behind. A sense of unity and peace filled the small crowd. He kissed his mother’s cheek and shook his father’s hand. Parker stepped down from the wooden platform and kissed Devon’s mother and shook his father’s hand. He then reached out for Devon’s hand, and together they stepped up to the altar, ready to enter the union of marriage.

• • •

Champagne flowed and music crooned as the wedding party took over the Inn at the Biltmore Estate. Caleb held me tight in his arms as we swayed on the dance floor. I stared up into his smiling face, his love tingling every nerve in my body. I glided my hands up his arms.

“I had to take off that jacket. I think I need to get it resized.”

I squeezed his arms made of stone. “You need to put a safety on these guns, officer.”

He laughed deep as a waitress passed by with a tray of champagne. My eyes followed her. I reached out for a glass.

“Oh my God,” Caleb whispered. The waitress stopped in front of us.

My brow wrinkled as I looked up at him. His mouth hung open, eyes full of shock. I turned to the waitress and instantly understood his reaction.

“Tabitha,” he said in surprise. “You’re a waitress?”

Her face turned a shade of red, and then her expression turned sour. “You’re with Angela Butler?”

I grabbed onto his arm, not appreciating the comment.

“Don’t tell me that Steven ditched you already.”

Her eyes narrowed at him. “That is none of your business.”

I laughed in her face and didn’t feel the least bit bad about it. I hated her for what she did to Caleb; and yet, at the same time, I was undoubtedly thankful.

“Thanks for the champagne,” I winked at her. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to go back to dancing with my boyfriend.”

She rolled her eyes and stormed off.

Caleb smiled at me. “Did that just happen?”

I rubbed up and down his arm as a little shred of anxiety filled my chest. I was fully sure of us, but seeing Tabitha stirred something inside of me. I wanted to say that I didn’t have any doubts, but some little part of me could never accept being good enough for him. The life I’d lived, my past … it was bad enough to cloud anyone’s reputation. I downed the champagne, and a waiter instantly plucked the empty glass from my fingers. I gazed out over the rolling hills as Caleb pulled me closer to him.

“Don’t do that,” he said, invading my thoughts. I bit my lip. “Nothing. I felt nothing. The only thing I feel is your heart. And it’s the best damn feeling.”

I breathed out that stupid speck of worry and wrapped my arms around his waist. We were barely moving to the tempo, lost in our own world. I gazed up at him and breathed out a sigh. I felt cleansed when he smiled, as if all the bad things in my life were erased. All the hope that I had ever wished for glimmered in his eyes. I wanted this hope forever.

“Marry me.”

He pulled his head back abruptly, his eyes popping open, but the smile never left his face. That was a good sign. He squinted at me.

“What did you just say?”

“Marry me, Caleb. You’re pretty much already a father, and you do everything a husband should do … and some of those things I really,
really
want you to do to me again soon.” I smiled, gazing up at him.

“I’d be delighted to do those things to you again, but there’s just one thing . . .” His head dropped, casting his eyes downward as he stopped, a long drawn out pause that started to make me worry. Finally, he lifted his head and said, “I’m supposed to ask you.”

I shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t like waiting.”

He tilted his head back to look up at the stars. He closed his eyes with a smile deepening his dimple. He tilted his head back down and gazed into my soul. He covered my cheeks with his hands, his lips barely an inch away and the glazy shine of tears in his eyes.

“Yes, I will marry you. I will marry you a thousand times. Please, please be my wife.”

I giggled. “Were you really pondering the question?”

“No.” He shook his head. “I just wanted to capture the best moment of my life.”

“So, about those things I really,
really
want you to do again…”

He grabbed my hand and pulled me through our crowd of friends as we hurried to get off the dance floor.

“I’m getting married,” he shouted. “Coming through, coming through.”

I covered my smile with my hand as I laughed at him. As we passed Paul and Ellie on the dance floor, she beamed, holding out her fist toward me.

I bumped it.

He quickly pulled me inside and into the elevator. Before the doors even closed, he had me pressed up against the walls, his lips already finding my neck.

“What is it with elevators?”

“It’s not the elevator.” He breathed against my skin. “It’s you.”

He hiked my legs around him and pressed against me. I gasped, not yet used to the way he felt. The elevator dinged too quickly. I slid down his body. He kept a firm arm around my waist, knowing my knees would not be functional. We walked down the hallway and stopped in front of our room.

“I just want to let you know that you ruined it.” His smile said that whatever I ruined wasn’t of any worry. He opened the door and held it open for me. I watched his face with curiosity as I stepped inside. I turned around and stopped. I lost all breath. Dozens of red roses filled the room. When he wrapped his arms around me, I found my breath again. I admired his effort as I stepped out of his arms and stood in the middle of the room.

“I even had a speech planned and everything,” he said with a joking sadness.

I turned back around. The stupid man was down on one knee. I smiled and shook my head.

“Get up, silly.”

He refused. “Not until you put this on.” He dug into his pocket, pulled out a box, and opened it. He grabbed my hand and slid a simple yet elegantly perfect diamond ring onto my finger.

“Tell me what you were going to say.”

“Nope.” He stood up, wrapping his arms around me. His lips found mine as he laid me on the bed. My legs opened for him as he held himself over me. My fingers opened the buttons on his shirt. He leaned back as I yanked it off his body. Kissing him deeply, I unbuckled his belt. I scooted around him, yanked off his pants, and pushed him back onto the pillows. I cocked my head to the side, staring at the man who would be mine.

“You have too many clothes on.”

I swung one leg over, straddling him.

“Are you not wearing any panties, Miss Soon-to-be Harris?” He smirked. “Take it all off. I don’t want you in anything but that ring.”

I reached behind me and slowly unzipped my dress. His hands glided underneath, pushing it over my head. He reached around me, unsnapping my bra. Before I could toss it across the room, his lips had already latched around my nipple. I arched my back and he slid inside me. He pulled back and stared at me; his eyes hooded with undoubted lust. Our breaths came heavy between us. I didn’t move, feeling the pleasure of him buried deep inside of me.

“I can’t believe you’re mine.” He said, rocking his hips with a stimulating slowness. He kissed me, his lips traveling down my jaw along my neck. My hips rose and fell, sliding forward and backward in a steady rhythm on top of him.

“I was yours the day you opened the door.”

He wrapped his arm around me and held my face with his other hand.

“I never thought,” he breathed. “That my life would have changed that night.”

I slowed my pace and memorized his words.

“We went through hell to get to this point. I vowed to never stop trying to earn your trust and your love. You were the one to save me.”

I completely stopped moving, inhaling this moment.

“Will you marry me?”

“Yes.”

His mouth crashed against mine, and he pulled me forward as he leaned back into the pillows. I pressed my hands against his hard chest and arched my back. His hands explored every inch of me until his hands tightened around my hips. I pressed down harder, faster. He leaned up, his arms wrapping around me and mine around him as our friction increased to an aggressive, blissful rhythm.

“I’ll never stop trying, baby.” He pumped into me from underneath.

“Don’t stop.” It was the only thing I could say. I squeezed my arm around him tighter. The waves crashed over me as I stared into the ocean of his eyes.

“I love you,” he whispered against my lips. I floated in weightlessness as his arms pinned around me; one hand slid to the back of my head, threading his fingers in my hair.

“I love you,” I whispered.

“Angie…”

He jerked under me, keeping his eyes glued to my stare. His arms loosened and he fell back into the pillows, pulling me on top of him. I exhaled. I rested my head on his chest, memorizing the beat of his heart. I tilted my head and gazed up at him. He looked down at me with a grin. I would never get used to this.

“You know … we should try those handcuffs one day.”

He laughed as I rolled off of him. He pressed his lips to mine as I sank into the pillows behind me.

“I’ll pack them for our wedding night.”

Thanksgiving …

“Wifey, would you grab the diaper bag?” I asked, unlatching Simon from his car seat.

Angie came around to the door and reached for the bag on the floor. “So, that wasn’t just a honeymoon thing? That nickname still applies here?”

I lifted Simon into my arms. She shut the car door, smiling up at me.

“Yep.” I leaned down and pecked her lips. “Do you have everything?”

“I think so.” She lifted up a bag holding two bottles of wine and a six-pack.” Are you sure I wasn’t supposed to make anything?”

“Tom is very meticulous about Thanksgiving,” I told her as we walked around the car toward the front porch. “He only says B.Y.O.B.”

She stopped at the bottom of the steps. I turned back to her and found her staring at the door.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“I just…” She shook her head and looked down at Simon. Her eyes met mine again. “I can’t believe this is my life.”

“This is your life, wifey. The preacher said so two weeks ago.” I kissed her, smiled, and kissed her again. I would never tire of her lips.
My wife.

Together we climbed the steps. I shifted Simon in my arms and knocked on the door. It pulled open and we were greeted by Lance.

“Hey!” He stepped aside, opening up the house to the smell of turkey and pumpkin. “How was the trip?” He tucked Angie under his arm into a hug. “You look all tan, Mrs. Harris.”

He grabbed the bags from Angie, and she followed him through the house. I paused and took in the scene before me. Simon latched on to my ear and I squeezed him closer. Angie’s words echoed in my head, and I found myself agreeing with her.
I can’t believe this is my life.

I watched Angie take a glass of wine from Lance as Katherine joined them in the kitchen. I walked into the living room where Paul rested his hands on Ellie’s shoulders as she held my niece Avery. The stairs rumbled with the weight of four toddlers running down. Teague chased Pearl, followed by Mary holding Xander’s hand. I shook my head. Those four were the very definition of trouble.

“Hey, bro!”

I turned to Paul. “Ass—”. I cleared my throat.

“Nope. That’s it. No more of that. They are like sponges,” he said pointing to the kids, running out the front door. He leaned in and asked, “Have you heard anything?”

“Let’s eat!” Tom hollered from the kitchen.

I turned to my brother and smiled as he patted me on the back. Angie walked over.

“Do you want me to hold him?” she offered.

I shook my head and kissed her cheek. We followed everyone to the table. They sat, but I remained standing. Paul and Ellie occupied the chairs next to mine. I glanced at Lance and Katherine. He was sipping his beer, but she seemed to be sticking with only water.
That
was interesting. Jordan held out a platter just as Tom was preparing to carve the turkey.