TWENTY-NINE
“I have a bridal
emergency.”
Kelsey hit the speaker phone button and set her phone in her car’s cup holder. “Talk
to me.”
“Where are you?” Brynn asked.
Kelsey glanced at the mile marker as it whizzed by. “Uh, probably like thirty minutes
outside of town. I’m moving back into my apartment this afternoon.”
“Ooh, so I know I’m being a total pain, but would you possibly be willing to put that
on hold for tonight? I’m freaking out about the bridesmaid’s dress I chose, and I
need you to try another one on for me. They have to be ordered by tomorrow if I’m
going to make the switch and have them in time.”
Kelsey rolled her eyes, but couldn’t help but smile.
Brides.
They were their own species. “Anything for you, B. Where do I need to go?”
Brynn gave her directions to the shop, and Kelsey hung up and sagged into her seat.
She’d been hoping to go home tonight and get settled in, maybe come up with a way
to call Wyatt and thank him for what he did with Howie Miller. But that would have
to wait. And perhaps it was for the best. She wasn’t sure if she had the right words
for Wyatt yet. What she’d said to him to end it had been the lowest move. To even
reference what had happened to him in the past had been cruel and cowardly on her
part. She wouldn’t blame him if he didn’t take her call.
Kelsey parked in front of the dress shop a little while later and headed in to find
her sister. Brynn was talking to one of the employees when Kelsey walked in, and Kelsey
gave a little wave. Brynn excused herself and hurried over to Kelsey, giving her a
big hug. “I’m so glad you made it. And God, it feels like I haven’t seen you in forever.
You’re so tan.”
Kelsey laughed. “Being on an island vacation will do that to a girl.”
Brynn tilted her head in a way that said she saw right through Kelsey’s smile. “Things
went okay?”
“Oh, you know, a little swimming, a lot of sex, a bit of a broken heart, but I’m still
in one sober piece, so there’s that.”
“Aww, honey.” She gave her another squeeze. “I’m sorry.”
Kelsey waved her sympathy away. “We’re not here to boo-hoo about me. I’m here for
the fun stuff. Get me in this dress that’s stolen your heart.”
Brynn clapped her hands together with glee. “I think you’re going to love it. It’s
a fifties vintage.”
“Sweet, I’m already sold. I love fifties style.” Kelsey followed Brynn to the dressing
area with a grin, her sister’s enthusiasm contagious.
Brynn reached into one of the unoccupied rooms and brought out the dress.
“Oh, my God,” Kelsey breathed, taking the hanger from her and holding the dress out,
instantly in love. It was gorgeous, strapless, and ruby red. The fitted bodice gave
it a sexy flirtiness, but the skirt of gathered tulle layers was pure vintage perfection.
It was exactly the type of dress she would’ve picked for herself. “I want to marry
this dress. If it doesn’t fit, I’ll go on a liquid diet before the wedding.”
Brynn laughed. “I don’t think that’ll be necessary. But let’s try it on.”
They went into the dressing room, and Brynn fussed over her and helped her get it
on, tugging everything into the right place and adjusting as needed. Finally, Brynn
looked her up and down and nodded. “Turn around.”
Kelsey spun around and stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her boobs were plumped
up by the bodice, the waist cut at just the right place, and the tulle skirt hit her
right past her knee. She did a little twirl. “It fits!”
Brynn pressed a hand to her chest like a proud mom. “It looks like it was made for
you.”
“So we’re good, right? This is the one?” Kelsey asked, turning to her and rocking
on the balls of her feet.
Brynn bit her lip. “Would you mind staying for a few more minutes? They have their
hair and makeup person doing demos tonight and I want to see how everything will work
together.”
Kelsey stared at her, amused. “You’re serious?”
She shrugged, a little sheepish. “I’m a perfectionist.”
“You’re nuts, but I love you. And sure.”
Half an hour later, Kelsey’s hair was in an intricate up-do and her makeup had been
applied with expert skill, bringing out the blue in her eyes and the angle of her
cheekbones but not looking overdone. Kelsey stood on the center platform between a
trio of mirrors. “So, now do we have a winner, bride-to-be?”
“I’d say so,” said a familiar voice.
Kelsey spun around so fast, she almost knocked herself right off her heels.
Wyatt stood at the entryway of the dressing area.
In a full tuxedo
. He smiled that dimpled smile of his, looking like a movie star who’d just stepped
off the red carpet. “You look amazing, Kelsey.”
Her tongue was like a dry sponge lodged in her mouth. She forced herself to breathe,
to swallow. “What are you doing here?”
He grasped his hands behind him, a little tentative. “I thought maybe you’d let me
give you a bit of normal tonight. Make up for something you deserved but never got.”
She stepped down from the platform, her heart like a bass drum in her ears. “I don’t
understand.”
He walked over to her with measured steps like he was afraid she was going to run
away if he moved too fast. But he never took his eyes off hers. He stopped an arm’s
length away and pulled something from behind his back. “Kelsey LeBreck, would you
go to prom with me?”
Her gaze dropped to the clear box in his hand and the delicate red and white corsage
contained within. “
Prom?
”
He opened the box, pulled out the wrist corsage, and took her hand. “Just say yes,
love.”
She didn’t understand what was going on. Thoughts were firing in her head at hyper-speed,
but none were making any sense. Prom. Wyatt. Corsage. Wyatt. Dress.
Wyatt
. None of it mattered except the Wyatt part. Having him this close again, seeing the
hint of mischief in his eyes, hearing that low, cajoling voice, she could only do
one thing. She said yes.
He gave her the full wattage of his smile, kissed her hand, then slid the corsage
over her wrist. “Thank you. I even have the white horse this time.”
She took his arm, wondering if she’d actually fallen asleep in the dressing room or
hit her head on a sharp object. Maybe she was having some weird drug flashback. “This
isn’t my dress. We can’t walk out—”
“It is and we can.”
“What?”
But he didn’t answer; he simply kept moving forward. On their way to the door, Kelsey
scanned the store for Brynn, but she was nowhere to be found. Reality finally clicked
into place. Her sister—normally the world’s worst liar—had duped her? “Brynn knew
about this?”
“That sister of yours is like a barracuda when it comes to protecting you, but you
were right—she’s also a hopeless romantic.”
Holy shit. It’d all been a ruse?
She shook her head, stunned. “But I told you I wasn’t.”
“You used to be. Maybe I can change your mind again. And if not . . .” Wyatt grabbed
her hand and laced his fingers with hers, then pulled his expression into a fiercely
serious one. “Come with me if you want to live.”
She stared at him for a second, then let out an embarrassing snort laugh. “Okay, you’re
right,
Terminator 2
won’t exactly work here.”
“Guess you’ll have to settle for my way, then.” He smiled and she thought he might
kiss her, but then he seemed to think better of it and led her outside. At the curb,
a horse-drawn carriage awaited them.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she blurted, unable to hold back her reaction.
Wyatt patted the horse’s brown mane, the corner of his mouth lifting. “Okay, so he’s
not white, but I promise, he’s very noble.”
She put her hand to her forehead, almost giddy with how wonderfully bizarre this man
was. “He’s perfect.”
You’re perfect
.
Wyatt helped her into the carriage and then climbed in next to her. “Ready?”
“Yes.” And she was. Finally.
* * *
The moonlight gilded the grass in Wyatt’s backyard,
mixing with the glow from the white sparkle lights that had been hung from all the
trees, and retro pop music drifted across the wide expanse of property. A temporary
dance floor had been assembled in the middle of the yard and tables lined the edges
of it, each with candles flickering in their centers. And Kelsey and Wyatt weren’t
alone.
Familiar faces, all glammed out in prom dresses and tuxes, filled the tables: Jace,
Andre, and Evan; Charli and Grant; her sister and Reid; and Kade and Janessa, another
domme from The Ranch. It was the school dance she never had, only more lovely and
filled with people she actually cared about. Kelsey turned to Wyatt, and he offered
a ghost of a smile, a shimmer of vulnerability in his eyes like he was still scared
she was going to bail.
“I can’t believe you did all this.”
He pushed an escaped lock of hair behind her ear. “I wanted to give you something
you never had. I know this is over the top and that I told you I would give you space.
But I’ve spent my career knowing how to spot a good bet. And we’re a good bet, Kelsey.
I don’t want to walk away from that. I don’t want to walk away from
you
.”
Her eyes closed, and she breathed in his words, absorbing them, feeling the truth
behind them. When she opened her eyes again, all the confusion and fear that always
tried to shroud her happy moments fell away like dead leaves. She stepped into his
space, sliding her arms around his waist. This was Wyatt. Running faster. Like he
promised. And finally, she wanted nothing more than to be caught. “Take me to prom.
Sir.”
He let out a long breath as if he’d been holding it for weeks and looked down at her,
cradling her face in his hands and brushing away tears she hadn’t realized she’d shed.
“I want to give you the world, Kelsey.”
She pressed her cheek into his palm, smiling, feeling as if she was exactly where
she was supposed to be. “I don’t need the world. Just you. I love you.”
The pleasure that broke across his face nearly had her crying again, but he cut off
that reaction by leaning down and capturing her mouth in a long, lingering kiss. Sweet
and tender, the taste of him was like water after a trip through the desert. God,
how had she ever thought she could live without this, without him? All the times in
her life she’d thought she’d been in love seemed like ridiculous playacting now. This
soaring happiness inside, this trust that they could work through whatever came their
way—that was what love felt like.
Wyatt reached down and lifted her up, never breaking the kiss as he wrapped her legs
around him. She looped her arms around his neck and kissed him back hard, letting
all the ugly stuff that had pushed its way between them fade to the back of her mind.
She was strong enough for this. She deserved a chance at happy.
She deserved him.
Applause and a lewd whistle came from their left. She and Wyatt broke away from the
kiss and turned their heads to find everyone on their feet. Her cheeks went hot. “Sorta
forgot we had an audience.”
Wyatt grinned and set her on her feet to face everyone.
“Aren’t y’all supposed to break out into a synchronized dance number now?” Kelsey
called out. “I’ve watched those movies. That’s what happens at prom, right?”
Jace grinned from the center of the crowd. “I tried to get these bastards to pull
off that number from
Footloose
, but Andre kept stepping on my feet.”
Kelsey tipped her head back, laughing, and Wyatt picked her up again, spinning her
toward the dance floor. “Let’s get this started. Because there’s only one thing better
than prom.”
Her feet touched the ground, and he tugged her against him as a new song began. “What’s
that?”
His grin turned wicked. “Losing your virginity afterward.”
EPILOGUE
eight months later
Wyatt clicked through to a different report, scrolling
through the last two years of numbers for a tech company he was considering investing
in, but the numbers were blurring at the edges. He pushed his glasses atop his head
and rubbed his eyes. He’d worked right through dinner and suddenly he felt both brain
dead and famished. He wasn’t used to this kind of late-night schedule anymore.
Kelsey had told him she’d be studying with a group at the culinary institute tonight
and wouldn’t be home until late. Apparently, soufflé baking was kicking all their
asses. But he was determined to stay awake so he could see her before bed. He had
a surprise for her he couldn’t wait to share. He stretched his arms above his head
and yawned, the sound echoing off the walls of his home office, and leaned back in
his chair, closing his eyes for a minute.
Maybe just a little power nap.
“Egg white omelet with spinach and cheddar and two slices of turkey bacon, extra crispy,”
a soft voice said. “Would you like coffee with that, Mr. Austin?”
Wyatt’s eyes snapped open, and he pulled his glasses back down. Kelsey, like a vision
from a dream he was on the verge of having, smiled and set a plate in front of him,
leaning over far enough so that he saw straight down her top—her waitress top.
Oh, fuck,
yes.
He cleared his throat, trying to find his voice. “Coffee sounds fantastic.”
She set his mug down and straightened, giving him the full view of her outfit. She
hadn’t worked at the Sugarcane again after the day with Howie Miller, but apparently
she’d kept the outfit he’d fantasized about one too many times. But instead of tennis
shoes, she was wearing the highest, sexiest white leather boots he’d ever seen. And
her long blonde hair was in that ponytail he loved so much. All his blood rushed straight
south, and any remnants of exhaustion drained right out of him.
“Working too hard, I see,” she said, a mischievous smile touching her glossed lips.
“No. I believe I’m sleeping . . . and dreaming.”
She placed her palms flat on the desk and brushed her lips against his. “Not asleep.”
He slid a hand along her waist and pulled her down until she was straddling his lap.
“This outfit always drove me crazy. I defiled every part of it in my fantasies while
I was sitting in that booth.”
“You’re a naughty man, Wyatt Austin,” Kelsey said, bending down and kissing him. “And
a hard one.”
She wiggled her ass against him, drawing a shudder from him. “Hey, hot girl on lap.
What else am I supposed to do?”
She smiled and undulated her hips, dragging her body along the length of his shaft
and sending darts of
fuck yeah
through all his good parts.
“Definitely not sleeping” he said, groaning as his erection swelled to full force.
He slid his hand beneath her panties and brushed her smooth, damp skin. “You’re good
at this lap stuff, love.”
She smirked. “No shit. I used to get paid for it and everything. Though, I would’ve
cut off a guy’s balls if he tried to do what you’re doing right now.”
He ran the pad of his thumb over her slippery nub, and her eyelids went half-mast.
“I would’ve stolen you off that stage, would’ve never let any man you didn’t want
near you looking at you that way, touching you. I’m jealous that any of those scumbags
got to see you like this.”
“Never like this, sir. Let me show you what I never showed them,” she said, leaning
down to nip at his bottom lip. “I’m asking permission to take a little bit of control
tonight.”
His eyebrows crept upward. She’d never shown any inclination to dominate him in all
these months. Though, he had set up a few scenes at The Ranch where he’d watched her
dominate a male sub then fucked her while the other guy enjoyed the view. He knew
that Kelsey wasn’t a full switch, but dominance did feed something inside her and
he didn’t want to deny her that. Plus, he found it impossibly hot watching her manage
someone else, knowing that at the end of it all, she’d kneel down and give up all
that power to him.
He wasn’t sure he was capable of playing submissive even for a little while. But for
her, he’d give anything a try. “What’d you have in mind, love?”
She slid off his lap and went to his laptop. She pulled her iPod from her pocket and
plugged it in. She turned to him and smiled, her fingers teasing at the top button
on her blouse. “So I couldn’t find my cheerleader outfit to fulfill your exact high
school fantasy, but I hope this will fit the bill.”
“Oh, love, nothing’s hotter than you in this little waitress getup.”
“Good.” She let the first button slide through. “Then let me dance for you.”
His tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth at the thought. Knowing Kelsey had stripped
for a living put a pit in his stomach. He hated that she’d had to sell herself like
that. But he’d be a lying bastard if he said he hadn’t thought about how fucking sexy
she must’ve looked up there on that stage. How it must’ve felt to be one of those
guys she turned her pretty blue eyes on.
“Baby, you don’t have to—I know—” Logical speech alluded him.
Her lips curled in a slow, knowing smile. “You can’t even talk you’re so turned on.”
He tilted his head back against his chair. “I’m a dirty, perverted excuse for a boyfriend.”
“Exactly how I like you.” She moved forward, sauntering on those heels like she was
in flats, and moved his plate and coffee to the credenza on the far side of the office.
Then she stepped back in front of his desk, her eyes meeting his. “You’re not allowed
to touch me. Yet. But you have permission to touch yourself if the spirit moves you.”
He rubbed his lips together. “Yes, ma’am.”
She turned back to his laptop and hit a button.
“Dirty! Rotten! Filthy! Stinkin’!”
A loud drumbeat filled the wireless speakers around the room.
Wyatt stared at her then burst out laughing. “Tell me you didn’t.”
She grinned as the grinding guitar of Warrant’s “Cherry Pie” started. “Hey, I wanted
this to be authentic. This song was big the years you were in high school. God, you’re
old by the way.”
He gave her leg a little smack and she laughed.
“Plus . . .” She shoved the computer aside and put a booted foot on top of the desk,
hoisting herself up with ease. “It’s a song about pastry. How could I resist?”
Wyatt shook his head, staring up in awe. Gorgeous
and
a wicked sense of humor. “I’m the luckiest fucker alive.”
“You are.” She put the toe of her boot in the center of his chest and pushed, sending
his chair rolling backward so that he had the best view possible, then she met his
gaze head-on—no shame, no closing her eyes and pretending she was somewhere else—and
began to move to the beat.
Her fingers flicked open the next button of her blouse, but Wyatt couldn’t pull away
from her eyes. He was transfixed by what he saw there. Despite the tongue-and-cheek
song and the playful outfit, this was more than a little sexy fun. This was her gift
to him. She was showing him what those other guys had never seen, what she’d never
given any other man—her trust, her heart, the soul of the girl behind the seductress.
She was beautiful.
And whole.
Strong.
She slipped her shirt off her shoulders and snaked her way down to eye level with
him, dropping the blouse around his neck. The scent of her perfume surrounded him—perfume
and maybe the faintest hint of maple syrup forever trapped in the uniform. He inhaled
deeply and smiled. Then she was working her way back upward again, turning her back
to him and dancing in fluid motion as she peeked coyly at him over her shoulder and
released the front hook of her bra. The lacy bit of material dropped off her shoulders,
hitting the desk. She cupped her breasts, still hidden from his view, and tipped her
head back as she let out a little
mmm
.
“You’re so fucking sexy, love,” he said, his fingers flexing. “It’s killing me not
to touch you.”
She spun slowly around again, giving him the full sight of her teasing her nipples
until they were flushed and hard in the golden lamplight of the room. To keep himself
from reaching out for her, he unbuttoned his slacks and took his cock in his hand,
giving it a slow stroke. She smiled down at him and ran the tip of her tongue over
her bottom lip.
“Tease,” he said, smirking.
“Oh, no, for you, I always deliver on my promises,” she said, lifting up her skirt
and giving him a peek at the skimpy lace thong she wore beneath.
“Take them off,” he whispered, his words gruff.
“Can’t resist giving commands, huh?”
She stepped to the side of the desk closest to him, putting him near eye level with
the apex of her thighs, then hooked her fingers in the sides of her panties. He barely
resisted begging. Maybe he
could
have a submissive moment. She rolled her hips and dragged the wisp of lace down her
legs. Her sweet, sexy scent hit him, sending his head spinning and his patience waning.
God, he needed to touch her, taste her.
Kelsey kicked off the panties, then lowered herself down and climbed off the desk.
She stood before him in only that little skirt and those fuck-me boots. “I think you’ve
earned a lap dance, sir.”
“I tip well.”
With a smile of illicit promise, she trailed her hands up his legs and brought her
breasts right in front of his mouth, dancing and teasing him with every beat of the
music. He moved his hand away from his cock and let the edges of her skirt brush his
length with each sway of her hips. He was lost in her, absolutely fucking lost. The
house could burn down around them and there was no way he was leaving this spot.
Kelsey braced her hands on his thighs and with a wicked spark in her eyes, worked
her way down between his knees. A few strands of her ponytail danced over his crotch,
heaven marking a path over his skin. All semblance of self-control left him. He grabbed
a fistful of her ponytail, and she gasped.
“On your knees, love,” he said, his voice hoarse with need.
She complied without protest, her body sinking down to the floor. “Yes, sir.”
He took her hair in his fist and wound her long ponytail around his cock, the golden
strands like spun silk against him. He groaned at the sight he’d imagined so many
times. She kept her head bowed, letting him use her however he wished, and put her
hand over his, helping him with the first silken stroke. The nape of her neck was
bared to him as their hands moved in tandem, sliding her soft locks against him. He
stared at that expanse of skin, an ache digging into his chest.
She gripped his knee, still covered by his slacks, and the sight of her bare left
ring finger only deepened the pang. But he had to be patient with her. He didn’t want
to overwhelm her with how sure he was in his love for her, how far he saw it stretched
out before them. He reached out with his free hand and traced a line over her neck.
“I want to collar you, Kelsey.”
Her hand stilled against him and he let her ponytail slide through his fingers, then
lifted her face to him. Her cheeks were flushed with desire, but her eyes were wide
and clear. “I have a collar, sir.”
“Yes, a generic one I bought before I really knew you. I want you to wear
my
collar. I want a ceremony.”
Without hesitation or any of the fears he worried would come to the surface again,
she brought his hand to her mouth, kissing his palm. “There’s nothing I want more
than to be yours, Wyatt.”
His entire body swelled with emotion.
“God, say that again, love.” She did and he pulled her onto his lap, taking her mouth
in a heated kiss and sliding inside her.
* * *
Wyatt stole Kelsey’s thoughts with the kiss, and everything
inside her tightened and quivered as he thrust into her. She moaned into his mouth,
the sheer bliss of having him filling her, claiming her, was a sensation that never
got old. He’d been an epic fail in the sub role, but that had only turned her on more.
She loved that intensity that overtook him when he couldn’t hold back the need to
dominate her.
And now he wanted to collar her. For real. She knew he’d held back from putting any
pressures on their relationship because he didn’t want to freak her out. But the thought
of being tied to him in that way no longer put terror in her heart. Love was a risk.
Happiness was never a guarantee. But like he’d said that night at the prom, they were
a good bet.
For the first time in her life,
she
was a good bet.
And she was ready to jump without a parachute.
He pulled back from the kiss and took her nipple in his mouth, sucking and biting
and sending rapid, rolling pleasure through her. She gripped his shoulders hard, riding
him and the sensation of it all even as heavy words formed on her lips. He pressed
his fingers against her clit, stroking and teasing with each rock of her hips. Her
nails dug into his skin.
“You want to come, love?” he asked, kissing and nibbling her neck.
“I want to get married.”
Everything halted. Wyatt lifted his head, his eyes shocked behind his glasses. “What?”
Panic gripped her.
Shit. Shit. Shit
. Maybe she’d read his signs wrong. Maybe she was assuming things she shouldn’t. “I
mean—”
He pressed his fingers against her mouth. “Don’t you dare take it back.”
She squeezed her eyes shut, mortified.
“Look at me.”
She took a deep breath and forced her eyes open. He let his hand fall from her lips
and she started babbling. “Oh, my God, I can’t believe I just said that. You must
think I’ve lost my mind. Of course we can’t get married. We’ve only been seeing each
other for eight months and what would people think and—”
“I would marry you tomorrow,” he said without a hint of hesitation in his voice.
She blinked.