Claiming Honor (Bad Boys of River City Book 3) (10 page)

He wraps his free hand in the hair at the nape of my neck and tugs me closer. "Yes, I love you," he whispers against my lips. "And I'm sure you'll love me if you quit fighting it."

Oh, it's way too late for that. I guess I'm quiet too long because he teases me. "Hey, I took a bullet for you, woman. The least you can do is marry me."

I nod with fake solemnity. "It is the least I can do."

He exhales slowly. "So…how do you feel about Vegas? Next month."

"Vegas?"

"Unless you want to do a big wedding?"

I can tell the idea makes him uncomfortable. I just want our closest friends and family with us. And hell, I've never been to Vegas. But…

"Two months. One is…a little fast for me."

He stares at me and I get the feeling he's trying to read my mind. "You're still not sure of me? Of us?"

I arch my eyebrows, surprised at the vulnerability I sense more than hear in his voice. "I'm not going anywhere," I say lightly. "I just need a little more time to get used to this."

He starts to roll over on top of me, winces, and pulls me on top of him instead. "Get used to it? Baby, the last thing I want to do is bore you."

I can't tell if he's teasing or serious. Hunter boring? I can't imagine that ever happening. "Okay. How about adjust to being in a relationship?"

"If that means you accept that you're mine I would prefer sooner than later."

This one I definitely know how to answer.

"I think I'll make you mine first."

I give him a grin I hope looks as wicked as I feel, and slide down his length, shoving the blanket away as I go. He has a gorgeous body but he hasn’t given me much chance to explore it. Every time I do he ends up taking over. Now probably won't be any different. But I'm getting my turn first.

I kneel over his thighs and wrap my hand around the base of his cock. He's thick and throbbing in my hand. As I lean in to lick a drop of pre-come off the tip, I look up to meet his gaze. They're heavy-lidded. Smoldering.

"Don’t stop now, baby."

Not much could stop me right now. After the night we've had, I need reassurance of the most physical kind that we're both okay. I suck the head of his cock into my mouth and glide my tongue over the slit, enjoying the moan it elicits. I release him so I can trace the veins on his penis with my tongue while stroking up and down slowly. It's not long before he takes over and starts thrusting in my mouth. I'm sure as hell not complaining. I love the feel of him in mouth, between my lips. He only moves a few more times before urging me up and flipping me to my knees. Before I know it he's thrusting into me from behind and taking his own sweet time about it. He fills me slowly, making me beg for each inch. It feels incredible but I want to look into his eyes.

"Hunter," I groan as he withdraws and drags his cock over my G-spot. "I need to see you."

He pulls out, rolls me over, and stands beside the bed, dragging my ass to the edge. There's a small smile lifting the corners of his lips.

"You have an interesting way of saying yes, sweetheart."

I arch my eyebrows. "Did I say yes?"

He spreads my thighs and tucks the head of his cock to my pussy, slowly pushing in. I close my eyes and concentrate on the sensation of him filling me.

"Damn, that feels good," I whisper, opening my eyes to watch.

He's staring down at where we're joined, where he's slowly shuttling in and out, ramping up the pleasure for us both. When he looks up to meet my gaze, he's way too serious.

"I love you, Honor. I can't remember ever being as scared as I was tonight. The idea of living without you is…Bleak. It doesn’t feel right."

Damn. I never expected him to really lay it all out on the line this. I reach for his shoulders to pull him closer. I slide my hands up his neck, then higher to cup his face between my palms. I stare into his eyes.

"I'll marry you."

"In Vegas?" He starts moving again, a little faster.

"Sure."

"Next month?"

I have to laugh. He is not giving up. I kind of love that about him. If he hadn’t been so persistent, I wouldn’t be here now, and I wouldn’t give up this moment for anything.

"Six weeks," I counter. I can't let him win every time.

He looks like his going to argue so I rock my hips against his and wrap my legs around his waist to urge him on. He groans.

"That's not playing fair, baby."

I moan when he thrusts deep. "Neither do you. More. Fuck me harder."

A bead of sweat trickles down the side of his face and I reach up to wipe it away. He grips my hips, his gaze never leaving mine, as increases the pace of his strokes until he's pounding me.

"You know what to do," he growls.

I reach for my clit, flick it lightly. I don’t want to come too soon and he makes me feel so damned good it won't take much. But my resolve doesn’t last long when he leans down and sucks a nipple between his lips. His bite is too gentle at first, but then it’s a sweet pain and my body is spiraling out of control. He gets a couple of more thrusts in before he collapses over me.

It's a long time later before I feel capable of moving. I'm lying in Hunter's arms, draped over his chest. It seems to be his favorite position when we aren’t having sex.

"So. Six weeks. I guess I can wait that long. Can we get married by Elvis?" he teases.

"You'd make me a widow on my wedding day?" I may forgo the big wedding, but
not
the dressing up.

He laughs and rolls us so he's on top. "Whatever makes you happy, sweetheart, except that. I want every year I can get with you."

It's a stark reminder of how few years there might be, but I refuse to let that fear rule me. I'm going to embrace what we have and not worry about what could happen.

"You still with me, Honor?" he asks worriedly.

I smile up at him. "Oh yeah, babe. I'm with you all the way."

MORE FROM ELLE WYLDER

Thank you for reading Claiming Honor. If you are interested in my other books and stories please visit
http://www.ellewylder.com
. If you’d like to be notified of new releases you can visit my website or join my
mailing list
.

Turn the page to catch up on Trace and Serenity in the short story Loving Serenity, which appeared in the Love Is… charity anthology.

OTHER TITLES BY ELLE WYLDER

Bad Boys of River City

Defending Serenity

Saving Grace

Claiming Honor

Keeping Faith (coming summer 2015)

Love In Uniform Short Stories

Bound By Love

Rules of Engagement

Damaged

Love In Uniform Box Set

LOVING SERENITY

A Bad Boys of River City Short Story

“So what’s the plan for tonight?” I ask as I drop my purse on the hotel room’s desk and look at Trace.

My husband. Of just a few weeks. I’m suddenly breathless. It is still so surreal. I got together with him about six months ago, after he got out of prison. It was fast, yeah. But, oh my gawd, it is so perfect. He looks uncharacteristically nervous, though. Maybe even a little bit sheepish. Interesting.

“What are you to up?” I ask, half teasing and half worried.

He shrugs. “We were thinking we’d go to dinner and then maybe…find a tattoo place.”

“We?” I ask.

He grabs my hips and pulls me close. “Those of us who are in a life commitment sort of place.”

I cock an eyebrow. “Bubba, this
is
a lifetime commitment for you.”

His gaze turns flinty for a second before it softens. “Damn straight it is. You think I’ll ever let you go? You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Shit. He makes my heart hurt when he says stuff like that.

“Don’t you forget it,” I respond, trying to sound firm. He grins and bends closer.

“Never, baby,” he whispers against my lips.

I’m not fooled, though. He’s trying to distract me. I have an idea why too. A secret we’ve been keeping. Something so special I don’t want to share it, though I know I’ll have to soon.

“So this tattoo?”

His smile is sweet and gentle and I know I’m right.

“A name,” he says.

And he doesn’t mean mine. That’s bad luck anyway, isn’t it? A kid’s name, though, a daughter? He doesn’t see a problem there. I’ve managed to hide it so far. To keep it secret. I’m about fifteen weeks pregnant. It’s early yet but the ultra sound tech we saw yesterday seems confidant the baby is a girl. Trace has been insistent all along that the baby is girl. So ever since she said that, he has been all about names. Honestly, he’s more into this pregnancy than I am. He’s excited and I’m scared and it’s killing him keeping the secret. It’s also starting to frustrate him. My reluctance. My silence. It’s not him I’m worried about. Despite his background, I know he will be a great father. Myself I’m not so sure of. But I love him more than anything, and we’re doing this. I know he’ll help me if I stumble. A breath rushes out of me and I feel steady for the first time in weeks.

“Well, it has to be a gender neutral name if you’re gonna ink it now. They could be wrong.”

He tries to hide it, but I can see he’s relieved. It wasn’t right for me to keep this secret so long just because of my own insecurities. Once we passed the first trimester I should have let him tell the others. Now I worry I’m taking some of Honor’s thunder. We are here for her wedding after all.

“Oh no, baby,” he says, no doubt in response to my frown. “No getting out of it now.”

I see his determination and that stubbornness is one of the things I love about him, so what can I say? “I need to tell Honor first.”

“Okay.” Then he grins. “But swear her to secrecy. Let’s see how everyone else reacts to me getting another girl’s name inked on my skin.”

I stare at him a second before I burst out laughing. He’s enjoying this too much but I can’t make myself burst his bubble. Trace and his friends are forever fucking with each other.

“Where’s the list?” he asks.

I pull out the list of names we’d made on the plane--our seats weren’t anywhere near the others--and cross off those that are too obviously male or female before handing it to him. Surprisingly, we’re left with about a dozen names. I know my top picks and bet we’ll agree on at least one of them, probably more.

“Harley, Jesse, or Drew,” he says decisively.

And now we have a problem. How to wiggle those down to one. Actually, I know my choice.

“Jesse,” I say.

He’s quiet a minute. “What’s wrong with Harley?”

I can’t really explain why I’m rejecting it. “It doesn’t feel right.”

“Okay. Jesse it is.” Then he grins. “But I get to name the next one.”

Next one? I push down panic. I’m barely prepared for this one. I shake my head. “Slow down, babe. One life changing event at a time, please.”

He pulls me close again and as usual I relax. I feel safe.

“The house will be finished next week,” he says.

The house he’s building, on the same private street all his friends and business partners live on, is a safe topic. Construction started before I found out I’m pregnant so it doesn’t feel like a big deal.

“Oh good,” I whisper in the curve of his neck, teasing. “Then I get to go spend all your money on furniture, right?”

His growl is ruined by his laugh. “Maybe.”

His face lowers towards mine and I lift up on my toes to meet his kiss, but pounding on the door interrupts us. He groans and reluctantly releases me to answer it. I’m not surprised to see Walker and Grace on the other side. Their room is right next door. They step in and Grace looks at the desk where Trace dropped the list of names.

“What’s that?” she asks, taking a step towards it.

“Nothing,” I say, reaching it first.

I fold it up and tuck it into my pants pocket. She sweeps a critical eye over me. Assessing. Suspicious. Knowing what she sees, I repress a groan. I’ve given up on my jeans. I bought a couple pregnancy sets. I haven’t worn them yet, but they’re packed along with a couple cute dresses I just bought a size larger than my usual. For the flight I went for comfort. Yoga pants, one of Trace’s t-shirts, and a light jacket which I’d abandoned when we entered the room. Grace holds her hand out.

“Let’s see it.”

“See what?”

She rolls her eyes. “I get paid to observe, remember? I’m betting that’s a list of baby names. I’m curious to see what y’all have come up with.”

“Baby names?” Walker chokes on the beer he carried in with him. He looks back and forth between me and Trace, who is wearing his impassive, noncommittal mask, watching me and waiting for a sign of how I want to proceed. Sighing, I pull the paper out and hand it to Grace. She doesn’t even look at it. She’s too busy staring at me, then breaks into a grin.

“Ha! I knew it. Honor’s been wanting to confront you for weeks.”

I should have seen that coming. “I didn’t want to tell anyone here. She’s getting married. This trip is for her and Hunter.”

“Are you kidding? She’ll be thrilled.” She grabs my hand. “Come on. Let’s tell her now.”

Trace looks a little disappointed and I remember how he wants to announce it. I tug back. “Wait.”

Grace frowns. “Why?”

“We’ll tell Honor and she’ll probably want to tell Hunter, but then you’re all sworn to secrecy. Trace has his own plan for making this announcement.”

“Well,” Grace drawls. “The wedding isn’t for another three days so if this announcement is going to be tonight for instance? Maybe we shouldn’t tell them in advance. Walker and I will act surprised.”

I feel bad springing it on Honor but if Grace is right, then she already knows. Also, now that the secret is out to my brother-in-law and my best friend, I kinda want to tell everyone.

“Your choice,” I say to Trace. He watches me closely and I’m sure he sees the excitement in my eyes.

“Stick with my plan. Everyone will know by the end of the night.”

I can see that pleases him and his anticipation is contagious.

“Come on,” Grace says. “Hunter got the whole group of us an early dinner reservation.”

Awesome. I’m starved.