Rapture and Lace (Lace #3) (Lace Series) (5 page)

  I smiled at him. "I don't think so, Mr. Morgan. We're being chaste until our impending nuptials, remember?" I gave a soft tug on his hair.  

  "Right." He worked his fingers up to snap the leg of my bathing suit.  

  "Thank you for telling me." I set my wine down and crawled up into his lap to wrap my arms around his neck. "It helps knowing why you're a crazy stalker." I kissed him on the nose. "I’m sorry things were so rough when you were little." I ran my thumbs along his cheekbones softly. "I’m glad you had such a great mom." I played with the hair at the nape of his neck.  

  "Me too," he whispered. "I can't wait for you to meet her."

  "I can't wait to meet her either, and thank her for raising such an amazing loving son that's stolen my heart." I kissed his lips lovingly.  

  His arms wrapped around my waist and his palms spread out on my lower back. I could feel him harden against my thighs and smiled. I curled a hand around his neck and nibbled along his ear as I rocked my hips into him slowly.  

  "Evangeline," Carter groaned.  

  "I know, I know. Chivalry and all that." I grinned, giving him one last kiss and then slipping off his lap. I reached for my wine glass and slipped further down into the warm water and sighed deeply, my head swirling from the wine and all of the new information Carter had just shared. If this was what my life with Carter was going to be like, I had no doubt that it would be beautiful.  

  "Up and at 'em, beautiful. It's your wedding day." Carter brushed the hair off of my face and placed a kiss on my forehead. I groaned, wedding day or not, mornings would never be my thing.  

  I sighed deeply and then the smell of hot coffee hit my nostrils and I immediately rose out of bed.  

  "Coffee," I mumbled. Carter laughed at me. I took a sip and instantly felt a little more energized. I sipped some more and then sat my mug down to head to the bathroom.  

  "I’ll be in the kitchen," Carter tossed behind his back as he left the bedroom.  

  I did my business and then stood in front of the mirror reflecting. I brushed my fingers through my hair and a small smile played across my lips. I was marrying Carter today. I brushed my finger over my lips and thought about how the day would play out. Carter hadn't revealed a single detail. I trusted that it would be beautiful and over the top; everything Carter did was. I leaned my neck to the side to expose my flesh and my fingers touched the soft bruise where Carter had bitten me from our steamy romp in the shower. My stomach flopped a few times at the memory. It felt like ages ago, but it had only been on Friday.  

  I wrapped up in a robe that was hanging on a hook by the door and grabbed my coffee cup and made my way down to the kitchen.  

  "Eat up. Thirty minutes and your entourage will be here."  

  "My entourage?" I watched Carter standing at the stove with a spatula.  

  "Makeup artist and hair stylist. Not that you need any of that."

  I stepped closer to him and he placed a soft kiss on my lips.  

  "So can I expect that your scrambled eggs are better than your omelets?" I smiled as I scooped some onto a plate.  

  "Watch it." He tried to smack me with the spatula in his hand. I giggled and dodged away.  

  "Thank you." I smiled.  

  "How much time do I have?" I asked him.  

  "We're out the door in two hours." He continued to poke at the bacon in the skillet.  

  "That's not much time for me to get ready." I frowned.  

  "Since when are you so high maintenance, Miss Austin?"

  "Since it's my wedding day." I threw a piece of toast at him from across the kitchen. He dodged it with a smirk.  

  "You're beautiful. You don't need time to get ready. Just put on the white dress and you’ll be perfect."

  "Who says it's white?" I grinned.  

  "It better be. I'm a man who likes tradition." He cocked an eyebrow at me.  

  "Could have fooled me," I mumbled as I scooped more scrambled eggs into my mouth. His lips lifted at the corners in a playful smile.  

  Thirty minutes later I was out of the shower and the makeup artist and hair stylist were waiting in the master bathroom. Carter had moved to a guest bedroom to get ready and promised to give me privacy. The hair stylist, Clyde, was raking a brush through my long dark hair and talking effusively to Rachel, the makeup artist. He was telling her all about a date he'd been on last night that apparently hadn't gone well. They laughed and giggled and were entertaining to listen to, but it made my heart hurt a little bit wishing for Cate.  

  I had so many issues with my mom, and I wasn't especially close to my dad, but if there was one person I wished could be with me on my wedding day, it was Cate. She'd always been there for me and she was going to slay me when she found out I’d gotten married without her. We'd fantasized about our respective wedding days since the fourth grade. I heaved a deep sigh thinking about her smiling face.  

  "Why so sad on your wedding day dear?" Clyde noticed my moment of melancholy.  

  "Not sad, just missing my best friend. I wish she could be here." I sat still as Rachel sponged foundation onto my face. I prayed she wouldn’t make a comment on the bruise left by Carter.  

  "Why isn’t she?" he asked.  

  "This is sort of a last minute thing, I guess."  

   "This isn't a thing, honey, this is your wedding day. You should have exactly who you want here."

  "Oh I know, it's just, our whole relationship has been a rush. It's not a big deal, he's who I want…" I trailed off because the more I spoke and the more I tried to explain it to them the worse it sounded in my own head. But that didn't matter; I didn't need to justify our decision to them. It was right for us.  

  "And I’m not pregnant..." I trailed off and then bit my lip embarrassingly with the word. "It's just, everyone thinks we're rushing because I’m pregnant, and I’m not." I twisted my fingers in my lap. I just needed to shut up now. Clyde shook his head in the mirror.  

  "It's okay, sweetheart. We love who we love. It doesn’t matter a damn what anyone else thinks." He smiled reassuringly.  

  An hour later and I sat in front of the mirror, Clyde and Rachel's handiwork staring back at me. I looked beautiful, and fresh—natural, like me. They'd given me exactly what I’d asked for. My hair was down and in soft waves around my shoulders; my makeup was light—a warm glow across my cheeks, a little shimmer dusted on my cheekbones, peach eye shadow with warm brown eyeliner for definition. I looked like myself after a summer day spent at the beach. I felt beautiful and natural and I knew Carter would love it.  

  "Time for the white dress." Clyde air kissed both my cheeks and Rachel gave me a quick squeeze and wished me good luck. I assessed myself in the mirror for a few more moments before stepping out into the bedroom. The dress designer was here to personally help dress me along with her assistant from yesterday.  

  "You look so beautiful." She smiled when I walked out. I gave her a nervous nod. The dress designer unzipped the garment bag and my breath caught. The dress was so beautiful.  

  "Ready, dear?" She gave me a reassuring smile. I nodded again, too choked up to speak.  

  "Off these go, then." She tapped my hip to indicate my shirt and yoga pants.  

  I slid the fabric of the pants over my hips and stood in front of the mirror in a pair of panties, my arms covering my chest. Because of the open back of my dress, I couldn't wear a bra. The dress was structured enough through the bodice to provide support, but it was awkward standing in front of two strangers almost nude.  

  Cate would shrug it off with an unabashed grin. I wished again that she could be here to share this with me. As excited as I was to marry Carter, there was a little piece of me that was the slightest bit sad to admit that I was also a little lonely.  

  Nanette held the dress open for me; her assistant held onto my elbow as I stepped into the delicate lace. They slid the fabric over my body and I slipped my arms through the cap sleeves. I closed my eyes as Nanette moved my hair out of the way and hooked the few buttons at the back of my neck. She slid her hands down the fabric and held them at my hips.

  "You look beautiful."

  I looked up at the mirror in front of me. The designer was beaming behind my shoulder. My eyes slid to my form in the mirror and a smile broke out across my face. The dress was somehow more beautiful than it had been yesterday. Dark waves of my hair cascaded around my shoulders, and the lace of the high neckline and cap sleeves peeked out. The effect was overwhelmingly romantic, in a modern and elegant way. It felt perfect for the understated affair that would be our wedding.  

  "Are you ready dear?" Nanette smiled. I took a deep breath and gave her a bright smile.  

  "I am."  

  Her assistant reached for my hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. I walked over to the door of the bedroom and butterflies jumped into my throat as my fingers touched the doorknob. Outside that door was the rest of my life with the man I loved. I had the white dress, the beautiful shoes, and a stunning and sexy groom waiting for me. I was ready.  

  I stepped out of the bedroom door and walked to the top of the stairs. I glanced down to the front door and was saddened that instead of Carter, I found the driver that had been with us the past few days. I frowned and walked down the stairs slowly attempting not to tumble with the high heels and the train of lace behind me.  

  "Miss." The driver tipped his hat. "We'll be meeting Mr. Morgan at the venue." He opened the door for me. I walked into the bright sunny afternoon and inhaled the fresh autumn air. The weather was unseasonably warm and I wasn't at all chilled in the gown.

  I lifted the train of my dress and stepped into the back of the car. The driver shut the door and then slipped into the front seat.  

  "How far are we going?" I was anxious to see Carter.  

  "Not far." He gave me a small smile in the rearview mirror. We pulled out of the driveway and drove for a few minutes before we pulled into a narrow twisting road that climbed farther up the mountain. It felt like miles as we made our way through the sunlit aspens on the gravel drive, but after a few minutes the car came to a stop. The driver came around and offered me a hand out of the car. I stood up and frowned in confusion. It was desolate. We were somewhere high in the mountains, birds chattered around us, and there was a calm breeze, but no sign of Carter anywhere.  

  The driver offered me his elbow. "This way, miss." He led me to the edge of the gravel drive and a small path that curved around a small group of evergreens. We turned the corner and the view opened up before us.  

  The grassy clearing was small, around fifty yards in diameter, and on the opposite edge it fell away into a sloping grass-covered mountain. Across the valley the sun glinted off the yellow and orange leaves that led up to the snow-peaked mountains. The view was breathtaking, and standing in the center of that fantastic view was the man of my dreams.  

  Carter stood at the end of the path that was lined on either side with dozens of vases overflowing with deep purple calla lilies—a reminder of the first time he'd sent me flowers that morning a few weeks ago when he'd given me the Tiffany watch.  

  My eyes traveled up the grass path to Carter. He wore a light tan suit and a striped white and deep purple tie. He also had a small lily pinned to his lapel. His hair was perfectly floppy and the sun's rays glinted off of the toffee-colored strands. He was breathtaking. A wide smile spread across his face and I'm sure my own equally bright smile met his. When we locked eyes I was lost in his steely blue depths.  

  A photographer came up with a camera in one hand and a bouquet of the same deep purple calla lilies interwoven with sprigs of baby’s breath. It was all so beautiful and romantic, and the fact that Carter had orchestrated all of it brought tears to my eyes.  

  The driver led me part of the way to Carter and then let go once he saw that I was well on my way to the beautiful man I'd locked eyes with.  

  I walked slowly with a smile on my face up the path to where Carter stood, never breaking eye contact. The officiant stood next to him waiting patiently to start the ceremony. When I stepped up, just out of arm's reach of Carter, he mouthed the words, "You are stunning."  

  I smiled and took the last steps to him, reaching my hand out for his.  

  His hand was so warm and comforting in my own, all of my fears from the past forty-eight hours slipped away. I was right where I was meant to be, at the top of this mountain, on a beautiful autumn day, marrying the man who made me so happy it felt like my heart could burst. I melted into him for a hug; breaking convention or not, I needed to feel him, to reassure him that he was my dream come true. He squeezed me back and kissed the top of my head.  

  "I love you," he whispered so only I could hear.  

  "I love you," I whispered back. I finally pulled away from him and looked at the officiant with a sheepish smile on my face. He smiled back reassuringly and then Carter nodded for him to start.  

Just twenty minutes later and Carter and I had pledged our love and our lives to each other. He kissed me passionately when the officiant said we were allowed, as the photographer snapped away from different angles. I was hardly aware of anything around me as my eyes were locked on Carter's the entire time and the smile was so wide on my face it nearly hurt. Carter held my hand tightly in his as we posed for different pictures and signed the marriage certificate. These moments were exquisite. We lingered for more than an hour, taking in the view, our arms wrapped around each other, exchanging small kisses and holding hands tightly. I couldn't bring myself to let go of his hand.  

  As the sun began to set we watched the bright rays reflect off the snowy mountain peaks and light up the sunburst orange and yellow leaves of the aspens in the valley. It was a picture of perfection that would remain in my mind for a lifetime. After the sun set behind the mountains we made our way back to the car and the driver drove us down the mountain.