Page 51 of Bad Boy Husband

JAMESON

I finally managed to escape from the endless sea of toasts, laughter, and well-meaning shoulder slaps. Somewhere along the line, I’d lost my bride and I scanned the tent for her, but I didn’t see her anywhere.

Assuming she was with Laney, who I couldn’t immediately spot either, I groaned and wondered how much longer we had to stay. Heading for the bar, I decided to grab a drink. Then I would go find my wife and take her home.

I’d just about had enough of this.

A few minutes later, Trent slid into the space next to me. I was finally sipping on a bourbon that had managed to land in my hand after what felt like hours of smiling so much that my jaw hurt.

“Are you surviving?” he asked, clinking his glass to mine.

I laughed, “Barely, but I have a wife now, so I’ve won at life. That has to count for something, right?”

He grinned. “You definitely married up.”

“I know.” I pumped my eyebrows at him, then watched my mother float past like a well-dressed drill sergeant surveying her troops, her expression one of only mild satisfaction.

I glanced at Trent. “I’m surprised she’s not parading you around like a prized stallion in front of all the single heiresses here. ”

“I’ve become skillful in the art of evading well-intentioned mothers and their legions of eligible bachelorettes.”

I laughed. “That’s a useful skill. I could’ve used it myself until about a month ago.”

“I’d say you did alright. You would have been married by twenty-three, max, if you hadn’t known a thing or two about evasive maneuvers.”

“Fair enough.” I looked around again, still searching for Sadie when I noticed a group of girls I didn’t know at all on the dance floor. “You’d have plenty of options if you were looking for someone to dance with tonight. CC seems to have stacked the deck in your favor.”

“Mine, Callum’s, and Harrison’s, I’m sure. I doubt all of this was for my benefit.”

I shrugged. “Either way, she’s made sure there are enough dance partners to go around.”

He took a long sip of his drink. “Let’s just say I’m browsing.”

“Well, browse carefully. If my mother catches wind, you’ll be engaged by midnight.”

“Noted.” Across the lawn, Callum was surrounded by three women in pastel dresses and their aggressively friendly mothers, all smiling a little too brightly. “He’s doomed. They’ve got him cornered.”

“He’ll live.” I smirked. “Maybe.”

The string lights blinked to life above us as the sun dipped lower, painting the sky in streaks of rose and amber. Somewhere behind the hedges, the band had transitioned into something slower and smoother, and then I finally saw her.

Sadie was barefoot now, alone near the fountain, her eyes closed like she was just taking it all in, and her face tipped back slightly toward the sky. She looked straight out of a dream.

Actually, she was my dream. Just her. She was my entire dream for my future. I pushed away from the bar, not even looking back at Trent as I started moving. “I’ll catch you later. Remember to keep your browsing to yourself.”

His laughter rang out behind me, but right then, I was perfectly happy leaving him to fend for himself. Our mothers had stolen my bride from me ages ago, and now that I had her in my sights again, I wasn’t planning on letting her get away.

Sadie didn’t hear me approach, seemingly unaware that I was with her until my arms circled her waist and she leaned back into me instinctively. “There you are. I was wondering if marriage was already getting to be too much for you.”

I chuckled, resting my jaw against her temple as I pulled her closer. “Are you tired of being adored yet?”

“A little.”

“You deserve every second of it.” She smiled but didn’t open her eyes. I pressed a kiss to her hair. “If you’re ready to blow this popsicle stand, I’m willing to be your accomplice. Just so you know. All you have to do is say the word.”

“Already?” she asked on a murmur. “Are you sure it’s not too early?”

I kissed the side of her neck. “Where do you want to go?”

“Where do I want to go when ?” Her eyes fluttered open and she turned her head slightly to look at me, confusion in the furrow between her eyebrows. “Right now?”

“For our honeymoon.”

She turned in the circle of my arms and looked up at me, and in that moment, the rest of the world disappeared. The music, the lights, and the voices all faded until there was only her.

“Anywhere,” she said. “Everywhere. As long as I’m with you.”

“How about we start with everywhere and then move on to anywhere from there?” I murmured, holding her close and swaying a little to the soft tune of the music. “I’m partial to our very first stop being our house. Our bedroom, specifically, but that’s up to you.”

Her smile softened. “Do you really think we can we leave?”

I raised an eyebrow and opened my mouth in mock protest. “Leave our own wedding so soon?”

She chuckled. “The party will survive and I want to be alone with my husband.”

Hearing her say that did something to me, settling me and setting me on fire all at once. I took her hands and squeezed them, waggling my eyebrows as I nodded. “Okay, here’s what we’re going to do. Our top secret plan.”

“Which is?”

“We just walk out.”

She laughed but nodded, taking my arm when I offered it to her and sticking close by my side. We slipped out quietly, without speaking to anyone, just walking past rows of tables and flickering candles. No one stopped us. No one dared.

Callum caught my eye from the middle of the tribe of would-be future mothers-in-law around him. As if he knew we wouldn’t be coming back tonight and we weren’t just hurrying to the bar, he lifted his chin at me and I nodded in response but without breaking stride.

I knew he was having a hard time, but honestly, there was nothing I could do to help him. Back when Dad had first had that conversation with me, I’d done my best to find a way out, but short of just disappearing, there was no getting away from it.

The sooner Callum accepted that and started working on finding himself a wife he didn’t only have to live with, but could actually love, the better. I doubted that woman was here, but CC had done nothing if not present him with a horde of viable options.

What he did about it, if anything, was his business.

I guided Laney to our golf cart and helped her in, jumping in behind the steering wheel once she was seated.

I gunned it away from the reception as fast and as stealthily as I could.

By the time we got home, the moon was rising and I parked near the door.

Then I raced up the steps to open it before doubling back.

“What are you doing?” she asked, blue eyes sparkling with laughter as she watched me marching back to her. “I’m not sure why, but I suddenly have the urge to run.”

“It’s too late for that.” I took her left hand and dropped a kiss over her golden wedding band. “You promised to love me forever. No matter what.”

Without waiting for a response, I scooped her up in my arms before she could protest, then carried her over the threshold while she giggled against my neck. “I was wondering if you were going to do this.”

“It was always my plan.” I didn’t stop walking when we hit the foyer, carrying her upstairs with my heart racing and my throat tight.

Half-mad with wanting her, I only set her down on her feet once I reached our bed.

I brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, eyes only for her. “Turn around, Mrs. Westwood.”

Her eyelashes fluttered on a series of fast, hard blinks, but she did as I’d asked, slowly turning until her back was to me. “Wow. Now that’s going to take some getting used to. Am I really Mrs. Westwood?”

I ran my fingers along the smooth length of her arm until my fingertips grazed the metal ring on her finger. “It’s a pretty safe bet that’s what this means, yeah. You’re a Westwood now.”

She dropped her head against my shoulder and lifted her hand, my fingers still laced around hers. We just stood there together, admiring the brand new hardware we were both sporting. My wedding ring was as traditional as they came, a plain, golden band with our names inscribed on the inside.

For her, I’d chosen a matching plain wedding band, just a delicate ring that slotted perfectly into the engagement ring I’d finally given her.

One that wasn’t ostentatious or overly flashy.

Just a brilliant cut diamond with a sapphire on either side that had reminded me of her eyes.

Thankfully, she’d loved it, even bursting into—hopefully happy—tears when I’d slid it onto her finger.

“I love you,” I murmured against her ear. My hands moved up her sides and my fingers found the delicate zipper tucked into her dress. I tugged it down slowly, the fabric parting like a precious gift being unveiled. “I still can’t believe that you actually said yes.”

She dropped her head against my shoulder, her eyes closed and a soft smile on her lips. “I can’t believe you said yes either, but here we are.”

I chuckled. My fingertips grazed her warm skin as I peeled the corset down. Her body was so familiar now but still capable of undoing me even with simple touches like these. I tugged the dress across her breasts, my breath catching.

She opened her eyes to look into mine. “I love you too, Jamie. Madly. I always have.”

When the fabric finally slid down her hips and onto the floor, she stepped out of it, barefoot and left in only her panties. My eyes begged to drop, but I kept them firmly on hers. “You’re going to have to keep telling me that. I’m never going to get enough.”

She turned in the circle of my arms. Her lips parted and her cheeks were already a little flushed. “I’m never going to get enough of you either.”

I brought my hands up to her face and slowly lowered my head to hers with my heart pounding and my cock so ready to be buried deep inside my wife. I didn’t want to rush anything, though. For tonight, there was only this, our first night together as husband and wife.

It was officially the beginning of our forever and I intended to savor every second while the rest of the world could carry on without us.