Marriage, Mayhem & Happily Ever After Read online

  “What’s going on, Olivia?” I ask as I press the cold rag to her forehead.

  Olivia opens her blue eyes to look up at me. “I didn’t want to tell you until you got back from your honeymoon.”

  Is she backing out of the tour? “Tell me what?”

  She sucks in a deep breath before blowing it out. “I’m pregnant.”

  Jesus. Her, too? I’m speechless.

  “Oh my God.”

  Startled, I whirl around to see Harper standing in the doorway, holding a bottle of water.

  “Where did you come from?” I ask a little too harshly. I don’t mean to be, but she scared the crap out of me.

  Her brows pinch, and she frowns. “She wasn’t feeling well, so I went down to the kitchen to get her some water.”

  “Please don’t say anything, Harper,” Olivia pleads.

  “Olivia, I’m not a blabbermouth, but when Cole finds out, he’ll know that I knew about it and didn’t tell him. Please don’t put me in a position where I have to lie to him.” She sighs. “Carter is his best friend. And I know you’re upset with Carter for leaving but he didn’t have a choice.”

  “I get that, Harper, but he didn’t even have the guts to tell me to my face that we were over. He dumped me in a note and told me to move on. Even if his dad forced him to break things off with me, he still should’ve told me in person.” She sniffs. “I would’ve told him that I understood. I would’ve told him that I’d wait for him. I know I sound pathetic, but I love him.”

  “You’re not pathetic,” I tell her. “Does your sister know?”

  She nods again.

  “What about Carter?”

  Her expression turns pained and her eyes fill with tears. “No.”

  “He deserves to know,” Harper defends.

  “Hold on.” I raise my hands. “No one is telling anyone anything right now. I’m getting married tomorrow, and then I’m leaving for my honeymoon. I’ll be gone for three days.” I look down at Olivia. “Do you think you can keep it together until I come back?”

  Olivia nods. “Yes.”

  “What about your parents?”

  She swallows hard. “They kicked me out because I wouldn’t stay here and go to college. What do you think they would do if they knew I was pregnant?”

  “You’re right.” I take in a deep breath and blow it out. “Okay. Just give me my wedding day and the next three days after to have hot sex with my husband with no drama. When I get back, we’ll figure everything out. Okay?”

  Olivia nods, a small grin tugging at her lips. I turn to Harper, who is full-on smiling.

  “What?”

  Olivia snorts. “You just said hot sex without blushing.”

  “Shut up.” I snicker. “It’s all your fault. You bitches corrupted me with all that dirty sex talk earlier.”

  That makes them laugh.

  Zach

  I slip inside the dark, quiet house through the garage door and punch in the security code before resetting the alarm and tiptoeing upstairs. Jay and I haven’t slept apart since I moved in with her back in February, and I don’t plan to start now.

  Gently, I turn the handle on the door and slip inside our dimly lit bedroom to find Jay curled up under the covers with a coy smile on her face.

  “Isn't it bad luck to see the bride before the wedding?” she asks, but she wants me here as much as I want to be here. I need her.

  “I don't think it counts if we're already married. And I'm pretty sure we've met our quota of bad luck this year. Hell, the rest of our lives,” I add.

  “True that,” she agrees.

  I chuckle.

  She grins. “Did you come for a kiss?”

  “Something like that.” I wiggle my brows as I strip out of my clothes.

  “I have a surprise for you,” she purrs.

  “I hope it’s what I think it is.”

  “It’s even better.” She pulls the covers back to reveal her half-naked body in barely there lingerie.

  “Where did you get that?”

  “It’s a gift from Harper. I got a lot of sexy lingerie tonight. Among other things.”

  She squeals when I pounce on top of her, resting on my forearms, careful not to crush her tiny frame under my large one.

  “You dirty girl,” I growl into her neck. “You were waiting for me, weren't you?”

  Her answer is a soft moan as she thrusts her hips forward, grinding herself against me. She moves her hands to my ass and squeezes.

  “What do you want, babe? My mouth, my fingers, or my dick?”

  “Take another look at this outfit, Z. This outfit screams, ‘shove that big dick into my pussy and fuck me like you own me.’”

  I jerk my head back and stare down at her in shock. Is she drunk? I don’t need the lights on to know she’s blushing with embarrassment right now; I can feel the heat pouring off her body.

  “I’m gonna need to work on my dirty talk,” she deadpans, and I lose it.

  Rolling to my back, I laugh so hard that I literally have tears rolling down the sides of my face. “I think you did just fine. Where the hell did that even come from?” I ask, wiping at the tears.

  “I don’t know. Probably from my dirty-talking friends.” She giggles. “I was aiming for the whole ‘lady in the streets, freak in the sheets’ thing.”

  “Babe, you are definitely a freak in the sheets.” I move so I’m up on my knees, straddling her hips. Dragging my hands over my chest dramatically, I rock my hips, my cock bobbing between us. “I wanna fu—”

  “Oh my God, stop!” She shrieks.

  I drop down to my hands and knees, caging her in. Entwining our fingers, I pin her hands to her sides. “You’re going to have to be quiet,” I tell her before kissing my way down her body to the sweet spot between her legs.

  Jay isn’t super loud in bed—except for that one time she got drunk and rode my dick for over an hour while singing the lyrics to a Nine Inch Nails song—but I’m about to make her scream.

  Using my nose, I push the delicate lace to the side and press a kiss to her soft lips.

  Her head presses deeper into the pillow. “Ah,” she moans, raising her hips, seeking friction as she tries to wiggle from my hold.

  She wants to control this, and any other day, I’d let her, but her ridiculous attempt at dirty talk tells me she’s craving something new, something different.

  And I’m going to give it to her.

  Dragging my tongue across her tender flesh, I close my lips around the little bundle of nerves, sucking and licking.

  “I love your mouth so much, Z.” Jay’s breath hitches as she rocks her hips until her body begins to tense under my tongue. I know she’s about to come; she’s sensitive, and it doesn’t take much to set her off.

  Just as her orgasm begins to take over, I quickly release my hold on her hands. Grabbing my cock, I thrust into her.

  “Oh, fuck,” she cries out, and I cover her mouth with mine to silence her moans.

  Her hands immediately go to my head, fingers curling around my hair and tugging. I welcome the pain, because every second inside Jay is pure ecstasy.

  My eyes roll to the back of my head as she clenches around me, gripping me tighter than a fist, pulling me deeper with every ripple of her orgasm.

  “Shhh. You have a houseful of people,” I warn against her lips.

  “I don’t care,” she nearly screams. “Don’t stop.”

  Digging my knees into the mattress, I hook one of her legs over the crook of my arm, and reach for the headboard with my free hand, using it as an anchor. She moves her hands to my ass, her nails biting into the flesh as I alternate between thrusting and rolling my hips, screwing into her as deep as she can take me.

  I usually prefer her on top so my hands are free to touch her everywhere while she rides me. It makes me crazy with need the way she stares down at me with her beautiful, innocent eyes glazed over in lust like a fucking goddess.

  But this… this is hard, dirty, and roughe
r than it’s ever been between us. And I can’t get enough.

  “Zach,” she pants, tightening around me a second time, and that familiar tingling starts at the base of my spine.

  “Keep your eyes open, baby,” I growl. “Let me see you come.”

  Her mouth falls open in a silent cry as she falls over the edge, and with one last thrust, I fall with her.

  Releasing the headboard, I lower my body to hers, feeling her heart beating against my chest. Dipping my head, I take her mouth in a soft, sensual kiss before pulling back to study her face.

  “Holy shit,” I say through a chuckle. “That was—”

  “Amazing,” she practically purrs, closing her eyes. “I’m gonna need a repeat of that tomorrow night. And every night after that,” she adds.

  “My pleasure.” Rolling to my back, I take a moment to catch my breath before saying, “I love that you get embarrassed by casual conversations about sex in front of other people, but behind closed doors, you’re a wildcat.”

  She laughs, still trying to catch her breath.

  Rolling to my side, I prop an elbow on the pillow and rest my head against the palm of my hand. “I love the person you are. Don’t ever change who you are or do something that makes you uncomfortable because you think it’ll make me happy. I don’t need dirty talk or sexy lingerie to want you. Don’t get me wrong, the lingerie is hot, and it definitely turns me on, but only because it’s on you. I just want you.”

  Zach

  “I’m getting married today!” Jay’s voice echoes through the intercom speakers, prompting my eyes to pop open.

  Reaching over the nightstand, I lift my phone to check the time. “Shit, babe. It’s eight o’clock in the morning. Get your ass back in this bed.”

  She runs to the bed and pounces on top of me, straddling my hips. “We’re getting married today, Z.”

  “We’re already married,” I remind her, chuckling. She’s literally shaking with excitement.

  She rolls her eyes playfully. “I know, but I get to put on my pretty dress.” She dips her head and kisses my neck. “And you’ll put on that tux.” Another kiss and a roll of her hips. I move my hands to her ass and squeeze as she rocks against my morning erection. And just a moment before I slip her panties to the side and shove my cock inside her, she pulls back. “I want to wait for tonight.”

  I let out a groan. As much as my dick protests, I have to agree with her. Besides, I have something more important to give her.

  “Okay.” I blow out a breath, willing my dick to calm down. “But don’t move. I need to give you something.” Reaching into the nightstand, I pull out the ring box from the back of the drawer.

  Her brows pinch in confusion. “What is that?”

  “This is your engagement ring.” I pop the lid open and she gasps, bringing her hands to her mouth.

  It’s a four-carat cushion blue diamond in a halo setting, encircled by white diamonds around the main stone and band. I’d ordered it right after we got back from St. Thomas. I went to my dad and told him my plan to ask Jay to marry me at graduation. I had money, but it was tied up in a trust fund from my grandparents until my twenty-first birthday. However, my dad is the trustee on the account and gave me an advance.

  “Don’t just stare at it, put it on.” I chuckle.

  “What about this ring?” She twists the temporary ring around her finger.

  “It’s a loaner ring from the jeweler. Yours wasn’t ready, so they gave me that one.”

  When I proposed to Jay at graduation, I’d given her a two-carat light blue cubic zirconia set in a white gold band. She didn’t even flinch or question my choice of ring, just slipped it on her finger and said yes.

  Just another reason why I love her so much. She doesn’t ask for anything. The only thing she wants is me.

  Four months ago, I nearly lost her because I was unsure of where I fit into her world, but she put me in my place and made me realize that I’m not part of her world. I’m the center of it.

  Jayla

  “Daddy, you said you’d always be with me, so I hope you’re listening.” I take a deep breath and blow it out. “I’ve been dreading this moment since I realized you wouldn’t be here to do your part in walking me down the aisle. I mean… I knew you wouldn’t be here, but I just hadn’t realized how much it would hurt. I guess you knew though. Your last letter wrecked me, but I hope you were telling the truth. That you’ll be here with me, standing beside me. And I hope you’ll be smiling like a proud father should be.” I brush my hands over my dress. “My dress isn’t white like you’d hoped.” I let out a soft laugh. “But you can blame it on fashion.” I wipe at the tear in the corner of my eye. Thank God for waterproof mascara. “You once said that no one is good enough for me, not even Zach.” I sniff. “But you were wrong. I’ll admit, you raised the bar pretty high for any man. But Zach is more than good enough. He loves me so much. I can see it when he looks at me. I can feel it down to my core. He makes my heart race. He makes me breathless. He’s my guy. My prince charming. My happily ever after.” I take another deep breath. “Thank you for being the best role model any little girl could ask for. Thank you for showing me the meaning of true love. Today, as much as I want to cry because you’re not here physically, I won’t. Because… you’re here.” I press a hand to my heart and smile at the space to the right of my reflection. “I can feel you.”

  “You look beautiful, Jay,” my dad’s voice says. I whirl around and find my mom standing in the doorway. Okay, I’m losing it. I give her my best smile, although I’m freaking out a little inside because I heard him. I heard his voice.

  “So do you,” I say, my eyes trailing over the jeweled, lavender-colored Gucci gown I picked out for her.

  Her hand falls to her baby bump as if she’s unsure, which is completely out of character for my mom. I laugh softly. “Don’t dim your light just to make mine shine brighter.”

  She jerks her head up. “Jay—”

  “I appreciate that you were trying to make these last few weeks special, but you’re having a baby, Mom.” She grins because she can’t help it. She’s having a baby, for goodness’ sake. “I’m getting a little brother. I’d say that’s pretty special.”

  She leans her head back and takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly before meeting my eyes. “I have something for you.” My gaze drops to the rectangular box in her hand. “I had this custom-made for you as a graduation gift, but with all the wedding and baby stuff, I’d completely forgotten about it.”

  She holds out the box and I take it. Removing the lid, I tuck it under the box before lifting the thin cotton strip to reveal a platinum necklace with the word ‘conquer’ written in pavé diamonds.

  I gasp. I didn’t think she could top the one she gave me for Valentine’s Day. “I don’t even know what to say. This is the most beautiful necklace I’ve ever seen.” It really is.

  Bending at the waist, I wrap my arms around her. “Thank you so much.”

  “Thank you, Jay, for giving me so many beautiful memories as your mother and friend. This past year has been difficult for both of us, but we persevered. You are the strongest person I’ve ever known, and every day you amaze and inspire me.”

  A knot forms at the base of my throat. I will not cry. I will not cry. “I want to wear this today,” I tell her, pulling the necklace from the box and turning to face the mirror. “Will you help me with the clasp?”

  “Of course.” She moves to stand behind me, and as she works the clasp, she says, “I have one other gift.”

  Turning from the mirror, I wait as she moves over to the table. “Did you buy me Minnie Mouse ears for Disney?” I joke.

  “No.” She snorts as she passes me a pamphlet. “I made a $100,000 donation in your name.”

  “What is this?” I trace my fingers over the words ‘Mended Spirit Foundation’ written across the front.

  “It’s a charity Mimi works closely with. The Mended Spirit Foundation raises money for victims of violenc
e and their families. Everything you need to know about them is in that pamphlet.”

  During my recovery, I’d mentioned to my mom and Zach that when I felt strong enough mentally, I wanted to do something to help other victims of violence. Even if I had to start my own charity under the Mayhem Foundation.

  “This is amazing.” I sniff back my tears. “Thank you.”

  There’s a soft knock on the door before Bass’s voice echoes from the doorway. “Princess, you about ready?”

  “You can come in, B.”

  Bass walks in decked out in his designer tuxedo tailored to his large, fit physique. His eyes zero in on me, and he sucks in a breath. “You look beautiful, princess,” he chokes out, immediately clearing his throat, but it’s too late. I caught the emotion in his voice.

  He turns his attention to my mom. “You look beautiful, too, Emerson.” Sighing, he drags a hand down his face and pulls her into a hug. “All he wanted was for you to be happy.”

  “I know, B,” she cries into his jacket.

  Bass pulls back and kisses the top of her head before turning to me and holding out his arms. “Come here, princess.”

  Stepping into his embrace, I say, “I changed my mind.”

  Bass goes still, and my mom’s head jerks up. “What?” she nearly screeches.

  “I changed my mind. I want you to walk with me down the aisle.” I look up at Bass. “I still want you, and Uncle Drew, too.”

  A lone tear rolls down his cheek. “Whatever you want, princess.” He presses a kiss to my forehead. “It’s your day.”

  Levi pulls the SUV up to the back door of the Heritage Bay Beach & Country Club and hops out to open my mom’s door. Bass climbs out of the passenger seat and moves to open my door. “You ready?”

  I nod and blow out a breath. “Do you have a mint or something?” I push out my tongue. “Between the tears, the talking and my nerves, I feel like I’ve got dragon breath.”

  Bass barks out a laugh and pulls a small container of Altoids from his pocket.

  “Thank you.” I pop a mint into my mouth and smile. “Now I’m ready.”