Banded Together (Rebel Walking #2.5) (10 page)

"You're going
to be my brother today!"

"Yes I am,
pretty girl!"
 
I notice the flashes
of the camera and see Ivy turn back to the house to focus.

Then I see
her.
 
Everything else fades away and my
focus is completely on my woman.
 
She did
this to me the first day I met her and now, over a year later, she still does
it to me.
 
Ivy moves around and begins
taking pictures of
Eaven
when she starts to take the
steps one by one.
 

Her smile
captivates me and makes me so proud that she is walking toward me.
 
What
did I do to deserve to be this happy?
 
I know I've messed up in the past, but somehow I know I got this
right.
 

Our eyes lock and
we don't lose the connection the entire time she makes her way to the
sand.
 
Her father leads her hand into
mine and she begins to lightly brush me with her thumb.
 
It’s crazy how everything in the world is non-existent
in this moment.
 
I see her and
only
her.
 
I watch her lips and know they are mine
forever.
 

The ceremony moves
very quickly and all of a sudden we are asked to say our vows.
 
I have no idea what I'm going to say, so I
hope I can actually speak when he asks for mine.
 

I pause in awkward
silence when the preacher asks for my vows.
 
There are many words going through my head, but
it's
total chaos.
 
Taking a deep breath, I
look deep into her eyes and let the words flow.

"
Eaven
Bennett, your eyes are glowing and I'm going to make it
my personal responsibility to make sure they remain that way.
 
Your lips are smiling and I promise to do
everything it takes to keep that beautiful smile on your face.
 
Your heart is beating very fast and I hope to
always have this effect on you.
 
Your
hands are warm and I will forever walk beside you in life, hand in hand, to
make sure that never changes.
 
Ev
, you have made my life complete and I will do my best to
deserve you one day."
   
  

Tears roll down
her cheeks and she has to compose herself before she begins her own vows.
 
I work hard to focus on what she's
saying.
 
I want to memorize this moment and
ease her through speaking the words her heart wants to say.

"Talon
Walker
, I love you with
everything inside me.
 
I knew the first
day I laid eyes on you that you were the one for me.
 
I promise you my heart.
 
It's yours to take care of and I trust you to
shelter it for many years to come.
 
My
heart only beats for you and I can't wait to walk through life with you.
 
All of this is because you
already
deserve me."

The preacher says
a few words and I can’t repeat any of them.
 
I love this woman and she is seconds from saying 'I do' to me.
 
I get her ring and wait for her words to come
so I can slip the ring on her finger once and for all.

Her breathy
"I do"
moments later has
me impatiently
diving in for my kiss.
 
The preacher
clears his throat and everyone begins to laugh, but
Eaven
joins me for a very nice display of affection.
 
She even nibbles on my lip when she finally pulls away.
 
I look at the preacher, who is amused,
whether or not he
should
be.
 

"May we
continue, Mr. Walker?"

"Yes, please
hurry!"
 

He takes that
request and makes it official right after I say the same words.
 
She slides my ring on and I decide right then
that I'll be getting one a little more permanent very soon.

"I now pronounce
you husband and wife.
 
You may now kiss
your bride....again."
 
Now
this
kiss is more like you'd expect at a
wedding.
 
Except, I'm not going to lie,
my hands roam around her waist and a little lower to pull her in tight for the
hug I'm used to getting.
 

"I love you,
Mrs. Walker."

"I love
you
, Mr. Walker."
 
I lean down and lift her into my arms.
 
Carrying her down the aisle and into the lake
house for our quick reception is my only goal.
 

The cake turned
out badass.
 
It looks like a drum set and
there is entirely too much cake for the friends we have here, but it was
necessary to make it like this.
 
I decide
to be nice and clean up all the frosting I smear on her lips.
 
It's my pleasure to get rid of the mess I
made.

We move outside
for the music and more pictures.
 
Once
the band is done playing and it's time for us to leave, I ask for Luke to go
get her surprise.
 

Our friends and
family gather to wish us well on our honeymoon.
 
I can't wait to take her away for a few days.
 
I have flights that leave tomorrow for a
resort that she has no idea about.
 
Our
bags are packed and ready to go.
 

We decided not to do
the traditional bubbles or rice that’s found at most weddings.
 
There is only one thing fitting to send us
off.
 

Taron
begins to hand out the shot glasses to every single
person here.
 
Each one is filled with
their choice of tequila of course, or sparkling juice for anyone who chooses to
skip out on the hard stuff.
 
Taron
and Ivy meet us at the shore and everyone gathers
around us.
 

"Little
brother, you chose the perfect girl for you!
 
We all knew from the beginning that we'd one day be here to celebrate
your love for each other.
 
Ev
, you have no idea how happy I am to have you in his
life.
 
You brought my brother back to us
and for that I'll always have a special place in my life for you.
 
You are an amazing woman who we are very
proud to have as a
Walker
.
 
Ivy, do you have anything to add?"

"I didn't
realize we were doing sappy toasts.
 
I'm
not used to being on the spot like this.
 
But really,
Ev
, you have been
more
than a sister to me and I'm so
proud to have been a part of your journey this far in life.
 
Who'd have thought that day in sixth grade
that you'd find your best friend in the bully trying to pick a fight with
you.
 
I love you for everything you've
become and I know we are in no way finished being in each other's lives.
 
Taron
, you are so
lucky to have my friend's heart.
 
I know
you will cherish it always and take care of my girl.
 
I know this, because I'll hunt you down if
you don't.
 
Lift your glasses to Mr. and
Mrs. Talon Walker!"

 
The shot glasses are all lit up and glow in
the dark and just the sight of all of them in the air is badass.
 
They all wait until we tip ours back before
they drink up.

"Thank you
for coming!
 
We will see everyone
soon!"
 
  

Luke is arriving
in the boat I bought for
Eaven
.
 
I had stored it at the neighboring lake
house.
 
This is how our first date
started and I want us to have our own memories. The confusion on her face
brings out only smiles from mine.

"Mrs. Walker,
here is our new mode of transportation."

"Talon, this
is crazy.
 
You bought a boat?"

"Yes I
did.
 
I want us to have our
own."
 
The surprise on her face is
so worth all the trouble it took to get everything together.

I lean over, lift
my bride and walk her down the dock away from all of our family and
friends.
 
Luke meets us on the dock and
knows better than to detour me from my plan to leave.
 

"Have fun out
there!"

I walk us onto the
boat before I set her down.
 
The view of
all the lights from the shot glasses catches my attention so I have her turn to
see.

"Talon, I
love this.
 
This is absolutely
perfect."

"I have plans
for you, Mrs. Walker, that'll make it perfect."

"Really?
 
Exactly what do you have planned?"

"Remember our
first kiss?"

"Yes.
 
The body shot on the lake."
 

"We're definitely
doing that again tonight."
 
I point
to the lettering across the back of the boat.

"Oh
my God, Talon.
 
You named the boat
'The Body Shot'?"
 

"Yes I
did."
 

Sneak
Peak
of 'No Strings Attached' (Rebel
Walking #3)

Luke

Shit, how am I
supposed to walk away from her?
 
I just
want a little taste.
 
Not to mention she
is forbidden and I'm not supposed to go there.
 
That's just a recipe for disaster and almost a promise of what's
destined to come.
 

She licks her lips
and looks at me through her sultry eyes, and all but demands me to touch
her.
 
My attention follows her hand as
she runs her finger across her lips, dragging the bottom one slightly as she
begins to move her hips with the beat.
 
Shit, I can't take anymore.
 
Her
fingers run over her chest and I notice the hardness of her tits pressing
through her shirt.
 
She focuses on each
nipple knowing that she is torturing me, circling each and watching my face for
a reaction that I'm holding back on purpose.
 
How far will she take this?
 

I give her a small
smile when her hand moves further south.
 
My eyes move with her fingers and I'm pretty sure my lungs are not
moving the entire time she unbuttons her jeans.
 
A moan escapes my throat when her hand disappears inside the
zipper.
 
She lays her head back against
the wall and spreads her legs a little wider and continues along the path of my
destruction.

I lean back on the
wall behind me and brace myself for what she may throw in my direction.
 
She is fucking sexy as hell right now and
there is no way that I'm walking away from her tonight.
 
I'll face the
Walker
brothers another day.
 
Fuck them!
 
They should see her right now.
 
I
don't have to answer to them anyway.
 

Acknowledgements

My first
acknowledgment is and will always be my husband.
 
He absolutely supports me in all of my
journeys and I could never do any of this without him.
 
My three kids give me reason for living
everyday and making them proud of their mom is so important to me.
 
My husband and my kids are my everything and
its
because they love and support me that I'm able to follow
my dreams.
 

Writing a novel
isn't all about the author giving up their time to write about the characters.
 
Family members and friends sacrifice time
with the author to let the story be told.
 
For that reason I'd like to thank the people in my circle for
understanding my drive and ambition to make this happen.
 
I can't name these people for privacy reasons,
but I hope you know who you are.

Tynna
- there is absolutely NO WAY that I could do all of
this without you.
 
You have always been
there to jump in and help me in every way possible.
 
Our friendship grows everyday and I'm so
happy to have you on my team!

Jules - You
inspire me and crack me up every single day!
 
I love that you get me, because some people would run and hide with some
of the stuff I've told you!
 
Not you!
 
You laugh and join in on the crazy!
 

Tiffany (aka Red,
aka Nazi) - Holy hell, my book would be crap without you cleaning up my
messes!
 
Who'd have thought a phone call
six months ago would have sparked everything we have going now???
 
There are so many things to thank you for and
I know the future will only add to that list!