Consolation Prize (Forbidden Men Book 9) (44 page)

When I began to move, swiveling my hips in a slow, lazy rhythm, Colton sat up, his eyes hungry, so he could kiss me and stroke his hands down my back. Caressing his way back up, he found my head scarf and knocked it off so my new hair weave could come free and spill down my back.

He’d been fascinated with my extensions since I’d gotten them to hide the bald patches, telling me it felt like he was with a whole new woman, and yet, he also eyed my new hair with a measure of worry, as if afraid I hated it, when honestly I kind of loved it. For me, it was a new start. I wasn’t the same person I’d been the morning I’d been stolen. Things in me had changed, and yet…some things would always be the same.

My affection for the man inside me was one thing that had morphed and grown, gaining a power and confidence that had helped me heal in ways I’d never guessed it could.

I moved on him a little faster, relishing the feel of him deep, rubbing against my core with pleasure.

“Fuck, baby doll.” He gripped my hips as his face went red from gritting his teeth and straining. “I think it’s been too long. I’m not going to last long.”

With a grin, I bounced faster and sank my fingers into his hair, gripping the strands hard. “You’ll last as long as I tell you to,” I said with a mischievous twinkle in my eyes, knowing my teasing words would bring out the challenge in him.

His gaze filled with surprise before he laughed and spun me around until I was on my back against the mattress and he was leaning over me. “Is that right?” he asked in a low, taunting voice.

“That’s right,” I dared. “Now give me all you got.”

So he did, heaving inside me, and staring into my eyes as he brought us both to the peak and then crested over the edge, dissolving into euphoria together.

“Dammit,” he muttered, collapsing on top of me, where I stroked his back and hair. “I was going to wait at least another week before whining and begging for this from you.”

“I know,” I said, kissing his hair. “But I was ready now.”

“Yeah.” He pulled up onto his elbows so he could grin down at me. “I could tell.” But then the light in his eyes faded a bit. “Are you sure you’re ready for everything today? If you need more time—”

“I don’t,” I assured him, kissing the tip of his nose. “I’m ready.”

He stared into my eyes a moment longer before nodding. “Then let’s do this. But first…here’s your real birthday present.”

With a boyish grin, he sat up and then draped his torso over the side of the bed so he could fish his arm under it. When he came up with a wrapped box, my mouth fell open.

“Sorry about the wrapping,” he offered ruefully, extending it my way. “Aspen made me do it myself.”

I shook my head, not expecting this. “You…Colton, you didn’t have to get me anything.” Seriously, just having him here with me every day was a present all on its own.

“Pfft.” He waved aside my rebuttal. “Just open it.” I swear, he was vibrating with excitement, anxious to see my reaction.

So I tore into the paper, telling him, “I love the wrapping paper. You actually did a good job.”

Once that was gone, I opened the lid of the white box that remained and blinked down at a pair of hot pink panties.

“Aren’t these
my
underwear?” I asked, confused.

He nodded, biting his lip. “I took them off you that first night we hooked up at the wedding.”

I gasped, my gaze flying to him. “But you said you threw them away.”

“Hmm…did I say that?’

“Oh! You…” I smacked his arm and laughed. “You lied to me.”

He chuckled and took them from my hand. “So, will you do me a favor and wear them for me today, and remember that no matter what kind of things have torn us apart, we’ve always found our way back together again. We’ll always find each other, no matter what.”

Tears of love sparkled in my eyes. “It would be my pleasure,” I told him, leaning in to kiss his mouth.

He kissed me back, but only just barely before he pulled away and demanded, “Okay, now open your real gift.”

When he motioned back to the white box on my lap, I looked down to realize there was something else underneath the next layer of tissue paper. So I folded it back to reveal a new dream catcher.

“Oh…holy wow,” I said, gaping at it. It was nicer than any other dream catcher I already owned.

“One more for your collection,” Colton said, watching me trace my fingers over the feathers and leather loom.

“I love it.” Looking up, I stared into his eyes and knew I was blessed. “Almost as much as I love you.”

W
e walked through campus hand-in-hand, each of us taking turns sipping from our favorite to-go mug. Colton had walked me to my first class and left me at the door with a kiss, only to be there waiting for me when it was over.

Someday, when I felt stronger and less apprehensive, I wouldn’t need that much support, but today I appreciated him being there, always where I needed him most.

I’d had no idea he would turn out to be such a rock when I’d first met him. But something told me he hadn’t known that either. I wasn’t the only one who’d gone through changes in the past few weeks. Something in Colton had matured. He didn’t seem to be all talk anymore. Now you could tell there was something there to back it up. And it only made him that much more appealing.

We didn’t say much as we started toward the history building together for our philosophy class. Up ahead, I spotted a familiar face and began to stop because I didn’t want to deal with Shaun. But as soon as he saw me, he stopped in his tracks as well and took off in the opposite direction.

“Huh,” I said gazing after him, pleasantly surprised but confused as to why he wanted to avoid me.

Colton chuckled. “Yeah, I’d run too if I were him.”

I turned to him, lifting my eyebrows.

“Your dad about ripped him a new asshole after you went missing, because someone…” he coughed into his hand and said Sasha’s name at the same time, “told him what Shaun had done to you while you were married. So yeah…after Shaun pissed himself, I think we all knew he’d never bother you again.”

“Wait.” I held up a hand. “When you say pissed himself…?”

Colton grinned. “I mean, a big wet spot appeared in his pants and ran down his leg before puddling around his shoe.”

My mouth fell open. “Holy shit.”

“Yeah. It was pretty epic. The only bright spot of that whole day. And I mean,
big
wet
, bright spot.”

When he fell serious and somber, I said, “Well, it’s nice to know one good thing came from all this. Can’t say I’m going to miss Shauny boy.”

“Amen.” He silently handed me the cup, and I took a sip before giving it back. Then I rested my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes, content, cuddling my cheek to the cloth of his coat and happier than I could possibly express, glad I was here with him and nowhere else.

This was the kind of relationship I’d always wanted and I hadn’t even known it.

Something about the word relationship popped open a memory into my head, though. And I found myself saying, “You didn’t fail me.”

Colton jolted and looked down at me. “What?”

I smiled up into his eyes. “Once upon a time you told me it was just as well we weren’t in a relationship, otherwise you would fail me.”

Unease darkened his eyes. “But it’s my fault—”

“No.” I tightened my fingers around his. “It’s the monster’s fault I was taken. It’s
your
fault I’ve been able to recover from that. I wouldn’t have been able to do all this today if it weren’t for you. Your steady, unfailing presence at my side, your patience and understanding, your wit and smile. You’ve healed me more than anyone else. So, no, you’ve never failed me. You saved me. Thank you for that.”

Face filling with emotion, he shook his head trying to deny it, but then he swallowed and leaned in to kiss me. Our lips touched and I smiled against his mouth until someone spoke his name.

Colton tensed against me and muttered, “Dammit.”

“Wha…?” I lifted my head, wondering what was wrong, only to spot his brother with a book bag slung over his shoulder heading our way to intercept us.

“Hey,” Brandt said in guarded greeting, smiling and yet hesitant as if he wasn’t sure if he was welcome among us or not.

Though I was the one he looked at, Colton answered for us. “Hey,” he said stiffly. “How’s the big bad graduate student today?”

Brandt flicked him a grateful glance. “Barely keeping my head above water.” And then he settled his gaze on me again. “How’re you doing?”

I sank closer to Colton, hating that question. But when he squeezed my fingers supportively, I nodded. “Better.”

“Good.” Brandt ran his hand through his hair as if still distressed, though. “Look, I owe you a huge apology, Juli. I was a complete ass when I found out about you and Colton.”

“Yeah,” I agreed. “You were.”

He winced. “I’m sorry. I have no excuse for the way I behaved. It just caught me off guard and seemed so suspect because you two had purposely kept it from me. But still, I don’t know why I ever thought you might have settled for him for even a minute. Hell, he’s my brother; I know as well as anyone it’s impossible not to love the little shit.”

“Gee, thanks,” Colton said dryly.

Brandt and I shared our first grin in weeks.

Still smiling, I looked up at my boyfriend and squeezed his arm. “He’s right, though. You are impossible not to love.”

Much more pleased by my answer, Colton leaned down to press his lips to mine. “I know,” he murmured into my ear, forcing me to grin and punch his shoulder lightly to help him tame his ego. Except I kind of liked his ego, and I think he knew that.

Shaking his head at us, Brandt merely let out an amused chuckle before lifting his hand to wave. “You two have definitely proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that what’s between you is real and has nothing to do with me. So I’m glad you’re happy.”

When Colton and I glanced at each other, Brandt added, “Let me know if you guys ever need anything.”

He took off, patting Colton’s arm companionably as he passed. I glanced after him, trying to remember the crush I’d had on him but not really able to stir up the emotions. Then I looked up at Colton, and a rush of feelings flooded me. Yeah, what I felt for him had nothing at all to do with his brother.

This man right here had saved me in all kinds of ways. He’d taught me to be happy with myself and not care so much about other opinions, to give first impressions—especially the cocky egomaniac ones—a second chance, and to recognize a true relationship when I entered one. They weren’t just two people who looked good together but two people who
worked
well together.

He lifted his eyebrows, waiting for my reaction to the encounter we’d just had. I shrugged, not able to hate Brandt since he was Colton’s brother, but definitely not loving him either. “Meh,” I said. “I guess he can be your best man if you insist.”

Surprise filled Colton’s face and his mouth even parted in shock before I realized what I’d just said.

Hell, I think I’d pretty much just proposed to him.

I opened my mouth to somehow talk my way out of my inference, but he only smirked and pressed his finger to my lips before grinning. “Deal.”

C
OLTON’S
E
PILOGUE

Two & a Half Years Later

M
y wedding day started just shy of seven o’clock on a warm June morning, about two weeks after my twentieth birthday. It was the summer break before my senior year of college. My soon-to-be wife had graduated two years earlier and was actually working for Ten’s architectural firm, in the accounting department. And we’d been living in our own place—no other roommates—for about eighteen months now.

I liked to tease her about becoming my nerdy, numbers-crunching accountant wife while I peeled off her conservative cotton panties and stripped her bare. She’d just blink at me dryly and then demand I go down on her in reconciliation. I didn’t exactly mind: eating my favorite pussy wasn’t the hardship for me she seemed to think it was.

But this morning, there was no stripping
or
pussy. I woke on Noel and Aspen’s lumpy, too-short couch to two-year-old Lucy Olivia and five-year-old Beau watching me curiously. I swear, their faces were like two inches from mine. It freaked me out so bad I nearly pissed myself.

“Holy shit!” I yelped, jerking upright and slamming my hand to my chest. “What the hell?”

Little kids should never be allowed to do that to people.

“It’s your wedding day,” Beau announced, popping around the room while his sister crawled into my lap and demanded I snuggle with her.

Yawning, I cuddled her close and then breathed in the smell of breakfast cooking from the kitchen. “Yeah,” I said, my brain not quite able to function further than that. “My wedding day.”

I’d much rather have woken up in Juli’s arms, much the same way I had for the past two and a half years with her lovely figure draped across me, but Sasha and Tyla would’ve had my balls on a platter if I’d dared to sneak a visit to my bride before I saw her in the church today. So yeah…getting the shit scared out of me on my wedding day worked too. It definitely woke me up, anyway.

Lucy Olivia could only snuggle a few seconds before both she and Beau were tugging on my hands, urging me to follow them into the kitchen, where Noel and Aspen were at the stove together, talking quietly to themselves as they fried my favorite, French toast.

“There’s the groom!” Aspen cheered when she saw me. “Are you ready for today?”

She’d healed completely from her postnatal depression, and actually, she and Juli had attended group therapy together for a while. They’d gotten close over the past few years, but not quite as close and Julianna and Sarah had gotten. That friendship was what surprised me the most. Julianna and Sarah had grown as thick as thieves. Sarah was actually going to be a bridesmaid today.

“Sure,” I answered, sitting at the table and yawning some more. It already felt as if Julianna were my wife. To me, this whole wedding business was just a formality. But I knew the women were making a big deal about it, so…okay. I’d be excited or whatever.

Mostly I just wanted people to stop telling me I couldn’t see Juli until such-and-such a time, like when she was walking down the aisle. Fuckers. Life was better when I got to see her whenever I wanted. So I was just ready to get to that point again.

My niece and nephew flanked me on either side, chattering animatedly, while Noel and Aspen served us breakfast. I smiled, thinking back fondly to when I’d lived here with them as their legal ward.

I didn’t want to return to those days; I liked where I was now, and who I was with, who I’d
become
. But I still felt a bit sentimental, realizing this probably was the last time I’d ever eat breakfast with them as one of their immediate family. I’d been raised with them since I was eight, they were my secondary parents. I’d always remember the amazing foundation they’d provided for me. But after today, all that changed. I was no longer their responsibility. I’d just be their younger brother and uncle to their kids.

It was about time things returned to how they were always meant to be.

After breakfast, I showered and changed into my tux. I was standing in front of the mirror tacked to the closet door of Beau’s room cursing over my bow tie, when a voice asked, “Need some help?”

I dropped my hands gratefully from my throat and spun toward Aspen. “God, yes, please.”

With a smile and eyes sparkling as if she was actually honored to assist me, she stepped into the room and lifted her hands to my throat. I lifted my chin and bent slightly at the knees to make it easier for her.

As she began to twist the material expertly, she said, “I feel as if I should say something important right now.”

I chuckled. “Like what? That you can’t believe your little boy’s all grown up and about to get married?”

She huffed out an amused sound and straightened the bow tie. “Well, you are. And I’m so very proud and pleased by the man you’ve become.”

When she blinked rapidly, I had to clear my throat. Stupid dust in my windpipe.

“Want to know something crazy?” I asked as she dropped her hands, finished with her task.

“What’s that?” Her eyebrows arched as if she thought I was going to say something flirty and funny like I’d always wanted to marry her when I was eight or something.

But what I said was, “I’m kind of glad my real mom sucked ass because it brought me here to you. I liked having you for a mom so much better.”

“Oh… Dammit, Colton,” she muttered, waving a hand in front of her face before she burst into tears. “I promised myself I wasn’t going to get all nostalgic and cry today, but you’ve already ruined that. Come here.”

As soon as she opened her arms for me, I stepped forward and folded her into a huge, encompassing hug. The top of her head fit perfectly under my chin.

Sniffing, she pulled away to look up at me with a sad, but proud smile. “I know I wasn’t always there for you like I wanted to be—”

Stopping her right there, I put my hands over hers and said, “Yes, you were. Even when you were sick”—and thank God she was finally and completely over that phase— “you were always still there, and you were always the best mother I’ve ever had.”

“I love you,” she sobbed, tears spilling down her cheek as she reached up to cup my cheek. “You’ll always be my Colton.”

I smiled back, really feeling the dust clog my throat now. “And you’ll always be my Aspen. I love you too.”

“Hey, what’s all this?” Noel’s voice came from the doorway. “You moving in on my wife, little brother? I thought you were about to get your own today?”

Ignoring his joke, I turned Aspen so that we were both facing him while one of my arms went around her shoulders. “Did I ever thank you for finding this woman right here and roping her into our lives?”

“No,” he murmured thoughtfully. Then he winked at Aspen. “But I know I did good, anyway.”

“Oh,” she muttered, blushing madly as she waved a bashful hand to stop us. “You two.” Easing out from under my arm, she went to Noel to hug him. “I think I’m the lucky one who found
you
guys.”

I
drove to the church not long after that without Noel’s family.

Brandt, my best man, was already there, waiting outside for me.

“About time,” he called as I strolled up the walk to the front doors. “Sarah’s been in there with the rest of them trying to doll your wife up for the past twenty minutes.”

“Hey, I needed to make an entrance,” I told him with a wink, frowning when I spotted the boutonniere pinned to his lapel already. It just didn’t seem right that he got his flower before I did. I hated being second. “Where’d you get that?”

He rolled his eyes but took my arm, leading me inside. “This way.”

Inside, we found the wedding coordinator, and she got me all flowered up only for Julianna’s father to come storming my way.

“Where the hell have you been, kid? We thought you were going to be a no-show.”

I blinked at him, confused, before glancing at my watch. “I’m not even late. Why is everyone else so freaking early?”

“Because we’re antsy and nervous. My baby girl doesn’t get married every day, you know.” He scowled even harder as he examined me from head to toe. “Why the hell are you so calm and collected? You’re about to commit yourself completely to someone else for the rest of your life. Are you sure you realize what all you’re signing up for?”

“Of course I do,” I said, frowning at him. “But I committed myself to her completely a long time ago. Today is just a show for everyone else.”

Juli and I had survived some big shit together, and we’d come out the other end stronger as a couple. I would never tell her this—since she’d spent the last year planning today—but this wedding just wasn’t as big a deal to me as continuing the rest of my life with her was.

Mr. Radcliffe gazed at me a moment before shaking his head and slapping me companionably on the back. “Good answer, son. Good answer.”

And so time progressed. Guests arrived, family and friends filing into the church. My two groomsmen, Ten and Noel, joined me and Brandt, and we were forced to pose for a crap load of pictures in between my big brothers teasing me about becoming an old married man.

When it was time to line up at the front of the church, I finally started to feel my first stirring of nerves. My entire extended family sat on the groom’s side: Pick Ryan, his wife, Eva, and their four children, Brandt’s brother-in-law, Mason, his Reese, and their twins, Knox and Felicity and their two, Asher and Remy and their little tomboy, Quinn (or as Juli still called him: Dr. Melt Me), his wife, Zoey, and their two boys. Then Caroline and Aspen who stood at the back, waiting to help their kiddos Teagan and Beau walk up the aisle as flower girl and ring bearer, while Lucy O loudly begged to go with them.

I grinned and winked at Julianna’s grandma Cicely, who’d insisted we add broom-jumping to the ceremony. She winked back, and I knew if she’d been close enough, she would’ve pinched my ass like she did every time I got too close to her.

Sarah was the first bridesmaid to wheel down the aisle. I glanced at Brandt and had to roll my eyes at the lovesick grin on his face. Pathetic. No way did I look that dorky when I saw Juli. No way.

Then Tyla and Sasha made their trip, followed by Beau and Teagan, who had a little too much fun throwing her petals straight up above her and Beau’s heads so they kept raining down on the two of them and causing him to scowl and snap at her to stop.

Then everyone pushed to their feet in respect, the music changed, and the two ushers opened the back doors.

Julianna stood in the entrance, holding on to her father’s arm in a glittering white dress that made her look like a Disney princess. Her gaze shifted to mine, and that’s when it all hit me full force in the chest.

Suddenly, I understood.

This was big. This was forever. This was…it was the most powerful moment of my life.

I was marrying my best friend.

I was honored. I was blessed. I was happy.

T
HE
E
ND