Hook's Pan (27 page)

A knock broke their weepy love fest.

“Trishelle,” Hook’s whiskey thick drawl had heat sizzling down her spine.

She was never going to get tired of him, and she didn’t want to.

“I need to speak with you, before…”

Danika nodded, then disappeared in a flash of light. Betty kissed both her cheeks and whispered, “I’ll meet you upstairs.”

Stomach tickling, Trisha smiled.

Hook held the door open for Betty, closing it softly behind her. He was dressed in pirate’s finery. A long black and gold frock coat with a cream ruffled shirt and black breeches. His boots were polished to within an inch of their life. But none of that compared to the heart stopping smile he gave her.

Dark eyes gleamed bright as his gaze literally seemed to devour her. “My goddess you take my breath,” he whispered.

Biting her lip, she held out her hands for him.

Clasping them gently in his own, he knuckled her cheek, causing her lashes to flutter.

“They say it’s bad luck for a groom to see his bride before the wedding,” she breathed.

His full lips tipped. “Not for us. I have already bound myself to you, you own me, Trishelle Page, the rest is simply semantics.”

Toes curling in her shoes, she said, “I’m so ready to marry you, Captain. James. Hook.” She punctuated each statement with a peck on his cheek.

Growling low, he wrapped his arm around her waist. “To hell with them all. Let’s send them away and stay in this room. I need you now.”

Laughing, she pushed him gently away. “As exciting as that all sounds, I think they’d kill us if we did that. Especially Danika, she’s a frightening, little demon bug.”

Black eyes sprinkled with stardust twinkled merrily. “Aye, I suppose she would. But I’m here to confess something to you.”

Here stomach sank and for a second a terrible thought gripped her. “You don’t want—”

Chuckling, he shook his head. “Do you honestly think I’ve come down here to break your heart? Have you already forgotten my vow? Silly, little bird.” He flicked the tip of her nose.

Rolling her eyes, she stuck out her tongue. “Then what’s wrong?”

He sighed. “Last night I went to Kurt Smith’s house.”

“What?” She blinked, that’d been the last thing she’d expected to hear. Swallowing hard, she grabbed her stomach. “Why?”

“Because I had to, because you deserved that. Jacqueline deserved that.”

“What did you do?”

Clenching his jaw, his eyes never swerved from hers. “I punched him. Warned him to never do it again, and then I carved my initials into his chest.”

Her mouth dropped. He’d said it so casually, like it was nothing, but she could only imagine that it’d been much more savage. And as much as she didn’t like violence, she also couldn’t lie and say it bothered her. Kurt deserved worse, much, much worse.

“Why didn’t you tell me what you were going to do?”

“Because if I had would you have wanted me to go?”

“No.”

“Are you mad I did?”

“No.” She smiled, framing his cheek. “I’m not. But since you’re here, I have a question to ask you now.”

His brows lifted, silently urging her to continue.

“Peter.”

He inhaled sharply.

“Now that we’re getting married, what are you going to do about him?” She bit the corner of her lip, immediately sensing his anger at the mere mention of Peter’s name.

“What do you want me to do about him?” His fingers were firm on her wrist, his voice clipped. Like he was asking, but dreading to hear her answer.

Her lips curved. “What would Neverland be if Hook didn’t give that boy hell?”

Laughing, he pulled her in for a quick kiss. “I do so love you, Trishelle Page. And I couldn’t agree more.”

~*~

The wedding march started and Smee looked at her. Hook had left just minutes ago, sending his first mate in. It would be Smee that walked her down the aisle.

“Are you ready?” His Irish brogue lilted with good humor.

Holding her stomach, all she could do was nod. A year ago she’d been alone in her apartment, crying because her sister would never come back. She’d felt alone and thought she would always be. How wrong she’d been.

Today, she was marching down the aisle as guests (many of whom she didn’t know) stood, turning to stare at her. The ship was festooned with a multitude of flowers, starfish, pearls, and coral.

Fairies were gliding all around; their wands were out and pointed up, shooting bursts of colorful fireworks through the azure sky. A cat floated beside his seat with a jaunty top hat angled on his head.

Wizened women in robes and chubby twins wearing striped clothing beamed at her. Standing at the head of the ship were two groups—the men and women, members of hers and Hooks personal party. Besides Betty, her maid of honor, she didn’t know any of the others apart from the hasty introductions Danika had made earlier. Next to Betty stood a blonde with deep blue eyes, the one they called Red, and next to her was a Latin bombshell named Paz.

There was supposed to be one other couple, Alice and the Mad Hatter, but Danika had told her earlier that they’d be unable to make it due to a personal matter, but that they had something to share with everyone and wished to do it face to face. It was too bad, because Trisha had been really curious to meet the legendary Mad Hatter and his Alice, but the other ladies were nice enough.

Red had seemed sweet but she hardly talked. Just clung to a shaggy beast of a man with a wicked scar called Wolf. She’d been shy at first, but had eventually opened up, especially when Wolf had begun reminiscing about how they’d first met. A secret twinkle had filled their eyes and Trisha had had to look away before she started blushing from the heat of their gazes.

Paz she really liked though, she was also a human. They’d immediately hit it off, talking about how hard it’d been to believe in the unbelievable. Although Paz admitted it had been easier for her since she’d been dead when she’d met her Jinni.

The women’s mates were standing beside Hook. And while they all looked scrumptious in their black ties and suits, it was only Hook that she had eyes for.

Standing tall and erect, head held high, he was a proud pirate and her heart burst with so much love and desire that it brought tears to her eyes.

With a final squeeze, Smee handed her over to Hook. Taking her hand in his, he turned them toward a beaming Danika. She hovered before them. Dangling in front of her were two necklaces. One with a square pendant, the other with a heart shaped one.

“We are gathered here today,” Danika’s voice was strong, “to celebrate the union of James Hook and Trishelle Page.”

The sighs of several women flitted on the breeze, but Trisha didn’t look at them, because she couldn’t. She was snared in the black-eyed gaze of her lover. His thumb rubbed gently across her knuckle.

“These are the stones of Veritas,” Danika nodded to the jewels. “In Kingdom, to be parted from your soul mate is a fate worse than death. The stone allows the wearer to share the life and very soul of their lover, to be united for all eternity. Take the necklaces in your hands.”

Trisha reached for the square shaped pendant, while Hook grabbed the heart.

The glass stone heated in her palm and began to glow a dark shade of crimson.

“Trishelle Page,” Hook began, “I give everything I am, all that I have to you. My life with yours.” His voice was strong and sure and unclasping the necklace, he draped it around her neck. The stone flared to life, burned against her chest.

Betty had warned her it might feel uncomfortable at first, but it wasn’t that bad. It felt almost like the lapping of a wave against her flesh, a little hotter than the ocean might feel, but not terrible.

Her hands shook, because now it was her turn and there was only one thing left to say. “Hook, I am not always going to be an easy person to love…”

The crowd laughed, but his gaze stayed on hers. Hot and hard and so full of love that tears squeezed her throat.

“But for some reason you do. For the longest time I worried I couldn’t love, but I love you.”

His nostrils flared and her knees grew weak.

“With all my heart and soul, with every breath I’ll be thankful for you. Grateful to know you as she once did.”

She didn’t say who she was, he understood and that was enough.

His knuckles grazed her jaw. “You are all I want, little bird. You are my perfect fit.” Bending his head, he waited for her to slip his necklace on.

It took two tries before her fumbling fingers could latch the chain around his head. Immediately both their stones turned from molten red to deepest blue with glittering veins of indigo swirled throughout.

Sniffling loudly, Danika wiped her nose. “You may kiss the bride,” she said and then laughed.

Lifting her in his arms, Hook claimed her lips for his own. This kiss was different than any other he’d ever shared with her.

This one was full of promises and devotion, a whisper of love and hope and they lived…

Happily…

Ever…

After…