Loving Rowan (13 page)

K
yle kept
his word about marrying me among the apple trees. In the spring, the orchard was covered in apple blossoms, and we planned our wedding surrounded by flowers. Despite everything, I couldn’t help thinking about Charlie. Her asthma had meant she had never been allowed to visit me here, but I missed her being around for my wedding.

She hadn’t deserved the treatment she’d had in death from Andrew. Any thought of him disgusted me now. He was a user and not worth thinking about, but of course I thought about them both today.

Kyle was loving, protective, and everything else I needed. I couldn’t ask for a better man to be my husband.

His father had travelled down for the wedding, intending to stay at a nearby motel. He hit it off with my dad, opting instead to take up the offer to stay. Everyone I loved, everyone who was family, were all under the same roof.

I got an email the night before the wedding. Everyone had gone to bed, Kyle in the spare room for the last time, and I was glad I was alone when it arrived as it was from Andrew.

H
ey Row
,

I
’m sorry for everything
. Especially what I said to you when we argued. I didn’t mean any of it; I just lashed out. You and Charlie meant the world to me, but things just worked out with her. I never saw you as a back-up or second best; I loved you both equally. No matter how hard I try, I can’t forget either of you.

Whatever happens, I love you, Rowan. Now and forever. If you ever need me, you know where I am.

Good luck with Kyle. Tomorrow he’ll be the luckiest man alive to marry you. I hope he realises that.

L
ove
,

Andrew

I
looked at the screen
, tears rolling down my face. For all his words, to pull this on the eve of my wedding was manipulative and so low. Only now I could see it for what it was, and know it wasn’t just some declaration of love. Even if he meant it, it didn’t matter anymore. I smiled as I pressed delete.

Behind my door hung my wedding dress in the suit bag. Part of me wanted to take it out and try it on again, but knowing my luck I’d spill something all over it. I couldn’t wait for Kyle to see me in it. I couldn’t wait to share my secret with him. Just one night to go and I would be his wife, and he would know that his child was growing inside me.

For a week I’d been sitting on that. Keeping it a secret had been hard, but I couldn’t imagine a better time to tell him than the day we exchanged wedding vows.

I snuggled down into my bed, smiling as I closed my eyes. One more sleep to go.

O
utside
, it was still dark when he crept into my room the morning of the wedding.

“What are you doing?” I whispered.

“Move over. I’m coming in for a cuddle.”

I laughed as we squeezed into the bed together. “At least next time we stay with your parents they’ll be okay with us sleeping together.”

“You shouldn’t be here. Isn’t it bad luck for you to see me before the wedding?”

He grinned. “Are you wearing your dress? No. That’s the bad luck part. It’s not unlucky for me to see you naked before the wedding.”

I could feel him pulling at the bottom of my nightgown. “Kyle, stop it. Just behave.”

“That would be impossible around you.” He kissed me, pulling my nightgown halfway up my back.

“You’re naughty, Mr Warner.”

“Just as naughty as you, Mrs Soon-To-Be Warner.” He kissed me gently. “I love you, Rowan.”

“I love you too.”

“Do you remember the day we met?”

I laughed. “Of course I do. I rescued you from the rain.”

He laughed.

“And then, we met again.” I smiled as I said the words.

“All I remember is seeing that beautiful rear end, and I just wanted to slap it. Little did I know what an amazing woman I was about to nearly offend.”

I buried my face in his chest, suffocating the laughter coming out of me.

“Somehow I resisted the urge, and found myself looking into the most beautiful eyes I’d ever seen. And then you categorised me as a friend and nothing more.”

I knew I was gaping. “I did not.”

“You totally did. It was all
Andrew this
and
Andrew that
. I never got a look in.” He grinned. “I won in the end, though.”

“I thought you were gorgeous, and I never thought I would stand a chance with someone like you. I think I did all right for myself.” I nuzzled his cheek.

He kissed me, and I closed my eyes thinking about how lucky I was. He loved me, truly loved me. Nothing in the world could ever top this feeling. I thought of the tiny human growing inside me, and I wanted to tell him so badly. Somehow I stopped myself; that was news for later, my wedding gift to him.

“I don’t want to leave this bed, but I think your mother might chase me out of the house if I don’t go,” he said.

“Just a little longer?”

I felt his arms around me, hugging me tight. “After tomorrow, nothing on this earth is keeping me from your bed. No matter how small it is.”

He released me, kissing me on the nose to say goodbye. “You are my everything, Rowan. Never forget that.”

I could feel the tears building as he climbed off the bed. “Kyle?”

“Yes, baby?”

I smiled at him. “See you soon?”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

He winked before taking a peep out the door to see if anyone was in the hallway. I lay back in bed, thinking about the day ahead. In a few hours, I would be his wife and we would start our new life together.

I dozed for a while longer, before Mum came in to wake me.

“I’m so proud of you, love,” she said. “He’s a good man. You found someone who will love and take care of you. I couldn’t ask for more.”

“He really does love me, Mum. I love him so much too. He’s the most amazing person I think I’ve ever met.”

“So, no more moping around about Andrew?”

I shook my head. “I nearly lost the best thing that ever happened to me because of him. He’s selfish and manipulative, and I should have seen it so many years ago.”

She put her hand on mine. “He wasn’t good enough for you, Rowan. There was something never quite right about him.”

I laughed. “I think you’re saying that because of the way I feel about him. You never had a problem when we hung out together as kids.”

“He always put himself first, love. You were so caring and sweet, I don’t think you could ever see it. Maybe he does love you as a friend, but at times it was hard to see that.”

She leaned over and kissed me, leaving my coffee beside the bed. It’s funny how people are honest with you after the heartbreak. If she’d said that to me earlier, I would have denied it. Now it was clear to me just who my best friend was.

I was about to marry him.

I
stood under the tree
, waiting for my girl to appear. Nervous and excited, I knew I’d feel better when I saw her. She had that calming affect on me.

When I went into her room this morning, it was to reassure myself more than anything else. Deep down, I was still terrified that somehow she would change her mind and go to him. I should have known she would never do that to me.

My friend Neil stood beside me as best man. We had gone through university together, and while we were not as close as we used to be, he was the closest friend I had. Except for Rowan.

She was my best friend, as well as everything else. The bond we had was unbreakable now, and there were no more ties to the past holding us back.

We had so much to look forward to together. We had talked about finding a house rather than staying in an apartment. Apartment living was no good if we were going to have children. Holy crap, children. The thought brought a smile to my face. I had never seen myself as the fatherly type, but now I had Rowan in my life, I looked forward to it.

Neil’s daughter, Rebecca, came walking out, scattering petals as if there weren’t enough all over the place. Then Rowan’s elder sisters, Michelle and Lindsay. Finally, on the arm of her father, my bride appeared.

Her hair fell in soft curls down her back, instead of its normal straight appearance. Other than Charlie and Andrew’s wedding, I couldn’t remember seeing her in a dress, but she looked amazing today in a simple white gown with shoestring straps. I held my breath as she walked towards me, such a big smile on her face as she came up to hold my hand.

“Ready?” I whispered.

“Oh, yes.” She grinned, squeezing my hand in hers as we turned to look at the celebrant.

I can’t even remember most of the ceremony, it seemed to go so quickly. All I knew was that she was my wife, and I would love her for the rest of my life. That part was easy with Rowan.

We had a barbecue as a reception, right there, out the back of Rowan’s parents’ place. Neither of us wanted anything too formal, that wasn’t us, and throughout the whole event, Rowan glowed with happiness.

Afterwards, we drove to a motel for the night. I’d booked the best room in the place. It overlooked the ocean, and she stood on the balcony, the breeze blowing her veil behind her. She had never looked so beautiful.

“Come here,” I said, loosening my tie as I came up behind her. She turned, leaning against the rail, a big smile across her face.

“What are you doing, Mr Warner?” she asked as I drew closer. I kissed her, pulling her into my arms.

“Kissing my wife.” I said.

“Your wife, huh?”

I laughed. “Come with me.” I pulled her by the hand towards the bedroom, not wanting to waste a moment with her. She was all mine now, and I just wanted to love her.

Unzipping her dress, I pulled it down to the floor. She had all that sexy lingerie on, but I wanted her naked and under me.
My wife.

“You didn’t make it easy for me, did you?” I teased.

She grinned, that beautiful, shy smile at me. God, what that did to me …

“I thought you’d be up for the challenge,” she said, looking at me with that wide-eyed innocent look. I took a sharp breath in. She was really putting it on tonight.

“You are a temptress, I hope you know that.”

I was sure she fluttered her eyelashes. This flirtatious, confident woman was worlds away from the quiet, shy girl I had met. I loved that her confidence came from our love, from knowing she was wanted. Just the thought of her being mine tonight and every other night made me as hard as a rock.

Rowan knew what hold she had over me. There was nothing I wouldn’t do for her, and I knew she felt the same way. I’d meant it when I’d told her she was my everything.

She laughed, pushing me down to the bed as she slowly stripped off her clothes.

“You are so fucking hot,” I murmured, reaching out to tweak a nipple as she bent to remove her panties. She feigned surprise, slapping my hand before breaking out into a grin.

“Cheeky, too. Did you want a spanking, Mrs Warner?”

Rowan laughed, moving over my lap and leaning to kiss me. “You know what I want, Mister.”

I grabbed her by the waist, pulling her around so she fell backwards onto the bed. Laughing, I moved to kiss her, my tongue finding hers ready for combat as we fought for control.

“Little Miss Feisty,” I murmured.

“You know it,” she whispered.

“I love you, Rowan.” Her smile softened at the words. I knew she liked to hear them, and I loved saying them.

“I love you too. Always.”

“Get up onto the pillow. I’ll join you in a minute.”

A quizzical look crossed her face, and she pursed her lips before obviously thinking better than to ask what I was doing. She wriggled up the bed on her elbows, and looked at me. “Well, come on.”

I removed my tie, holding it towards her menacingly. “If you misbehave, I’ve got something to keep you in check.”

She covered her face with her hand, laughing, knowing I would never, ever hurt her.

I stood, unbuttoning my shirt, putting on a show as she had done for me. Rowan convulsed with laughter, wiping the tears from her eyes as I stripped for her.

Then, I went after her, face-down into her pussy where I tasted her, teased her with my tongue. Rowan wriggled, giggling before I felt her push towards me, a low moan escaping her lips. Going down on her was always a pleasure, but this was special. This was our first time making love as man and wife.

“Kyle,” she gasped, as I ran my hands up her body, feeling her soft skin beneath my fingertips. “Kyle,” she said again, raking my hair with her fingers, arching her back as I slid a finger into her.

“Just you wait,” I said, looking up at her. “I’m not in any hurry.”

She moaned as I slid a second finger in, gently moving them in and out, watching the expression on her face as she lost herself in the sensation. I rubbed her clit with my thumb, smiling as her eyes rolled back and her body bucked, building towards her climax.

“Come for me, Rowan. Just let it go, baby, whenever you’re ready.”

I strained to hear what she said, a mass of garbled words as my fingers did their work. All that time she’d felt unloved, unwanted, when she had so much to give. I would take all she had, and give her everything in return.

Relentless, I kept going, stroking her just the way she needed to be, knowing her body so well that I could feel when I had her.

“Rowan, look at me.”

She struggled to keep her eyes open, grunting at the effort. Focusing my gaze on her face, I felt her body stiffen, and smiled as she let it go, moaning as the orgasm took hold of her body. I knew just when to pull my fingers away, when to put them to my lips to get one last taste.

I reached over her. I’d put a condom box on the bedside cabinet, and both of us needed what was to come next.

Rowan grabbed my hand, pulling it away.

“What are you doing? I’d thought you’d have had enough teasing.”

“I want you inside me.”

I looked at her, confused. “That’s what I want too.”

“No, just you.”

I raised an eyebrow at that. “You want to have sex without protection?”

“This is our wedding night. Shut up and fuck me.”

The words were so unlike her, I burst out laughing. She pouted, and I kissed her, moving my hand to stroke her breasts.

“Rowan, I know we’re both clean, but aren’t you afraid of getting pregnant?”

“I want to know what it feels like for us to be together with nothing between us. Just one night. For me?”

I’d never had sex without a condom, but then again, I’d never been married to the woman I loved more than anything before. Her warm, soft flesh beckoned, and the idea she’d planted was all consuming as I sat looking at her. I was going to spend the rest of my life with this woman; everything I was belonged to her. My cock throbbed thinking of just how good she would feel, and I nodded, giving in to her wish.

Moving between her legs, I paused at her entrance. “Are you sure about this? I really love this idea, but are you really sure?”

“Yes,” she whispered, pulling me down to kiss as I pushed forward. She felt amazing, wet and warm as I buried myself inside her.

“Jesus, Rowan,” I said, trailing kisses down her neck.

My wife.

She closed her eyes again, and I watched her face as I thrust into her. There was a look of blissful surrender there, and I grinned as I picked up the pace, leaning over to run my tongue over her nipples.

“Kyle,” she whispered. She stroked my hair, gasping as I sucked hard on her nipple. Grazing it with my teeth, I let go, looking up at her.

“Feel good, baby?”

She nodded, running her hands down my back. My body tightened as I grew closer to coming. Her hips bucked against me, pulling me in deeper. As if I needed any invitation. She was mine.

R
owan was so beautiful
. She was sex on a stick, and she still had no idea. We had screwed incessantly since that first night together, and our wedding night was no different.

Now we were spooning, my body wrapped around hers. She pulled my hand over to her, holding our ring fingers together, our wedding rings glittering in solidarity. “You’re all mine now,” she said, laughing as I kissed her shoulder.

“Always was. Even when you only wanted to be friends.”

“Only because I thought that was what you wanted. I’m so glad you wanted more.”

I pulled my hand away, running it down her body and between her legs, where that swollen nub lay, waiting for me to stroke it. She loved it when I gently sucked on her clit, trying to hold in her climax as I tried harder to make her come.

Her hips bucked back towards me, her butt pressing against my erection, which felt like it was growing harder by the second. As unusual as her request had seemed, being inside her with nothing between us made me feel even closer to her.

“Are you holding out on me, Mrs Warner?” I whispered.

She groaned as if straining to keep it in. I gently sucked at her neck until I felt her let go, her folds becoming slick as she moaned her climax.

“I love that I get to spend the rest of my life doing this,” I said, and she giggled, parting her legs to let me slide into her. She felt so good, arching her back to push against me, and I sucked on her neck, hard, knowing what it did to her. I moved my hand up to her breast, rubbing my thumb across her nipple, hearing her moan at the contact.

“Today’s the start of the rest of our lives, Rowan. The two of us get to make our life together now. No interference.” She squeezed her legs together, and I let go inside her, groaning at how good it felt.

She took hold of my hand again, squeezing it. “It’s not just the two of us,” she whispered.

I rolled her onto her back, taking a second to register what she meant. Rowan guided my hand down, smiling shyly as she ran it over her belly. “Rowan,” I whispered. She lit up with that beautiful smile, the one that told me just how happy she was about it.

“Wow. I thought we would have time by ourselves before starting a family.” The words were out before I even thought about it, and I instantly regretted them as her lips turned down into a frown.

I took a deep breath. “I guess it just means we have to find a house sooner rather than later. Apartment living is no good for a baby.”

That smile crept back across her face and she pulled me down to kiss her.

“Rowan, I would love to have a baby with you.”

“Really?” she asked in that tiny little voice.

“Really. Now, we should get some sleep. We’ve got a long drive tomorrow.”

She nodded, rolling onto her side and nestling back against me. “I love you, Kyle,” she said.

“Love you too, wifey.”

I felt her shake with laughter, pulling my hand in to her stomach tight. My heart swelled with pride at the thought of my wife and child. Nothing could beat this feeling.