The Pleasure Series: Complete Box Set (91 page)

“Yes.” The word was breathless. I put my hands on either side of his face. “Yes, my love, I'll marry you.”

“I love you,” he murmured the words against my mouth as he stretched us out on the couch. “My Jenna, my Rose.”

“Yours,” I agreed as I pulled him down for a kiss. “Always, yours.”

Chapter 31

The weather was absolutely perfect for the first week of June, especially for an outside wedding. Between the lake and the mountains, it looked like something out of a fairy tale. Rylan had wanted to get married as quickly as we'd gotten engaged, but I'd managed to make him wait a little over a year, telling him that I wanted to make sure every detail was perfect. That had only been part of the reason though. I'd known that everyone had already thought the two of us had been rushing things moving in together and getting engaged. I wanted people to have some time to get used to the idea.

Hell, I'd needed some time to get used to it myself.

I loved Rylan and I wanted to be with him forever. The idea of a ring and vows and all of that, though, was a bit intimidating. I'd been born Rose Lenore Kingston, then chosen to become Jenna Lang. Now I was going to change my name again and I needed some time to adjust.

I hadn't told Rylan yet because I'd just made the final decision, but I wasn't just going to be changing my last name. When I filled out the paperwork, I was going to be Jenna Rose Archer. A new name for the new person he'd helped me become.

With the prospect of a new life, I felt like I'd been waiting for the other shoe to drop, for something to come in and take away my happy ending. Things hadn't been perfect because nothing was perfect, but there'd been no big disasters. I was actually starting to believe that I was going to have the life I'd never thought I'd get.

I thought about the guests outside, sitting under the canopy, waiting for me to make my appearance. Agent Matthews was there. I knew his bosses suspected that a lot of his 'anonymous tips' were coming from me, but he never gave me up. He also never mentioned the fact that, over the last year, nearly a hundred pedophiles had been exposed online, their names and addresses published, their places of work alerted. More than half of them had already been arrested and the rest were either on the run or vehemently denying the charges. More than one had attempted to bring a lawsuit against the person who'd revealed their identities, but without a suspect, nothing had been filed.

I'd taken Rylan up on his offer to become his partner at Archer Enterprises, but I was still getting used to the idea of being rich. I looked down at the elegant wedding dress Suzette had helped me pick out. It had taken Rylan nearly a month to convince me that I could spend whatever I wanted on the dress, and in the end, I'd had to insist that I not be told how much it cost.

At least Rylan's family was thoroughly convinced that I wasn't after him for his money. His stepmother still didn't entirely approve of me, especially since I'd refused to have my tattoos removed or plastic surgery done on my scars, but we'd all reached a place where I felt comfortable being a part of the family.

Family.

I let out a shaky breath. After today, I'd officially have a family. The woman who'd given birth to me was still in jail, and would remain there for the rest of her life, but I'd long since disowned her. Rylan's parents, his step-mother and his sister were my family. He also had a fairly big extended family, though they didn't live in the area. A lot of them had come in for the wedding though. I'd spent almost all of yesterday being introduced to aunts and uncles, cousins and grandparents. I'd gone from being totally alone to having dozens of people I could call my family.

And I'd ended up with a good friend out of all of it too. Suzette was actually only a year younger than me and she was just as smart as her brother. After what had happened with Zeke, she'd spent the next few months trying to make things up to me. The more time we'd spent together, the more we'd seen how much we actually had in common and the better friends we'd become. Her being my maid of honor was as much for me as it was for Rylan. Actually, she was my only attendant. Rylan and I had decided on one each.

His was Zeke. After six months in a psychiatric facility, Zeke had been released on probation. He'd quit his job at his advertising agency before they could fire him and was now working at an LGBT center for at-risk youth while he went to school to become a licensed counselor. He'd also started dating and had even brought a gorgeous man as his date today.

I'd been a bit nervous when he'd first gotten out, unsure how he'd react to our engagement, but after just a couple hours, I'd seen the difference. According to Rylan, this was the Zeke he'd known his whole life. Not only had Rylan gotten his best friend back, but I'd gained another friend as well. It still felt a little strange to think of Zeke as a friend, but he was.

“Ready to go?” Suzette interrupted my thoughts.

I turned towards her and smiled nervously. I wasn't having second thoughts, but I wasn't looking forward to being the center of attention. At least, I reminded myself, the people who were here were all ones who supported Rylan and me. The small handful of people at Archer Enterprises who'd had a problem with my new position had all been politely asked to leave and given a nice severance package and a letter of recommendation.

Well, all but Emmaline, but she'd made things personal. I could still picture the furious expression on her face when I'd walked into the office with that ring. I'd ignored the few choice insults she'd thrown my way, but when she'd raised her hand like she was going to slap me, I'd had enough. She'd ended up being carried out of the building, kicking and screaming like a spoiled child having a tantrum.

Suzette adjusted my veil one last time and the two of us walked down the stairs and went out to the yard. I lifted my bouquet of white lilies to my nose – my tribute to the woman who had saved me.

As I stood at the end of the aisle, I was vaguely aware of Suzette walking, of the filled seats on either side – though both sides were technically the groom's since I only had Dr. MacLeod attending on my behalf – but they were all peripheral. I only had eyes for him.

He was wearing a black tux, tailored to show off his broad shoulders and muscular body. But as much as I loved his body, it was his face I couldn't look away from. I'd seen his expression, his eyes, filled with desire, with love, but I'd never seen him like this. I'd always thought of the words happiness and joy as being interchangeable and I knew now that I'd been wrong. Joyful was the only word to describe how he looked as his eyes met mine. It was beyond mere happiness. It was hope and a promise of a future.

I hadn't had anyone to walk me down the aisle, no parents to give me away, so as I reached the end of the aisle, Rylan reached out his hand and I took it. As my palm slid across his, it was as if everything else faded away and my nerves went too. We weren't saying anything that we hadn't already said to each other. The people gathered here knew how Rylan and I felt about each other. This was merely a public declaration of what everyone already knew. Only death would part us.

Chapter 32

Two years ago, Rylan and I had gotten into a limo amidst a crowd of friends and family, and headed off to the airport. We'd spent two weeks in Europe. Paris, London, Rome, Venice – places I'd always dreamed of seeing, but had never imagined I would. Last year, for our one-year anniversary, we'd taken a cruise to Alaska. Two days ago, we'd just gotten back from the Bahamas. The past three New Year's, we'd spent in the family cabin in the mountains.

Now, after over three years of being together and two years of marriage, things were about to change forever.

I stood in the doorway of one of the two rooms that had recently been redecorated. They used to be extra rooms, not really used for much of anything. Now, they had a purpose. This one had been painted a light lavender with dark purple trim. The other was dark green and gold. The kids had picked the colors out themselves, along with everything else in the rooms.

Diana was seven. Jeremiah was nine. And, come tomorrow, they'd be ours.

Last year, when Rylan and I had started discussing adoption, I'd been hesitant to suggest what I really wanted. Then Rylan had told me that he'd been thinking that we should adopt kids who'd been taken from situations like mine. Who better to understand what a child was going through than someone who'd been through it too?

A few months later, a brother and sister were among those rescued when a child pornography ring was busted. They had no other family and would most likely be split up if they were ever adopted, though the chances of that were slim. I knew from experience that older kids were harder to place to begin with, much less kids who'd been through what these two had.

We'd moved slowly, building up trust between us. Visitations, overnight stays, family counseling. I'd shared some of my past with them, enough for them to know that I understood. I knew Rylan and I were in for years of dealing with issues beyond the normal parenting scope, but I had faith. I had seen it in the children's eyes, that longing for a real home and for safety. Rylan and I would give them that. The rest would be up to them.

“Penny for your thoughts,” Rylan said as he slid his arms around my waist. He pulled me back against him, tucking my head under his chin.

“Just thinking about Diana and Jeremiah, what they must be thinking tonight, knowing it's their last night in their group home.” I put my hands on Rylan's arms. “Excitement. Fear.”

“Fear?”

“That it won't last. That we'll send them back. That no one will want them.”

He kissed the top of my head.

“What about you?” I asked. “What have you been thinking about?”

“Two things,” he said. “One, I was thinking that we should have a huge picnic for the Fourth of July. Let the kids feel what it’s like to be part of a big family who loves them.”

“That's a great idea,” I said. “And two?”

“I was thinking that it's probably going to be the last night in a long time that we'll be able to be as loud as we want wherever we want.” He bent his head to graze the top of my ear with his teeth. “And I want to hear you scream my name.”

Desire shot through me, setting my body on fire. I turned in Rylan's arms. “That sounds wonderful.” I reached up to wrap my arms around his neck. “Did you have someplace special in mind?”

“Well,” he said. “Since the playroom is soundproofed now, I was thinking we might want to go someplace that wasn't. Or more than one place.”

“Really?” I raised an eyebrow.

He grinned. “I was thinking maybe we start in the living room and make our way through the entire first floor. We do have all night, after all.”

“I love the way you think.” I stood on my tiptoes and gave him a quick kiss before stepping out of his arms. “Last one to the couch gets their ass spanked.” I grinned at him as I pulled off my shirt and took off for the stairs.

I laughed as I heard a familiar growl behind me. I'd almost reached the bottom of the staircase when an arm went around my waist, grabbing me and lifting me off of the stairs. I struggled, still laughing, as Rylan threw me across his shoulder – when had he taken off his shirt? – and gave my ass a firm slap.

I barely felt it through my jeans, but it made me squirm anyway. Over the past three years, Rylan had slowly introduced me to more and more of the bdsm world. We'd worked through my various triggers until I rarely ever had to ask him to take things slow. Each breakthrough had been another triumph over my past, another proof to myself that I was stronger than what had been done to me.

He dropped me on the couch and yanked off his jeans before I was about to straighten myself out. The sight of him standing there naked made things low inside me throb. More than three years and I was still in awe of the sight of him. Those firm muscles, rock solid abs. The deep v-grooves at his hips that pointed straight down to his cock.

“I'm on the couch first,” I said with a grin. “You lose.”

“Really?” He raised an eyebrow.

His voice had gone to that deep place that hit all those buttons I'd never known until I'd met him. I shivered in anticipation.

“Strip.”

My jeans went first, followed by my bra and panties, so that within a matter of seconds, I was as naked as he was.

“Bend over.”

I didn't bother to argue that I had indeed reached the couch first. Every once in a while, Rylan would have me tie him up, spank him, do things to him, but he was always in charge. And I loved it. The freedom that came with giving myself over to him wholly was one of the most wonderful feelings in the world. I knew I was safe and that he'd take care of me.

I put my hands on the back of the couch and waited. A moment later, his hand came down on my ass.

“Ahh.” My eyelids fluttered as the sting melted into warmth. The second one did the same to the other cheek. I gave myself over to the sensations as his hand came down again and again. He was being careful, I could tell, most likely to keep me from having any issues sitting tomorrow when the kids arrived, but it was enough to make my skin burn.

After a few minutes, I felt hands on my ass, but in a different position. These were cupping the firm muscle and, a moment later, I felt why.

“Fuck.”

My head fell forward as Rylan's tongue ran along my sensitive skin. He nudged my legs apart and began to lick every inch of me, dancing between my legs until my muscles were quivering and my breath was coming in gasps. Only then did he slide two fingers inside of me. I let out a sound somewhere between a moan and a yelp as he stretched me. Then his fingers pressed against that spot inside me and I came.

My knees began to buckle and I felt him behind me, his arm around my waist, as he removed his hand. The next thing I knew, I was stretched out on the couch and he was above me, his hand wrapped around my wrists. He held me tight as his other hand moved between us, getting himself into position.

“I'm going to make you scream,” he promised.

I'd learned never to doubt his promises.