“Now you can go,” he says sitting back.
I reach forward and kiss his lips and taste myself on him. When I pull back, he’s smiling so big. “My bunny is naughty.”
I wink at him as I slide off the table and saunter into the bedroom, and when I get to the door, I turn back to look at him and see him watching me.
“You are mine, Everly Thorne, till my last dying breath. You are mine.”
I blow him a kiss and get dressed trying to not let his words play on my mind.
“Do you think you’re fixated on the want he has for you? I’m sure it’s not healthy,” May says the next day as I pack my bag to go to her house. I get married tomorrow, and soon I will no longer be a fiancée, I will be a wife. Hopefully, I will not be like my mother—even with all the love I have for her, I don’t want to be a small voice surrounded by much larger ones.
“Probably not. But I don’t think there are many men like him left in this world. And if there are, not many women would put up with him.” I laugh.
“I know I wouldn’t. No matter how good-looking that man is.”
It makes me smile. “He is very good-looking,” I utter agreeing.
“Oh, he is, without a doubt.”
I smile as the door opens and Gunner walks in. He looks at May on our bed then to me.
“You’re going?” he asks, not acknowledging May who doesn’t like that one little bit and decides to insert herself, “Hello to you, too, Gunner. A nice day we had today. Oh yes, I know,” she says muttering to herself.
“Hello, May, yes lovely day we had. Now please step out of my room, so I can talk to Everly before you steal her away from her rightful place.”
She stands and salutes him. “Only because you said please. I bet that doesn’t happen often.” May turns back and winks at me before she steps out and shuts the door behind her.
“I asked you not to go,” he says shaking his head.
“I told you I was,” I reply smiling while packing the last of my stuff. “The next time you see me, I will be walking down the aisle toward you.”
He steps forward, wraps his arms around my waist, and breathes me in. “Then you will be all mine.”
I nod grabbing a curl that’s come free from his hair tie. Pulling on it, I watch it bounce back in place.
“I’m already yours. Why does it matter so much to you about the piece of paper?”
“My parents only cared for one thing, that I marry well. My grandmother reminded me of that every day. No other woman I have been with did I desire more than you. I knew you were it, and that you were meant to be mine. So, yes, the marriage means everything to me, probably more than your parents, whose beliefs would be the same as my family’s.”
“I was raised with the fairy tale that my husband would one day be chosen, and he would be best-suited for me above all others. It wasn’t until I was a little older that I was told about the contract and what it would mean for me.”
“You were meant for me, Everly, as I was meant for you.”
“I swear to God, you two, if I hear that bed rocking I’m coming in with ice-cold water.”
I chuckle kissing his lips then pulling back and grabbing my bag.
Gunner takes it from me. “I can’t wait to have all of you for eternity, Everly.”
I smile at his words. It’s moments like this, words like this, that he doesn’t often give which make my heart beat that little bit harder.
“You’ll see me. I’ll be the one walking down the aisle with my father by my side.”
“Yes, you will be.” He opens the door and May’s sitting at the table waiting for me. I smile at the exact spot she’s sitting at, remembering that’s where he had me for breakfast yesterday.
“Oh my fucking God, you had sex here didn’t you?” May jumps up pointing a finger at me, while trying to wipe something imaginary from her clothing. “You have that smug look on your face.”
I laugh at her. “Not quite, but close.” I wink back at her making her shiver.
“Okay, I need to get out of here, or you need to wash and disinfect every surface of this place, or tell me where it’s safe to sit.”
“Best we go then.”
She waves to Gunner while walking past and going to the front door. He kisses me one last time as we walk out and he places my bag in May’s car.
“Forever mine.”
My smile is so big that even when we pull away, and we can no longer see him, it’s still there.