Beckett
The Next Day
Mia is asleep, curled up in my arms. We were up late talking and giving each other orgasms.
She's so stunning.
No matter how much I look at Mia, I will never get over how beautiful she is, or sweet, or sexy.
And after so many years of emptiness, I finally feel whole again.
I kiss her head and stroke the soft flesh on her ass.
Her eyes flutter open. "Hey. What time is it?"
"It's around nine."
She yawns.
"Sleep more if you want. It's Saturday."
She rolls into me further. "What are we doing today?"
"I thought I would lick some peanut butter off you since you kept talking about it last night."
She straddles me. "Funny."
I push her hot sex down over my erection. "If you're going to sit on me, do it the right way."
"Mmm." She kisses me, and we begin to thrust, but my phone rings.
I reach over and turn it off while still kissing her.
A few seconds later, Mia's phone rings.
She pulls back.
I groan. "Ignore it. I bet it's my family."
She glances at the nightstand then reaches for the phone. "It's the wedding officiant."
I snatch the phone out of her hand and put it on speaker. "Hello."
"Is this Beckett?"
"And Mia," she calls out.
"Good morning. This is Cheryl."
"Hi. Did someone cancel? Can we get married sooner?" I ask.
Cheryl laughs. "What about today?"
"Today?"
"Yes. I have a bride with food poisoning. I know you were upset about the three month wait. Any chance you want to get married today?"
"Yes,” I blurt out.
"Beckett, your parents aren't in town."
"What time?" I ask.
Mia's eyes widen. "Cheryl, can we call you back in five minutes?"
"Sure. It would be at four."
"But we'll take it," I tell her.
"Thanks." Mia hits the end button.
"Your parents are in Europe. They will be really upset."
"They can deal."
"Beckett—"
"I've waited long enough for you. I want you to be my wife."
"You aren't going to regret not having your parents there?"
"If they were here, I would want them to join us. But they aren't. I don't want their vacation to stop us from moving forward."
"But—"
"Mia, if my parents were here, would you marry me today?"
She cups my face. "Yes."
"Good. We're getting married today."
"You sure?"
"Yes."
Her eyes fill with tears. "Okay."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. I can't wait to be Mrs. Beckett Brooks."
I kiss her, and we start to thrust again.
"Crap. We need to call Cheryl back."
Mia hands me the phone and pushes me down on the mattress. "You do it." She circles her hips on me.
Instead of calling Cheryl, I text her. “See you at four.”
She replies, “Sounds good. Same place we discussed?”
“Yep.”
Mia rides me faster and I groan her name.
She widens her eyes and gives me her innocent look. "Sorry, do you remember our safeword?"
"Yeah, why?” I grunt. “Don't stop doing what you're doing."
She reaches for the blindfold I threw on the table the previous night and ties it around my head.
I reach out for her, and she slaps my hands.
"Ouch."
"No touching, Mr. Brooks. I'm in charge now."
"Yes, ma'am.”
She grabs my hands and ties them to the headboard, then whispers in my ear, "Now, tell me how hard you want your soon to be wife to ride you."
As soon as we get done having sex, I text my siblings. Hudson seems to be freaking out about my parents missing our wedding, but I tell him what I told Mia—they will get over it.
Gabriella and Gracie call Mia on a three-way call, and within an hour, the two of them are at our house.
"What are you doing here?"
"Picking up the bride." They both give me hugs.
"What are you picking Mia up for?"
"To help fix her up," Gracie says.
"Mia does not need to be fixed up," I bark.
"Don't be silly, Beckett. She needs her hair and make-up done."
"Mia doesn't wear make-up, and she is awesome at doing her hair without your assistance."
"Oh my God, Beckett. It's your wedding day. You shouldn't even have seen her." Gabriella rolls her eyes.
"We aren't other people."
"Beckett, who are you..." Mia comes out of the bathroom with a towel around her hair and body.
Gabriella jumps up and down, clapping, and Gracie pulls Mia into a hug.
"What are you doing here?" Mia asks.
"Taking you away from Beckett until your wedding," Gabriella replies.
"But—"
"No buts. Grab your dress. Let's go," Gracie orders.
"You do not have to go, Mia," I tell her.
"Stop ruining the fun, Beckett," Gabriella glares at me.
"Mia doesn't need to be stressed out by you two."
"What? How is doing her hair and make-up going to stress her out?" Gracie demands.
"She's perfect the way she is, and you're going to try and make her all fancy."
"You're a moron. It's your wedding day. It's called normal procedure, Beckett," Gabriella claims.
"Tell you what, when you—"
"Stop," Mia yells.
We all turn toward her.
"I'll go with the girls."
"Mia, you don't—"
"I want to. I don't know anything about make-up or hair. You know that."
"Because you don't need it."
She smiles and pulls me down for a kiss. "Call your brothers and do whatever it is guys do. I'm going with your sisters."
I exhale. "Okay. But if you want them to stop at any time—"
"I'll say peanut butter." She bites on her lip, trying not to smile.
I softly laugh. "Okay."
"Why would you say peanut butter?" Gracie asks.
"Yeah, that makes no sense," Gabriella adds.
"None of your business." I kiss Mia again. "What time should I come get you?"
"No, no, no, Beckett!" Gabriella reprimands. "We will bring Mia to you."
I groan.
"Where is your dress?" Gracie asks.
"In the spare bedroom closet. I'll get it." Mia leaves the room.
"Please don't cover her in a bunch of heavy make-up. She doesn't need it."
"Do you really think we would do that?" Gracie glares.
"Yes."
"Wow. No trust in our skills."
"Sad, just so sad," Gabriella chimes in.
Mia comes out. "I'm ready." She kisses me and spins to leave.
"Are you sure—"
Gabriella and Gracie pull Mia out the door.
They better not make her look like someone else.
I go into the kitchen and grab a bottle of water out of the fridge. I lean against the counter. The peanut butter stares back at me, and I chuckle.
I'm lost in thought, thinking about how I get to marry Mia today, but also getting a bit nervous.
They better bring her on time.
What if she changes her mind and doesn't show up?
There is a knock on the door.
Before I get to the door, Connor walks in. "Heard you were here by yourself."
"Did the girls send you?"
"Yes and no."
"At least you're honest."
"Let's go."
"Where are we going?"
"Paddleboarding. It's perfect out."
"I'm getting married today."
Connor crosses his arms and arches his eyebrows. "It's ten-thirty. Your wedding is at four. You'd rather stay here and do what?"
"Good point. Let me put my suit on."
Connor and I spend the day paddleboarding, hanging out in the water, and grabbing a burger for lunch. When it's three, we go back to the house.
"Thanks for hanging with me today," I say.
"It was fun. You nervous?"
"Little bit."
"You know mom is going to have a fit, right?"
"Hudson has already sent me fifty text messages freaking out about it."
Connor snorts. "Sounds like Hudson. Well, get ready. I'll meet you at the beach."
"Sounds good."
My nerves increase the closer I get to four. As soon as I get to the beach, Connor arrives. The officiant gets out of her car, and we go over where Mia and I will stand, as well as my siblings.
Ryland and Hudson show up.
"Nice outfit. Very touristy," Ryland teases and winks.
My stomach flips. "I shouldn't have texted Gabriella and Gracie."
"Why?"
"They have Mia doing God knows what and took her away from me all day."
"It's your wedding day. You're not supposed to be together," Hudson states.
"Yeah, well, if you haven't noticed, nothing about Mia and me is the normal way."
Ryland chuckles. "Maybe it's a good thing your wedding is."
"Gabriella better not try to change how she looks," I grumble.
"Relax. She's beautiful," Connor says.
"You saw her already?"
"Sure. Gabriella's door was open. They were doing her hair and make-up."
Beckett groans again. "They better arrive soon."
"Chill out. She'll be here," Ryland says just as a horn beeps.
Gabriella and Gracie get out, and they open the door, and Mia steps out. She's wearing a white, sleeveless sundress and has pink flowers in the side of her curled hair.
My heart flips.
Oh my...she's stunning.
And going to be my wife.
Ryland pats me on the shoulders. "Told you."
When Mia's blue eyes lock into mine, and she smiles, it's as if the earth comes to a complete stop. Everything about her lights up my life, and no one else matters. I blink hard from emotion. When she approaches me, I grab her hands and murmur in her ear, "Whatever you do, please don't yell peanut butter during our vows."
She giggles.
The officiant tells everyone where to stand, and the ceremony begins. Like everything Mia and I do, we keep it simple. There's no fluff, or show, or ego in our vows. It's just our promise to each other.
As I vow to love, protect, and worship her to the best of my ability, I also give her all of me—every morsel, every crumb, every molecule of my being.
We've done the impossible. We've gotten here. And as long as I'm alive, no one will ever come between us.
The officiant says, "You may kiss your bride."
I pull her in my arms, stare into her turquoise eyes that match the sea, and put everything I have into sealing our vows.
I may have gone to prison for ten years, even though I didn't kill Clay Crimson, but every second of pain, and guilt, and shame of not being able to protect him and Mia that night, lies within me.
And in our kiss and promise to each other lies total redemption.
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