Their wedding day dawned sunny and cold, which was just fine since the ceremony wasn’t going to start until two that afternoon. Rand had been surprised by the arrival of Red’s two sisters and Jamie at nine. Why in the name of all that was holy did they need to be there five hours before the ceremony?
She was coming up from the barn when she spotted the two redheads and Jamie waiting patiently on her porch. Heading up the steps with a tentative smile, she said, “Hi, y’all. What’s going on?”
M.J. held up some kind of large suitcase. “Red told us you needed help getting ready.”
Jamie stepped up and slid her arm through Rand’s. “And as maid of honor, it is my job to make sure you stay calm and relaxed.”
Rand smiled, unsure how anyone was going to manage that feat. “Well, come on in. Are you hungry?”
Jamie held up a white pastry sack. “I picked up some doughnuts at Nuttier’s.”
Rand’s mouth watered as she looked at the bag, and M.J. led the way inside. “Where do you want me to set up?”
Set up? “Um, I guess in my bedroom.” She led the trio down the hallway to her room, and M.J. started unpacking her giant suitcase.
“Why don’t I make coffee to go with these? Where’s your pot?” Jamie walked out with the white bag without waiting for an answer. “Where the hell do you keep the coffee?”
Rand took the opportunity to run out to help her, terrified of the torture the two sisters had in store for her over the next few hours. They were supposed to be at the church at one thirty. What could possibly take so long?
* * *
Rand never thought she’d be standing in the middle of the Sunday school room, surrounded by a roomful of women from town and having them fawn over her as if she had always belonged. After four hours of preparation and the last forty-five minutes of smiling and nodding, she was exhausted. She stood in front of the mirror, staring at herself.
M.J. had styled her hair in a riot of curls falling from a French twist at the back of her head. Bits of white flowers, rhinestone pins, and glitter brightened the brown strands, and she was wearing more makeup than a clown. Thankfully, she didn’t look like one, but her face felt like someone had put a layer of dirt on it. M.J. had used some kind of mineral-based makeup on her until her freckles were almost nonexistent, and she’d applied three shades of dark shadow to her eyelids to make her eyes “pop.” Rand had to admit it did make her eyes stand out, and her lips were glossed with a plumping agent that made them tingle weirdly.
The dress fit perfectly after the few alterations Jake’s mom had made, its scooped neck modest and the skirt ending just above the ground. Rand had bought a pair of white pumps that she had spent all week walking in, afraid of falling on her butt. The heel was only an inch, but still, she’d almost twisted an ankle walking to the church doors.
The one thing that was really making her crazy was the lingerie both Calhoun sisters and Jamie had insisted she wear. “Don’t you want your legs to look pretty when Jake pulls the garter off?”
After the girls had explained that little custom and she had insisted that no one was lifting her dress up, she’d still lost the battle. From the bustier, to the barely there panties, and the itchy thigh-highs clipped to the blue garter belt, she was a walking Victoria’s Secret advertisement. She walked a lot straighter with the bustier than she usually did, but it was still an item she would never wear again, if she didn’t die from lack of oxygen first.
All the ladies turned when someone knocked on the door. As Jake’s mom opened it, Earl’s scowling face came around the slab of wood. Rand had never been so happy to see anyone.
“Why don’t you ladies go find your seats? The service is about to start, and the last thing that girl needs is a bunch of babblin’ Betties rattlin’ her nerves.” Rand covered her mouth to hide her smile as several ladies glared at Earl and the rest varied between disgust and acceptance. Jake’s mother kissed her cheek. “You look lovely, Rand. My son is a lucky man.”
Rand blushed. “Thank you, ma’am.”
Jake’s mom left the room, and M.J. hugged Rand unexpectedly and patted her back. Tabby gave her a wink as she followed her sister out, and Jamie, looking very pretty in a lavender tea-length dress, waved as she shut the door.
Rand stood facing Earl, at a loss for something to say. He wore his dress blues, and the uniform made him seem more imposing than normal. He’d shaved for the occasion, and for a minute, she saw the young man in the pictures her mother had loved so much.
He stepped close and held his uniformed arm out to her. “Should we get this thing over with?”
She slipped her newly manicured hand onto his offered arm. “Thank you for doing this, Earl.”
He patted her hand and said, “I’m honored to do it.”
She took a deep breath and leaned up to kiss his cheek. She saw his skin burn with color, and he gruffly said, “We better hurry before your young man gets impatient.”
Your young man. In about twenty minutes, Jake was going to be hers by Texas state law. Her heart pounded and her stomach fluttered as Earl led her out the door to where her groom waited to say their vows.
When they reached the end of the aisle and she saw Jake standing under the arch, she felt like her heart was going to burst from her chest like the creature from Alien.
“You ready, missy?”
Rand squeezed Earl’s arm without taking her eyes from Jake. “I’m ready, Earl.”
The music started, and Earl led her up the aisle.
* * *
Jake stood up at the front of the church and stared at his bride-to-be as she hung tightly on to Earl’s arm, never taking her eyes off Jake. His breath caught in his throat, and his tongue felt hog-tied in his mouth at how lovely she looked, so feminine and graceful.
“Holy shit!” He heard Red rasp behind him and the preacher’s stern admonishment, but he ignored both.
Dustin clapped him on the shoulder and said, “You are one lucky son of a bitch, brother.”
He didn’t even respond. All his attention was focused on the vision in white coming down the aisle toward him.
He took the two steps down and met Earl and Rand at the bottom. Earl leaned over and kissed Rand’s cheek before passing her hand over to Jake’s with a scowl. Jake nodded at the older man, and Earl let Rand go to take his seat in the front. Jake couldn’t stop staring at her as he led her up the steps to stand in front of the pastor.
He spent the ceremony in a daze, answering the pastor’s prompts without looking away from Rand’s thick-lashed brown eyes. She seemed to be just as entranced as he was, her eyes wide and dreamy.
Jake slipped the simple white-gold band to match his grandmother’s ring onto Rand’s finger, pleased at how nice they looked on her. When Jake saw the plain tungsten Rand had bought for him, he grinned. She knew him so well.
“You can go ahead and kiss your bride now, Jake,” the pastor said.
He didn’t even hesitate as he brought Rand against him and slipped his hand behind her neck. His other arm wrapped around her waist, and he dipped down to taste his wife’s lips. Wife. He was married to Rand, no matter that it was supposed to be a business arrangement, there was nothing professional about the feel of Rand’s hands wrapping around his biceps or the way her mouth opened under his. He continued to kiss her, lost in the sweet taste of her, until Red nudged him from behind. “All right, lover boy, save it for the honeymoon. I’m starving.”
The men in the crowd laughed while the ladies tittered. Rand’s face was a bright pink as he pulled back and released her.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Jake Hansen,” the pastor announced, and loud cheers erupted in the church.
Red slapped Jake’s back and said, “Well, let’s head on over to the Double C. Heard there’s a pretty good spread being laid out for this shindig.”
Jake looked over at Rand, who was being hugged hard by Jamie. Her beautiful face was flushed, and suddenly, spending hours with half the town of Loco didn’t seem like such a great idea after all.
* * *
“I gotta tell you, cousin, I am so glad that you got married. The thought of having to deal with this place has made me break out in a cold sweat every night for weeks.”
Rand tried to smile at her cousin, but it was definitely an effort. He and his wife had flown down for her wedding, at his insistence since he was the only family she had. Even though she thought Percy was a bit of a yuppie, she appreciated the gesture. “Yeah, well, now you can rest easy. I’ve got it handled.”
“Of course, the money from the sale would have been nice, but the hassle would have done nothing for my nerves.” The girly man actually looked like he was growing faint just thinking about it.
Being around you is doing nothing for my nerves. That would have been Rand’s response any other day this month except for today. Today, she was as jittery as a june bug, and it had everything to do with the gorgeous man surrounded by a flock of fawning women. Jake looked up right then and sent her a look so full of heat, she felt like a muffin right out of the oven. It had already been three hours, and the party was still going strong, although Earl had cut out after dinner. She couldn’t really blame him, since her first inclination was to send everyone packing so she could get the hell out of this devil contraption of a bustier. She was starving, too afraid to eat in the beautiful white dress and not sure she really could if she tried. The damn bustier was cutting off circulation and oxygen.
She would have changed out of the dress hours ago, but Jake hadn’t changed out of his tux, and he looked so handsome, she couldn’t bear to change into her normal gear and have people whisper. She watched Jake excuse himself and cross the room. He slipped his arm around her waist and gave her a hard kiss. “How’s my beautiful bride?”
“She’s starving and ready to shut the party down,” Rand said honestly.
“I understand exactly what you mean, darlin’. It will be over soon.” Jake looked up and smiled. “Red, did you get enough to eat?”
“I did, but I realized I forgot to do something. I haven’t kissed the bride.”
Before she could protest, Red’s mouth swooped over hers and her “Oh” of surprise got a quick sweep of his tongue before he was pulled back by a scowling Jake.
“I love you, buddy, but if you kiss my wife again, you’re going to be hurtin’ bad in the mornin’.”
Jake almost sounded jealous, really jealous. Serious-about-hitting-his-best-friend jealous. Her mind tried to wrap its way around that while Red slapped Jake’s back. “Ah, Jake, no need. Just wanted to give Rand one last chance to pick the better man.”
The women that had moments before been surrounding Jake were giving their excuses. One of them looked at Rand and said sincerely, “Congratulations, Miranda. You’re a lucky woman.”
Rand looked at Jake, whose scowl had dissolved into a tolerant half smile as Red teased him, and she said simply, “Yeah, I guess I am.”
* * *
Jake couldn’t wait to get the well-meaning folks of Loco out of the house so he could get a little time with Rand alone.
Right now, Mrs. Donaldson was schooling him on the proper care of a marriage, and he listened with only half an ear as his eyes devoured Rand laughing with his mother, Red’s sisters, and Jamie across the room.
Her gaze lifted and met his. All the fire and anticipation must have been shooting out of his eyes, because she turned away with flaming cheeks.
When Mrs. Donaldson took a breath, Jake patted her shoulders and apologized. “I do beg your pardon for interrupting, Mrs. Donaldson, but I have barely gotten to kiss my bride all night. Would you oblige me?”
Mrs. Donaldson smiled knowingly and said, “You go on, darlin’. I remember my own wedding. My Carl couldn’t wait to get me alone.”
As disturbing as the image was, he thanked the old gal anyway and strode across the room to pull Rand against him and whisper next to her ear, “Is it time for everyone to leave yet?”
He felt her warm breath against the skin of his neck as she responded urgently, “God, I hope so. I haven’t been able to breathe or eat with this damn corset on.”
The image of Rand standing in front of him wearing nothing but her skin sent him into a cold sweat, and he turned to address the remaining guests. “All right, folks, I hate to kick you out, but my sweetheart has just informed me she can’t wait to rip my clothes off.”
There were plenty of gasps and disapproving looks and a hard sock to his stomach by said eager bride. “Oh all right, so it’s just me. Can y’all blame me?”
No one seemed to, especially the men who gave Jake good-natured back slaps.
Dustin, carrying a sleeping Luke, leaned over to kiss Rand’s cheek. “Congratulations, you two. Let me know if this guy steps out of line.”
Jake hugged his brother, careful of Luke, and before he could stop himself, he ran a hand over the boy’s soft hair.
Dustin gave him a look of understanding but didn’t say anything.
His mama kissed Rand’s cheek. “I am so happy to finally have a daughter. We’ll have to plan a trip to Dallas, do a little shopping or lunch. Whatever you want.”
He knew Rand was trying to cover up her horror at the word shopping. She could barely stand to shop for groceries, let alone clothes. “I’d like that, Mrs. Hansen.”
His mama shook her head. “Now you can call me Mama or Karen, but I don’t ever want to hear you call me Mrs. Hansen again, you hear?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
His mama hugged him next and murmured, “So happy for you, baby.”
“Thanks, Mama.” His mother gave him a wink before turning to leave, the rest of the guests falling in behind her to say their good-byes.
Jake thanked them all, until the last soul walked out the front door and he turned to face Rand. “Alone at last.”
He watched her turn to walk down the hallway and go into her room, leaving him alone without a word.
What the hell?
He went after her and knocked. “Rand? Hey, everyone knows I was just kidding about the ripping-the-clothes-off thing.”
He heard her moving around, and the knob turned. Rand poked her head out, and she whimpered, “I thought I could get this thing off, but I need your help.”
“What thing?” Please say everything.
“Well, my dress, to start. I told you, I can’t breathe, but turns out I can’t get it or this damn painful contraption off without assistance.” She stepped back, and he moved into the room with her.
She turned her back to him, and he made swift work of the long row of buttons down her back. He came around her front and helped her slip the dress down her body so she could step out of it. His gaze traveled from the white stockings on her feet, up her long legs and the swell of her hips. Up over her corset-clad waist to the gorgeous mounds rising above the neckline of the lingerie. She was going to have to rip his eyes out, because there was no way he could look away from all the creamy goodness he’d exposed.
Her hands flew up, and she cried out, “Hey, now! You’re supposed to be helping, not ogling!”
“How in the hell am I not supposed to look when you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen?”
Her hands fluttered, and his gaze trailed all the way up to catch hers when she whispered, “That’s not funny.”
“Do I look like I’m laughing?” He couldn’t have laughed if he wanted to. He was so hard, any movement would have caused him physical pain, and his whole being wanted nothing more than to satisfy every urge with the woman standing in nothing but satin and lace.
“It’s just the makeup and the hair making you say that. Or the fact that I’m your wife and, according to your code of honor, I’m the only woman you can…” He stood up and yanked her against him. She squeaked out the last word. “Have.”
He reached out and ran his hand down her cheek, slid it along her throat until it rested just under the twist of hair on her neck. “Rand, it’s not the makeup or the hair or the corset. It’s you. You are pure perfection, honey.”
Whatever her pretty little mouth was going to say was stopped by his lips coming down on hers.
* * *
If she thought the corset had made it hard to breathe, Jake’s kiss made it downright impossible. His hands slipped down over her back to the laces, and while his lips never left hers, his hands made fast work of the ties that held her sucked in tight. The air rushed out when he broke the kiss and pulled the back of the corset apart.
“Oh…” she said, leaning into him as her head spun.
He caught her to him and helped her sit with a smile. “Let’s get this damn thing off you.”
She couldn’t agree more as he unhooked the front and opened it wide, sliding his hands in to push it to the floor. Wrapping his arms all the way around, he lowered her back onto the bed and followed her down, falling on top.
Laughing at his hurried motions as he jerked off his jacket and tossed it across the room, she kicked off her heels and helped him untuck his shirt as he removed his bow tie. Her fingers worked on the buttons of his shirtfront while he took off his cufflinks and they finished at the same time. Both the crisp white shirt and the undershirt beneath were thrown aside, and he bent down to kiss her, finding her breast with his wide palm.
She reached between them for his belt, going by feel as she arched against his touch and kisses. Finally freeing the leather from the metal buckle, she unsnapped his button and opened his zipper, slipping her hand inside to find him hard and ready.
He stopped kissing her long enough to shuck his dress pants and briefs. He stood before her, gloriously naked in nothing but his socks that he soon discarded, and she licked her lips as he reached out and yanked her underwear down her legs. Leaving her thigh-highs, he grabbed a condom from his pants and ripped it open, rolling the latex over his engorged flesh. She bucked when he placed his hand between her legs, playing with her folds.
“I can’t wait. God, Rand…”
She hugged his hips and locked her ankles behind his back as he slipped between her legs and rubbed the head of his cock against her opening, pushing forward. The sweet sensation of him filling and stretching her channel until he was seated to the hilt made her sigh. She ran her hands over his shoulders and arms with a smile as she rocked her hips and a zing of excitement shot though her.
Jake drew back and pushed in, using short, shallow strokes that rubbed her outsides as they massaged her insides, and she felt the heavy, thigh-trembling buildup that told her she was getting closer to that overwhelming, soul-soaring explosion of pleasure.
“Jake…so….” A gasp escaped her as she came, hands clasping him to her as she met his thrusts, her cries growing louder and higher as she embraced the fantastic out-of-body eruption, coming back down slowly just in time to watch him shout and pump his own release into her.
Running her fingers through his damp hair, she wiggled under his weight. “Maybe we could get all the way onto the bed?”
His shoulders shook under her arms as he pushed up onto his hands and smiled down at her. “Sorry. I’m not normally that quick. I was just a little worked up.”
“I’m not complaining. I was just thinking you’d be more comfortable,” she said, waving her hand at the fact that they were sideways on the bed.
“Point taken.” He pulled out of her, and her cheeks flamed as her muscles contracted around him and little aftershocks made her tremble.
He kissed her forehead as he stood. “I’ll be right back.”
He went into the bathroom, and she sat on the side of the bed, rolling down her thigh-highs, yawning as she got to her feet. She was exhausted, there was no question about it, and she reached into the top drawer of her dresser for a night shirt and a pair of cotton briefs. After slipping them on, all she needed was to brush her teeth, and she would be ready to go to bed.
Jake came out, and as she passed him, he caught her shirt and teased, “Who said you could put clothes on, woman?”
“This is what I sleep in,” she said, reaching around him to grab her toothbrush.
He took the opportunity to nip at her neck and whisper, “Who said we’re gonna be sleeping?”
Laughing, she pushed him away. “Will you give me a minute?”
“What, I think you’re sexy with a frothy mouth,” he said as she shut the door on him with a snort.
She caught a glimpse of her reflection and couldn’t believe it was her. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes twinkled brightly, and besides the toothpaste foam on her lips, she looked different. Pretty.
When she came out of her bathroom, he was curled up on his side, under the covers and crooking his finger at her.
“Come here, wife. I still got big plans for you.”
Suddenly, sleep seemed a little overrated when she had six foot plus of hot Texas male in her bed.