The days had been surreal from the moment she found out she was to be a bride until this very moment. Her mother and Nurse Rosie were the only two people waiting in the church to see her get married that she loved or cared about. The other guests were all members or family members of the Morans or from other organized crime families. It had been surprising how quickly the Moran women had put together the lavish affair.
In the full-length mirror, her reflection oozed unhappiness despite being clothed in a designer wedding dress she would have never been able to afford on her own dime. Even the diamond engagement ring Reid picked out for their sham marriage was gorgeous.
Weddings were supposed to be happy occasions that hopefully only happened once if you were lucky. The only reason this farce was happening in the first place was to appease Rocco Simonetti, so he wouldn’t take his revenge by killing her. But how long was it supposed to last? Was she going to be shackled to the Morans and Reid forever?
Before she could give that nightmare any more attention, the Moran women busted through the door and rushed into the room.
“Doesn’t she make a beautiful bride?” Marie gushed while she approached.
It took her a moment to realize her mother was crammed between two of Marie’s daughters, Shannon and Katelyn. A calm descended over Teagan at seeing her mother.
“Smile. It’s your wedding day.” Amy pushed the corners of Teagan’s mouth up with her fingers.
Forget about Rocco Simonetti killing her, Christy was going to gladly murder her after she killed his sister for sticking her hands in her face. Her mother must have seen the murderous look she sent Amy when she turned her back.
“Would everyone give us the room? I’d like to be alone with my daughter.” The cancer was eating away at her a little more every day, but at that moment, her mother’s voice was sure and strong and would not be disobeyed. The other women left without argument. Once only the two of them remained in the room, her mother turned to her.
“Are you sure you want to go through with this?”
“I don’t have a choice.”
“If you’re worried about what they might do to me, don’t… I’m dying anyway.”
“Momma…” Deep down she knew it, but she hated to admit it out loud.
“You can’t keep denying the fact that I’m dying, little girl.” Her mother only called her that when she was trying to drive home a point she was making.
Teagan changed the subject. “No making the bride cry before the wedding.” She turned away from her mother and dabbed at her eyes.
“Go take your seat. Things are about to get started.” In the mirror, she fussed with her dress and tried to avoid eye contact.
Her mother put her arms around her waist and squeezed. “Love you.”
“Love you too, Momma…” A lump formed in her throat, threatening to choke her. She squeezed her mother’s arm quickly and then shooed her away, trying hard not to sob. “Now go… go sit, so I can finish getting ready.”
When her mother turned, Teagan watched her leave the room in the reflection. A short while later, she found herself waiting to walk to her doom. Bernard stood at her side, ready to walk her down the aisle, since there was no man in her life to do the job. Teagan looked down to the front of the church and saw Reid standing with the priest and Flynn as his best man. Reid’s black tuxedo fit him to perfection.
Part of her wanted to cry, scream or both. This was not how this day was supposed to go. Her wedding day was supposed to be joyous. Lowering her gaze, her eyes fell on the bouquet she held that she hadn’t had a hand in picking out. Her bottom lip quivered. Bernard squeezed her hand and whispered. “Cheer up, love. It won’t be that bad.”
Teagan sniffled and reached her hand beneath her veil to dab at the corner of her eyes. When she looked up again, Reid was staring at her. He winked at her and gave her that smile. This time, it didn’t irritate her. This time, she found it was exactly what she needed to help her put one foot in front of the other. She’d been selfish. He was giving up something too.
As they drew closer to the front, she found Momma’s face in the crowd. Tears ran down her mother’s face. They weren’t tears of sorrow. They were happy tears. For a brief moment, she realized that even though this might not be a wedding where she was marrying her true love, the fact was she was getting married and her mother was getting to see it. They both knew it was only a matter of time before the cancer won, but right now, they’d been given a gift that she didn’t think they would get.
This time, she let the tears come. She returned her mother’s smile. Her mother got to attend her wedding. If there was one thing she could be happy about today and take some solace in, it was that.
Some of the women in the audience that clearly didn’t know the wedding was a farce were moved by her tears and reached for a tissue to dab at their eyes.
She hadn’t been able to see it before from the back of the church, but in between Reid and Flynn, Spencer lay on the floor in a bow tie. The dog perked up and sat on his haunches the moment he saw her. That put another genuine smile on her face.
Bernard placed her hand in Reid’s and stepped away. He gifted her with a smile, and she decided she wouldn’t be a bitch standing in front of the priest. She smiled at him in return and let it reach her eyes.
Once they got through the ‘until death do us part’ and the ‘I do’s’ she allowed him a chaste kiss. People whooped and cheered when they were pronounced husband and wife.
Later, at the reception, someone walked by their table. “Smile. It’s your wedding day.”
Teagan grimaced and went back to eating her food. She’d barely gotten to enjoy her meal before someone was calling for the first dance.
“This is a wedding. When’s the first dance going to happen?”
When Teagan looked over, Simonetti was staring directly at her. Quickly, she looked away.
Reid took her hand and gestured toward the dance floor. Slowly, she rose from her seat and allowed him to guide her out onto the floor. He slid his hand around her waist. “Don’t think about him.”
Teagan looked up into his face. He wasn’t smiling.
“When you’re in my arms, I want you only thinking about me.” A second later, he grinned at her.
How had he known she needed that? She didn’t try and fight the small smile that tugged at the corner of her mouth.
“Ah that did it. I think people were starting to think you were a hostage.”
He was just full of jokes tonight.
“Aren’t I?”
The quip made him chuckle. “Let’s just enjoy the dance, Mrs. Beckett.” He teased and swung her around the dance floor.
Afterwards, Bernie danced with her during the father/daughter dance, followed by Reid dancing with Marie during the mother/son dance.
Watching him joke and laugh with her on the dance floor was the first time in this whole charade that Teagan realized Reid didn’t have any of his own family here. She’d never asked him anything about himself. Since coming to work for the Morans, she’d learned that he was not a blood member of the family. But why hadn’t anyone turned up here for him?
The rest of the reception went by in a blur. Before Teagan and Reid departed for the hotel, the Morans stood waiting to greet her and welcome her as one of the family. They all crowded around and hugged her, kissing her on the cheek. When it came down to the final three, Quigley came first. Teagan wasn’t going to lie, the man scared her, and he knew it.
“Welcome, Teagan.” He leered at her before kissing her cheek.
She resisted the urge to wipe her face.
Flynn was next. He was nice enough, but she didn’t know him, and she believed it was the same way for him. She was a stranger that his best friend was now married to, because of extenuating circumstances. “Welcome to the family, Teagan. I look forward to getting to know you better.”
He stepped away so his father could embrace her. Christy drew her into his arms like a loving grandfather and kissed her cheek. “Welcome to the family. I think you’re going to make our boy a good wife.”
Leaning closer so only she could hear what he said next. “Despite how this came to be, I think you’ll find that love might blossom if you let it.” He gave her a conspiratorial wink and let her go.
There was no way she would be disrespectful to Christy, but he didn’t know what he was talking about, so she simply nodded and smiled.
But, his words made her look at Reid while he joked with members of the family and got patted on the back.
When he caught her staring at him, she turned away and tried to pretend she hadn’t been looking at him. Teagan went in search of her mother to say her goodbyes.
No expense had been spared on the hotel room. It was the honeymoon suite, and it was gorgeous and luxurious. She’d never been in anything so nice before.
Teagan refused to let Reid carry her inside the room. Now that they weren’t being watched, they didn’t need to put on a show for Simonetti or anyone else. She snatched off her veil and kicked off her heels.
“Why are you always angry?”
She spun around upon hearing his voice. In her tirade, she hadn’t realized that Reid had come up behind her.
Teagan glowered at him. Did he really want to know?
“Why am I angry all the time?” She was fuming when she repeated his question. Teagan looked up at him. “You really want to know?”
She stepped into his space, and when she inhaled, she caught a whiff of his scent, angering her even further over how damn good he smelled. “You want to know why I’m angry?”
Reid nodded.
Taking a deep breath, she launched into her laundry list of reasons. “My dad was murdered and left us with a mountain of bills. I had to drop out of medical school to take care of my sick mother, who’s probably going to die; apply for an illegal job with the Manson family to tackle debt that doesn’t belong to me; and in doing so, possibly end up in jail.”
“Let’s see, I almost got raped; killed the man who attempted to rape me, who just so happened to be a relative of a notorious Italian mob boss who now wants me dead; and the only way for me to keep my ass alive is to become a member of a crime family…” Teagan leveled her gaze at Reid.
“By becoming the wife of a guy I… hate,” she had the decency to flush, “and if one more person tells me to fucking smile, I’m going to lose it.”
Angry tears blazed in her eyes, but she was determined they wouldn’t fall. She gulped down some much-needed air on a shaky breath and continued to stare at him.
Reid hadn’t even flinched when she said she hated him. Part of her felt like a bitch, because he had helped her that night. He didn’t have to come looking for her or cover for her. On the other hand, the jerk was kind of responsible for them having to get hitched in the first place, wasn’t he?
“There’s that word again? I don’t think you hate me as much as you think you do.” He gave her that Reid smile that she was becoming accustomed to. There was a part of her heart that fluttered at the sight of it, and the other part of her wanted to smack the expression off of his ruggedly handsome face.
Reid stepped closer, invading her space, looming over her until he blocked out everything else. “Here’s the thing… it’s our wedding night, and we’re in this expensive hotel room, and I would hate to see it go to waste. Despite the way we feel about each other, I’ll tell you I find you very sexy.”
His words made her insides quiver. Why did she have to find him so damn attractive?
“We don’t have to like each other to have sex…” He leaned in closer. “I’ll tell you a little secret… I think you want me too, and you’re afraid to admit it to yourself, so I’ll take the burden away from you.”
Mischief and mirth blazed in his gaze when he pulled back and looked at her, wetting his bottom lip with his tongue. Teagan swallowed at the sight of it and wondered what other glorious ways he might use his tongue tonight. His voice pulled her from her naughty thoughts.
“I’m going to ask for consent now, Princess… but I promise, by the end of the night, I won’t be the one asking. You’ll be begging me to continue.”
Her nostrils flared at his words.
“May I?” The cruel mocking smile curled his lip, and lust glinted in his eyes. The deep huskiness in his tone had traveled down her spine and vibrated in her bones.
He was asking her for consent. Her throat was dry, and she didn’t trust herself to speak.
With any other man, she wouldn’t be in this much danger. With any other man, she didn’t face the possibility of losing herself to just one kiss, one touch, one night of passion. Reid held her gaze. His nearness made it impossible to think coherently. Everything about him overwhelmed her: his size, scent, even the way he looked at her.
Patiently, he waited on her answer. There would be no turning back once she gave herself to him. If she didn’t consummate the marriage, they could have it annulled and she would be a free woman… a free, dead woman. Rocco Simonetti would surely kill her once she was no longer bound to the fixer.
It’s just sex. She could go back to hating him in the morning.
Teagan finally nodded.
“I need your verbal consent, Princess.”
You can still back out. The thought briefly flitted into her brain, before she shoved it away. “Yes.”
Reid bent his head to kiss her, but she turned her face away. If he was offended, he didn’t show it and he didn’t stop. His lips pressed against the pulse point in her throat.
Her body wanted him badly, but her heart wouldn’t let her do something as intimate as kiss him. That’s the part of her she would hold back.
Removing his lips from her neck, he spun her so she wasn’t facing him and then continued his assault on her neck while his fingers worked quickly to undo the buttons on the back of her wedding gown. Once he finished, the dress fell to the floor, pooling around her feet.
Continuing to undress her, Reid unhooked her bra and tossed it to the side.
“May I?” His voice rumbled against the back of her neck.
“Yes.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
He wrapped one arm around her waist pulling her into his body. The sensual, soft kisses he placed on her shoulders and neck made her eyes flutter closed. With his free hand, he reached around and palmed her left breast, cupping it in his hand like he was enjoying the size and weight of it before he kneaded it.
A sigh escaped her. Reid’s fingers felt amazing on her skin. The roughened texture on the pads of his fingertips made her stomach clench. He tweaked her nipple, toying with her. A minute later, he did the same to her right breast.
Ready to move the night forward, he released her. Before she could wonder what he was doing, Reid slipped to his knees and pulled her panties down her legs. He held her hand while she stepped out of them.
Afterwards, he stood and pulled her back against his body. Reid pressed himself against her ass. His dick was hard. Dropping a kiss on her shoulder, he splayed his hand against her stomach. Slowly his fingers slid down her belly, on a quest to her nether lips, but stopped just short of their destination. “May I?”
Teagan was breathless. “Yes.”
He wasted no time in sliding his finger between her two bottom lips. There was no resistance. She was wet. Reid rubbed his fingers in her dewiness, alternating between rubbing and strumming her clit. Teagan’s knees nearly buckled from the exquisite torture he was inflicting.
When he finally turned her to face him, he was still in his shirtsleeves and tuxedo pants having discarded his jacket and bow tie earlier. He picked her up bridal style and carried her over to the bed. Part of her wanted to feel self-conscious over being naked while he was still fully clothed, but once he laid her on the bed, he stepped back and began to undress.
Her appetite for him grew with each glimpse of skin that was exposed. Yes, she’d seen his bare chest and strong thighs nights ago when they had to pretend, but anxiously, she waited to see the stiff dick that moments ago prodded her ass, begging to be set free. The moment he slipped his fingers into the waistband of his boxer briefs, she held her breath.
His dick sprang up in greeting the minute he pushed the underwear down his legs and stepped out of them.
Reid Beckett’s dick was beyond what she’d imagined. It was long and thick. Veins ran along the length of it and were more pronounced in his hardened state. The head was a swollen and pink. A pearly drop of cum glistened on the tip, and Teagan found herself wondering if he tasted salty.
He didn’t move to join her right away. He stood at the foot of the bed a while longer, letting her look him over. When Reid did move again, he crawled up the bed toward her. His hand gripped her left ankle and gently he tugged her toward him until his mouth hovered over her pussy.
Teagan bit her lip while he stared at her.
“May I?” He blew lightly onto her pussy lips, sending a shiver straight through her core.
“Yes.” The word was shaky when it left her mouth.
His tongue plunged into her heat and lapped at her wetness. Teagan’s back arched off the bed. The bedsheets were bunched up in her hands. Reid licked every inch of her, sending shockwaves of pleasure through her body. For long minutes, he feasted on her, worshipping her with his mouth. It wasn’t long before she dug her fingers into his hair. Reid moaned his approval into her flesh and continued to eat her like he would never get enough of the taste of her.
But when he tongued and sucked on her clit, she was done for. He’d let his teeth graze the sensitive little nub before he teased it some more with his tongue. Her body was one big sensitive nerve ending by the time he pushed two fingers into her slick channel and finger fucked her while sucking her throbbing bud.
When she came, an explosion of light happened behind her eyelids. Her body convulsed and still Reid continued to suckle, until she had to push him away from her overly sensitive flesh.
Even though he hadn’t said the words, Teagan felt like Reid was trying to give her power back to her. Give back what Mateo tried to steal the night he assaulted her. With every step, Reid had asked for consent. And damn if she didn’t find it sexy as hell earlier, but right now, she wanted Mr. Nice Guy to disappear. She wanted the beast she knew was waiting to be unleashed.
With her legs still quivering from the orgasm, he pulled from her. The moment he climbed up her body so they were face-to-face, she rectified the situation.
“No more fucking ‘May I’ …fuck me.”
Reid didn’t have to be told twice. Before her eyes, he changed into a different man. Gone was the gentleman; a predator now stared back at her. Roughly, he flipped her over onto her stomach. This position suited her just fine. They wouldn’t have to stare into each other’s eyes like they were each other’s cherished lover.
He reached over to the nightstand and grabbed a condom. The sound of the wrapper tearing heightened her anticipation. Seconds later, he gripped her hips and pulled her ass into the air; using his knee, he nudged her thighs apart. His dick brushed her ass and she shivered.
Reid bent over her back and whispered in her ear. “Be careful what you wish for, Princess.”
He’d barely gotten the last word out before he plunged his thick, hard length into her sopping wet core until he was nestled balls-deep inside of her. Teagan cried out at the exquisite pleasure-pain she felt when he filled her with his throbbing member.
“Fuck.” Reid squeezed her hips and let out a shallow breath. “Fuck, you’re so tight.”
Reid’s dick felt amazing. She pushed back to signal that she wanted more. Her pussy clenched around him, while it grew used to his invasion. He gripped her hips and pulled out until only the head of his dick was inside of her and then he rammed back in and swiveled his hips in a circle. She bit the sheet enjoying the way he fucked her. Gradually, the pace built until he was slamming into her like a piston.
The grunting noises he made were such a turn-on. Her toes curled when he hit a good spot. Dropping the sheet from her mouth, she cried out. “Yes.”
She couldn’t see his face, but she knew he had to be smiling. Right now, she didn’t care. He could smile all he wanted because he had her ready to come all over his dick. He must have felt it too because he slowed down.
“No, no, Princess, not yet.” He ground out the words and pulled out of her slowly.
Shamelessly, she wanted more. She whimpered. When he pushed back inside, he slowly rocked his hips back and forth into her so the motion was minimal, but effective. Teagan pushed back onto his dick. “More. More.”
While she thrust back onto him, Reid stayed still letting her milk his dick. Badly, she wanted to come. “Please, Reid.”
He swatted her ass. “Say it again, Princess.”
“Please, Reid.”
Once she said the words again, he shoved inside of her and with steady even strokes he fucked her hard.
“Just like that.” She breathed out.
Every time he buried himself inside of her heat, they both groaned. Reid reached beneath her and rubbed her clit. With him doing that, she wouldn’t be able to hang on much longer.
Minutes later, she yelled out his name as she came hard. “Reid.”
Her body shook with the force of her orgasm. Reid removed his hand from her clit and gripped her hips once more. He fucked her hard and fast. She could feel he was ready to explode. His shaft throbbed and pulsed inside her quivering walls right before he rammed into her with one final grunt and came.
Reid continued pumping into her until he’d emptied his seed into the condom.
That wasn’t the end by a long shot. It didn’t take them long before they were both ready to go again. Eventually, they did end up in missionary, but their mating was so animalistic at that point. Her nails had raked down his back when he drove into her like a madman, as he chased his third orgasm. She’d been right there with him, and they fell over the cliff together.
The smug bastard told no lies earlier. He was right. She ended up calling his name over and over. Begging him to fuck her harder and faster. Now that she was more than sated she could barely keep her eyes open. Reid dropped a kiss onto her shoulder right before she fell asleep.
The glare of the sun coming through the windows awoke Teagan. For a minute, she was disoriented. Where was she? As she stared at the ceiling, the events of yesterday came back to her. That’s right. She was now Mrs. Beckett. Realizing she was naked, she pulled the sheet tightly over her breasts. There was a dull, but delicious ache between her legs that a bath was sure to cure. Speaking of delicious ache, the man who gave it to her, slept soundly next to her.
Reid lay on his side facing away from her. When she turned her head to look at him, she was aghast, scars and welts crisscrossed his back, like someone had used his back as a canvas for a human Jackson Pollock. Some of her scratches from last night painted his back with fresh markings. She’d been so far gone in her passion, she hadn’t seen or felt them.
Tentatively, she reached out to touch him. The moment her finger traced one of the raised welts, it woke him. His body went rigid.
Teagan pulled her hand back. “I’m sorry… does it hurt?”
“No.” Reid’s voice was hollow and devoid of emotion, and he had not turned around to face her.
“Who did that?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.” Without looking at her, he got up and walked naked to the bathroom.
His behavior confused her. Reid had never been standoffish before, but clearly there were some things he wanted to keep hidden.
After Reid showered and dressed, he left the hotel. Teagan was now dressed and sitting out on the balcony, picking over her breakfast. She couldn’t stop thinking of what happened this morning.
What was the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde routine about? She’d simply asked a question. Guess he was right. She could go back to hating him now. They’d had some fun last night. She grinned. Okay, more than some fun, he’d blown her mind.
“What are you thinking about?”
His deep voice made her jump. She put her hand to her chest.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” Reid took a seat across from her.
She dropped her fork onto her plate and turned away from him. Not sure she was ready to deal with him over what happened last night or this morning.
Reid leaned his elbows on the table.
“I’m sorry I was an ass to you this morning. I just don’t want to talk about that.”
When she still refused to acknowledge him, he cleared his throat and continued. “Okay, I deserve that, but know this. You may think you still hate my guts, Teagan… but just remember, I’m the only thing standing between you and a death sentence. We’re in this marriage together.”
He got up and left her sitting there. Teagan sat for a long while, wondering if she could make this work, and keep them both from ending up dead.
THE END
I hope you enjoyed the prequel to the Bound to the Fixer trilogy. Stay tuned for the first book, “Make Me Trust,” to see how Teagan fares as a member of the Moran family and a new wife, and find out whether Teagan and Reid start to fall in love.