Katy backed up as the EMT’s lifted Rafe onto a stretcher and rolled him toward the ambulance. She didn’t pay any attention to what they did with Bobby or if he was alive. She didn’t give a fuck what happened to the bastard as long as Rafe lived.
The next few hours were a blur as Katy walked into the hospital and ran toward the emergency room. The officer had called her uncle from the car after questioning Katy several times about who she could call.
Katy knew Uncle Joe was on his way, and he’d probably have that posse of badass fighters with him. But she didn’t care about that.
An orderly stopped her as she ran toward the desk. “You’re with Rafe Walker?”
“Yes. Is he…okay?”
“The doctor is wheeling him into surgery now. We’ll know more in a while. Have a seat and I’ll let you know as soon as I have more information.”
Sit? Was he crazy? Katy paced the room, running her fingers through her hair, while a series of screenshots of the last few weeks flitted through her mind.
Rafe against the wall nonchalantly hoping to meet her as she exited the gym that first day, his face cocky until she stepped into his space and melted the look with her lips.
Rafe hovering over her, touching her nipples in his gentle way.
Rafe washing her hair in the shower, the intense look on his face as he made sure she was completely clean.
She paced and she worried. Uncle Joe was the first to arrive. He took her in his arms and she finally cried. Tears without noise that ran down her face. She wanted to scream her frustration. How could this happen? How could that bastard win?
“It’s going to be okay. Rafe is strong. A little knife wound won’t get him down.” Uncle Joe’s words soothed, but they weren’t based on fact.
Katy shook her head and stepped back. “You didn’t see him. It was bad. And his head.” Katy touched her own head and winced as though feeling his pain.
The other members of the Fight Club trickled in one by one. Their faces were reverent and true to Rafe’s word, none of them mentioned the club. They extended their brief words of encouragement and waited in chairs while she paced.
Rider made several phone calls and let Katy know that Bobby Crowder had been taken to another hospital in police custody and would be arraigned for attempted murder in the morning.
It seemed like hours before someone emerged from the emergency room door. The doctor who came out looked around and then spotted Katy. “Are you Katy?”
She nodded, unable to step forward.
The doctor came to her. She didn’t catch his name. All she cared about was Rafe. He smiled finally. “There’s a man in my recovery room asking for you.”
“Rafe?”
“Yes.”
“He’s okay?”
“He’s going to be fine. His head is going to hurt like hell for a few days, but once the concussion heals he’ll be right as rain.”
“And the knife.”
“Amazing.” The doctor shook his head. “Missed all major organs. Only a flesh wound. A deep one, but nothing severe. I’ve stitched him up. He’s waiting for you.” The doctor took her arm, and finally she was able to propel herself forward in his wake.
He’s okay
. She couldn’t believe it until she saw him with her own eyes.
Katy rounded several corners following the doctor, and finally she entered a private room. He left her there and shut the door.
Rafe. He lay there with his eyes closed, but when she entered he turned his head slightly her direction and grinned. He reached out his hand toward her, and she really let the tears go, deep sobbing that shook her entire body as she gasped between each blubbering wail of frustration.
“Come here, baby.” He still held out his arm.
Finally Katy managed to run toward him, grabbing his hand and letting him pull her the rest of the way. He wore only his black jeans. His shirt was gone and a huge bandage covered his side. She didn’t want to hurt him, but he pulled her toward his chest. “I’m okay.”
“You scared the shit out of me,” she mumbled against him.
“I’m sorry, baby.” He stroked her hair, holding her head close to his chest.
Eventually she lifted her face and met his gaze. “Are you in pain?”
“Nope. They have good drugs here.” His eyes drooped.
“You need to sleep.”
“I need to know you’re okay.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re mine.”
“I’m yours.” She nodded. New tears fell down her face.
Rafe wiped a stream with one finger. “You’ll move in with me.”
She nodded again.
“Hell, that’s not enough for me.” He clasped her chin. “I want you to marry me.”
“Marry you?”
“Is the idea so foreign?” He smiled. “It’s when two people commit to spend their lives together. In sickness and in health.” He winced and moved his torso a bit to one side.
“I’m clear on what marriage is. But we’ve only known each other a few weeks.”
“And I love you. Why wait?”
She stared at him. Was he in his right mind? Her chest pounded. She gripped the arm he held her cheek with. “Sleep. We can discuss it further when you feel better. You’re delusional.”
Rafe shook his head. “I’m perfectly sane. Marry me.”
“You’re drugged.”
He stared at her. “I need an answer and then I’ll nap.”
She paused.
He waited.
“I love you,” she said.
“And?”
“Yes.” She felt the wait of the world lift as she said that one three-letter word. Why had she been in such denial?
Like he said, when you know, you know
.
Rafe pulled her closer and kissed her lips. “I love you so much.”
“I love you too.” It felt good to say those words again.
“Stay. I need to nap. I can’t keep my eyes open. Damn drugs…”
“I’ll be right here. Me and the rest of your Fight Club. They’re all outside waiting to see you.”
“They can see me later.” He lowered his arm, fading, but not releasing her. “Much later.”
Katy watched as he fell asleep, his mouth going slack and his breathing evening out.
She loved him. And he loved her. She couldn’t believe how much had happened so fast.
But it was right. She knew in her heart she was his.
Six months later…
“Take a deep breath.” Rafe wrapped his arm around Katy and led her over to the bar. As soon as he had her settled on a stool, he pulled the one next to her very close and sat facing her so that his legs straddled hers.
“I’m so nervous.” She fidgeted with the hem of her dress between his legs, extremely aware of his proximity and hoping to use his calm to lower her own blood pressure. “I just want everything to be perfect.”
“And it will be,” Rafe soothed. He set his hand on her thigh and squeezed.
“What if we forgot something?”
He smiled. “We haven’t forgotten anything. Once the best man arrived, the rehearsal went off without a hitch. Everyone knows their lines. You only have to remember two words.” He set his forehead against hers. “I do.”
Katy shivered when he looked at her like that. He was right though, and now that the dinner portion of the evening was over, she didn’t have to entertain anyone any longer.
Rafe glanced at the bartender. “Can I get two glasses of the house Chardonnay, please?” He turned back to Katy. “You’re not getting cold feet on me are you? I know we’ve only known each other six months, but I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”
She tipped her head to one side and narrowed her gaze at him. “Me too. I love you more now than ever. You’re my rock. Thank you for knowing just what I needed tonight.”
“I could tell you were stressed. I didn’t want to just kiss you on the cheek and send you on your way with Jenna, even if she is the maid of honor.”
Katy scrunched her face at the mention of her best friend. “Speaking of Jenna, did you see the way your friend Mason was looking at her? I thought he was going to drool. He’s such a perv. And she was eating it right up.”
Rafe cringed also, shaking his head. “Yeah, I told him hands off, but he’s not the kind of man to listen to reason.”
“Jenna doesn’t have a clue about what we do in our private lives. Hell, I’ve never even told her about The Fight Club at all. She’s way too innocent for anything like that.”
He chuckled. “Are you sure about that? Mason wasn’t the only one ogling. Jenna’s jaw remained unhinged most of the evening also. Hell, you had to jerk her gaze from Mason at the altar.”
Katy took a sip of the wine the bartender had deposited in front of her. She rolled her eyes. “Maybe we shouldn’t have let Mason drive her home.”
Rafe squeezed her thigh and then danced his fingers higher up her leg until they rested precariously close to her pussy. “They’re grown adults. We both warned them off each other. That’s all we can do. The rest is up to them. Hell, no one in their right mind would have put you and I together initially, and look at us now.”
“True.” She bit her lower lip between her teeth. “You’ve grown on me. I even kind of like you now.”
His fingers tightened on her thigh and he reached the last few inches to swipe them across her sex on top of her dress. “You kinda like me, huh?” Then he reached under her dress and stroked his fingers directly through her folds. One eyebrow shot up as he slowly removed his hand.
Katy held her breath. He’d turned her into a shivering ball of need. When he removed his hand and licked her wetness from his fingers, she glanced around. Had anyone seen? She turned her gaze to the bar and took another drink of her wine, a long swallow actually. Her thighs shook and her pussy begged for more.
How did he always manage to scramble her brain like that?
He finished sucking his fingers and gripped her chin to lift her gaze to his. “No panties?” He smiled, the shit-eating grin of a man who knew he’d won his own personal lottery.
Katy shrugged. “Someone told me they were overrated once.”
“Must have been a smart man. I like it.” He kissed her lips. “But if you were hoping to get lucky tonight, you’re going to be disappointed.”
She gasped. That was exactly what she’d been hoping all evening, and yet they hadn’t had a single opportunity…yet.
Rafe shook his head. “It’s bad luck, or something. I know I read that in one of the wedding handbooks.”
“That’s crazy. No one ever said that. You’re confusing it with seeing the bride before the wedding on the wedding day.”
He glanced at his watch. “Then I rest my case. It’s way too close to midnight for me to ravage you the way I have in mind. I wouldn’t be able to do it justice. You’re hot, wet pussy is just going to have to wait until tomorrow night.”
Katy stuck out her bottom lip and gave him a fake pout. “But you said I needed to relax. The best way to accomplish that is with sex.”
Rafe smirked. “Nice try, baby. But not going to happen.” He nodded his head toward the bar. “Finish your wine and I’ll drive you home.”
“The house is going to be so empty without you tonight. I’ve never slept there alone.”
“You aren’t going to convince me to change my mind, Katy. But I love listening to you beg. Save some of that for later when it counts.” He kissed her cheek.
“I’m being serious now. I’m not sure I can sleep alone after all these months. How can you be so calm about it?” Sure, she’d been trying to lure him into her web, but she wasn’t kidding about being nervous when it came to staying alone in the house.”
He winked. “I’ve got you covered. The Fight Club is taking turns watching over you. You don’t think I’d leave my sweet bride alone all night without backup, do you?”
Katy gasped. “Your friends are going to maintain some sort of surveillance in front of the house?” A tear formed in her eye. Those were true friends. She’d learned that quickly months ago. The Fight Club stuck together like brothers. But guarding the house on the eve of her wedding just to give her peace of mind was above and beyond.”
“Yeah. Mason’s got first shift too. Hopefully that will keep him from dawdling with Jenna. After him, the other four guys will follow.”
“I could have just had my parents stay at the house if I’d known you were going to so much trouble.”
Rafe shook his head. “I knew that would be even more stressful for you. You’d spend all your time making sure everyone else was taken care of and not enough time worrying about Katy.” He tapped her nose.
He was right. He knew her well.
“Besides, I never asked the guys to do this. They organized it on their own. I think Rider spearheaded the arrangements.”
He would. He was that thoughtful, and as a cop, he was all about safety.
He looked at his watch again. “We have to go. It’s late. Tomorrow night at this time, you’ll be Mrs. Walker. And I don’t intend for us to do much sleeping after the wedding. So, you’d better get plenty of rest tonight, Ms. Marks.” He took her hand and helped her down from the stool.
Katy wrapped her arms around him and lifted her face to his. “I don’t see that happening, but the sentiment is sweet. I can hardly sleep when I have to appear in court the next day. And that’s nothing compared to a wedding.”
Rafe kissed her lips and then led her out of the restaurant. When he reached his truck, he pressed her into the side, straddled her legs, and pinned her with his arms on either side of her head. “I love you. Everything’s going to be perfect.” He kissed her gently.
“I know. I love you too.”
“I have a request.”
“What’s that?” She smiled up at him. She’d do anything for this man.
“Leave the panties at home tomorrow night also.”
“I’ll think about it, Mr. Walker.” She lifted onto her tiptoes and pulled his head down for a longer kiss. If he wouldn’t sleep with her tonight, she intended to at least give him a small taste of what he was giving up.
Tomorrow would be soon enough. Tomorrow would be the first day of the rest of her life. Tomorrow would be perfect.
Becca Jameson lives in Atlanta, GA, with her husband and two kids. After years of editing, she is now a full-time author. With over 25 best-selling books written, she has dabbled in a variety of genres, ranging from paranormal to contemporary to BDSM. She loves chatting with fans, so feel free to contact her through email, Facebook, or her website.