Rebel Roused (Untamed #5) (15 page)

“N
OOOOOO!
”

My head snapped up as I zipped closed the last bag. “Ree?”

Running out to the front door, I found Ree on her knees sobbing by our luggage. I dropped to the ground next to her and scooped her into my arms.

She clung to me like she would never let me go, and I relaxed into her, so relieved she was home, kissing her hair, holding onto her just as tightly. Truth be told, I’d panicked when I’d gotten home and she wasn’t here. I’d ripped the place apart, sure that she’d left me. That she was envisioning a future of me in and out of jail—just like my dad.

That was NOT the life I wanted for either of us.

The feeling of her in my arms filled me. Ree was my home, my haven, the calm after the storm that had been my life.

But she was so upset right now, which fucking broke my heart because I didn’t want anything making her sad anymore. She’d been through enough already. It was time for her happily ever after.

Our
happily ever after.

I pulled back so I could look at her. “What’s wrong?”

“Everything.” She shook her head. “I went to pick you up this morning, but you were already gone. And they wouldn’t let me see you yesterday.”

The hurt in her eyes was killing me. By trying to spare her, I’d made things worse. “I didn’t want you to see me there. In jail.”

Her lips parted as she shook her head. “What?”

“I’d grown up going on weekly prison visits. My father spent more time in an orange jumpsuit than at the dinner table. That arrest for battery…it was too reminiscent of him,” I said. “And I don’t want to be him. Ever.”

“You’re not,” she said. “You never have been.”

“I’m sorry, Ree.” I couldn’t look at her as I said this. “I was a fucking idiot for attacking Jackson like that. I put everything we’ve worked for in jeopardy.” I shook my head. “But when I saw him on you, his hands around your neck—” Just the memory of it was making my blood pressure rise again. “—I went crazy. And when I got home but you weren’t here, I freaked out. I called your phone but it wasn’t on, and then I called Pierce, who told me where you were.” I hugged her again. “So I’ve been waiting for you and getting things ready.”

She pointed at the bags I’d packed. “To leave me?”

“No,” I said, and took hold of her face between my hands, forcing her to look at me. “Baby, I’m not leaving
you
.” I pressed my lips to her forehead that was now crinkling in confusion. “WE’RE leaving.”

“What?”

“We need to get out of this city, away from your parents. We need to start our life right.” I took hold of one of her hands, and got up on one knee. “Ree, will you marry me in Paris?”

Her eyes started to water again, but this time a smile lifted the corners of her beautiful mouth. “You want to elope to Paris?”

“We leave today, and we’ll get married on New Year’s Day.” Her face lit up and she reached for me. “A new year. A new start. A new life.”

“You still want to marry me even though I can’t have children?”

I brushed a tear off her cheek, shaking my head. “Ree, you’re enough for me—you’ve always been enough. I don’t need anything in this world but you.

As her lips touched mine, my world filled with color again. Everything was finally back in focus.

These last two days had been torture without her. Right now, I wanted nothing more than to take her to bed to show her just
how much
I was not leaving her, and stay there for a week, but we had a flight to catch.

Everything would be good in Paris. I could feel it.

Her lips moved with mine as I tasted her, drinking her in, savoring the sweet little moans lilting up in her throat. I let go of her fingers, wrapped my hands around her waist and pulled her into me. Slipping my hands under her shirt, I traced the velvet soft skin of her abdomen, let my fingers drift to the little shiny bump in the middle of her phoenix—the one last gift from my father.

And though I hated that he’d hurt her, it really was a gift of sorts—physical proof of the extent of her love for me. This woman in my arms loved me more than anyone ever had in my entire life. That she’d been willing to give up her life to save mine…it still slayed me.

I was hers forever. And she was mine.

“So, I take it that’s a
yes?
”

Her grin broke our kiss, and I lapped up her laugh. “Yes, oh my god, YES. It’s perfect.” She gazed at me in wonder, and I itched for pencil and paper to capture her expression. “You’re perfect.”

“I’m far from perfect, Ree, but I’m all yours. Forever.”

“Is that a promise?”

I nodded. “A promise. A sacred vow. Hell, even maybe a bit of a dare.”

one week later

“Y
ou’re not supposed to see me before the ceremony!” I scrunched my eyes shut, covered them with my hands, and quickly turned my back to Dare. “Get out of here. I’ll meet you at the church in an hour. I’ll be the one in that dress.” Keeping one hand firmly over my eyes, I pointed to where my dress hung on the closet.

It was a soft, shimmery sheath so light blue at the shoulders it almost looked white. The blue deepened thread by thread, getting subtly darker down the length of it until it was the color of a midnight sky at the hem. We’d found it our first day back in Paris at one of my favorite vintage shops, and the moment I saw it, I knew. It was love at first sight. The One.

We’d been in Paris for a week, back in Dare’s old apartment in the Latin Quarter, and despite all the little logistics of planning an impromptu wedding, it felt like the honeymoon had already started. We couldn’t keep our hands off each other, couldn’t get enough kisses, laughs, and love.

From the moment I’d met him, I’d never been able to get enough of Dare. No matter how many minutes, hours, or days we spent together, it left me wanting more. Infinitely more.

This
was love. True. Deep. Everlasting.

I sensed him behind me before I felt his hands slide over the silk of my slip. “Why are you closing your eyes if
I’m
not supposed to see
you
?” He murmured in my ear, sending sensual shivers over my skin. His lips grazed my shoulder, and I melted into his arms.

“It’s…bad…luck.” The room was swirling in the most delicious way. “We’ve had enough already. Can’t afford anymore.”

“True,” he said and I felt the earth tilt as he sucked my earlobe between his lips, nibbling gently. “But something that feels this good can’t be bad, right?” I nodded, unable to speak for the sensations he was inspiring all over my body as he continued to kiss his way down. “This will counteract any possible bad luck.”

His teeth skimmed my neck, and my body started humming. Thrills ran down my spine, spurring on the throb between my thighs.

“Oh, god. If you keep doing that, we’re both going to be late to our own wedding.”

“Fine by me.” He turned me around to face him, his deep, dark gaze so full of love that tears stung my eyes. “I vote we just get to the consummating part right now.”

How did I get so lucky? Dare was my dream come true, my soul’s reflection.

I reached for him then, because I was not capable of resisting. And when our bodies collided in an epic explosion of fireworks for the last time in our single lives, I knew in my heart that this was simply a prelude of all that was to come.

God, I was so lucky.

I hurried toward the church half an hour later, after chasing Dare out of the bridal suite. He’d zipped my dress up—only after I threatened him with bodily harm if he didn’t stop trailing his fingers up and down my spine instead of helping me get dressed. He’d laughed, slipped his hand under my dress and between my legs, his fingers skimming my panties and dipping inside me.

“Already wet for me again,” he whispered against the back of my neck, and I shuddered in pleasure. “Once wasn’t enough?” His hot lips pressed against my cool skin.

“Once is
never
enough with you.” But I turned and raised an eyebrow at him. “Though it’s going to have to be for now because your sister—”

There was a loud bang on the old wooden door.

“Dare! Get your ass out here or you’ll spoil your own wedding!” Dalia yelled.

“—will be here any moment.” I bit my lip and grinned up at him. “She’s helping me with my hair.”

He ignored Dalia’s pounding, turned me around, and slowly zipped up my dress as I held my hair out of the way. Then he took my long locks and spread them over my back.

“Don’t do anything with your hair,” he said as his eyes locked on mine in the mirror. “I like it just like this. Just like you. So beautiful and carefree.”

So now I stood in the entryway of the old countryside church, my hair hanging in waves down my back, a woven, flowered crown with long white ribbons hanging from it adorning the top of my head. Dalia had made it for me and I’d almost cried when she’d shown me.

I had never felt as loved in my whole life as I did today. Dare’s family had always welcomed me with open arms, but the intensity of their love had increased a hundred-fold with me officially joining their family.

Ree Wilde. I was about to become Ree Wilde.

I’d been looking forward to this moment all week long—no, all my life long, I just hadn’t known it until now. My entire body smiled. Every single cell was singing and dancing as I stood in the vestibule, waiting for the music to start, signaling my entrance.

“Ready, baby girl?” Archer held out his arm, and I slipped mine through his, nestling my hand in the crook of his elbow. He smiled down at me, and my heart leapt in my chest. “You look incredible.”

An attendant opened the doors and I gasped at the sight in front of me. The small church was lined with candles from floor to ceiling, front to back. They burned within the ancient chandeliers, lit up the walls, adorned the pews. Warm flames flickered all around me, painting the stained glass windows, making the art on them come to life.

Thousands of silver paper stars hung from the ceiling, illuminating my way down the flower-speckled meadow of the aisle. Large canvases were positioned along the perimeter of the small space—a sparkling brook here, a forest there. A grinning Dare was standing next to the altar, right underneath a big, painted moon.

Oh, my god. My dream wedding. THIS was my dream wedding.

I looked at Dare in wonder. He’d done this. He’d given me all my dreams. My soul swelled with more love than I ever thought it could possibly hold.

As Archer and I began walking down the aisle, Dare’s smile grew wider. Up ahead Dalia, Dax, Dash, and Celia stood to the right behind him. On the left was Pierce, as well as Sabine, who’d come back to Paris from Berlin just to stand with me.

Quinn hadn’t been able to attend because she didn’t want to travel with the baby being so young, and even if I’d have invited my parents, they couldn’t have been here. My dad was too busy trying to dig himself out of the scandalous hole that had cost him the governor’s seat before he’d even had a chance to be inaugurated.

But I honestly couldn’t have cared less. All the people I loved most in the world were here today.

My heart filled at the sight of them, but ached for the one who should have been standing next to Dare.
Rex
. My eyes sought out Dare’s and he nodded at me, then placed his hand over his heart, like he knew exactly what I was thinking. My vision started to blur, and I tried desperately to push the tears away.

“You know,” Archer said, squeezing my arm as we walked slowly toward everyone. “This isn’t exactly how I imagined this working out, walking down the aisle with you.”

Laughter sputtered up from inside me, and I stopped, threw my arms around his neck and hugged him tight.

“You know I love you, right?” I said.

“And I you, baby girl. I’m very happy for you…Ree.”

Then I let him go and ran the rest of the way to Dare. With a deep laugh, he held out his arms, and I flew right into them, fitting perfectly, exactly where I belonged.

“I couldn’t wait a moment more,” I said, and pressed my lips to his for one last before-we-were-married kiss.

The ceremony and dinner that followed were a blur of happy tears and laughter, and before I knew it the day was over, and we were right back where we’d started—tangled up in bed together. My beautiful dress lay in a waterblue heap on the floor, his clothes were strewn all over, and we were warm skin on warm skin, lips exploring very familiar territory, bodies moving in sync.