He quirks a brow and grins. “At your rehearsal dinner?” He shakes his head and laughs. “Only you, Mac. One of a kind.”
“Last minute lap dance? For old times’ sake?” I widen my eyes in anticipation and he coughs awkwardly.
“Fuck no. Dan would have my balls for that. So would Kate actually.”
I sigh dramatically. “Oh, okay then.”
“But I did want take you to the bar for one last tequila shot. For old times’ sake.”
Clapping excitedly, I squeal, attracting the attention of our other guests. “Mac! How old are you?” my mother shouts across the room.
“Twenty-seven going on eighteen, Mom!” which earns a chuckle around the room.
“Just checking, baby girl.” I blow her a kiss and link arms with Zander as he leads me out of the main room of the restaurant and toward the bar connected next door.
When I get closer to the bar, I freeze in shock as I spot both Sean and Noah standing by the bar facing away from us.
“What the …”
Zander pauses and turns back to face me. “It may be a bit unorthodox, and before you ask, Daniel knows where you are and what we’re doing and he’s okay with it. You’ve scored yourself a keeper there, babe. That man is one of a kind if he’s able to accept the three of us guys in your life and not feel threatened by it. Seriously, if it were Kate I’d be mounting her in public and marking her with my scent like a rabid dog.”
My eyes fill with unshed tears as I realize everything that Daniel has given me. I may not have been in love with Zander, Sean, and Noah, but in their own way each of them played an important part in my life before I met Superman.
Zander gave me friendship and an outlet for hard and fast sex.
Noah was a constant presence in my life, providing me with a shoulder to cry on, a colleague to bitch to, and a walking dildo to ride in the hospital on-call rooms.
And Sean, my Dom, the man who called me his baby doll and was always just a phone call away whenever I needed sorting out or just some words of wisdom.
Sean walks up to me, his eyes soft as they take me in. “You’re going to make a gorgeous bride, baby doll. And you deserve nothing less than perfection.”
I rush into his open arms and bury my face in his shirt, melting into his familiar warmth. “Thank you. For accepting the invitation and for being here.”
“Wouldn’t have missed this for the world. Wedding of the century and miracle of the year.”
Pulling back, I lift my chin and glare at him. “Miracle?”
He chuckles and wraps an arm around my shoulder. “Yes, Mac. A miracle. Especially because it’s you.”
“Well, thanks,” I mutter sarcastically.
“My turn,” I hear Noah announce and I look up to find him looking at me with his cocky grin firmly in place.
“I have a bone to pick with you, Taylor.”
“Too late for that one, Mac. But Sean’s right, you do look gorgeous.” He steps in front of me and wraps an arm around my waist, pulling me in close for a hug. “Thank you for letting her come tomorrow,” he whispers against my hair as I nod gently, biting my lip to hold back the new flood of tears threatening to break.
“Damn you guys. You’re making my eyes leak.”
Zander grabs a full shot glass and holds it out to me as I watch the other guys do the same. I make a note right then to thank Daniel in multiple, orgasmic ways later on for giving me this.
When we all have a shot in our hands, we stand in a circle, Noah on one side of me, Sean on the other. I sneak a glance to the restaurant doorway to my left and spot Superman leaning leisurely against the wall, his caramel eyes full of love and adoration as he watches me intently. Tilting my head toward the bar, I silently invite him over but he just shakes his head and offers me a wide smile.
“Go,” he mouths.
“I love you,” I mouth back.
“I know,” I see him say just as Zander starts his toast.
“Raise your glasses, gentlemen. To Mac and Daniel. May the love stay strong, the arguments rare, and the sex always hot. And Mac, may you never ever change from the independent, strong-minded, awesome woman that we adore.”
“Here, here!” Sean and Noah cheer as we all lift our glasses to our mouths and throw back the shot.
It’s like the end of an era.
I loved it at the time, but deep down I knew I needed more.
And thankfully, so did my superhero.
Tomorrow can’t come quick enough.
Chapter 8: “My Girl”
Daniel
Many men would feel threatened by letting their wife-to-be’s ex-lovers not only come to the rehearsal dinner, but also attend the wedding.
But I’m not like most men.
I know Mac loves me.
I know she thought sex without commitment was enough for her before.
But then she met me.
And it may have taken a while, but I finally proved to her that I could be everything she needed.
Now we’ve built a life together, made a home, created a family, and tomorrow afternoon I will finally be able to proudly call Makenna Lewis my wife.
Fucking finally!
Chapter 9 – “Marry You”
Mac
Two and a half years ago I thought I was happy. I had a successful career, I was living with my best friend and we were living the life of two modern single girls in Chicago. Kate was the ‘forever after’ girl looking for her prince, and I had wanted everything from men except commitment.
Then a fateful trip home on the train turned my life upside down. At the time, I didn’t know the effect that Daniel Winters would have on me. That initial meeting was flirtatious and sexy, a hot ass man in a suit handing me my phone and returning my banter with ease. He didn’t miss a beat.
In that moment, he had me. Hook, line, and sinker. We just didn’t know it, and I took my sweet ass time admitting it.
Fast forward to today. Daniel is my sun, my sky, one of three reasons I get out of bed every day with a huge smile on my face. The other two reasons are the biggest gift Daniel has and will ever give me.
Fuck, listen to me. I sound like one of those sappy, loved up women. You know, the kind I swore I would never end up like.
The thing is, hindsight is a freaking fantastic thing.
But even if I had the chance to do it all over again, I would not change a thing.
Not one. single. thing.
I’d drop my phone, I’d flirt with the smoking hot volcano of fine businessman who got my gears turning and my thighs clenching with his double-dimpled grin. I’d torture myself with the same three-date bet. I’d confess my superman fantasy at 42nd Street bar, then kiss him on the first date by the lake. I’d let him take my tailgating cherry and even put up with the awkwardness of discovering that one of my f**k buddies and my date were actually best friends. I’d have food sex in a restaurant and let him feed me Tiramisu before dragging him back to my place and rocking his freaking world.