Текст книги "Command"

Автор книги: Nina Levine

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Текущая страница: 13 (всего у книги 14 страниц)

22

Scott

“I do.”

Harlow beamed up at me as I said the words I never thought would come out of my mouth. She stood in front of me, in all her beauty, and I was sure my heart would explode out of my chest. I thought I’d felt everything I’d ever feel for her already, but I was wrong. In that moment, I knew this truly was just the beginning of a whole new range of emotions. And as much as I was a man who’d gotten through life up until Harlow without feeling or expressing love, I was fucking down with feeling all of this. So long as she is by my side.

I hardly heard the words the celebrant said after I said my vows, but I sure as fuck heard her say, “You may now kiss the bride.”

Pressing my lips to Harlow’s, I growled, “Mrs Cole.” She then showed me how much she loved those words on my lips with the kind of kiss that should be made illegal. When she finally let me go, I said, “Fuck, baby, you do know I have to walk out of here in front of everyone we know, right?”

She hit me with that sexy grin of hers and nodded. “Yes.”

Shaking my head at her, I returned her grin and muttered, “Thanks to that kiss, I’ll be doing it with a raging hard-on.”

“Nothing you’ve never done before,” she threw back.

She had a point.

The celebrant distracted me from my thoughts and moved us to sit down and sign the wedding certificates before finally announcing us as Mr and Mrs Cole.

Taking hold of my wife’s hand, I walked us down the aisle, which was a long stretch of red carpet the boys had sourced for me.

Harlow leaned in and said, “You picked the exact right spot for our wedding. I’ll never forget the first time you brought me here, and now I’ll never forget it as the place you made all my dreams come true.”

Fuck.

I figured the park at Wynnum that I’d brought her on our first date was a great location to exchange our vows, but I hadn’t factored in how much it would mean to her.

“I hope I can make all your dreams come true, sweetheart.” I’m gonna work my ass off to make that happen.

She tightened her grip on my hand. “You already have, Scott. I’m living my dream.”

Like a fucking drug straight to my veins.

And like the junkie I was, I craved every high Harlow could give me, and would do whatever the fuck it took to ensure I got that high every day for the rest of my life.

When we made it to the end of the red carpet, I stopped her and took her in my arms. “I love you, Harlow Cole. I love every-fucking-thing.” I placed my hand on her belly. “And the fact you’re going to be the mother to my child makes me the happiest man on this planet. I’m the one living my dream.”

A dream I never knew I had.

A dream I’d go to the ends of the earth to protect.

Her beautiful green eyes searched mine, whispering a million promises, and then finally they twinkled with mischief, and she said, “Scott Cole does sweet really, really, really good. Who would have known?”

“That secret stays with us,” I bossed her.

“And there’s the man I love, all bossy and shit.”

The man I love.

I’d never get tired of hearing her say that.

Brushing my lips across hers, I said, “Okay, Mrs Cole, we have a reception to get through, and then I’m going to take you home and bless your body with my mouth and my tongue.”

“And your cock?”

I chuckled. “Fuck, woman, that dirty mouth…” I moved my mouth to her ear. “Always with my cock. I’ve been waving that thing around like freaking King Shit since the day I met you.”

I’d repeated the words she’d said to me the night she first set foot in Indigo, and I wondered if she would remember. When her mouth fell open and she gasped, I knew she had.

“You remembered that all this time?” she asked, clearly stunned.

“There’s nothing about you, baby, that I don’t remember.”

And there wasn’t.

Harlow James had stumbled into my life and turned it upside down, and I’d remember every step of our journey. I might have been the one who’d taken command of our relationship, and bossed her into being with me, but she’d taken command of my heart and would always own it.

Epilogue

Harlow

1 Year Later

“Sit with Uncle Blade while I go and see where Daddy is,” I said to Aurora as I made my way to where Blade sat with Layla.

His eyes lit up when he saw us approaching, and his arms automatically stretched out to take my daughter from me.

“Thanks,” I said. “I just want to go and find Scott, and then I promise I’ll be back for her.”

Layla grinned. “Don’t rush, Harlow. Honestly, he can’t get enough of her.”

I watched as Blade blew raspberries on Aurora’s belly, and decided Layla wasn’t lying. “Looks like babies might be in your future?”

Blade diverted his attention from Aurora for a moment and said, “Yes, they are, but my wife seems to think we should wait a little while longer before we start trying.”

Layla sighed, but I could tell she wanted this as much as he did. “All I said was that I wanted another six months or so to get my bar operating at more of a profit, and then we could start working on a baby.”

“It’s a good thing I’m a patient man,” he muttered before going back to playing with Aurora.

“It’ll happen,” Layla mouthed and I nodded in agreement before leaving them to go and find Scott. I knew it would happen for them because Blade was a man who made sure he got what he wanted. And as much as Layla was a kick ass chick who pulled him into line when needed, we all knew she needed Blade as much as she needed the air she breathed. They were a couple you just knew would last forever.

“Harlow!” Velvet called out from the table where she sat with Nash.

Changing my direction, I headed over to see what she wanted. “What’s up?”

“I just wanted to tell you that Scarlett’s done an amazing job!”

Looking around at the decorations in the restaurant, I agreed. Scarlett had brought Trilogy to life. “She really has.”

“She might be a moody bitch, but she’s pulled off a great party today,” Nash admitted with only a small amount of grumbling in his tone. It was no secret that he and Scarlett clashed, but he always gave credit where it was due. “Fuck knows how Wilder manages to work with her as closely as he does and not kill her, though.”

At my suggestion, Wilder had hired Scarlett just after Scott and I got married. I decided Storm’s restaurants could do with an image update, and after seeing examples of Scarlett’s decorating talents, I knew she was the right person for the job. She hadn’t wanted to work for Storm, but her dwindling finances had dictated a need to find work, and the universe had conspired to bring us all together.

The rest was history.

Well, maybe not. Maybe there was more to this story. I watched as Scarlett argued with Wilder over something and wondered how long it would take those two to admit their attraction. They’d known each other a year now, and the sparks were wild.

“Have you seen Scott?” I asked Nash.

“No, but check with Griff. He’s with Sophia at the bar,” he suggested.

“Thanks, will do,” I said.

A few moments later, I met Sophia’s gaze and smiled. Griff sat facing the bar and Sophia stood in front of him with her arms around his neck. I’d known her for a year now, and I swore she seemed happier every passing week. The same could be said for Griff. He’d gone from a man of few words, who I hardly knew, to one of my closest friends over this past year. “Hey, Harlow,” she greeted me. “Great party.”

“It would be if I could find my husband,” I grumbled.

Griff turned his head. “I saw him about ten minutes ago, out in the kitchen. Try there, otherwise ask Wilder.”

My impatience was kicking in.

I need to do this now.

“Okay, thanks. Oh, and your house warming is next weekend, right?” They’d recently built a new home and had finally moved in.

Sophia beamed. “Yes, you guys are coming, aren’t you? For the love of God, please tell me you are. I’ve got so many people coming who I don’t even really know, partners of work mates and friends of my sisters, and you just know I’m going to spend all day rambling about shit if I get nervous. I need you to be there, Harlow, to help centre me and tell me to calm down.” Her eyes bulged with desperation and I couldn’t stop myself from laughing. Sophia was uniquely her own woman and it was one of the many things I loved about her. The way words just fell out of her mouth always made me smile. Especially that. There should be more women like her – we could all do with the honesty.

I reached out and placed my hand on her arm. “I promise I’ll be there.”

She exhaled her relief. “Oh, thank goodness.”

“I’ll be back soon, but I really need to find Scott.”

She waved me away. “Go.”

A couple of moments later, I pushed through the door that led to the kitchen. It was a hive of activity, but Scott was not out there.

Damn.

Where is he?

I pulled out my phone and sent him another text, my third so far.

Me: Where are you???? Stop ignoring me or else I will withdraw husband privileges for at least a week.

His reply came through swiftly. Funny how threats like that always worked with men.

Scott: I could go a week, but you couldn’t.

Me: Ha! You wanna test that theory?

Scott: Sure. I give you two days at the most before you come begging for my cock.

Me: Tell me where you are and I will come begging for it now.

Scott: I’m in the car park.

Me: Are you hiding from me?

Scott: Fuck no.

Me: Lucky.

When I finally caught sight of him, my heart swelled with love. My hand absently moved to my stomach as I stilled and watched him.

He was with Lisa and they both had their heads under the hood of his Charger. She was listening to him intently while he pointed at various parts of the engine and explained something to her. Memories of my own father doing the same thing slammed into me, and tears pricked my eyes.

I walked the short distance to them, and they both turned their heads when they heard me approaching.

“Hey, Harlow,” Lisa said with an easy smile.

“Hi, Honey,” I returned her smile before looking at Scott. “Hey.” God, I love this man. Hard.

He leant over and kissed me. “Sorry, sweetheart, Lisa’s assignment is due at school tomorrow and she was struggling with one part, so I wanted to explain it to her before I got carried away with the party.”

Lisa loved everything to do with cars and had chosen to do one of her assignments on car engines. Scott had been helping her with it for weeks and I’d decided there wasn’t much on this planet better than watching a man helping their child. Although Lisa was not our child, we both treated her as if she was. Her mother had come a long way, and I was confident in her recovery from drug addiction, but we would never stop thinking of Lisa as part of our family.

“I’ve got it now, so I’m going to go back inside and hang out if that’s okay,” Lisa said.

“Sure, darlin’,” Scott agreed. Jerking his chin towards the restaurant, he added, “Don’t let that boy treat you like shit, or I’ll be having words with him.”

Lisa blushed. “I won’t.”

I smacked him as we watched her run inside. “Did you have to say that?”

His laughing eyes came to mine, and I sucked in a breath at the crinkles that decorated them. Those damn crinkles. They get me every time. “It’s her first boyfriend, Harlow, and I’m going to make damn sure she learns straight off the bat that she’s entitled to have expectations of being treated a certain way. No boy will ever walk all over her if I have my way.”

“Do you know how much I love you, Scott Cole?” I asked as I pressed my body against his.

He took hold of my face and angled my mouth to his. “Almost as much as I love you,” he murmured before kissing me again, this time slower and deeper.

My tummy fluttered, just like it always did when he kissed me. I moaned into his mouth. “Baby, I have something to tell you.”

He pulled his face away from mine and said, “That you’re glad you married me one year ago? That this is the best first anniversary you’ve ever had?”

“You are playful today, aren’t you?”

He shrugged. “Life’s good, Harlow. Storm’s had a year of no huge problems, I’ve got a beautiful baby daughter, a happy family and a sexy-as-fuck wife whose favourite thing to do is wrap her lips around my dick…I’ve got all the reasons in the world to smile.”

I let his words work their way through my soul, loving how good they felt. And then I whispered, “I’ve got one more reason for you to smile.”

The world around us quietened and slowed as he processed what I said. He stayed silent for what felt like an eternity, before finally demanding, “Tell me.”

I reached for his hand and placed it on my belly. “You’re going to be a daddy again.”

His eyes searched mine as his lips slowly spread into the Scott-Cole smile I lived for. “I’m going to be a daddy again,” he repeated what I said.

“Yes.”

Sliding his arms around me, he pulled me to him again. “This is the best first wedding anniversary I’ve ever had,” he said as his eyes flared with more of the playfulness I could easily get used to.

“Me too, but can I ask you a favour?”

“Depends. How hard is it?”

“Possibly really hard for you.”

He chuckled. “Hit me, sweetheart.”

“Do you think we could try not to have a repeat of this on our second anniversary?”

“I’m not fuckin’ guaranteeing anything. Trying to get you pregnant has become my favourite pastime.”

“What do you mean ‘trying to get me pregnant’? Have you been plotting this?”

“You didn’t realise?”

“No, I just thought it was your love of getting your dick out that was going on. I had no idea it was all part of your life plan.”

He placed another kiss on my lips. “Well, I do love getting my dick out, but I also love you being pregnant. Nothing better than seeing my woman with my child in her belly.”

“You just loved how big my boobs got.” I continued to play with him. This was too much fun.

His eyes dropped to my breasts. “Jesus, how could I forget? Fuck, so many things to look forward to.”

I took a deep breath before asking him the one thing I had to know. “So, you’re not upset that I’m pregnant again so soon?” I’d discovered my pregnancy a few days ago and had spent that time worrying about telling him. Aurora was only four months old and I’d never expected to get pregnant again so fast.

He tightened his hold on me and his playful mood disappeared. The Scott Cole I knew and loved returned, and reminded me why I loved him so much. “Harlow, there isn’t a damn thing you could do that would cause me to get upset with you. You’re my world, you and Aurora, and any other children we have, and I will always be standing right by your side, holding your hand, and facing whatever we have to face. Together.”

“I love you,” I said. I had so many words inside that I could say to try and express my love and thankfulness for him, but those three words pretty much covered it all.

He held me and kissed me for a long time. We probably would have stayed there for hours, but Madison interrupted us.

“You two! Everyone’s been looking for you guys. I mean, this is your party and all,” she said while staring at us in exasperation.

I grinned as I stepped out of Scott’s embrace. “You’re just irritated that you had to get off your chair and come looking for us,” I teased her as I rubbed her heavily pregnant stomach. She was due any day now and her cranky mood was at epic levels.

“Fuck you,” she muttered and turned to stomp back inside.

Scott placed his arm over my shoulders and we followed her. “It’s a shame your Mum isn’t here for the party,” he said. “Where is she now?”

She’d come home for Aurora’s birth and had stayed a few months, but had flown out of the country again two weeks ago. “I Skyped with her this morning, she’s in Hawaii, and she’s met another man.”

“Fuck, I hope this one is better than her last one because I’m not fuckin’ joking, Harlow…if he breaks her heart, I’ll break his goddamn legs.”

J met us at the front door of Trilogy as Scott issued his threat of breaking legs. He raised his brows. “Whose legs are we breaking, brother?” he asked.

“Don’t encourage him!” Sharon chastised J, but I took in the happy smile on her face. She now held Aurora who reached for her daddy as soon as she saw him come in.

I couldn’t hold them in any longer – my tears began falling. They weren’t tears of sadness, but rather of happiness. As I stood in the entry to the restaurant and surveyed the room full of our family and friends, I knew deep in my soul that I was beyond blessed.

For all the struggles we’d been through, we’d come out stronger.

We’d fought for love and we’d won.

And life was even better for it.

Acknowledgments

To my readers – from the bottom of my heart, thank you for loving my characters as much as I do. Thank you for your friendships. Thank you for your kindness. I truly have the best readers in the world. Command was the last book in this first instalment of the Storm MC Series, but it is definitely not the end of the Storm MC! Havoc’s book is up next, and did you see what I did with Wilder? You’ve gotta know that he’s getting a book soon! OH, and what about King? God, I think I want that man for myself… keep an eye out for his book, too. I did plan to write it last in the Sydney Storm MC series, but I’ve fallen hard for him and I think I’m going to move it up on the list.

To my friend, Jodie – I treasure our friendship so much. I never imagined it to grow how it has, but I’m so very blessed to have you in my life. Thank you for showing me how to be a better friend. Thank you for encouraging me to be the best version of me. Thank you for teaching me that some people can suck my big, hard cock. I really don’t think you know just how amazing you are, my friend xx

To my long suffering editor, Karen – thank you for putting up with me… again! Thank you for understanding that sometimes the words just don’t come. I truly value your encouragement and support.

To Eric Battershell – thank you for your photo that graces my cover. It is the exact right image for this book and I am in love with it more today than when I bought it. I loved meeting you earlier this year and hope to see you again soon. You have a beautiful soul, Eric – never change for anyone xx

To Letitia, my cover designer – thank you for creating my favourite cover to date! I can’t wait to get this book in paperback – I may stare at it for hours!! xx

To my bloggers – thank you for everything you do. Having been a blogger before, I truly do not believe most authors quite understand the dedication you have and the hours you put in. I do, and I am so thankful for it all.

To my girls in Levine’s Ladies and Team Levine – I want to acknowledge every single one of you amazing ladies who has taken the time to chat with me, share my books and support me, but honestly, there are so many that I am afraid I will forget some, and in my mind that would be worse than not naming anyone. Please know that if we have chatted in my group or online anywhere, I treasure our friendship. Some people think social media is the devil…I don’t, I love what it has given me in some very special friendships.

To Patti West – thank you for contributing the Sex In A Pan recipe for Harlow to make for Scott. And for your beautiful friendship, too. I can’t wait to meet you one day, Patti. I adore you – you have a heart of gold and are so kind and giving xx

To my family and friends – thank you for loving me and supporting me as I reach for my dreams. I love you all.

Command Playlist

Sending a huge shout-out to my Levine’s Ladies for their help compiling this playlist!

This Means War – Nickelback

Sad – Maroon 5

Never Tear Us Apart – INXS

Last Request – Paolo Nutini

Locked Away – R. City, Adam Levine

Scars – James Bay

Incomplete – James Bay

Wings – Birdy

Beautiful War – Kings of Leon

Thank You For Loving Me – Bon Jovi

God Gave Me You – Blake Shelton

Bless The Broken Road – Rascal Flatts

Loving You Easy – Zac Brown Band

Love Me Like You Do – Ellie Goulding

Like A Wrecking Ball – Eric Church

All Of Me – John Legend

Breathing – Lifehouse

Hanging By A Moment – Lifehouse

Everything – Lifehouse

Family Tree – Kings of Leon

More Than Words – Extreme

Unbreakable – Jamie Scott

Right Here Waiting – Richard Marx

Trade Hearts – Jason Derulo

Give Me A Sign – Breaking Benjamin

Yours To Hold – Skillet

Broken – Seether, Amy Lee

Recovery – James Arthur

Appreciated – Rixton

Nobody Knows – Pink

Tumble and Fall – Little Big Town

Just Give Me A Reason – Pink. Nate Ruess

Try – Pink

Drag Me Down – One Direction

By The Grace of God – Katy Perry

Waiting For Superman – Daughtry

What’s Up – 4 Non Blondes

Brave – Sara Bareilles

Break On Me – Keith Urban

Making Memories of Us – Keith Urban

For You – Keith Urban