ROYAL ROCK(153)

“I never thought it was going to happen. Hell, I thought you were going to own ten cats and write letters to your local newspaper every day.”

“Me too, honestly.” We laughed together, enjoying the amazing weather. I felt on top of the world, like nothing could stop me. It was like a dream, like I was walking through a dream, except I was awake and it was happening.

“And him? Never seemed like your type, honestly. But damn does he clean up.”

I felt a thrill run through me and smiled, catching Nate’s eye. He smiled back, looking incredible in his tuxedo. My toes laced through the sand, and everything felt right. I looked out over the water, the private beach empty except for us and the guests. I caught sight of a boat floating slowly in the distance, bobbing up and down with the waves.

The ceremony and the receptions were held on the beach in the Outer Banks near my father’s house. It was the perfect place with the perfect people, and I was finally meeting so many of Nathan’s SEAL friends. They were all an intense bunch but funny and incredible. His mother hadn’t shown up, despite the fact that I had sent her an invitation and personally left her a few messages. Ever since the divorce from my dad, she had really spiraled. Apparently she was hiding out with some movie producer doing coke all day and trying to get into acting. She didn’t seem to want anything to do with her son or his future wife. Nate said good riddance, and that was that.

Meanwhile, my whole big family had shown up: aunts, uncles, grandparents, everyone, plus my dad’s business associates, friends from school, and more. So many more. I barely knew all of the people, but I didn’t care. I was too busy floating on air.

Everything was white, so incredibly white, clean and smooth and modern. My dad had gone all out for the wedding, hiring anyone I’d wanted, buying anything we had needed. He had said that I was his only daughter and that he wanted to give me the most incredible wedding possible. Frankly, I could have married Nate in a run-down motel in front of strangers and it would have been amazing, but I couldn’t complain. The day was perfect.

Lydie had been an incredible maid of honor, taking care of anything I had needed and smoothing over any problems as they had risen. I had been worried that she was basically just going to be too drunk to function at all, but she had been surprisingly sober and incredible. I guess she was probably starting to grow up.

I looked down at my finger, at the rings, and my heart skipped a beat. Mrs. Nathan Magnus, I thought to myself. I really was his and always would be.

“Drinks!” Lydie handed me a shot, pretty much out of nowhere, and I threw it back.

“Can’t be sober at your own wedding reception!”

Suddenly she grabbed my hand and tugged me over to the dance floor where a live band was playing. We danced and I lost myself in the music. Soon, Nathan showed up, and we danced together like we had in the club, all those nights ago. Maybe not so sexual, since we were at my wedding, after all, but the intense focus and chemistry was still there.

“How’s it feel?” he whispered in my ear.

“What?”

“Being married.”

“It feels . . . right.”

“Yeah.” He grinned at me, that heartbreaking, incredible smile. “It does.”

We danced together, out bodies pressed close. Lydie made plenty of jokes, of course, and we lost ourselves in the party.

I had never expected it, any of it. I had disliked Nathan, despite being attracted to him. But as time went by, I had found myself spiraling further and further into him, needing him, wanting him.

And then suddenly the party was over way too fast, and he was carrying me off, away from the reception. People cheered and laughed as he walked up the familiar path back toward my dad’s house—ours for the next month.

“Ready to make this thing official?” Nate said in my ear as he carried me upstairs.

“I think it was official when the priest told us to kiss,” I said, giggling.

He threw me down onto the bed, and I laughed. “Not what I meant.”

And then his hands, his fingers, his tongue and lips and more were all over my body.

He was mine, my ex-stepbrother the SEAL, my husband the SEAL. It was our first sweaty night as a married couple, but I knew there were many, many more to come.

Life with Nate was exciting, uncertain, and incredible. He made every breath better.

That was how I wanted to live: with him and for him, forever, together.