We boarded the plane and she still had not stopped. She asked a million questions, but not about where we were going. That's another thing, if I told her I would explain something later she pretty much took my word for it and waited without badgering me to death. That was a condition most adults couldn't even master. I was sure it had something to do with her upbringing but I saw it as strength.
So her questions had nothing to do with what you'd expect of a female, especially one so young on her first flying adventure, instead my Blossom wanted to know everything about the plane. How it worked, could she see the controls? She was like a kid in a candy store. Her excitement almost made me forget why we were here in the first place.
"Would you like to take flying lessons little one?"
Her eyes and mouth opened wide as she nodded her head not quite able to speak it appeared. So adorably cute I couldn't resist kissing her lips closed, just a soft brush from mine to hers. "So you shall have them I'll teach you myself." I couldn't wait to show her the world out there, open up all the wonders that she'd been missing.
She jabbered away at me a mile a minute until I had to recall everything I'd ever learned about flying, I think I still had some old manuals at home I'll have to remember to dig them out for her. Was I ever this excited about anything as a teen? I'm sure there were tines I was, but usually I took most things in stride. I guess that comes from living a life of privilege, you just expected everything to be as you wanted it. With her I suppose I'll be seeing the world in a whole new light.
"You didn't get to finish lunch baby how about something to eat?" She was practically vibrating with excitement and it was all I could do not to laugh. She put her hand over her tummy shaking her head. "I'm not hungry Gideon." Too much excitement I guess, all the same she had to have something she hadn't eaten since breakfast, which had been fruit and cereal. "Just have a little snack for me okay?" She consented to an apple and I guess I had to be satisfied with that.
She put her head on my shoulder and took my hand in hers. I smelt her hair and her soft scent tickled my nose. I think she fell asleep within minutes of laying her head there. So innocent, so trusting, and just like that the anger was back.
I put my arms around her as we flew off into the sky, vowing to myself that I would rid her of every threat to her happiness, no one would ever again be allowed to harm her not in anyway. I had already set things in motion to protect her, what I was about to do will be the first major step in putting myself between her and danger. But there was still much to be done and time was of the essence. There isn't anything I wouldn't do to safeguard her.
What was the use of me having all this power if I wasn't going to use it? Especially to protect my own, which she now was, now and forever if I had my way. I sat there holding her while she slept my mind forming and discarding ideas, there was no longer any doubt in my mind that the asshole had to be destroyed. I'd thought to spare him because of what it might do to her but he was more of a danger to her than anything else. I couldn't let that stand. She made waking sounds and stretched in my arms.
"Ashley, do you remember when I asked you to marry me?"
She nodded her head against my chest and squeezed me without moving.
"Well, it looks like we're going to be doing it a lot sooner than I thought."
"Really?" She squealed and picked her head up, asking a thousand questions at once until some of the light faded from her face.
"Your mom didn't want to do it?" Shit, I should've known she would think something like that. I didn't want to tell her the truth about why we were racing across the sky to get hitched in a quickie ceremony. But I wouldn't have her thinking that her new mother in law hated her either.
"Baby, it's not that, it's just … I gave it some thought and in order for us to get your father's name removed as your guardian and take away all his power over you, this is the best thing to do. I just don't want to wait any longer. If you want to have a ceremony and celebration later then that's what we'll do, but I want us to be married as soon as possible." There that sounded feasible, though why the fuck I was protecting that asshole I don't know. You're not protecting him you're protecting her heart the truth would destroy her.
"I don't need a ceremony Gideon remember, that was for your mom and your friends. I don't have anyone to invite so..." She shrugged her shoulders, having no idea that she'd just gutted me with her innocent acceptance of her fate up to this point. She'd also just sealed Cliff Sanders and Keith Stark's fate they were both fucked.
I sent her to the restroom to change into the dress I'd bought her for the occasion. It was just a simple ivory colored silk sheath with matching flats, my baby does not like heels. Her only Jewelry was her new ear studs, and later the rock I had picked out for her finger. I hope she liked it I'd not had the time I would've liked to choose and since it was going to be gracing her finger for the next sixty or seventy years I needed it to be spectacular. The jeweler had assured me that it was the best of its kind.
When she came out of the room, hair brushed and flowing down her back, holding the little nosegay of flowers I'd had the presence of mind to grab, she looked simply stunning.
"Gorgeous." She blushed, smiled at me, and hid behind her hair.
"Come sit with me, we're almost there."
We landed and headed for the waiting limo, which took us to the prearranged destination. For something that had been thrown together last minute things were going rather smoothly. That's what having money and power can do, it removes obstacles, and makes shit happen.
The ceremony was short and to the point, but it got the job done. We walked out of there as husband and wife. Ashley never stopped smiling the whole time and her grip on my arm was very comforting. She was happy, that seems to be my only goal these days, making her happy and that smile alone was worth everything I'd had to do to get us here.
"We'll go have dinner and spend the night here, tomorrow we'll be back home, but when school lets out for the summer we'll go on our honeymoon okay?"
She just nodded as she gazed at her ring for the one-hundredth time. I'm glad I'd gone for the three carat round surrounded by smaller circular stones and the matching wedding band. My own ring was a plain platinum band that said all I needed it to say. I was taken.
She was back to jabbering away about everything which made me feel like a youngster again, she found such delight in everything it was impossible not to be sucked in to her pleasure.
Dinner was a simple affair. She was too excited to eat so we had tropical salads with grilled pineapple and strawberries tossed in romaine with pineapple vinaigrette, topped with blackened Mahi Mahi. She was tired after that so it was back to the hotel for the night and then off again in the morning. My wife needed to go back to school. Fuck me.
Back in the presidential suite of the hotel Ashley said she had to run down to the lobby for something. I had no idea what that could be but let her make her mad dash. There was no danger here, and even if there was, the men I had on her were more than capable of dealing with it, so I went and took my shower while she ran downstairs.
She was back when I returned and rushed into the bathroom as soon as I was coming out.
"I won't be long."
"What's in the bags?"
"It's a surprise."
I just kissed her forehead and left it at that.
I sat up in bed going over some proposals from today's missed meetings. I knew there wasn't going to be a traditional wedding night and I was fine with that. She was mine now and that's all I cared about. No one would ever take her from me and anyone who tried will learn fast what it meant to face the wrath of Gideon Thorpe. With my mind settled where her safety was concerned it was safe to turn my mind to other matters, anything but the missed wedding night.
When she first came out of the bathroom I didn't lift my head right away. I was so caught up in what I was doing that I hadn't heard her enter. Then her scent drifted to me and I raised my head and almost choked on my own saliva.
Merciful heavens, she was...she looked...
"Blossom!" I couldn't form the words, she was stunning, beautiful, astounding, I can't...she was also trying to kill me. I had to remind my dick that she was still too young and that no matter what we will not touch her, not yet, not until she was older.