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Oak/Roman

“How’re things, Drake?”

“Good thanks, Chief.”

“Willa doing well?”

“Yes, sir.  She’s due in two months.”

“Goes quick.  You won’t know yourself, son.”

“No, I don’t think I will.”  I shake my head and chuckle.

Dunlop walks into the room, followed by Mason.  The Chief called a meeting with us all, and since I’m not sure what it’s about, I’m a little nervous.

“Boys, I wanted to be the first to let you know that all members of the Zephyrs MC and those of the Sea Dragons MC that were apprehended as part of the operation Oklahoma, have all been sentenced to prison.”

“About time,” I mutter.  The others grunt in agreement.  The case had been repeatedly delayed thanks to sly tactics from the defense attorneys involved.  Thankfully, the judge has finally had enough and made his ruling.

“The shortest sentence was fourteen years, the longest, twenty four years,” Chief adds.  “The world’s a better place, boys.  Thank you for the good job you did.  I appreciate it.”

“Thanks, Chief.”  He shakes each of our hands in turn and then we’re free to leave.

Taking Willa’s hand, I lead her up the path, careful to kick anything out of the way she might trip over.

“Roman, is this really necessary.” She giggles. 
Fuck, I love that sound.

“It is.  Just be patient.  Step up once.  And, again.  Once more.  Okay good.  Keep coming, straight ahead.”

I place the key in the lock and turn it.  The door swings open and I lead Willa inside.  We walk through the house and into the room that I hope she loves as much as I do.

I stand behind her, with one hand resting on her generous stomach.  Using my other hand, I deftly peel away her blindfold.  I wait silently, while she takes in the room.

“Roman,” she gasps.  “What is this?”

“This is our new home, if you want it.”

“Wow,” she breathes.  “It’s beautiful.”

She turns, taking in the whole room.  The walls are baby blue, with white trim.  Perfect for when our baby boy comes.

“There’s a large closet through that door,” I say, pointing.  “We can set the cradle up in that corner, and put one of those rocking chairs near the window, so you can look out over the woods while you’re feeding him,” I tell her, letting her in on my dreams for this house.

“I think,” she pauses for a moment and I wait anxiously.  “I think that Archer is going to love this room.” She turns and looks up at me, a smile on her face, and unshed tears in her eyes.  “And, I just know he’s going to love having that big backyard to play in.”

“Come with me, I want you to see the rest of the house.”

I take her hand and proceed to show her the huge open plan kitchen and living area, the library, with its floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, and each of the three other bedrooms, including the master bedroom, with its own bathroom included, complete with spa bath.

“This house, it’s…oh, my gosh, babe.  It’s stunning.  It’s
massive
.”  Her eyes widen.  “Do we really need a house this big?”

I nod.  We sure as fuck do need a house this big, because I plan on filling every single one of those bedrooms with babies.  We might even have to do some renovations in the future to add
more
bedrooms.  I keep that myself, though.  I don’t need to freak my woman out.

Willa was content to stay in my apartment, but I wanted our child to have a big backyard to play in.  Carly rented an apartment in the same complex as ours a few months ago, so Rad was more than willing to lease ours from us when I mentioned my plan to him a few weeks ago.  Since Carly moved to Denver, he has been on a mission to win her over.  Something she is definitely making him work hard for.

“For the size and location, this place is a steal, babe. We’d be crazy not to snap it up.”

“Okay,” she agrees with a shrug.

“Okay?”

“Yep.”

“Good.  Now for part two of my surprise.”

“There’s a part two?” she gapes. 

“Come on.”

“I’m excited.” 
I hope she stays that way when she finds out the next part.

We move through the house and I open the twin doors leading out on to the back deck.  Tears spring to her eyes when she notices the candlelit picnic I have set up and waiting.

“Baby,” she sobs.  “It’s beautiful.”

She ain’t seen nothing yet!

“How did you manage to do this? Does the realtor know?”

Along with the picnic, I also strung up a bunch of fairy lights and laid out some rose petals, which I’m surprised haven’t blown away already.

“The realtor wouldn’t care, darlin’, because we own this house.”

I try not to laugh, but it’s hard. She looks like a fish out of water, the way her mouth is gaping open and then shutting again.

“What do you mean, we own this house?  Do we actually, like,
own
it?”

“As of today, yes.  I knew you’d love it as much as me, but if you didn’t, we could have sold it and found something else.”

“You’re the most amazing man I’ve ever met in my entire life, Roman Drake.”  She goes up on her toes and I bring my mouth down on hers to give her a bruising kiss.  I make sure not to crush her against me like I want to, though.  I don’t want to hurt my son, or my woman.  “I love you.”

“Do you love me enough to want me as your husband?” I murmur against her lips, ignoring the way my heart is slamming into my chest.

“Ohmigod,” she whispers.

I take the ring from my pocket at the same time as I drop to my knee.

“Willa,” I start, but I pause to clear the emotion clogging my throat.  “Baby, I love you more than anything in this world, and I can’t imagine having another woman standing beside me for the rest of my life.  You’re the most amazing person I’ve ever met, and I would be honored if you would become my wife.

“Marry me.”

“Yes.  Oh, my gosh, yes.”  Tears are streaming down her face.  I slide the ring on her finger and stand.  I wipe the tears from her cheeks and then kiss her.

My woman, soon to be my wife.

My life.

My love.

***

Willa

I told Roman I wanted to wait about a year before we got married. 

He suggested we only wait four weeks!

In the end we compromised and agreed to wed in five months.  That gave me about twelve weeks to lose the extra baby weight I had piled on during my pregnancy. 

My body had snapped back to normal pretty quickly, anyway, save for a bit of loose skin and a few extra pounds.  My Spanx would hold all that in.

Standing in front of the mirror, I look at myself.  My white dress is comprised of layers upon layers of the softest lace I’ve ever felt.  It sits off my shoulders and skims my body until it reaches the floor.  It’s flowy and ethereal. 
Just gorgeous
.  My hair is held together by loose braids, interwoven with tiny white flowers.

“Ready?” Carly asks with a smile.  She looks beautiful as my bridesmaid.  Her deep blue cocktail dress fits her perfectly, and the soft chignon is her hair is just right.

I nod.  “Yes.

I follow Carly through mine and Roman’s home and out onto the back deck where he proposed a few short months ago.  In our backyard, down on the edge of the woods that our property backs up to, I see our guests.

My eyes find Roman’s first.  He looks nervous, but incredibly handsome in his suit.  He rocks slightly on his heels and then looks up, seeing me for the first time.  The look on his face is indescribable.  Even from here, I can see the love pouring off him.

Cradled tenderly in his arms is our son.  Archer Tyrone Drake was born right on his due date, after a torturous thirteen-hour labor.  He looks so much like his daddy.  His hair is jet black and his eyes are already turning chocolate brown.  His skin is the same caramel color as his father, and when he pulls his plump little lips into a grin, my heart melts.

Standing beside Roman as his best man is Cooper Dunlop. 

My eyes sweep through the small crowd waiting for me.  We wanted to keep the wedding small, just close family and friends.  So along with Cooper, we also invited Jury Mason and his pregnant wife, Nicole.  I’ve grown close to her over the last couple of months, and we’ve really bonded.  Roman’s Chief, Pierce Watson, is also here.  Of course, Raymond and Cynthia are sitting front row with the biggest smiles on their faces.

Beside me, waiting to walk me down the makeshift aisle to the man of my dreams, is my big brother, Rad.  I give him an elbow in the side and he rips his gaze from Carly’s ass and offers me his arm.

“Ready, sis?”

“Yep.”  I slide my hand through the crook of his elbow.

Roman and I promise to love and cherish each other for the rest of our lives.  We promise to trust each other, and to forsake all others.  We promise to always be there for each other, and to bring out the best in each other.  Then I slide a thick white gold band on Roman’s left hand, and he returns the favor, placing a diamond encrusted white gold band on mine.  We seal the deal with a scorching kiss to the cheers of our family and friends.

Our reception is held in a pavilion-tent we erected in our yard.  Our wedding planner decked it out with fairy lights and flowers, giving the yard a beautiful, romantic feel.

“Hey there, husband.”
I wonder if I’ll always smile when I call him that?
  Probably not, Roman has an innate ability to piss me off.  But, he also has the ability to have me smiling again, usually within minutes.

“Hey there, wife,” he replies.  My insides clench.  I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of hearing the sound of his voice. 
Like honey gliding over sandpaper…

“Ready for our first dance?” I waggle my eyebrows.

“Sure am, baby.”  He takes my hand and leads me onto the makeshift dance floor just as Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” starts to play.  I rest my head on his shoulder as he guides us around, rocking slowly in time with the music.  His head drops down and he begins to sing along, close to my ear, filling my stomach with butterflies. 

As the song comes to an end, another takes its place and our guests filter onto the dance floor to join us.  Raymond waltzes past us with a smiling Cynthia in his arms.  She gives us a wink as they float across the floor.  I see Rad over in the corner talking to someone, and it isn’t until we shift slightly to the side that I see it’s Carly.  She shakes her head to whatever he’s asking her, which causes him to throw his arms in the air.  He talks some more, his face turning gentle, and then I see her nod her head.  He takes her hand and leads her on to the dance floor. 
Progress!
 

He looks like the cat that got the cream, and she looks disgruntled.  But, I’m not silly.  I can see straight through that look of hers.  I bet she’s really ecstatic.  I catch her eye and give her a sly smile, to which she gives me a scowl.  I smile harder.

My eyes find Nicole and Jury, who are sitting huddled together.  In her arms, resting on her seven month pregnant stomach, is Archer.  Sweet, beautiful Archer.  Happy tears blur my vision and I snuggle into my husband.

My husband!

My love.

My life.

~The End~

Keep reading for an excerpt of UnTouch Me, by Dawn Martens.  Coming April 2015

The Past

By the time I get home, it’s almost noon. Mom’s gonna kill me. I promised her I’d be back by eight last night. I open the front door, and instantly, I know something is wrong. The house is too quiet. My mom always has the TV blaring the news first thing in the morning while she enjoys her coffee.  The TV is off, blinds are drawn shut. “Mom?” I yell. I know I should have at least called or something, but I lost track of time. I was too wrapped up in being with Vinny.

My dad ended up moving up to Calgary, opened a law firm. My parents never got married; actually, I was a result of their one night stand. What can I say- my mom’s sort of a slut, but I don’t judge her. Hell, when my dad does end up visiting, which now that he moved away is maybe once a year if that, him and Mom always end up in bed together. It’s weird.  I don’t know what to make of it really.

Mom walks slowly out of the kitchen, eyes red from crying. “What’s wrong?” I ask worriedly. Why is she crying? Is it because she was afraid something happened to me? I didn’t mean to upset her. I know I should have called, but I just wasn’t thinking. I smile on the inside, thinking about the taste of Vinny’s lips lingering on my own. That boy, he knows how to kiss—among other things.

“It’s Eden, honey,” she says quietly, surprising me. I was so sure I was about to get my ass chewed for staying out all night. “Come, let’s have a seat.” She takes my hand tenderly and pulls me into the living room to the couch. I tuck my feet underneath me after toeing off my shoes and wait for what she has to say. But she stares at me blankly, working over something in her head.

“What’s wrong with Eden?” I ask, snapping her out of her trance. Eden’s father is a piece of shit, and if there is bad news about Eden, I fear it’s something really, really bad. I’m scared something’s happened to my friend. I’m afraid her dad has done something to her.

“She left, honey. She took the bus out late last night,” she tells me gently, rubbing her fingers soothingly over my knuckles. I’m not sure if the gesture is to give her comfort or me.

I frown. “What? Why would she just leave? Did her mom go with her?” Why would one of my best friends just up and leave without so much as a goodbye. Eden and I tell each other everything- well, almost everything. I think about the fact that I’ve kept seeing Vinny a secret from her.

Mom chews on her bottom lip, as if wondering what to tell me. “Yes, she ran with her mother.” The way she says it, I know she’s keeping something from me. “We can’t tell anyone, not even the boys. No one can know. You have to promise me,” she says urgently. Her worried eyes are begging me to keep this secret.

“I don’t understand, Mom,” I tell her, confused. What’s changed? Last time I talked to Eden, she was excited, said she was ready to go all the way with her boyfriend Jasper. My mind shifts to Jasper. How’s he going to react when he realizes she’s gone? He’s always been so possessive when it comes to Eden.

“If William finds out where they are, he’ll kill them. Eden promised to keep in touch, but she begged me to make sure not one person knew anything about where she is or why, okay?” she says.

“Is she okay?” I ask, wanting to know how my friend is.

Mom shakes her head slightly. “I don’t know, baby. I don’t know,” she whispers. Mom wraps her arms around my shoulders and kisses me on the temple. “You smell like smoke. Go get in the shower, and I’ll fix us some breakfast.”

My mind is heavy with worry as I trudge to the bathroom for a shower. How in the hell am I going to keep my mouth shut when it comes to my friends? I picture Willy, Eden’s no good father in my head; he will kill them if he ever hears of this. Hell, he’d kill me if he thought I knew where they are. I have to keep this a secret—no one can know, not even Hilary, for now.

Stripping down to my undies, I turn the faucet and wait for the water to warm. I watch as the water circles the drain, feeling like the water is my life as it washes away. Everything I have come to know has changed; life as I’ve known it is going to be much different without Eden. I can already feel the weight of her secret bearing down on my shoulders.