The Tycoon's Captured Heart (13 page)

“Here’s the thing, Scarlett,” he muttered, moving closer to her, trying to put an arm around her shoulder but she pushed it off.  With a sigh, he took her hand.  “Scarlett, you know how the six of us have been over the years!  Those guys, they’re like your big brothers and you damn well know it!  And since,” he paused, his voice lowering, “since Uncle Charles died, I didn’t have anyone to ask.  I was…”

Scarlett instantly understood and all of her anger dissipated.  “You were asking those horrible men for my hand in marriage.  Right?” trying to encourage him, to fill in the awkward silence when he struggled to explain.

“Yes,” he replied gently, relieved that she finally understood what he had been attempting to do. 

Scarlett moved closer, her hands cupping his jaw tenderly and with all the love she was feeling.  “Grayson, you needed to ask me.  You should have known that those idiots would do something horrible to you.  It’s just their way.”  She heard a few grunts of disagreement but she ignored them.  Especially when she heard the ladies of the group shush each man in turn.  No one wanted to hear their protestations of innocence at this point. 

And she slipped into his arms, wrapping her own around his lean waist and laying her cheek against his chest. 

“Wait a minute,” Stefan straightened from his indolent position against the wall.  “You can’t forgive him that easily!”

Malik agreed.  “He walked out on you, honey.  You need to…” He stopped when Jina jabbed him in the stomach again.  He instantly grabbed her, pulling her closer so she couldn’t try again.  “He should…”

“Grovel!” Damon asserted moments before Sasha’s hand covered his mouth. 

“He should…” Harrison tried to add his advice, but Sierra’s glare told him he should just shut up.  He chuckled and pulled his wife against his side.  “By the way, old man, the castle is a wedding gift.”  Sierra’s smile brightened with excitement and Harrison squeezed her gently, demonstrating his love and silently telling her that she’d had a good idea. 

The ladies quickly herded their obnoxious husbands out of the foyer, giving Grayson and Scarlett some privacy. 

When they were finally alone, Grayson looked down at the woman he loved so painfully, he could barely breathe sometimes. 

He pulled a ring out of his pocket, the ring that he’d bought weeks ago.  “I’ve been carrying this around for way too long.  I was hoping to find a better place to ask you,” he said and took her hand, “but under the circumstances, I’m not going to wait any longer.”  Looking into her pretty, blue eyes, he said, “Scarlett, please marry me.  If I’d known that you loved me the way I loved you, I would have proposed years ago.  But I promise I won’t be a fool again.  I’ll…”

“Yes!” she cried and lifted up on her toes while, at the same time, pulling his head down so that she could kiss him.  “Yes!” she muttered in between breathtaking kisses. 

Scarlett stood at the back of the church, her mind spinning with excitement and hope. 

“You okay?” Sasha asked, seeing the look in Scarlett’s eyes and not sure what to make of it.

Scarlett turned and noticed four sets of eyes that were looking at her as if she might faint.  “Everything is perfect,” she replied, afraid to move for fear that this was a dream and she might wake up. 

The music changed and the ladies all took their places.  “Well, if you’re sure you want to go through with this,” Sierra commented, as if to say Scarlett was crazy to enter into a marriage with Grayson.

Scarlett laughed.  “Like you would let another woman marry your man?” she suggested.

Sierra chuckled.  “Not a chance,” she replied. 

“I thought so,” she said.  Sierra was almost as much in love with Harrison as Scarlett was with Grayson. 

“You look beautiful,” Jina said, giving Scarlett a gentle hug. 

Scarlett sighed happily.  “Thank you.”  Her eyes once again moved to the double doors, worry coming back into their blue depths.  “Is he really…?”

Sasha stepped closer.  “He’s not only there, waiting for you at the front of the church, but he’s been asking the same question to the guys for the past two hours.”

Livia nodded her head.  “If you don’t marry the man soon, he’s going to just pick you up and carry you off.” 

Scarlett definitely wouldn’t mind that.  Not one little bit! 

But the sound of the music increased just as the wedding coordinator opened the double doors.  One by one, the ladies stepped forward and walked down the aisle. 

Finally, it was her moment.  She straightened her dress and moved into place.  Just as the music changed, she took a deep breath, clenched the stems of her flowers and looked up, right into the eyes of her man.

After a month of crazy meetings, fittings, making decisions about flowers, food, the cake and location, she was finally hiere, finally about to marry Grayson. 

Grayson couldn’t believe how beautiful Scarlett looked.  It was almost as if he could see her blue eyes even as she stared at the back of the church and his whole body puffed up with pride that this was soon to be his wife.  His woman! 

The past month had been furiously tedious.  He didn’t understand why they couldn’t have just gotten married.  But now, seeing her in the flowing, white dress, seeing the happiness he was feeling reflected in her eyes and Grayson knew that the wait was well worth it.  He’d do just about anything for this woman. 

He knew that he was going to do just about everything to her.  As soon as he had her alone, he would start that exploration, he promised himself.

“You’re staring,” Malik teased, punching Grayson on the shoulder.

Grayson ignored him, continuing to look at his woman as she stepped closer and closer to him. 

“He’s supposed to be staring, you ass,” Harrison commented.  Vaguely, he heard Stefan and Damon comment about something but he ignored all of them.  After all the pranks they’d played on him this month, he was ready to just tie them all up until he was properly wed to Scarlett.  He didn’t trust them, not an inch, to mess things up for him. 

Damn, she was beautiful, he thought.  Just a few more steps. 

Moving forward, he took her hand in his and pulled her closer, wanting to feel everything about her.  “You look amazing,” he told her.  He was rewarded for his month long wait by the smile in her eyes with his words.  Never before had any woman made him wait.  Not like his Scarlett.  But it was all worth it. 

The minister started the service and Grayson thought about his beginnings, the parents he never knew, the scholarship to the boarding school and all the fights he’d initiated or ended when the other students didn’t accept him. 

But now he was standing next to the most beautiful woman in the world and she was about to become his wife.  His woman!  Scarlett was his, finally!  After years of loving her, he would finally have her by his side. 

“Do you take…” Scarlett stopped listening.  Yes.  The answer was always yes!  When the minister paused, she smiled up at Grayson and slid the platinum ring onto his finger.  “I do,” she finally said, relieved to be able to say those words. 

“Do you take…” Grayson waited impatiently.  But before the minister even finished, his voice rang out, “I do.”  He looked down at her fingers, sliding the platinum and diamond ring down her slender fingers and then closed his own around them as if to say that she could never take the ring off. 

“I now pronounce you husband and wife,” the minister announced. 

Grayson didn’t wait for permission.  As soon as the words were spoken, he took Scarlett into his arms.  Kissing her was better than breathing, he thought. 

The music started up and he lifted his head, seeing the sparkle of tears in her eyes.  “You okay?” he asked, running a finger down her soft cheek. 

“Better than okay,” she replied. 

Grayson squeezed her fingers, thought about kissing her once again, but knew it would be better if he could get her alone.  Turning around, he faced the crowd that was already on their feet, cheering loudly.  There were friends and clients and people he didn’t know or give a damn about.  The only people he cared about were the ones by his side and behind him as they filed out of the church. 

As soon as they were out in the narthex, he pulled Scarlett to the side and kissed her more thoroughly. 

“You’re mine now,” he growled a moment before his lips covered hers. 

Scarlett laughed, delighted with her handsome husband.  Throwing her arms around his neck, she lifted herself up higher.  “I’ve always been yours, my love.”

The following short story is a free follow-on to The Boarding School Series, starring Daniel Warner, Sierra’s brother from
The Duke’s Blackmailed Bride
.  Several readers wrote to me asking about Daniel, as well as other aspects of the series.  I hope you enjoy this story, and thanks for your support of The Boarding School Series!

Elizabeth Lennox

December, 2015

By Elizabeth Lennox

Copyright 2016

ISBN13: 9781944078126

All rights reserved

This is a work of fiction.  Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner.  Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.  Any duplication of this material, either electronic or any other format, either currently in use or a future invention, is strictly prohibited unless you have the direct consent of the author. 

If you download this material in any format, either electronic or other, on a non-sanctioned site, please be warned that you and the website are in violation of copyright infringement.  Financial and punitive damages may be pursued in whicheve
r legal venue is appropriate. 

“I knew I’d find you out here with the horses,” a deep, familiar voice said. 

Sierra swung around, her blue eyes wide with excitement.  “Daniel!” she exclaimed as she threw herself into his arms.  “You’re here!” she gasped and hugged her younger brother fiercely.  “The kids are going to be so excited to see you!”

Sure enough, two voices were screaming his name, and he released his sister just in time to grab his thirteen year old niece, Brea, as she flung herself into his arms.  Just seconds behind her was his ten year old nephew, Dan, named after his uncle – although only after he’d gotten his act together. 

Daniel hugged both of them, thankful that his big sister hadn’t ever given up on him all those years ago because he would have missed out on this: unconditional love. 

He’d gone through so much when he was seventeen after his father had died and his mother had committed suicide.  Drugs, theft, rebellion like no one’s business.  And all because he’d been in so much pain, so angry and confused!  He’d been an idiot.  Sierra had tried so many times to get through to him, but in the end, he’d just disappeared on her. 

Now, he couldn’t imagine a better place to be than here with his sister and her family. 

When he pulled back, he looked down at their smiling faces.  “You guys getting good grades?”

Dan jumped up and down.  “I got straight As this term!  Wanna see?”

Brea rolled her eyes, but still wrapped her arm around her little brother’s head.  It was her way of giving him a hug without actually giving him a real hug.  And Dan loved it, smiling like a goofball because his older sister was being nice to him. 

“He also got nominated for student vice president,” she told her Uncle Daniel.  “If I were there, I’d
probably
vote for him as well.”

That only caused young Dan to laugh and wrap his arms around Brea’s waist.  “She’d vote for me.”

Daniel laughed and ruffled his nephew’s hair.  “That’s great!  I saw your lacrosse game Saturday,” he told him.  “That was a great goal!”

Dan shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal, but it really was.  “I saw you from the field, but I know you had to leave.”

Brea’s eyes were wide as she said, “You were sitting next to me one moment and the next, you were gone.  What happened?  A big break in a case?  Did you have to go arrest someone?  Was there a gun fight?  Did you take a bullet?”

Daniel laughed at her questions and chucked his adorable niece on the chin, thinking to let Harrison know that he’d show up at the house with a marked police car for each of her dates, just so the guy knew not to mess with his beautiful niece.  When she started going out on dates, which he hoped was not for a very long time.

“Yes, a break in a case.  No, I didn’t arrest anyone and no gunfire so I didn’t take a bullet, you bloodthirsty wench!” but he was laughing as he answered all of her questions.

Harrison was leaning against the stable doors, his arms wrapped around his wife as he watched his kids interrogate their uncle.  But he noticed the look in Daniel’s eyes.  “I think Ruth needs some help in the kitchen.  Your uncle will stay for dinner,” he said and looked to Daniel for confirmation, receiving the nod before he continued, “but you need to help Ruth with your chores.”

Dan looked up at Brea.  “That means they need to talk about stuff they don’t want us to hear,” he said.

Brea rolled her eyes again, a natural occurrence for a teenager, apparently.  “Come on, nerd.  They want to talk without us.”

“How are we going to find out what they’re talking about?” he asked his sister as they started out of the stable. 

Brea looked at her brother with surprise.  “Dan, we always figure out what they’re discussing.  Trust me,” she urged.

Daniel watched his niece and nephew walk away, pride and gratitude in his eyes and his heart.  “They’re great kids, Sierra.”  He turned to look at his sister and her husband.  “Every time I see them, I’m grateful to both of you for not giving up on me when I was a stupid teenager.”

Sierra laughed.  “You’re the best uncle and they love you.  Thanks for not giving up on yourself.”  She smiled up at him, thanking God every day for bringing her little brother back from the dangerous path down which he was heading.  In retrospect, Sierra knew that she’d been too young to handle her parents’ deaths, her father’s arrest, the loss of their house and Daniel’s burning rage.  But Harrison had stepped in to help and things had slowly gotten better.  

Daniel was here for a reason though.  She could see it in his eyes.  “What’s on your mind?”

Daniel leaned against one of the stall doors.  “You know I’ve been investigating a crime ring over in the west side, right?”

Sierra stiffened, but Harrison’s arms tightened around her, reassuring her once again.  “Yes.  You told me that it was becoming violent.  What’s going on now?”

He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans.  Daniel might be a decorated, brilliant police detective, but he still wore the faded jeans and canvas jacket over a hoodie that he’d favored as a rebellious, angry teenager.  Not for the same reasons, thankfully.  The heavy coat and sweatshirt more easily concealed his pistol, which she knew he had on him at all times, and it also disguised the muscles in his tall frame.  He used to be a lanky, gregarious kid who’d gotten into trouble after their father died of a heart attack.  Sierra’s father had been arrested for embezzlement and their mother, shamed and rejected by the women she’d called “friends” but who had quickly distanced themselves from the scandal, committed suicide by taking a handful of sleeping pills.  Daniel had started down the wrong path, hanging out with a bad crowd that encouraged him to do stupid things, such as breaking and entering, theft and God knows what else.  He’d run away from her for a long time, but Harrison had known where he was.  He’d steered Daniel back to school, back to Sierra.  Finally, and not without some irony, Daniel had found an affinity for police work.  Very quickly, he’d worked his way up the ranks in the police force and he was awesome at his job. 

Now he just needed someone to love, a family.  Sierra knew he took too many risks with his life.  She wanted him to fall in love with someone special, someone to come home to each night.  A reason not to run into battle so recklessly. 

Daniel rubbed his hand over his handsome features.  “Your friend’s father, Livia?  Dan Morgan?”

Sierra stiffened once again in her husband’s arms.  “Daniel, don’t mess with him,” she warned, already scared for him.  “I saw Livia’s mother years ago after that horrible man had beat her.  He’s not sane.”

Daniel laughed at his sister’s concern.  “Sierra, you do understand that I’m a detective.  Catching bad guys is sort of my job.”

Sierra didn’t care.  “No.  Let someone else get Dan Morgan.  He’s crazy.”  She pulled out of Harrison’s arms, her feet braced apart, almost as if she were going to fight the man himself to keep her brother safe. 

Harrison put a firm hand on his wife’s shoulder.  “Honey, that’s what Daniel does,” he explained.  “And he’s very good at finding and stopping the bad guys.”

Sierra shook his hand off of her shoulder.  “No!”  Turning back to her brother, she glared up at him.   “You stay away from that man!”

Daniel sighed and pulled his sister into a bear hug.  “I’ll stay safe.  But I need you to warn Livia and her mother that he’s back in town and he’s causing trouble.”

Sierra pressed her face into Daniel’s coat, trying to hide her fears for his life.  “Is there anything I can do to convince you to let someone else handle this case?” she pleaded with him. 

Daniel gently hugged her.  “No.  I’m in charge of it.  I just need you to let them know, okay?  And I’ll get some guys to stop by the women’s shelter, just to make sure they are safe.”

Sierra pulled away.  “Livia’s mother is a changed woman now.  She’s taken self-defense classes and she’s tough.  She’s a new woman!”

Daniel squeezed his sister’s shoulders.  “I know.  Who do you think teaches the class?”

Sierra’s eyes widened.  “You do?”

Daniel laughed.  “No.  I’ve taught several, but it’s actually Livia’s mother, Ruth, who teaches the classes now.  She’s a tiny little thing but she’s evil when she’s flipping over the officers who stupidly volunteer to act as the male aggressors.” 

This was news!  Ruth Morgan had transformed over the years from a mousy, scared, elderly woman into a strong, vibrant force of nature who fought for the rights of women.  “Really?”  She shook her head.  “That’s amazing!”

“Anyway, just warn her, okay?  And I’ll also talk to Stefan, let him know.”

Sierra nodded as she crossed her arms over her stomach.  “I’ll do that.  Stefan will hire more body guards for the shelter and Ruth, most likely for Livia too.”

Daniel agreed.  “He’s a bit overly protective.”

“No, he’s not,” said Harrison as he took Sierra’s hand.  The look in his eyes said that she might be getting a few more body guards around the house.  “Come on.  Those kids are probably sneaking down the back pathway, trying to eavesdrop on this conversation.  We should head them off and make sure they aren’t avoiding their chores.  Otherwise, Ruth will make boring unseasoned soup for the next several nights as punishment.”