ChapterSixteen
Cillian
“We’ll be going.” Glenda’s father goes to leave the room, but I step in front of him and block his way.
“Not so fast.” He scowls at me, but I’m not afraid of him. I know Glenda loves me, and we will choose each other no matter what he threatens. “I did speak with Felipe, and he’s shortening his honeymoon to be here for the wedding.”
“You’re bluffing.” He looks at me and then at my father. “There’s no way you can get things together that quickly.”
“I think you underestimate my mother.” I cock my head to the side and wait for him to say one bad word about her. I’d love an excuse to punch this fucker in the mouth.
“You could have had almost anyone.” I see his eyes move to my scars and then back to me. “But instead you’ve taken our only chance at saving my company.”
“If I knew that this was how you felt about your daughter, I would have taken her even if I didn’t love her. No one deserves to be used as a commodity for you to fatten your pockets. But it’s too bad for you that I’m crazy about her and I’m never letting her go. The second the chairs are set out back, we’re tying the knot.” His face is turning redder the more I talk. “Now you’ve got two options.” I raise my fingers and list them off. “One, get with the fucking program and put on a fake smile. Or two, you can put this on ice as you suggested and keep your ass at home on your daughter's wedding day.”
“How dare you—”
“I don’t care what you do,” I interrupt him because I’m not giving him an audience any longer. “But if you care at all to be in her life, then you’ll do what it takes to make her happy. Otherwise, we’re done here.”
He doesn’t say a word as he walks out of the library and Glenda’s mother quickly follows after him. She doesn’t even bother to look at me; she just keeps her eyes on the floor.
“I know Travis Rollins’ family, I could make a call,” my dad offers, and I shake my head.
“No, if the only reason he’ll allow his daughter to be happy is because he got what he wanted, then he doesn’t deserve his company. He deserves to live the life he’s created, and his wife can go with him.” I look at my father, and his eyes are sad. “He didn’t even care about our child.” My voice nearly breaks, and I clear my throat. “When Glenda said she saw what her parents had and she knew what she didn’t want, I realized that seeing you and Mom showed me what I do want.”
“Maybe they’ll come around.”
I look through the door they exited and shake my head. “For Glenda, I wish they would. But I have a feeling if he doesn’t get what he wants, he’ll have everyone around him as miserable as he is.”
“Let’s go find your bride and enjoy your birthday.” My dad pulls me in for a hug, and I let him because it allows my anger to dissolve. I don’t want to go back out there with this much rage inside me. “Better?”
“Much better,” I say, and we walk out of the library together.
When we rejoin the party, I make a beeline for Glenda, and she doesn’t leave my side for the rest of the night. We cut the cake and then dance for hours before she finally admits that her feet hurt. I offer to hold her on the dance floor, but she tells me all she wants to do is get in bed. That was all the answer I needed before I yelled my thanks to my mother and scooped Glenda up in my arms.
Now that we’re back at the cottage, I carry her to the bedroom and put her on her feet. “I want to undress you.”
“I won’t say no to that.” She giggles as I kneel down on the floor in front of her and remove her shoes. When I rub her sore toes, her laughter turns to moans.
“I love that sound.” I hum appreciatively as I stand.
When I unzip her dress and it slides off her body, I’m left with a view of Glenda in matching silk underwear that is almost the exact shade of pale yellow as her gown. I didn’t see her in this before she had me zip her up, and right now all I want to do is tear it off of her with my teeth.
“Fuck, you’re so beautiful.”
“Cillian, I want to ask you something.”
“Anything, gumdrop.”
“What?” She shakes her head and laughs. “Never mind, veto.”
“Fine. What do you want to ask me?”
“How did you get your scars?” She’s asking because she’s curious and not because she’s being nosy. Glenda would never do something to hurt my feelings, and I know now how good and pure she is to her core.
“Did you know my little sister Mara used to ride horses?” I ask as Glenda turns around and I can unclasp her bra.
“I think I remember hearing that, but she doesn’t anymore?”
“No, not anymore. The day it happened, the trainer she normally had was out sick and sent someone to fill in for her. They put Mara on a horse that was too big and not broken in enough.”
“What happened?”
“The horse got spooked and managed to break out of the corral. I just happened to be riding that afternoon in the field, and I saw it happen. I went after her because she was crying for help. I managed to catch up with her and get her off safely before putting her on my horse to go back to the barn. It was a stupid mistake.” Glenda is quiet as she turns around to face me. “I thought I could calm her horse down enough to ride him back to the stables, but instead he went wild and bucked me off right into a barbed wire fence.”
“Oh my god.” She reaches up and touches the wound like it’s still fresh even though it’s long since healed.
“They said I was lucky I didn’t lose an eye, but I’m just thankful it wasn’t her that was thrown. It could have been so much worse.”
“You saved her.”
“I suppose so. But she hasn’t ridden since then, and part of me wonders if she blames herself. I’ve told her so many times it wasn’t her fault, but she still hasn’t gone back to the stables.”
“Maybe one day,” Glenda offers and kisses me on my chin.
“Maybe so,” I agree and begin to take off my clothes.
“I have another question for you,” she says as she watches me, but I think she gets distracted when I’m naked and my hard cock is pointing at her.
“Um…” She licks her lips and I clear my throat.
“Baby?”
“Oh, yeah. Well, it’s not really a question, more like a favor.”
“You know I’ll give you anything you want.” I grab her around the waist and then carry her onto the bed before laying her down. “Just say the word and it’s yours.” I knee her legs open as I settle between them, letting my bare cock rest against her wet panties.
“Will you make love to me?”