Tears spilled over my cheeks as I stared down at him.
And then I nodded.
I heard applause as he picked me up and spun me around. A crowd had formed. Somehow, when Clay was involved, that was inevitable.
Being gorgeous, rich and extremely confident might have something to do with that.
I didn’t mind though.
It’s just who he was.
And he was mine.
Chapter Forty-Five
Clay
Dad took it well. Mostly anyway. Dana was another matter altogether.
Her lips had thinned. Her eyes had narrowed. Two bright splotches had formed on her cheeks.
She had insisted on us having a little talk. Alone.
We’d finished brunch and then Dana and I took a little drive while Dad drove Nevada home.
I thought Dana was going to yell at me when I pulled over by the lake but she didn’t. She gave me a hug. And then she whispered in my ear.
‘If you hurt my daughter, I will kill you.’
I’d nodded vehemently. I was not going to hurt Nev. Not again.
I would never do that again.
Hurting her hurt me. I’d never felt anything like it in my life. That’s the way love worked I guess.
She smiled and patted my cheek.
“Also, you have to wait until she’s 21 to get married.’
I sighed. She was right I supposed. What were two years and change compared to the rest of our lives anyway?
I could hardly wait to get married.
And to think, I’d never even had a serious girlfriend before.
Of course, if Nev got pregnant there was a chance… everything could change in an instant, I thought with a grin.
The next few weeks were a whirlwind. Claire moved out. And Dana and Nevada moved in.
I can’t lie. Having her under the same roof made the rest of the summer pretty much perfect. I snuck into her room every single night.
It was bliss.
Even if the house was in chaos with wedding planning.
We still found creative ways to be alone.
The first thing I did was get her a new bike. I got one too. We spend a few days camping and biking down by Wright beach.
I tried to get her a car, but she kept fighting me on it. Finally I had an idea: if dad got Dana a new car, Nev could have hers. So a deal was struck behind the scenes.
I spent every waking moment with Nevada.
I literally could not get enough of her.
And even though I didn’t think he’d handled the Dana situation well, my father surprised me. He was smiling a lot now. He asked questions and listened. He tried to get us to eat meals together. He sat by the pool and sipped iced tea.
He obviously had some regrets about the way things had been since my mother died.
It was almost like he was waking up from a long sleep.
He took me golfing. Sailing. We even played tennis a couple times a week. The old man had some serious moves, too.
We only played at our house though. Not at the club. I was persona non grata there. Not that I gave a shit.
I was starting to realize that my father had been a very unhappy man. No, it didn’t excuse him being such a crap father. But maybe, just maybe, there really was a better relationship in our future.
And Nev was happy. Happy for her mother, happy for me, she even seemed to like my father. It turns out he’d been pretty decent to her over the years.
If she was happy, I was happy.
Well, other than the time she’d presented me with a repayment plan for her tuition. She’d only agreed to let me pay for her college with my trust if I signed it. Neat rows of amortized amounts. Like a mortgage.
I’d crumpled it up and chucked it into the gas fireplace. I’d explained to her that as my future wife I would prefer she not incur needless debt. Then I’d pulled her over my lap and taken turns spanking and soothing her gorgeous little bottom.
She’s laughed and tried to rear up at first. She’d gone silent and breathy when she realized I was serious about spanking her. And then even breathier when she realized how much she enjoyed a good spanking now and then.
It turned out my future wife was a little bit kinky.
I wasn’t complaining. Not one bit.
I noticed as time went on that my fiancé-to-be deliberately got in trouble now and then. I knew what she wanted at those times. A firm hand. And I was more than happy to give it to her.
Chapter Forty-Six
Nevada
I stood in the chapel holding the bouquet of pale pink roses. Across the aisle from me stood Clay. He looked so handsome in his gray suit and blue tie. It nearly took my breath away. My dress was blue silk that skimmed my curves before puddling gracefully at my feet. I felt like an old school movie star in it, especially with my hair professionally styled.