Page 142 of Reclaiming Adelaide

“A little wedding gift.”

We were supposed to exchange gifts? Is that what Auntie Mable did at her weddings? She wasn’t invited to my wedding, so I couldn’t ask her, but I don’t recall that ever being mentioned.

“Relax, sweets,” he said as if he could sense the panic coursing through me. “It’s just something I wanted to give to you on this day.”

He took my hand in his and led me to the front of the courthouse, where I covered my mouth and gasped. I turned my attention to him, where he sat with a huge smile.

“You didn’t.”

“Go try it out.”

I rushed down the steps as he yelled after me to be careful not to trip. I tuned him out as I made my way up to the black 1966 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396, my dream car.

“You remembered?” I said as he walked up beside me, my hands hovering over the sleek paint job.

“I’ve been looking for it since you first told me.”

The hood scoop in the center, the red-lined tires, the black leather bucket seats in front, and bench in the back were everything I’d pictured and more.

“But how?”

“It wasn’t easy. I had to buy this off of a collector. He needed a little convincing, but money talks.”

“Jake…” I gasped as I grabbed for the handle. I’d never seen one of these in person, and I couldn’t believe it sat in front of me.

My heart warmed as I stared back at him, his hands tucked into his suit pockets. He remembered. It was the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for me.

“Now we can park it next to your dad’s car, where we can look but don’t touch.”

I laughed. “Yeah, I don’t think so. I’m going to drive this thing every day.”

“Where would you go every day? You barely leave the house.”

I chewed on my cheek as I tried conjuring locations but drew a blank. “Down the street and back is good enough for me.”

Jake swiped my hand away from the door and opened it for me. “Take us home, Mrs. Murray.”

I wrapped my arms around his neck and slipped my tongue into his mouth. He engulfed me in his arms, his scent overpowering with musky cedarwood and a hint of something else. My back hit the car. His hands dove into my primped hair and tugged. My bump between us was the only thing stopping him from crushing me with desire.

“Get a room, you two,” Becca said from the courthouse steps.

Jake broke away, and we laughed, his face buried in my neck and mine in his chest as I gripped his lapels. “Maybe we should take this someplace private?”

“I agree, Mr. Murray.”

One Year Later

Adelaide

“Okay,seriously.Isaidmove to the left,” I yelled, “My left, Jake, not yours.”

“If you keep raising your voice at me, I’ll stuff my cock down your throat and gag you.”

I scoffed. “Please, you can’t even kill the enemy. You think I’m afraid of you?” I grabbed my fruit roll-up off the desk and took a bite as I watched the enemy filter in and kill us. “Pitiful.”

Jake stood, his shadow casting over me as I looked up at his towering stature. He turned my computer chair and knocked my controller from my hand.

“Excuse me, I was busy dying over here.” I bent down to pick it up, and he grabbed my wrist.