Page 89 of Claiming His Bunny
“I love you too, Kayla. More than anything. I can’t promise I’ll never get hurt again, but I can promise you I’ll be careful and that I’ll always do my best to come back home to you.”
“Home,” she whispers. “That sounds good. After we get the pink drapes, of course.”
This time, I stem my chuckle so that my stomach doesn’t protest. “Whatever you want, bunny.” I know she’s just teasing me, but even if she really did want pink drapes, I’d endure it. I’ll endure anything as long as it means keeping her near.
All that for one simple reason—I can no longer live without Kayla Reynolds.
Epilogue
Kayla
“He’s here!” Claire squealsas she enters the bridal suite.
Beth squeals back. “Ohmygod!” She bounces in her seat, upsetting the poor hairdresser who has been trying to style her hair for the past thirty minutes.
I frown in confusion over their excitement. “Who? Jeremy? I thought your soon-to-be husband arrived hours ago.”
“Oh, screw Jeremy,” Beth replies, grinning. “Yourboyfriendis here! Ethan Bennett is at my wedding!”
Sighing, I raise my hand to rub at my face but stop before I spoil my makeup. “Seriously? Beth, you’re getting married today, and you’re still fantasizing about another man? A taken one at that.”
With the sheriff’s mouth running wild, the news of what happened between Adams, Ethan, and me spread around the town like wildfire. Of course, he didn’t forget to add that I currently live with Ethan, which made me both the most popular woman in Bluebell Springs and also public enemy number one. Half the women want to befriend me to find out how I managed to charm Ethan into my clutches and the other half hate me for making him unavailable. It would be funny if it wasn’t so stupid.
“Girl.” Beth throws her hands up, nearly knocking the curling iron out of the hairdresser’s hand. “Everyone fantasizes about him. I used to dream of having this exact wedding, only when the officiate asks, you know, to ‘speak now or forever hold your peace’, Ethan would rush in and sweep me off my feet.”
I can’t help but laugh. There’s something seriously wrong with this town, in a weirdly adorable way. “Will I have to pee on Ethan to mark my territory or something like that?” I tease, half-heartedly scowling at Beth and the other bridesmaids. “Or will you bitches finally stop throwing yourself onmyman like cats in heat?”
Claire, Beth’s aunt, who’s a year younger than I am and acts like a bratty teen, fans herself. “Ooh, is he into that? I’d let him pee on me for sure.”
“Jesus.” Shaking my head, I make my way to the door. “I’ve had enough of ya’ll. I need a break. See you at the altar, with the man you’reactuallymarrying.”
Muffled squeals and giggles follow me even after I close the door. I huff a relieved sigh and venture out into the spacious resort gardens to locatemyboyfriend.
I’m not really angry with Beth or her whacky relatives. As much as I get prickly when women fantasize about Ethan, it’s also kind of empowering. He could have chosen them, any of them, yet he chose me. He wanted me so much he broke into my house, drugged me, and crawled into my bed while I slept.
The rest of the town can dream of having Ethan, but I’m the one who actually gets to go to bed with him every night. And yes, that makes me prideful as hell.
I find Ethan conversing with a group of people. He smiles as they fawn over his incredible bravery in defeating Adams, but I can tell he’s uncomfortable. Also probably in pain, guessing by the tiniest wince marring his beautiful face whenever he shifts his weight.
He shouldn’t be here. He should still be in the hospital. After all, he got shot not even two weeks ago. But when I suggested I’d go to Beth’s wedding alone or not go at all, he resolutely declined, refusing to let me leave his sight for even a few hours.
As he notices me, his polite, somewhat fake smile grows brighter and wider. “There’s my beautiful lady,” he says, making me blush. He excuses himself to the mayor and the rest of the group before weaving his way toward me. “Hello, bunny. Did I already tell you that you look amazing today?”
My cheeks grow even warmer when several people, women mostly, turn to look at us. Paying them no attention, Ethan pulls me into his arms, enveloping me with his warmth and comforting scent. At the contact with my favorite drug, I immediately relax. “Only twice today. I could stand hearing it again.”
“Well, allow me to remedy that.” Ethan raises my hand to his mouth and kisses my knuckles, old-school style. It makes me want to swoon and let him scoop me up into his arms. I don’t, because of his gunshot wound, but I file the idea away for later. “You’re the most beautiful woman here today, Kayla.” My heart picks up the pace as he whispers, “And also the naughtiest one. Did you think I wouldn’t notice?”
Delectable shivers crawl up my spine. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I lie shamelessly, batting my eyelashes at him.
“Oh, really?” There’s a dangerous edge to his voice now, one that has my pussy quivering. “I guess it was someone else then, breaking into our house and messing with my socks.”
I fake an outraged gasp. “What a terrible world we live in! Miscreants are going around breaking into people’s houses and messing with their things. Such audacity.”
Ethan’s chuckle is dark as he wraps his hand around the back of my neck. To people surrounding us, it might look like a tender, loving gesture, but I know the truth when his fingers dig into my skin. I’m in trouble and I love it!
“Alright,” I concede, “I messed with your socks. I might have messed up with other things, too. What are you going to do about that?”
His eyes darken as I taunt him, which is exactly what I want. Since he’s been released—or rather released himself—from the hospital, Ethan has been so tender and cautious around me it’s driving me crazy.
