Page 15 of A Tortured Temptress
"It's the only way I can come up with to protect you. You'll be safe because, for one you'll have my name, two you'll have all of the Knights protecting you, and three he'll be crazy to go against the deadliest organization in all of Ireland." He's so sure of everything, but I'm still scared. "I know you aren't sure about me yet. I love you and I know you care about me, you're just afraid to love because of what he did to your family. I'll never allow anyone to hurt you." He pulls my lips to his and kisses me. I sink into the kiss and into his arms. I wrap my arms around him and hold him to me, praying he's correct.
When he pulls away, I bite my bottom lip and nod. "Yes.” I smile because I do care about him a lot. I want to explore this, I'm just scared like he said that Britain will find me. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a very classic looking ring.
"This was my mother's." He kisses my ring finger after he slides the ring on it.
"It's beautiful." I look down at the heart cut diamond in the claddagh ring. He even slipped it on my finger correctly with the heart pointed toward me in the taken position.
Shane
Standing in the garden where Aidan and Fiona exchanged their vows just a few months ago only gives me a slight pause because this is exactly where I want to be. With this woman in this spot. The doors open and Fiona leads her to me. The other girls are standing around but because I asked her last night and we were in a rush so that the rumor mills would start as soon as possible she only had Fiona stand up with her. The dress shop came in this morning and now this evening we are getting married.
There are candles all around the garden and the sun is setting, causing a beautiful view as the girls step out. Giselle couldn't decide on a color for the wedding, except to say the blue of my eyes was her favorite color, so Fiona is in a blue gown that covers her barely there stomach because she's only two months pregnant with Aidan's baby. I look back at my beautiful bride, she's in a long-sleeved ivory dress that fits tight to her body to just above her knees. The sleeves have cut outs of leaves and filigree down them. The neckline skates along her collar bone. The train isn't very long but with her hair pulled to the back except for a couple curls down her face she looks more beautiful than any other bride I've ever seen. She smiles at me tentatively without a veil over her face but a long one that hangs longer than the train of her gown.
They stop in front of me, and Fiona gives her away before she steps to the side. I can't help myself.
"I love you, Giselle." My voice is gruff, and she looks up at me with a smile on her face. I know how hard it is for her to say it back, so I start to turn away from her.
"I love you too, Shane." I pause and turn back to her. The priest clears his throat, but I raise my hand to stop him.
"Say it again, mo chroi!" I demand and she presses a hand to my chest. Her touch easing me.
"I love you." She has a small smile on her lips, and I can't stop myself. I take her lips in a soft but firm kiss. I pull away and turn to the priest.
"Okay now you can start." I hear the guys chuckle behind me, and I swear on my life to protect hers until the day I stop breathing.
A couple hours later after everyone has celebrated. I walk her to the home that Aidan has given to us. It's in a lot next to Aidan's with his brother Brody having the house on the other side. Our house like Brody's faces the private drive, where Aidan's second driveway at the back of his house is. I carry her down the manicured sidewalks and when we get to the house, I open the gate with my thumbprint.
"Lex has added yours to the system so you can access everything here and the gates in and out of the property. You can't access anyone else's homes but eventually when the new office is built, you'll have access to parts of it too," I explain. When the gate opens, I step into our driveway and turn.
I start pointing at houses. "The one next to Aidan's on the other side is Brody's, he lives there when he's not at the warehouse where the club is now. That house." I point to the one directly across from ours. "Will be Rory's when he decides to settle down. He's already been saying that with the nightclubs and the baby coming he wants to stay there so he won't disturb Aidan and Fiona." She chuckles and points to the one next to us.
"And that one?"
"That will be Lex's. He finds it's easier to stay at the main house but like Rory he's thinking of moving too. Seamus has the house next to Rory with Grady having the next one closest to the gate. The last house on this side on the other side of Lex's is empty."
"Why?"
"Because it will be for guests that want to stay and is open if Aidan's cousin in the States ever wants to come stay here."
I turn her in my arms and kiss her lips before I pick her up bridal style. Her veil was taken off after the ceremony and I make sure her dress isn't dragging while I carry her to the entrance.
"This house was just built over the summer."
"I saw it when I stayed here after Aidan helped Fiona."
"Yeah, originally Lex and I were going to share his place, but I wanted you and I to have a place that's just ours. I'm having some special things added to the house for you. A designer came in and did all the furniture, but you can change anything you want to."
"Stop stalling husband," she jokes as she reaches for the large double doors. They open as a security guard steps out. "Holy crap where'd he come from?" she exclaims as she cringes back into me.
"As you can see, we have guards all across the compound, but this is Phillip, and he will be your personal guard."
"Nope. Nah uh. The last personal guard I met died. So, I don't want to know his name," she says as she shakes her head. I chuckle thinking she's joking but then I see her brows dropped.
"Are you meaning Gael?" He was Fiona's head of her personal security and was killed the day of the attack and the girls' kidnapping.
"Yes." I move her across the threshold and keep her in my arms.
"Phillip you can step out for the night." He nods at me and takes off. I carry my bride up the stairs and to the master suite. I don't put her down until I'm standing at the side of the bed. I turn her back toward me and start unzipping her gown. The lace covering her back with appliqué and the illusion of being bare has tiny buttons, but they are only decorations. I've been fingering them all night anxious to get her out of this gown and naked for me.
