Chapter 6

Bright and early the next morning, they were at the same courthouse that they’d been in yesterday. Only this time, things were much more quiet, and there wasn’t anyone waving a gun around either. To look around, seeing the bullet holes in the walls and broken windows, made her heart beat a bit faster. Taking Axel’s hand into her own, she wanted to take him home, wrap him up, and make sure he was safe for her at all time. As she was getting ready to go into the courtroom to be married, a young woman came up to her.

“I wanted to tell you that your husband saved my life yesterday.” She said that they weren’t married yet but were there to do it now. “Good for you. He is a good man, and he did really save me. Every time I think about being tossed to the floor by Axel, I want to find a dark corner and hide. He didn’t hurt me, but the sounds going on around me and not knowing what was going on will haunt me forever. I will forever be grateful to him.”

“I’m glad that both of you are all right. As soon as I was told about it, I had to get here and be with him. They wouldn’t allow me to touch him until everything was cleared up.” Mac felt her fear nearly get the better of her. Debra asked her if she was all right. “I am now. But yesterday, I was a mess. I know this is going to sound very strange, but would you like to stand up with me to get married?”

It was spur of the moment, and both of them seemed to be shocked by the question. When Debra told her that she’d be honored to do that for her after sharing her husband yesterday, Mac felt like it was the right thing to do. She didn’t have any women friends at all and was happy that the two of them were getting along so well. Like they’d been friends forever.

The wedding ceremony was over in less time than it had taken them to get ready for it. She was happy now, and so loved the wedding ring that Axel had put on her finger. The diamond ring that he’d given her before was a perfect match to her blue eyes with the azures that circled it, and she loved that he’d given her two wedding bands. One for public, the other a safe one for working. She didn’t want to lose a finger because she’d gotten married.

Debra was invited to have breakfast with them. It was at her parents’ home, but she again felt like she just belonged there. After having as many little breakfast sandwiches as she could stuff into herself, she was ready for a long nap.

The cabinets had been removed just yesterday. That was what was going on at her parents’ home when the police had called her. She didn’t know if that was the norm around here but she didn’t much care for having to hear about what had happened to Axel from the police. Yes, she told herself that he was fine, but what was going to happen the next time she kept asking herself.

“I’m all right.” She said that her head knew that, but her heart didn’t seem to care. “I understand that. It’s the same with me. I didn’t get anywhere at all hurt, but I find myself looking around for another shooter all the time.”

“Don’t tell me that.” She then looked up at him. “All right, do tell me, but I don’t want you hurt any more than what happened yesterday. You’re mine and I’m going to keep you as healthy and as safe as I can. Can you deal with that?”

“I can. So long as you’re there for me at the end of the day, I can handle about anything.” Nodding, she told him again that she loved him, and he kissed her before telling her the same. As soon as they were seated in the living room, Debra not too far away, Axel’s brothers came into the room with them to ask questions about what had happened. Since she didn’t want to hear it again, Mac went to get herself some tea from the kitchen.

They were headed home when she remembered her grandmother. She had requested her to come and see her. She was sure that she’d not requested anything, but that was what the officer told her when he called. Mac liked that they were being more polite than her stupid grandmother was. They headed that way instead of going home.

The station house wasn’t all that busy. She saw that the sheriff was sitting at his desk looking at files, and one of the only two officers on duty was doing a crossword puzzle. Funny enough, it was about policemen and she had a little giggle about that. She told Officer Emery that she was there to see her grandmother.

“She’s in a right ripe mood, just so you know. And she’s more than likely starving on account of her not having her meal at breakfast or lunch today. We did bring it to her but she refused it on account of it wasn’t what she had ordered. I tried to explain to her that we’re not a restaurant, but she didn’t want to hear it.” He laughed a little nervously. “She only hears what she wants to hear, doesn’t she?”

“That pretty much sums her up in a nutshell. She’s been like that my whole life.” Emery told her that he was sorry to hear that. He gathered up his keys, and she noticed too that he put his gun in his top drawer and then locked it with a key that he put in his front pocket. “Don’t want to give her any ideas about shooting her way out of here, now do we.”

Mac had a feeling that the young man was a great deal smarter and savvy than he was putting on. She noticed, too, that the crossword puzzle he’d been doing was in ink and that he’d filled out nearly all the little blocks. Yes, she thought to herself, this was a man going far in the world of police activity.

Her grandmother was sitting on a chair—not one that she thought would be all that comfy, but she didn’t have any other choice. She didn’t know where it had come from then noticed that all the rooms had a chair in the cells. However, they were all chained to the floor or wall. Good, she thought. They’d taken out another weapon for her to use.

“You certainly took your time coming here.” She turned to leave but was called back. “Christ, you’re just as bad as your mother. She was always a stupid cunt too.”

“Talk about my mother like that again, and you can rot in hell for all I care. Tell me what you want so that I can consider it for about ten seconds before I tell you no. I’m busy, and this is my wedding night.” She asked her on what authority did she think she could just get married. “Believe it or not, but I’m over twenty-one, and I don’t answer to anyone anymore. What do you want?”

“I want out of here. And if you can’t get your head out of your ass long enough to care about me, then I want you to find me a good attorney.” She told her that she was married to a great attorney. “Good. Then he’ll not charge me anything. Not that I would pay for it anyway, but it’ll save you some cash. Also, I want more money than I’ve been getting from your father. He has a great deal of it, and I think that as his mother, I should be getting at least half, if not more, than he gets monthly.”

“Is that all?” She asked her what she was talking about. “I mean, did you have any other demands while I’m here? I’m not going to do either of the ones you put out there, so if you have more than I can lump into my telling you to fuck off, then go for it now. I’m a busy woman, and I don’t have time to come here when you’re perfectly fine where you are. At least, that’s what most of the town is saying. Oh, before I forget, you’ve been moved out of the village that you’ve been living in. They’ve put your things in storage for you to get when you want it. I’d hurry and make the arrangements for it if I were you. They’re charging you by the day for the cost.”

“What do you mean that I’ve been kicked out of that village? They can’t run that place without me there. You tell them if one of my things, even my hair brush, has been moved, I’ll own that place.” Mac told her that she’d never paid for the place in the first place, so that was a no-brainer. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. If your father would not have agreed to the things in that will, I’d not have to bother with…well, that’s not true. I’d still come around to make sure that things are running the proper way.”

She didn’t say anything but she did glance around to see what Axel was doing. He was actually leaning against the wall with his cell phone out. It looked to her like he was playing a game. Good for him. He wasn’t taking over. Not that she’d be mad at him if he did. She was just about ready to—

“Are you even listening to me? I demand an answer.” She simply told her no. “No? That’s not the answer that I want from you, and I believe you know it. I want what I want, Mackenzie, or so help me, god, you’ll regret the day that you were born. Why they kept you is still a mystery to me.”

“Perhaps, unlike you, they’re good people. And they love me. Which surprises me that Dad would even know what that meant having you as his mother.” She turned to leave, having enough of her grandmother for the rest of her life.

“You get back here. Do you hear me? I will not repeat myself.” Over her shoulder, she told her that was good, it was boring anyway. “Mackenzie Booth, you’re going to regret this.”

“You keep telling yourself that.” She was out in the sunlight before she could remember if they’d appeared there. Axel was holding her, and she felt like she could lean on him forever, and he’d never stop being all that she needed in the world. “I don’t want to ever go back in there to talk to her again.”

“I’ll take care of her from now on if that’s all right with you. Your dad told me the same thing. That he didn’t want to have to deal with her anymore. She’s very caustic, isn’t she? Demanding too. I know that I’m not telling you something that you don’t already know, but damn, she’s a fucking bitch. How on earth did your dad turn out to be such a good man?” She told him what she knew. “So your grandda pretty much raised him and made him into the man he is today. Then how did he put up with that woman? I’m betting that she trapped him somehow.”

“She did. She said that he was the father of her child. My dad wasn’t my grandda’s son. But he didn’t care once he was born. I guess not only did he shower him with love and compassion, but he also showed him how to run an already successful business as well. Booth Reno was his baby when he was alive. He was very good at investing, too. When he passed away, he left everything to my dad. And if he were to give his mother, my grandmother, any more than she was getting now, he’d lose it all. But I don’t think that was ever a thought in his head to give her anything more than she was getting anyway.”

Hand in hand, they walked to the car. It was a beautiful night despite grandmother’s visit, but right now, she was having a lovely evening with her most favorite person in the world. They decided that they’d get ice cream before their dinner, and she was all right with that. Ice cream was better than a full belly of carbs any day of the week.

She got her favorite and made fun of Axel because he got vanilla. She liked it, too, the flavor went with all sorts of toppings that she loved. Hot fudge, sprinkles, and several cherries on the top. And not to forget the best topping, whipped cream too.

“I want to take you home and make love to you for the rest of the evening.” She told him that she would love that. “Good. Seeing you eat your ice cream makes my cock hard, and my heart beat a bit faster. How about we eat these on the way home so we’ll be that much closer to having a great night of sex with lots of climaxes?”

“Or we could just toss these and get there faster by walking. I’m sure that no one will mind us leaving the car here for the night.” He told her that he loved the way that her thought process worked. “Thank you. I’ve been thinking of this night for my whole life it seems.”

After throwing away their cones into the trash, they decided not to take the chance of leaving the car in the courthouse lot. Instead, they pulled off on the short drive a couple of times and necked a bit. She’d never done that as a teenager and found that it was quite exhilarating.

~*~

Almost as soon as they were in the house, they were running up the stairs laughing. Axel was thrilled now that he’d put together the bed that he’d gotten today and put the mattress on it. It was larger than he’d remembered, and he was glad for it.

Releasing her hands, he cupped her ass again and picked her up. Her legs wrapped around his hips, and her arms encircled his neck. Axel covered her mouth with his and ate at her as he moved forward toward the wall across from the door to their room. Riding her up and down his cock, he pressed harder into her when her back touched the wall. Using it as leverage, he pulled her shirt from her jeans and ran his hands under to touch her bare skin. Everything about her was hot. Her sweet smelling breath to her skin everywhere he touched her.

Heat and soft skin, his hands could not stop touching her. Lifting his hands higher, Axel cupped her breasts and moaned at the weight of them in his palms. Using his thumbs, he slid under her bra and rubbed her hard nipples.

Need to taste them had him tear from her mouth and pull one into his mouth through the shirt and bra and bite. Her hiss of approval gave him all the encouragement he needed, and he started working at the buttons while he nuzzled at her full breast and pulled at the other nipple with his thumb and finger.

“I need to taste you. I want to suckle at your breast and taste you. Help me, baby.” She started pulling off her clothing and he was helping. They kept fumbling over one another until she seemed to have enough.

She smacked his hands away and lifted her blouse up and unclasping the closure in the front of her lacy blue bra. No wonder he couldn’t undo it. He’d not thought of it being in the front. As soon as it was open, he pushed the edges open and rubbed his nose over the hard peak, then took it deep into his mouth. She was rocking hard against him, and with every push from the wall into his body, he countered with a rock back into her. When he bit down on her nipple, she moaned and growled at him.

“Please, Axel. If you don’t stop, I’m going to come right now. And you did remember that we hired a cook last week and she’s right down stairs. You have to stop now before it’s too late.”

“It’s already too late. Come for me, baby. Come right now. I’ll catch you. I want to feel you come.”

He rocked harder, and with his free hand, he reached between them and pressed his thumb against her clit hard and then harder still. When her body stiffened, and he felt her start to shatter around him, he covered her mouth with his and captured her screams.

Axel kept rocking into her heat. His cock ached to be released and driven into her hard and fast. He held her as she came down from her release, as her body shuttered and shivered at the amount of power that had come with it. Axel held her as her body became relaxed, sated, and limp against him. When she rested her head on his shoulder, he let her legs fall to the floor, but he did not let go of her. Soon, her breathing became normal, and with it, her eyes looked directly into his, and he could feel her love for him right then. He leaned back and pulled her body to his again.

Taking her to the bed, he laid her gently on it. It was far from what he was feeling, and he was trying his best not to hurt her in any way. Christ, but he was aching to come. On her or over her or inside of her, he simply didn’t care at this point. He rocked into her again, and it had her stiffening up as she started to come once again.

“That’s it, baby. Don’t hold back. Come when you feel it, come and scream for me. I love to watch you peak, your body shudders over mine, and I feel you. Feel you everywhere.”

He moved down her body. When he forced her legs to let him go, she whimpered and tried to pull him back, but he kissed her hard and brought his hand to her mound.

“I’m going to eat you here, Mac. I’m going to lick you and taste you until you can’t stand it anymore. I’m going to drink you as you come, as you fill me. Then I’m going to drive my cock hard into you. Deep and fast, and fuck you until neither of us can move.”

When he moved this time, she grabbed the sheet beneath her. She could feel her pussy flutter and gush. Need curled inside of her, and she had a hard time holding the part of her back that terrified her more than anything.

Axel nuzzled her mound, and when she felt him move the bit of lace from her, she tried to close her legs to him. It wasn’t really that she was trying to stop him just something that he thought was instinct to her. He pressed her open and braced her with his shoulders as he ran his finger along her slit, gathering her cream as he went.

“Watch me, Mac. I want you to see me lick your cream from my fingers.” He brought his fingers to his mouth and suckled each one, savoring the taste. “Oh honey, you taste better than I thought, baby. Like honey and peaches.”

When his finger slid into her she did not stop watching him, seeing the look of rapture on his face. Struggling now to hold on, he knew she was loving what he was doing to her and he loved it when she was so vocal with her releases.

“I want you, Mac. All of you. Please, help me get ready for you.” Axel reached for the condoms that he’d gotten and fumbled around with it for a few seconds as he was too hard, it seemed, for them to fit. Once he had to use a second one, the other burst when he tried to pull it down over himself. He nearly wept with relief when he was about as covered as a man could be with one of the things.

He pumped his finger into her, over and over, and when he added a second one, he lowered his head and slid his tongue into her. Moving more between her legs, he worried her clit with his tongue as he fucked her with his fingers. The coil of need tightened around him so tightly that he was hurting badly when all he wanted to do was fuck his pretty little wife.

Every time she got close, he would pull back and not touch her clit until the need to come lowered a bit. But it was getting harder and longer to slow down. Wrapping her hand into his hair, she tried to get him to where she wanted, but he was stronger and did what he wanted. Begging only made him chuckle, and when she thought she was going to have to hurt him, he gave her what she wanted.

He bit her clit hard and then suckled it into his mouth as he’d done her nipples; she knew it was too much. Her control snapped, and so did her hold. She wanted to come with him deep inside of her, fucking her like she wanted.

Her world froze for a second then everything in her seemed to shatter. He could hear her screaming. It ripped from her throat, no doubt leaving it raw and sore. Every nerve, every cell in her body exploded as his did. Stars, bright and colorful, burst behind his closed eyes. Muscles contracted, her body expanded, and when she felt Axel move over her and his cock slide into her, she screamed again, another climax taking her breath away. Her body tightened around him, pushing his cock deeper into her. Mac heard him growl, heard him speak but she was beyond knowing what he said. As soon as he was close enough to touch, she wrapped herself around him and let go.

It was nearly overwhelming, nearly consumed him, the love that he had for her. Even as he rolled to his side, taking her with him, he knew that he’d never have another woman in his life but her. Moving so that she had more room on the bed, he didn’t move for a few minutes before having to get up and go to the bathroom to dispose of the condom.

It was then that he realized that the sucker had broken, and they’d just had unprotected sex. Washing up, he headed back to bed to tell her, but she was snoring softly. Turning her gently to her side, he was happy that she curled around him in her need for more comfort.

Closing his eyes, he was sure that he was asleep before his body was fully relaxed. His entire body was achy but not really sore. When she got up to use the bathroom, he was simply too exhausted to tell her about the condom. He didn’t care if they’d made a child between them. But it was her body and her choice. He only hoped that she’d believe him when he told her how sorry he was.

“Tell me.” He looked at her with one eye. “Tell me what has you grumbling. Something about me being pissed off. I don’t know if you noticed this or not, but I’m too relaxed to be pissed about anything right now. So? What happened?”

“The condom broke.” She lay there for several minutes, longer than he thought was necessary, before she started to laugh. He didn’t know what she was thinking about, but he was nervous that he might well have broken her during their lovemaking. “Can you tell me what’s so funny? I’d like a laugh about now, too.”

“For all our prep, we still had unprotected sex.” She rolled over and looked at him as they lay face to face. “I love you, Axel. So very much. And if we made a baby today, I’m thrilled beyond words. I’m sure that your family will be as well. Don’t you think?”

“They’ll start buying things to spoil their first grandchild as soon as we tell them. I can see my mom knitting too, some kind of booties. Do babies still wear them? I don’t care. They’ll both, hell, they’ll all be so happy that they’ll treat you with kid gloves.” She told him that she’d only put up with that once before she had to put her foot down. “Yeah, I don’t see you as liking being pampered too much. You should warn them, however, before you go popping them in the head.”

“Maybe.” She rolled to her other side and backed her body into his so that they were back to chest. “I’ll not let Kahana give me the test when I know something. He strikes me as someone who wouldn’t be able to hold a secret. Maybe not. I’ll have to wait and see. How do you feel about us having a baby after only just getting married?”

For an answer, he put his hand on her flat belly. When she put her hand over his, he smiled into her neck and told her just how much he loved her. It was all he could have hoped for in a wife and maybe a family. She was the best thing that had ever happened to him.

It was nearly midnight when he woke up. He was suddenly famished and decided to go to the kitchen to whip them up something quick to eat. Axel was surprised to find a dozen or so little half sandwiches in there with plastic over them. Also there was fresh tea as well as chips that were laid out on the counter for them. Taking it up, he wasn’t surprised to find Mac pulling on a robe to join him.

They ate in the bed. Not the best possible place but it worked for the two of them. When he had unearthed some fruit, mostly grapes, on the counter, too, he’d brought them up and was feeding them to Mac as she told him what was on her list for the day.

“The building downtown is nearly finished up but for the carpet that you wanted in the lobby. I can’t pick that out for you—I guess I could, but I won’t be working there when it’s finished, so I have no say in the way it looks. My mom used to be an interior decorator when I was a kid and she told me that if you don’t want carpet, she can soften up the room with some things that will make it look really homey. I told her that I’d ask you.” He told her that would be wonderful as he bit into his third roast beef sandwich. “Good. I thought you’d say that, but I’ll tell her tomorrow.”

“I’m done with the other firm. They have been trying to get me to come back but I’m done with working for someone else. I’m actually excited to be working for myself. And like I said earlier, if I need more help, I can take on a partner, but I’m not seeing that happening.” She said that her dad was hinting about retiring again. “How many times has he done that? I’m assuming a few times. Will he turn it over to you?”

“I’m not sure that I want it now. Not with having you in my life. I mean, I’ll take it as my own, but I won’t be working the jobs anymore unless the help is needed. I want to be here with you.” He told her that he could understand that, but if it was money, he could support them both without any trouble at all. “No, I’d have to do something. I can’t be a rich attorney’s wife and not have a job. Besides, I have money too. Owning this business for as long as we have, we’re not hurting for money at all. I even have a nice retirement plan thanks mostly to my mom looking into that when I first started working for my dad. I have a fat 401K too.”

“As do I. But I’m not looking to retire just yet. Like you, I’d need to have a job or something to do that wouldn’t get me into trouble by being idle.” She told him that she was glad to hear that. “Good, then that’s settled. Now that I’m full, I’m exhausted again. How about I clean off this stuff, and we get some sleep. Tomorrow will come earlier than we would want it to.”

After she fell asleep, he put all the things that they’d used on the dresser. Walking back to the bed, he felt like a new man when he thought about Mac heavy with their child. Life, he thought, couldn’t get any better than it was right now.