32. Chapter 32

"So here's how this is going to go," Alex says, staring down every single person in our group one at a time. "There will be no hands. No assists from your neighbor. No slurping from the top. You wrap your mouth around that tip, and you suck it back and swallow. Got it?"

"Pretty sure we all know how to do a blowjob, pint-size," Niko says from down the table. He holds up his arms to deflect the massive dildo Alex chucks his way. "Shit, that thing was huge."

"Big dick energy!" Alex shouts over the noise of the club. "Okay, ready? Three. Two. Blowjob!"

In unison, we all bend down to grab our shots. I have to remove my huge, glittery gold dick crown first, lest I take out half the table. With that hazard out of the way, I grab on to my shot glass with my mouth and tip the liquid back. It goes down smooth, the whipped cream giving the drink a creamy aftertaste. Alex cheers and claps as we set our shot glasses back down, and Teddy slides in close.

"Not too much, all right?" he says at my ear. "I can't fuck you later if you're unconscious."

A thrill rushes through me. "Are we sure about that?"

He groans, a vibration I can feel against my side. "Behave."

That voice makes me very much want to find out what would happen if I don't behave, but then I catch sight of Teddy's shirt and have to stifle my laugh. Teddy rolls his eyes at the reminder of what Alex made him wear—a t-shirt with Alex's own face and the words, "Who's your Daddy?" Teddy was not amused when Alex shoved it over his head while standing atop a chair, but he hasn't taken it off.

I think he loves his coworkers more than he admits. They're not just friends. They're family.

"I'm going to grab a couple waters," Teddy says.

"I'll come with," I tell him, sticking my hand in his back pocket so we don't get separated. It has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with feeling up Teddy's glorious glutes. Not even a tiny bit. Nope.

The lights strobe overhead as we make our way to the bar. We're in the same club we visited on our party bus tour the night Teddy and I got married. It's like nostalgia in the weirdest way. Even weirder is that the chapel is right across the street. You can see it from the door.

What would have happened if Teddy hadn't approached me that night? If I hadn't joined the celebration in the first place? Would we still be veritable strangers, moving around each other but never touching? Or would we have ended up here at some point regardless?

I'd like to think we would have made it to exactly where we are, one way or another. The idea of not having Teddy as my husband is like a painful stitch in my side. The man burrowed his way into my life and—dare I say it—my heart in such a short amount of time, and now, I can't imagine being the Kipp I was before him. The one who was aimless and feeling alone. The one who ached as if something was missing.

Hewas. Teddy filled that missing space inside my chest.

Teddy's hand slips to my lower back as we sidle up to the bar, a gentle reminder of his presence. It's crowded and noisy, but my husband's thumb rubbing over my shirt makes it feel as if we're in a world all our own.

When the bartender comes our way, his eyes widen. "Holy shit," he says, gesturing between the two of us. "It's you guys."

"Uh," I manage as Teddy, more eloquently than me, says, "What about us?"

"You were the two that got hitched out back!"

Teddy and I exchange a look.

"You know about that?" Teddy asks.

The bartender turns to his coworker, saying something before waving us around the bar. Teddy and I follow the guy outside, where it's quieter.

"I wanted to get this to you, but you guys left before you gave me a phone number," the bartender says, producing his own phone from his back pocket. He unlocks the screen, clicks a few times, and then flips the device our way. A video is playing.

My heart does a swooping hop inside my chest as the Teddy onscreen drops to one knee, the two of us in the back alley behind the bar.

"Kipp," video-Teddy says, his hand holding mine as I stand in front of him, a blue dildo crown on my head and my other hand over my mouth. "I don't know if I believe in love at first sight, but the moment I saw you, I knew you were mine. My heart longed for yours, and it hasn't once stopped. Maybe this is fast, but I can't let you get away. Not when it feels like I'm finally right where I'm meant to be. So if you truly want me to keep you, I will keep you and care for you for the rest of our days. Because I'm yours, too. I always have been. Would you marry me?"

"Holy shit," video-me says, apparently in as much shock as real-me is. "That was the most romantic thing I've ever heard, dude. Of course I'll marry you. Are you kidding me? Where do I sign?"

The image wobbles after that, but video-Teddy stands and swoops me into his arms before it cuts out for good.

I turn to my husband, who's blinking at the screen.

"You asked me," I whisper.

He opens his mouth, seemingly not knowing what to say.

I assumed I was the one who asked Teddy. I always thought it was me who roped him into a spur-of-the-moment Vegas wedding. Because of course it would have been. I'm not exactly known for keeping out of trouble.

But the whole time, it was Teddy. Teddy asked me.

"I'm going to suck your dick so hard later," I inform him.

The bartender laughs.

"Neither of us remembers this," I explain to him, in case it isn't obvious. "We couldn't remember what happened that night."

"No shit?" he says before nodding down at our hands, where two gold wedding bands glint in the light. Mine fits perfectly now, thanks to the resizing I had done earlier this week. "But you're still together?"

"Yeah," Teddy says, seemingly having regained his ability to speak. "For good."

"That's some sappy shit right there," the guy says. "Well, I'm glad I caught you two while I was taking out the trash. Want me to send the video your way?"

"Please," I answer, giving him my number. My phone pings a moment later, the video now ours to rewatch again and again. "I have got to show this to Alex."

Teddy groans. "I'm never going to hear the end of this."

"Nor should you," I say, both of us following the bartender back inside, where sound picks up. "That was the pinnacle of romance, drunkenly declared or not, and it shall be treasured forever. I'm watching it at our wedding redo, on every anniversary, and anytime I'm sad."

"You guys need anything before I get back to work?" the bartender asks.

"Water," Teddy tells him.

He nods and walks behind the bar. Teddy turns to me, his hands going to my ass and tugging me tight to his body.

"I'm glad I asked," he says, lips near my ear. "I'm glad for every single thing that happened that night. And I'd do it again, drunk or not."

My heart thumps wildly as I lean back, meeting Teddy's gaze. "It's kind of perfect, don't you think? You asked me once, and I asked you once. It's like, I dunno…maybe we both really like each other or something."

Teddy's lips twitch. "Only maybe?"

"Maybe definitely."

"And just like?" he adds, nipping my ear.

I groan, a sound that's lost to the club. "Maybe love."

"That's better," he rumbles, turning as the bartender returns with our waters. Teddy uncaps mine, handing it over, and I guzzle it down. "Shall we dance?" he asks.

My gaze pings down to Teddy's shirt, and I cringe. "Maybe that can go first? I really don't want to get a hard-on against Alex's face."

Teddy raises an eyebrow. "And how, exactly, would your hard-on be reaching my chest?"

I huff. "I don't know what kind of dance moves we'll be doing, Teddy."

He shakes his head, but he does tug off the shirt, sticking it in his back pocket and revealing his much classier button-down.

I raise an eyebrow, and Teddy rolls his eyes so hard I worry for his brain. But then he proceeds to cuff his sleeves up to his elbows, giving me the most perfect view of his forearms, and all is right in the world.

"That's the stuff," I sigh.

Grabbing my hand, Teddy leads me onto the dance floor, where a few of our partygoers are already enjoying the evening. Without a word, he tugs me against his body and guides me in a close-quarters salsa. There's a wide smile on my face as we move, hips grinding together. When he spins me in a tight circle, I laugh, my body brushing his chest before he tugs me back in.

I lose myself for a little while in Teddy's arms. It's just him and me, dancing a rhythm of our own. He's sexy as sin as his hips roll and his feet lead me through the moves. But he's also sturdy. He's a guiding hand, the heat at my back. He's a softly smiling face and the gentle brush of beard hair against my cheek. He's vanilla and spice and the most resilient person I've met.

He's comfort. He's home. With him, everything quiets. Everything stills.

I think love is different for each person who experiences it. For me, it's peace. It's not wild or chaotic or the thrill of freefalling. It's the hand in my own holding steady and the knowledge that my bed will be warm tonight because of him.

Of course, it doesn't hurt that the man in said bed will likely fuck me unconscious as soon as we get there. I suppose that's just a perk of having a dirty-as-fuck Daddy Dom for a husband.

"What's so funny?" Teddy asks, hauling me close.

"I really don't think you want to know the inner workings of my head," I tell him, grinning wildly. "It's a very horny place in there."

He snorts. "As if I didn't know that already."

Good point.

"I need to use the bathroom," he says. "You okay for a minute?"

"Please," I say, scoffing. "I'm twenty-nine. I can handle myself."

He gives me a smirk, a kiss on the cheek, and then heads off the dance floor. Seeing Dixon and Niko close by, I make my way through the throng of people to join them.

"Hey!" I practically shout.

Niko gives me an up-nod, waving me in.

"Dixon, we've never had sex," I say to Niko's beau.

Both men still before Niko shakes his head. Dixon narrows his eyes.

"I'm not offering," I make sure to add, lest Dixon murder me with his gaze. "Yeesh. Just stating facts."

"Coming over Sunday?" Niko asks me.

I nod, feeling a little odd now that I'm dancing by my lonesome in front of Niko and Dixon as Dixon very blatantly grinds against Niko's ass, his hands on the front of Niko's jeans. "Uh, yeah," I say. "Is Teddy still invited?"

"Of course," Niko says. "You know everyone is dying to meet him."

Oh, I'm well aware. All four of Niko's sisters have been hounding me endlessly. The sweet little buggers.

"Do you think we should warn him or let the vultures—"

"Hey," someone cuts in, voice close to my ear. "Wanna dance?"

Turning, I find a cute twink eyeing me blatantly. "Oh, thanks, but my Daddy wouldn't like it."

The guy's eyes widen, his smile slipping. I can tell he doesn't know whether or not to take that comment seriously, which, honestly, makes it all the more fun.

"No, really," I go on. "He'd spank me if he found out." He wouldn't. "And honestly, I'd enjoy the hell out of that, but I don't wanna make him mad."

"I, uh…" the guy sputters.

An arm slips around my middle, Teddy's scent enveloping me as the newcomer's gaze pings over my shoulder.

"That's my husband," Teddy says coolly.

Oh, shit.

The guy backs away as my body rolls in a shiver. I turn my face so Teddy can hear me. "That was hot as fuck, hubby. Do it again."

Teddy tugs me back against his crotch, his voice low and for my ears alone. "You're mine. My husband. My precious babydoll. Isn't that right?"

Fuuuck.

"Yeah. Yep. You know, I never realized I was into the whole ‘rawr, me caveman' thing until you," I tell him.

He huffs a laugh at my ear, hands winding around me as he starts to sway. For a second, I swear I hear him humming that song we first danced to. Content in his arms, I let him pull me along for the ride.

"So, I was thinking," he says after a moment, hands distracting me as they move across my stomach and hip. "I always had this idea that a mountain wedding would be nice."

I bark a laugh. "You did, huh?"

"Mhm," he says, spinning me around chest to chest and pulling me close again, my feet following his, his hand holding mine as we move. "What do you think? Nice mountain backdrop. Something romantic but understated. Pink flowers maybe?"

"White," I say. "Definitely white."

A smile curls his lips. "White flowers. You, me, our friends, our families? I think it sounds kinda nice, don't you? And maybe, someday soon, we could even get that puppy you always wanted. I'd really like that. Starting a family with you."

My heart lopes happily inside my chest as I stare at the man I love, who's waiting for my answer. The future he's promising isn't one I have any desire to pass up. In fact, it sounds like all the things I've wanted for a very long time.

I lean my cheek against his, feeling his warmth. Inhaling his scent. "Yeah, Teddy. Sounds pretty damn perfect to me."