34

Mia

 “I now pronounce you husband and wife. Deck, go on, and kiss your woman for the fifth time since standing up here,” the chaplain said, and we all laughed as Deck gathered Charlotte up into his arms and laid a kiss on her that would have been frowned upon by normal wedding standards. But not here at the Wounded Souls’ compound.

The kiss continued for long seconds, causing the wedding party and guests to hoot and holler, stamping their feet in congratulations for the blissfully happy couple. I glanced over at Steel, who stood on the other side of the makeshift altar, looking handsome in his new black slacks, new white body-hugging tee, and, of course, his cut and gave him a happy smile. This was where I hoped we ended up, sooner rather than later. I hadn’t voiced this to him yet, but I wanted to be married before our bub arrived. It wasn’t a deal-breaker or anything like that because, honestly, I would take Cooper Steel anyway I could get him. But my dream of being his wife burned in me like a craving.

Steel winked at me, and his stunning green eyes sparkled with happiness, but I still saw the trepidation in them. After tonight’s festivities, the happy couple and their daughter would leave to go on their honeymoon. Well, Deck and Charlotte were going on their honeymoon, but Booth and Deck had made the decision to send Shiloh off to Deck’s parents while he was away. The men’s plan for tomorrow would leave Stella, one of the prospects, and Vegas, who arrived back first thing this morning with Darth, here. It was decided last night in the war room—which, I might add, I was allowed to stay in while they planned—that Jason, Deck’s brother, needed to be kept out of this one. His brother status gave him an affiliation to the club, but his dedication to his job and the rulebook meant the men weren’t too sure where he would land on the whole ‘two snipers with big-arse rifles keeping me safe’ issue.

It surprised me that I was so calm about this. I was to be wired up so Steel could hear me and talk to me, and all of the guys would be able to do the same. All I had to do was get Tori to meet me at the Bar and Grill under the guise that I was not sure about Steel’s commitment to me and that I was scared that now I was pregnant, he would get cold feet and go running back to Callie. The whole time we were laying out the subterfuge, I wanted to vomit and not from growing a human in my belly but because I had to say those horrible words and pretend that our happiness might fall apart. Argh, I had to stop thinking like this. This was supposed to be a celebration, and Deck and Charlotte deserved this after everything they had been through.

Booth’s desperation to bring Rogue down was also something we all understood, for the future and for the future safety of the club and everything belonging to it.

I feel a nudge at my elbow and saw Rainn motioning for me to move. Getting my head back in the right space, I headed back down the pink carpet Shiloh insisted on picking out for the aisle. That girl was obsessed with pink, and right now, she looked like a scary army inspired marshmallow. Her huge tutu-style dress was accessorised by her ever-present shitkickers, and instead of green camo tights, Charlotte had found some pink and white designed ones. The only strange thing about Shiloh’s outfit and it was just a little one was the white leather handgun holster complete with a replica Glock, no less, which was sitting at the small of her back. Thank you, Darth.

Creed came to my side and took my hand, tucking it into the crook of his arm. When Charlotte started planning the wedding, Steel was still with Callie and being a dick to me, so she paired me up with Creed. At that time, both she and Stella had decided this would pull Steel’s head out of his arse. As it turned out, accidentally getting pregnant with his child did the trick. “You look amazing, gorgeous,” Creed whispered in my ear, his lips brushing my temple.

I smiled at him because I did feel pretty in this dress. Charlotte definitely had an eye for style, and all the bridesmaids’ gowns were more subtle versions of her own ballet-inspired gown with lots of tulle and puffy skirts and all in different shades of pink. What else?

Smiling, I gave Creed’s hand a gentle squeeze. It had to be so hard for him having weddings and pregnant women all around him. I knew he was struggling with this. I worried he was going to do something drastic. I wasn’t sure what, but the mood he had been in since Rogue admitted what he did to Lila Rose scared me. The only person able to bring out the Creed we all knew and loved was Shiloh. With her sweet and innocent nature as well as her crazy personality and humour, she was the only thing keeping him from losing it completely.

“Thank you, hon,” I replied softly. I turned my head and saw Steel standing a few feet away, staring at my hand that was currently still tucked into the crook of Creed’s arm. Shaking my head, I sent him a reassuring smile. The man had absolutely no reason to doubt my feelings for him. He was everything to me. The love of my life and so much more, and that was the main reason I agreed to put myself in a potentially dangerous situation. I wanted this over. Standing on my tiptoes, I pressed a kiss to Creed’s cheek.

“Enjoy the celebration, Creed. These happy days are worth remembering. One at a time, they replace some of the bad days.” I noticed a range of emotions pass over his ridiculously handsome face, and I wanted to cry for him and for what he had lost.

“Holding onto the bad is easier, gorgeous Mia,” he said as he released my arm from his.

Behind him, I saw Shiloh barrelling towards us calling out for her Unca Creed. Her little legs were going way too fast, and she nearly lost her footing several times as she made her way to us. With the reflexes of a combat-trained soldier, Creed turned his body just in time to catch Shiloh as she launched herself at him. Her giggles lightened the cloud hanging over Creed. He wasn’t smiling, that would require Shiloh to have superpowers, but I had faith that it would happen. And it would be Shiloh’s doing.

“Wanna dance with me, moody man?” she asked, her small hands on his cheeks and her nose touching his. I heard Creed grunt out a little chuckle.

“It will be my pleasure, Squirt.”

I watched Creed walk away with Shiloh safely in his arms, and as I let out a sigh, I felt Steel come up behind me. He wrapped his arms around my waist and splayed his hands across my lower belly over our child.

“How is he?” Steel’s rumbling voice tickled my ear. Turning in his embrace, I wound my arms around his neck. His hair had gotten a little longer in the last few weeks, and I found it amusing that he rebelled against his army training and grew his hair long. Booth did, too. Deck and Creed were the only ones who still wore the traditional short back and sides. Mannix just had a mop, and Darth, well, his man bun and beard were the stuff of legends.

Glancing at Creed’s retreating figure, I sighed again.

“I honestly don’t know. Finding out Lila was killed by Rogue has flipped a switch in him,” I told Steel. I was scared of what was about to happen later tonight, but I mostly feared what was going to happen for Creed and to us.

In the background, I heard tapping on a microphone signifying Stella had made her way up onto the stage to join Sebastian, or Seb as he liked to be called—Charlotte was the only one who addressed him by his full given name. Stella looked beautiful in her rose-pink bridesmaid dress. All three of us did. Rainn’s was a more vibrant pink, and mine was the softest blush pink I had ever seen. I loved this dress. Charlotte said we could keep them and do anything with them after the wedding, so I planned to shorten the length of mine and take away a few layers of the tulle and keep it for a going-out party dress.

“Where is your head going, Beauty?” Steel hunkered down so he could look me in the eyes.

Worry. All I saw was the worry in his eyes. I couldn’t have this. We were here to celebrate the love of my best friend, her new husband, and their daughter. The time to worry about danger would arrive soon enough. For now, I just wanted my man’s arms around me and then to feel the thrill it gave me. I plastered on a huge smile, one I hoped would pull Steel from his dark thoughts.

“I think I want to dance with my baby daddy,” I sassed as Stella’s voice started to sing a song about knowing and loving someone before they even met. Charlotte and Deck were wound so tight in an embrace that people looking at them struggled to see where one began and the other ended. I swallowed the lump forming in my throat and looked away from the happy couple, feeling like a voyeur while they shared a perfectly romantic moment.

Steel smirked, his mouth curving in the sexiest way. It always hit me smack in my heart, and when he directed it at me, it hit dead centre. A tremble passed through me as he drew me closer against his hard, chiselled body and started to sway us to the beautiful words and guitar being played from the stage.

“Baby daddy, hey? I like that title, but I prefer a different one.” His cryptic statement had me removing my head from his chest to look up at him. Keeping us moving slowly to the music, Steel steered us to the outer corner of the makeshift dance floor. We were far enough away from the wedding guests that it allowed us privacy but was still within hearing distance of Stella singing. The song she sang now was an Adele song, and the beautiful, haunting lyrics of ‘Make You Feel Our Love’ reminded me to ask Stella if she would sing at our wedding if I were ever lucky enough to have one.

“Cooper?” I urged my man, curious to know what he was talking about. Title? What other title? What was he talking about, and why wasn’t he dragging me off to our room to pound me into the mattress of our bed with hours and hours of lovemaking?

Steel’s arms tightened around me, and when he lifted me off the ground, I immediately wrapped my legs around his waist, thankful that the ballet-inspired skirt of my dress made it easier for such a position.

“Eeek, Steel what are you doing?” I squealed, worried his leg would not be able to hold me for too long. Tightening my legs and hooking my ankles against his firm butt, I looked down at my man. The love I saw shining in his eyes almost stole my breath. I leaned down and rested my nose against his. Staying like that, I waited for Steel to speak.

“Beauty. Fuck, Mia, I love you. You have changed my life. Even after all the horrible things I did to you, flaunting Callie…”

I tried to interrupt him, but his lips pressed against mine in a chaste but firm kiss, stopping any objections I could come up with.

“No, beautiful, it’s true. But I’m not that arsehole any longer because of you and your love, your strong and never-ending belief in me. You never gave up on me. Not once, not even when I behaved my worst. You were never my second choice, Mia. You are my only choice, the right choice. My heart’s choice.”

My nose burned with the effort to keep the storm of tears I had building up from falling too soon. The things Steel said were bursting my heart with utter joy. Nodding my head, I silently gave him the green light to continue. I hated that he still punished himself, and even though I had forgiven him and put it behind me, I couldn’t make him—he had to do that all on his own. He had to forgive himself.

“But the best thing of them all is our baby nestled safely inside of you. A piece of you and me, the best part of us all wrapped up in a miracle.” I heard the awe in his voice. He’d never intended to have children… or a committed relationship for that matter. His torment over his lost limb always held that piece of him back. The notion that he wasn’t deserving of such things in his life was nothing short of preposterous because this man deserved that and so much more. I wanted to get down on my knees and thank the Lord above that it was me giving that to him.

“Cooper,” I said softly, unable to express anything else. His words were like a security blanket, wrapping around me with their warmth.

“I love you, Mia. Give me one more gift and become my wife. Make me the happiest biker in the world and say yes.” He smiled the cocky smile I loved so much, but the honesty behind the smile stopped my surprise and the tears. Cooper Steel was a master at smirking, using the cocky grin to mask what was really going on in his head, but all I saw was brutal honesty. He loved me. He wanted this baby and me. He wanted a life with me. I felt like all my dreams were coming true.

“Are you going to make an honest woman of me before our little lady arrives?” I sassed him. Internally, I was screaming and shouting, fuck, yes, I will marry you, but I held it in. I had to give him a hard time for at least for a second or two, right?

A firm slap warmed my bottom. “Beauty,” Steel said, growling in warning and making me giggle.

I sobered quickly when Steel’s grip on me gave slightly. His leg troubled him, but he would never admit to not being able to hold me any longer, so I was not going to make him. Releasing my legs from around his waist, I slid down his hard body, the bulge behind his zipper, grinding deliciously against me as I made my way down and back to my feet. I heard an intake of breath from Steel, and his eyes had a look of gratitude. My man was stubborn and proud, which was some of the reasons why I loved him.

My mood shifted from sass to serious.

“Cooper Steel, there is nothing I want more than to be your wife and the mother of your children. I’m giving you my heart, so cherish it. Please, babe.” I heard the pleading in my voice. This was big for me, something I had always wanted, but it also scared the bejesus out of me. His power over me could rock my world with passion and love or destroy me and shatter my heart into a million pieces. I knew which one I preferred.

“Thank fuck.” He groaned as his forehead lowered to mine, and I felt the tension slide from his body. He had nothing to be worried about though, spending any amount of time on this earth, and not being his was not an option.

My mouth was taken in a soul-scorching kiss. Offering up my lips, I opened them and searched for his tongue. The kiss was frantic, and Steel’s jaw opened wider as he devoured my lips, his tongue duelling with my own, sucking and licking at it. My core clenched, and the ever-present tingle that was always there whenever Steel was around me intensified. I needed more. I needed to have him inside me, consuming me, loving me.

Reluctantly, I ripped my lips from his, panting hard. He was too, and his Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat from the effort of the kiss.

“Take me to bed, babe. Show me how much you want me.” I literally purred the request. Where this sex goddess was coming from, I had no idea, but I liked her.

His smile, which was wider than I had ever seen, flashed at me. “Abso-fucking-lutely.”