Ashleigh was woken up a couple of days later with Walker’s tongue flicking against her nipple. The days since their first time had been absolute bliss.

It had been a little awkward at first, when he’d come back from the day tending to the ranch with his brothers, but he’d swept her up into one of those mindblowing kisses shortly after they’d finished dinner. There had been barely a waking moment since when he wasn’t working that they weren’t kissing or touching or fucking.

Her back arched as he sucked her nipple into his mouth, tweaking the other with his hand. Her eyes fluttered open and she found him propped up on one elbow. He lifted his head from her breast and pinned his eyes to hers.

“Good morning, sunshine.” He smiled, but his gaze was intense.

That was the only word she could use to describe how he’d been with her these last few days. Intense.

Not that she was complaining. She’d certainly never felt this safe, this protected, or this coveted before in her entire life, and she loved it.

His head was resting in the open hand of the arm he was propped up on, but his free hand kept at her nipple, causing it to form a pert, sensitive bead.

He played with her nipples, just watching her reactions for several minutes before she squirmed, needing more.

“Walker, please,” she breathed.

He kissed her in response, driving her wild with his tongue, stroking and probing her mouth as his hand trailed over her stomach and cupped her sex. The slight pressure made her moan and she bucked her hips against his hand, trying to either encourage him to touch her properly or take what she needed by rubbing against his palm.

He played her body like a fiddle. He had quickly learned what she liked, what she needed and when she needed it. He used this knowledge to his advantage when he was in a teasing mood -- which he apparently was this morning.

He withdrew his hand, drawing circles over her thighs, lightly dragging his fingers over her lips but avoiding any pressure, purposefully skirting past her throbbing clit.

She could feel his cock, rock hard and twitching against her hip. She knew he wanted her just as much as she wanted him, so she came up with a lust-driven plan that would be sure to cause him to cut out the teasing and just take her already.

“You know,” she said breathlessly. “I have that dress fitting in Baton Rouge in a couple of hours. I should really start getting ready if I’m going to be on time. Rain check?”

He growled, crushed his lips to hers and moved his strong body over hers, swiftly positioning his cock at her entrance.

Bingo! she thought triumphantly.

The man was insatiable, though so was she with him, and he got what he wanted, when he wanted it. Right now, it just so happened that what he wanted was her.

His hands wound through her hair as he slid into her slick, hot core.

She moaned as he filled her, at the sheer ecstasy of the feel of him inside her. He filled her completely, touching every inch inside of her. He withdrew slowly before thrusting home again. He kept a rhythm that had her ready to explode in minutes as she struggled to keep her eyes on his.

He’d told her at some point to look at him as she came and it just became a thing, though she failed miserably at it, but she kept trying.

His eyes were burning with lust and need, and he let out a low groan when he realized how close she was.

The sound of that carnal groan pushed her over the edge and she came apart underneath him, clenching and trembling as the fireworks exploded behind her eyelids.

She rode every wave of pleasure with wanton moans, until she felt his body start to quiver against hers as he followed her into the abyss with another sexy groan.

As had become a habit, he rolled over and pulled her into his side, stroking her hair as she rested her head on his defined chest.

They lay like that for a while, catching their breath and waiting for their limbs to recover from their jellylike state.

“You excited for the fitting?” he whispered.

“Yeah, kind of. I, uh, don’t really know what to expect, and I’m kind of nervous of running into someone who knew me at, well, you know.” A cold shiver ran up her spine as she thought of the people she might run into.

He held her tighter. “Are you sure I can’t just come with you?”

She felt the waves of frustration coming off of him, despite his recent orgasm.

“We talked about this, remember? No seeing the bride in the dress before the big day,” she admonished him.

“Baton Rouge has more than just one shop, you know. I told you, I’ll just drive you and hang out nearby, pick you up when you're done.”

They’d been going around in circles with this argument since the appointment for the fitting had been made.

Walker seemed desperate to go with her, but for some reason, she felt like she should do this by herself. Like it was some kind of rite of passage, choosing a wedding dress without your fiancé hovering nearby.

She knew she was being silly, and her heart swelled with affection for him and his fierce need to protect her, but she wanted to do this the way her gut was telling her she should.

She’d never even allowed herself to dream of a wedding in which she was a willing participant, where she would get to actually choose to say yes to the man and the dress and everything else, and it felt important to her to do this right.

So she stood her ground, and an hour later she was on her way to Baton Rouge. Alone.

Once she reached the outskirts of the city, she was cursing herself for her stupidity for coming alone, for not letting Walker come with her.

What if someone saw her? What if they took her straight back to Dimitri? What if… A million other what ifs ran through her mind.

Her hands shook with nervous energy as she eased into a parking spot outside of the bridal store. Her eyes darted up and down the street before she decided it was safe to get out. Once out of the car, she practically ran into the shop, keeping her head down.

Her eyes were wild as she stepped into the dress shop, cursing herself all along for convincing Walker not to come.

Her heart was hammering in her chest and fear was creeping into every pore. She took a deep breath and instantly felt calmer when the scent of jasmine hit her nostrils.

She forced herself to look around, to take in the beautifully appointed shop she was standing in.

Everything was white and gold, with plush carpet beneath her feet and display case after display case held the most wonderful jewelry and tiaras and fine, beaded purses.

You may be in Baton Rouge, but you’re not here for them, you’re here for him. For this.

She repeated the phrase several times in her mind, and slowly but surely felt her heartbeat return to normal.

“Excuse me, Miss. Are you Miss Walsh?” a sales consultant asked, the voice coming from behind her.

Ashleigh spun round to face a friendly, kind-faced girl who was probably no more than two or three years older than her.

Her blonde hair was pulled into a severe bun and the black dress she wore looked like it had been pressed to within an inch of its life, but the girl herself and her soft green eyes instantly made Ashleigh feel comfortable with her.

“Yes, I am. Call me Ashleigh, please.”

“Missy,” she replied as she gave Ashleigh’s hand a quick squeeze. “I’m going to help you find the perfect dress today!” She chattered excitedly as she led Ashleigh to a large dressing room with a seating area.

In the center of the room was a round platform, while a huge mirror adorned two walls within the seating area. There was a coffee machine and water cooler on a side table with beautiful crystal glasses set out, and a bottle of champagne chilling in an ice bucket on the side.

She felt a pang in her heart as she realized that most girls probably had moms and sisters and excited bridesmaids with them for this, yet she was alone. No giggling and champagne for her.

Just then, she heard a familiar voice ring out from outside.

“Ash, are you decent? Actually, it doesn’t matter, we’re coming in!” Rose called as the door to the room swung open, and Rose and Remy burst through it with shining eyes and wide smiles.

“This is so exciting, it’s gorgeous, this shop!” Remy clapped her hands together in delight.

Ashleigh was so surprised that she was actually speechless for a moment, but then a shy smile spread on her face as she realized she wasn’t alone after all.

Walker must have told them where to find me, she thought as her heart swelled with joy and affection for Walker and the Roman girls, and the effort they had made to drive all the way to be with her.

Both Roman women settled on the couch as Missy introduced herself and repeated her statement about finding the perfect dress.

“So, what have you got for us first?” Ashleigh asked, feeling excited and a little more confident now that she wasn’t alone.

“Well, a couple of questions actually, I’m afraid. We have your size and all that from the booking form, but I need to know if you have a specific style and color in mind?” Missy sat on the armrest of one of the couches, a stylus held at the ready over a small white tablet.

“Not really,” Ashleigh admitted and felt her cheeks flush. Weren’t all wedding dresses just poofy and white? She found herself wondering as Missy seemed to conduct a quick assessment of her body.

“Well then,” Missy said cheerfully. “You’re a blank canvas. I love it! Let me go pull some dresses I think will suit your frame, and we’ll play around with what you like. Help yourself to some drinks while you wait, they’re complimentary.” She winked at them and disappeared out the door.

“So, how are things going with Walker now?” Rose asked as she fixed a coffee.

“They’re good. Really good, actually! Thanks for the idea about the fair.”

“No problem, we had fun, too.” Her eyes twinkled as she spoke, and Remy groaned.

“You and Colt really are incorrigible!”

Rose smirked and stuck her tongue out at Remy.

“Says the women with two children who were conceived before she could even get around to marrying their father,” Rose teased.

Remy flushed, but smiled, clearly more amused than offended by Rose’s comment.

“This is true. Maybe it’s not us, maybe it’s the Roman boys. What do you think, Ashleigh?”

“It’s definitely them.” She joined in their easy banter and felt herself starting to relax and actually have fun with them.

Missy returned with two assistants, their arms heaped with white material. They hung all the dresses on a rail at the far end of the room, and Missy ushered the assistants out quickly.

“Right, let’s get this party started, ladies.”

Ashleigh felt self-conscious about stripping down to her underwear in front of Missy and the girls, but the self-consciousness quickly faded as Missy laced her up in some of the most beautiful dresses she’d ever seen.

The girls oohed and aahed as she tried on dress after dress, but insisted that none of them were the perfect one.

Missy sat with the girls, carefully evaluating what Ashleigh liked and didn’t like about each one, asking for input from the girls until she snapped her fingers, and a smile spread across her lips.

“I’ve got the one, I think.” She dashed from the room and was back not a minute later with a garment bag draped in her arms.

“Close your eyes,” she ordered as she started unzipping the bag.

Remy and Rose both gasped and squealed as the dress was revealed to them.

“You’re right I think, Missy,” Remy breathed.

Ashleigh felt soft material brushing against her skin as Missy helped her into the dress. Curiosity burned inside her to see what had the girls so riled up and Missy buzzing with excitement.

The dress fit her like a glove and felt like it had been made just for her, hugging her body like it was an old friend.

If it looked half as good as it felt, this was definitely the one.

She felt Missy fasten the final button and step back as she said, “Right, you can open your eyes now.”

It took a second for her eyes to adjust to the soft light but once they did, an involuntary gasp escaped her lips as she took in her reflection in the huge mirror.

The dress was magnificent. It was an off-white strapless lace creation with a sweetheart neckline and fine beading in what she had learned was a sheath-style dress.

Her fingers ran up and down the beautiful material that encased her body, and a part of her couldn’t believe that it was actually her in that reflection, so elegant and radiant and… bridal.

Tears sprung to her eyes as the thought hit her. The dress made her feel like the bride she was soon going to be.

Missy surveyed her expression with a trained eye.

“I’ll just give you a minute,” she said softly and slipped from the room.

Remy and Rose appeared behind her in the reflection. Rose had a hand clasped to her mouth, and both girls' eyes were brimming with happy tears.

“It’s perfect,” she said breathlessly, still struggling to believe that she was dressed in a creation as magnificent as this, that material this expensive was touching her skin.

Her stomach dropped at the thought. Surely she couldn’t afford this!

Sure, Walker had said weeks ago that she wasn’t to worry about money, that he would pay for everything while they were together, but this dress was sure to cost a fortune, far too much to spend on her…

The happy tears that had been pricking her eyes turned to devastated ones rolling over her cheeks.

“Hey, what happened?” Remy stepped up to her and put an arm around her shoulders, studying her with a puzzled expression.

“I, I can’t possibly afford this,” she stammered in a low voice, feeling the shame creep through her body.

“Nonsense!” Remy exclaimed. “Walker can, I assure you. You have his credit card?”

She nodded, still too ashamed to meet Remy’s eyes.

“Well then, just charge it. It’s not even a drop in the bucket, I promise you,” Remy said assuredly.

“Yeah Ash, he’s like, crazy rich. Didn’t you know that? They all are,” Rose said.

She tentatively met both sets of sure, confident eyes gazing back at her and shook her head and bit her lip.

“I never thought to ask,” she breathed.

Rose’s eyes softened. “It’s a lot to take in, I know. I promise you though, he can absolutely afford it and what’s more than that, he’d want you to have it. If he’s anything like his brothers, which we know he is, he would never forgive himself if you didn’t have everything you wanted for your big day.”

“Besides,” Remy added. “He’s the one who’s going to be taking you out of it. It’s as much for him as for you, really.”

A giggle escaped her lips before her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. These people were not shy, that’s for sure.

“So, you getting it?” Rose asked, ready to call Missy back.

Ashleigh nodded, thinking that she could always return it later and exchange it for something cheaper if it was too expensive.

Less than half an hour later, the exquisite dress was back in its garment bag, gently draped across the back of the Escalade and Ashleigh was settled at a table at a cozy sidewalk café with Rose and Remy.

She was comfortable with them, feeling for the first time in a long time that she might actually have friends.

“Tell us about you and Walker, Ash. He’s so different with you.”

“What do you want to know?”

“Well, let’s start with the easy stuff,” Rose said with a mischievous tone in her voice. “Why do you love him? Or rather, what do you love about him?”

Well, that was unexpected. Her heart thudded in her chest as she tried to find the right words.

“I love him because he’s, you know, him,” she answered honestly. “He knows just about everything there is to know about me, but he’s never judged me. He accepted me just as I am and didn’t make me feel ashamed about who that was. He makes me feel so protected, so safe. He just makes me feel like, more… More of a person, more of a woman, more than I ever have before. He’s got such a big heart, such a gentle soul that I don’t think I ever stood a chance. Plus, there's also the fact that he's hot as hell.”

Rose giggled at the last part and high-fived her, while Remy looked so touched that she might burst into tears. Instead, she pulled Ashleigh into a tight hug.

“I’m so glad he found you,” she whispered.

Over Remy’s shoulder, Ashleigh spotted two girls aiming cell phone cameras at them and her blood ran cold as a shiver of recognition shot through her.

They used to work with her at the club and were undoubtedly sending the pictures that they were snapping straight back to management. Fear and dread settled like rocks in her stomach, and all the lightness and elation from earlier disappeared into thin air.

Her hands started shaking and she pulled away from Remy, trying to hide her physical reaction to seeing those girls, knowing what came next.

No one just walked away from them. She had been a complete idiot to have been lulled into the idea that somehow, she just could.

She glanced at her watch, trying to find an excuse to leave that wouldn’t rouse too many suspicions. As it was, both Roman girls were eyeing her with puzzled expressions.

“Look at the time! I really have to get going. Walker and I are, uh, doing something special tonight and I need to get back.”

She pushed her chair back, stumbling slightly in her haste.

“This was fun though, thank you so much.” She nearly ran from the restaurant, not able to get away from those girls she used to work with and their cameras fast enough.

She saw the Escalade parked just spaces away, and for a second thought she may be home free.

If she could just reach it, she could lock the doors and speed back to the safety of Walker’s arms.

No such luck.

A burly, hulking man stepped into her path at the last minute. He was clad in all black, eyes glinting dangerously as he crossed his bulging arms across his chest.

Eli. His name jumped into her head, he was a bouncer at the club and worked with Igor, the perverted, aggressive protector she’d run from the night she’d met Walker.

“Doll,” his menacing voice was low as he spoke. “You have two choices here, whore. You either need to come back with me right now, or you cough up a million dollars for Mr. Solokov to pay off your debt.”

The mention of Dimitri Solokov made her stomach twist and her vision blur as pure black dread spread through her body.

She tried to keep her outward appearance calm and confident, but inwardly she was ready to vomit or run. Possibly both. At the same time, perhaps.

“I have a new place now,” she spat at him.

He boomed with ominous laughter that didn’t reach his eyes as he shook his head at her.

“No one will ever want you, knowing your history.” He surveyed her like he was disgusted at her. “Of course, if you just come with me quietly, I won’t have to tell anyone about your dirty little secret. Or did you think we don’t know about your criminal history?”

She felt the blood rush from her head, and her whole body went pale. She could taste bile in the back of her throat and her lunch seriously threatened to make a violent reappearance.

He grinned at her, eyes full of malice.

The malicious grin was what forced her into action. Her legs felt like they were made from lead, but she turned and ran faster than she ever had toward the Escalade, throwing herself in the driver’s seat and spinning out of the parking space before the door had even properly closed next to her.

She shook like a leaf all the way back to Catahoula, and she had to stop twice to hurl. She had no idea how she had gotten away, now that she’d had time to think about it, but the important thing was that she had.

She tried to calm herself down once she reached the small town that had become her home, taking comfort in the fact that very soon, she would be reunited with Walker.

Her heartbeat slowed immediately and she felt the shivering subside as she realized that he was close by. Walker, the only man in the world with whom she felt safe, who wanted to keep her that way.