Page 69 of Irresistibly Wicked

“Preacher would have kicked my ass if I had ruined his surprise.”

She wasn’t talking about the wedding. She had a feeling they were going to be hard to walk away from, but she kept that to herself as they headed outside.

As Shauna stepped off the deck, she was even more grateful for Cap’s presence. Madigan played the guitar, and Conroy was taking pictures of Shauna and Rodney as they crossed the yard toward Junie, Rosie, and Leo, who were standing with Leah and Tank at the head of the aisle. The kids were beaming at Shauna, each of them holding a basket. Tank and Leah were blocking her view of the gazebo, but the chairs were full, and everyone was looking their way.

“Here she comes!” Rosie bounced on her toes, waving wildly. “We’re ready!”

“She knows, Rosie!” Junie chided, then waved just as energetically.

“Give her the flowers, Papa Tank!” Rosie hollered.

Shauna was so nervous as Tank stepped forward, she had to remind herself to breathe.

“Welcome to the family, sweetheart,” Tank handed her a bouquet of white lilies.

“Thank you,” she said shakily.

With a nod, Tank moved to the side, and then, finally, she saw Zander. He was standing in the gazebo with Preacher and his brothers, looking like a dream she’d never imagined, and she was hit with a sense of comfort and belonging that breathed air into her lungs and courage into her heart. He was wearing a white dress shirt, sleeves rolled up like the other men, his leather cut, and jeans, but unlike the others, with their perfect hair and practiced gazes, Zander’s hair was tousled, his smile crooked, and he was looking at her like she wasn’t just his temporary bride. But in that look she saw, and felt, something else, something more. An underlying disbelief, like this wasn’t part of the plan.

Was that possible? Could he feel it, too?

Her heart cracked open, soft and stunned, still tender from her time with the girls, and for one wild, heart-thundering moment, she wanted to believe it.

Chapter Twenty-Three

ZANDER COULDN’T TAKE his eyes off Shauna, standing at the end of the aisle with Cap. He’d never seen her like this, with her hair down, lustrous waves framing her gorgeous face, a wayward strand blowing across her shoulder with the breeze. She looked elegant and defiant at once, and it knocked the air right out of his lungs. Junie, Rosie, and Leo began making their way down the aisle, throwing rose petals and waving to everyone, briefly capturing Zander’s attention. They were cute as hell, but as Leo toddled up to give Zeke the wedding rings, Madigan began playing the “Wedding March.” Shauna stepped into the aisle, and everything else faded away.

Shauna moved with the confident strength of a lioness as she made her way toward him, her back straight and chin lifted, pretending she wasn’t nervous. She was so damn strong, refusing to let anything stop her from doing what she needed to. But Zander knew her well enough to see the flicker of insecurity in her eyes, the tightness of her jaw, and the way she was gripping Cap’s arm like a lifeline.

A flood of feelings locked into place, heat behind his ribs, a pulsing ache in his chest, and the unrelenting “Mine” growling through his head. It wasn’t the greedy, shallow desire Zander was familiar with. No, this wasn’t just a want. It was a need, driven by deep admiration and primal protectiveness.

She and Cap stopped in front of the gazebo. Cap leaned in, whispering something that made her smile, and then he kissed her cheek and went to sit down.

As Shauna climbed the steps, her and Zander’s eyes connected with a silent ferocity that was so fucking real, it felt dangerous. It scared the hell out of him and made him want her even more. Not just for a night, and not just in his bed.

Preacher cleared his throat, jerking Zander from his thoughts. He must have been staring, because his brothers chuckled.

“If I’ve learned one thing from raising five stubborn children, it’s that life rarely follows expected paths,” Preacher said, earning murmurs of agreement. “But without the unexpected trials and tribulations that life throws at us, we wouldn’t have met the incredible people who have since become family. We’re gathered here today to welcome another new member into our family and to witness a promise between Shauna and Zander. A promise that didn’t start as a fairy tale and wasn’t born from unrelenting love, but comes from the vital stepping-stones on which love grows. A promise born from trust and friendship.”

Shauna gripped the bouquet she was holding tighter. Zander fought the urge to reach for her hand.

Preacher looked between them and said, “Today is about honoring your choices. Alexander, do you promise to stand with and support Shauna as her partner, her protector, and her friend, in sickness and in health, with honesty and respect, from this moment forward?”

His father’s use of his given name made the moment feel even more momentous.

Shauna mouthed, Alexander?

She was so damn cute. He opened his mouth to say his I do, expecting it to be easy. It was just two simple words pledging a temporary commitment, but as her eyes brimmed with trust, the gravity of what they were doing hit him full-on. He didn’t feel panic or regret, only a deep-seated surety that this was bigger than anything he’d ever felt before and the determination to do it right. He held Shauna’s gaze as the words clawed their way up from his heart, and he said, “I do.”

His father turned to Shauna and said, “Before you do this, it’s only fair that I warn you. My son is a hell of a good man, but he can be a handful.”

Laughter rumbled around them.

“His charm alone makes him a handful. But charm and all that?” She smiled so big, her dimples popped as she held her hand out, as if presenting Zander to Preacher, and said, “I think he’s more like an armload, but I can handle him.”

More laughter rang out, and Zeke said, “She’s got your number, Zan.”

Yes, she does, and I fucking love it.