The Bravest Hero (A Curvy Girls Club Novel Book 2) Page 16

  “You don’t look it.” Jonathan, one of the other guys said.

  “Mack, look. If this isn’t what you want. Who you want. You gotta call it now. It’s not too late,” Nick said.

  “I’m standing at the altar on my wedding day, Nick! I’m supposed to call it off now?!” Mack hissed under his voice.

  “Better now than to be trapped with someone you don’t want. Believe me, I just went through a divorce. It’s messy.”

  “How do you know I don’t want her? And why are you telling me this now?”

  “I’ve seen the way you look at Royal every time she’s in a room with you. At the rehab center. At your party. You’re in love with her and she’s in love with you.” All his groomsmen nodded as Nick continued. “And I’m saying it now because I honestly didn’t believe that you’d go through with it. But it’s obvious you’re going to, so I figured I’d say something now before the ‘I dos’ begin.”

  “You know, you guys are the worst groomsmen in the history of groomsmen.” Mack shook his head and moved to his designated spot for the wedding.

  He looked out the large floor to ceiling windows to the world beyond that didn’t know he was in the middle of a crisis of his own making. Storm clouds had rolled into the bay. A jagged streak of lightning lit up the sky. Seconds later, the rumble of thunder reached them. It was louder than the string quartet playing softly in the corner. Loud enough that the guests looked back and out the windows.

  His eyes scanned the guests as they came into the mansion and took their seats. Many rushed inside to avoid the coming storm. The storm brewing in here might be worse, he thought as his gaze froze on someone in the back. It was Mariah.

  He’d fought with Ainsley to invite some of the staff and patients from the rehabilitation center. He’d finally won the argument, considering most of their guests were friends and family to Ainsley and not him. He’d given an invitation to Mariah out of politeness, but he hadn’t expected her to show up.

  Mariah’s brown eyes were filled with so much sympathy and knowing as she stared back at him, that Mack had to look away.

  He’d made a terrible decision nearly two decades ago. He’d cast aside the one person who truly cared about him. The one person he’d truly loved at the time. All to date the one everyone expected him to be with. He’d hurt her, and he’d hurt himself. And he was about to do it again.

  A throat cleared. Mack whipped his head towards the sound and it was the pastor. He’d taken his place next to Mack.

  The quartet started playing Perfect by Ed Sheeran. One of Ainsley’s guy friends began to sing the lyrics as her bridesmaids walked down the aisle.

  The words to the song resonated with Mack, but not for his soon-to-be bride. It reminded him of someone else.

  The song was timed perfectly. The last of Ainsley’s ten bridesmaids reached the altar and the grand double doors leading into the room opened again and there stood Ainsley with her father as the lyrics ended on how perfect she looked.

  The familiar melody of the Wedding March began to play. Sweat prickled the skin of Mack’s forehead. The guests stood and the collective sound was deafening to Mack’s ears.

  Ainsley’s dress, hair, and makeup were flawless as they slowly made their way down the aisle towards him. But Mack couldn’t see her. He saw Royal standing in the middle of her loft looking vulnerable and hurt. They reached the bottom of the altar and Ainsley kissed her father’s cheek. Mack saw Royal tossing her head back and laughing that raspy deep laugh of hers. Ainsley walked up the three steps to him and they looked at each other. Mack saw sympathetic brown eyes looking at him as he lay on a dark road.

  Something inside his chest tore.

  “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the joining of McKennon Carter and Ainsley Prescott in holy matrimony. If there is any person who can show just cause why they may not be joined, let them speak now or forever hold their peace.” The pastor paused.

  No one was there to save the day. Their guests remained quiet.

  The pastor began again. He talked about the sanctity of marriage. Mack heard none of it. He did hear more thunder crack and the sound of the sky opening up and unleashing everything that he felt. The weather couldn’t match his mood more.

  “And now for the vows,” the pastor said signaling that it was now time to pay attention. “Do you McKennon Carter, take Ainsley Prescott to be your wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do you part?”

  The vision of kind, pretty brown eyes faded away and manipulative blue ones took their place.

  Mack opened his mouth. And then drew in a breath to speak.

  “I…”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Mia:

  Bathe

  Royal:

  Huh?

  Mia:

  Have you moved from the couch?

  Royal:

  Barely

  Mia:

  You stink. I can smell you from here. Bathe.

  Royal:

  You don’t know me!

  Mia:

  Yes, I do. I love you. I know you’re sad. But do me that one solid before we come over later. Just take a relaxing bath. You’ll feel better. Guaranteed.

  Royal:

  Fine.

  Mia:

  Kiss. Kiss.

  Royal used all of her strength to drag her ass off the couch and head upstairs to her bathroom. She busied herself with running the water, adding a few drops of jasmine oil, and grabbing some wine.

  Once she was ready, Royal sank inside the tub and let the hot water envelop her. She sipped at her wine. Her mind drifted off to hanging out with the girls.

  The girls were coming over for a slumber party later. Booze, junk food, and instead of sappy romantic movies, like they’d usually watch, they opted for scary movies. It was all an elaborate plan to keep Royal’s mind off the wedding. So, no love was allowed. She wanted scary movies because the main character’s love interest almost always was brutally killed.

  Just what the doctor ordered.

  Once the water started to turn cold, Royal got out and went to her shower to actually scrub several days’ worth of dirt from her body. When she finished, she moisturized her skin and braided her damp hair into a side French braid. She chose her standard depressed uniform of sweats, a hoodie, and fuzzy socks. Then she headed right back to where she had started. The couch.

  Royal opened her phone and tapped on her favorite food delivery app. She ordered some food from Burger Joint. It immediately reminded her of the time she fed McKennon in the hospital.

  She quickly shook her head to clear her thoughts of all things McKennon Carter and turned on the TV and selected the most violent non-romantic show she could find on a streaming app. It didn’t take long for the TV to start watching Royal instead, as her eyes focused on the rain pouring down her windows. The weather fit her mood perfectly. Especially when she knew that not far away, McKennon was marrying the wrong woman.

  Royal pulled her blanket tighter around her. The bath had been a nice distraction. She tried to drown out her loud thoughts with binge-watching a new show. But it was hard when it felt like her soul was cracking.

  That night all those months ago on a dark San Francisco freeway, her soul had indelibly connected with another. She wasn’t all hearts and flowers quite like Kennedy was, but Royal couldn’t understand how two people could connect so deeply in every way and it turn out like this.

  Royal’s heart squeezed and she burrowed under her blanket and buried her face in her pillow. Tears that she’d thought had finally run dry returned for an encore presentation.

  Through her tears and the thunder outside, Royal almost didn’t hear her buzzer going off. Royal sat up and wiped at her cheeks. She listened quietly for a moment. Again, the buzzer went off.

  Royal jumped off the couch and ran over to the intercom.


  “Hello.”

  “DoorDine.”

  “I’ll be down.”

  Royal stuck her feet inside her slippers and rode the elevator down to the lower level were her Jeep and motorcycle were stored. She walked to her front door and pulled it open.

  Royal froze.

  The person who held her food wasn’t the person who called up on the intercom. Royal looked to the side and the delivery guy was running back to his car in the rain.

  McKennon stood before her, completely soaked from head to toe in a tuxedo. Rainwater spiked his lashes and dripped down his nose. A red handprint marked his left cheek.

  “Royal.”

  The one word held so many emotions.

  “McKennon what are you doing here?”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  “I…I can’t,” Mack said.

  An audible gasp rippled through the audience. A sigh of relief traveled down his line of groomsmen. The pastor’s mouth opened and closed several times. And Ainsley’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head and her jaw almost hit the floor.

  “Excuse me?” She asked.

  “I can’t marry you, Ainsley.”

  “You can’t marry me?! You wait to tell me this NOW?!?!” She gestured towards their guests.

  “God, I’m so sorry, Ains! I know I should’ve said something sooner. But…but I was trying to do the right thing by you. But the right thing would be to let you go to find someone who truly loves you.”

  “So, you’re saying you never loved me?” Her voice was getting higher with every incredulous question.

  “Be honest, Ains. You never loved me either. This was all a show. We deserve better than this.”

  A loud crack vibrated through the room and across his cheek. She may have been slender, but her slap had power behind it. It would definitely leave a mark.

  “Fuck. You.” Ainsley ground out. “You’ve humiliated me in front of everyone!”

  Ainsley lifted the skirt of her princess dress and ran down the steps of the altar and up the aisle. Half the guests watched her flee. The other half shot daggers at Mack. He watched who would’ve been his father in-law storm up to him.

  “If you weren’t a cripple, I’d kick your ass.”

  “Try it.” Nick said as he and Mack’s other groomsmen surrounded him.

  “Don’t.” Mack laid a hand on Nick’s shoulder. “I deserve it.”

  “No, you don’t.” Nick said to him and then turned to Ainsley’s father. “Your daughter didn’t care about Mack at all during his time recovering from the accident. All she wanted was the spectacle of a wedding to show off on social media. He was only trying to do right by her, but couldn’t keep up this farce.

  “So, how about you go console your daughter? Or maybe direct your anger at her for wasting your time and money playing make-believe.”

  Her father’s nostrils flared, but he didn’t dare provoke the group of physically fit firefighters. He turned and quickly walked away.

  “Thanks, guys.” Mack turned to his friends and colleagues.

  “Any time.” Nick said as he clutched Mack’s shoulder. “Not to sound condescending, but I’m proud of you for speaking up for yourself.”

  Mack nodded.

  “Now, how about you go get the woman you really want?”

  “I doubt she wants to speak to me anyway.”

  “You’ll never know if you don’t at least try. Besides, you’d be doing me a solid. I’d love to see her friend, Mia again.”

  “Oh ho! So that’s what this all has been about? Not about me making the right choice. It’s been about you wanting to get more of her friend.”

  “Absolutely not! I’m offended that you’d think that.” Nick raised his chin defiantly.

  “Right,” Mack said as he began to descend the altar steps slowly.

  Once he reached the bottom, he began walking up the aisle.

  “Hey, Mack.” Nick shouted and he looked back. “Don’t forget to tell Royal to tell Mia I said ‘hi.’

  The guys started laughing. Mack gave Nick the middle finger before turning back to head out of the mansion.

  The crowd was still milling about. Confused on where to go or what to do next. Did they stay for moral support? Did they take their gifts and leave? Would there still be a reception, just minus a groom, since everything was already paid for?

  While they tried to figure it out and gossiped about the turn of events, they all stared at Mack as he walked through the throng of people. One face stood out in the sea of angry, disappointed, nosy, and judgmental faces. It was a look of concern, mixed with a look of pride.

  Mack halted at the entrance as she walked towards him. She stopped in front of him and pulled him in for a big hug.

  “I’m so proud of you,” Mariah said sincerely.

  “Thanks, Mariah.”

  “It’s about time you start making the choices that will make you happy.”

  “It wasn’t easy.”

  “It wouldn’t be. It’s hard for most of us. But you’ve got trauma attached to it. You’re a lot braver than you give yourself credit for.”

  “It doesn’t feel like it right now.”

  “It will.” She pulled him in for one more hug. “Now, go get her.”

  Mack pulled back and looked down at her.

  “I will.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  “McKennon, what are you doing here?” Royal asked again.

  Her face was devoid of any makeup and swollen. Eyes puffy. And her nose red. She was breathtaking.

  “Doing what I should’ve done two weeks ago.” Mack said before dropping her food and wrapping her up in his arms.

  Royal gasped as his lips took hers. Mack lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He stepped forward gingerly. He hadn’t carried anyone yet with his new leg. The leg supported them both as he took the first step. After that he confidently but slowly, strode the rest of the way to her elevator. He hit the lever to take them up.

  Mack pressed Royal against the wall of the elevator. His mouth consumed hers. Her fingers found his bow tie. They began to pull and tug until it loosened around his throat. She pulled it free and dropped it on the floor. Her nimble fingers continued down each button of his white shirt in between kisses.

  Mack whipped her hoodie up over her head. She was gloriously naked underneath. Royal urgently pushed his shirt and jacket off together. But they forgot about the cufflinks. His tuxedo jacket and shirt hung behind him, still attached to his wrists. He carried her to her studio area where her large plush gray chair sat in front of the black backdrop. Mack gently sat her down on it.

  Royal helped him undo his cufflinks and he pulled his wrists free. Once he had the use of his hands back, Mack pulled Royals sweatpants off. Underneath she had on a tomboyish pair of boyshorts. Mack stood back to stare at her as she reclined back, looking up at him.

  “You’re so fucking beautiful,” he said.

  An idea struck Mack. He remembered her talking about her photo series Curvy Love. He figured she probably didn’t think of herself as a possible subject for the series. But as his eyes laid upon her, she took his breath away.

  Mack turned back and saw her camera already loaded on a tripod behind him.

  “I have an idea.” Mack said as he strode over to the camera.

  On the table next to it was a little remote.

  “Does this go to your camera?”

  “Yes.”

  Mack picked it up. Then he turned on the camera and looked through the viewfinder at Royal. He looked at the tripod and figured out how to make small adjustments until it was perfect. He snapped a few photos of her relaxed back in her chair. Royal’s face was still full of emotion. She still looked like she had been crying. The barbells she had in her nipples today sparkled with rhinestones. Her tummy was soft. Her waist wasn’t trim. Her thighs were thick with stretch marks at her hips.

  She was everything he ever wanted.

  The comfort and confidence she exuded
in her “imperfect” body was a good example for his entire life and his now altered body. She offered who she was. Nothing more. Nothing less.

  With the remote in hand, Mack pulled away from the camera and walked back over to Royal. He stopped in front of her and slowly unfastened his pants. Royal leaned forward to help him remove his tuxedo pants, boxer briefs, and shiny dress shoes.

  She raised her head and came face to tip with his erection. Royal flicked out her tongue to lick the precum that had dribbled out. Her lush lips wrapped around his tip. Mack’s hips involuntarily pumped towards her mouth.

  “Fuck, Royal, no.” He moaned and pulled out of her mouth. “This is about you right now.”

  He pulled her panties down her legs and tossed them to the side. Mack stepped out of the way and with the remote snapped a couple of photos of her sitting in the chair with legs splayed open. Her clit ring glinting in the light. Her labia wet and begging to be licked and sucked.

  Royal reached up and undid her hair from its braid. It fell against her cheek like a curtain of black and burgundy waves.

  Mack came back to her and knelt in front of the chair between her legs. He kissed down her thighs. Along the way, his thumb pressed the button on the remote to snap photographs of his progress. Once he reached her wet center, Mack lapped up her slit to that sensitive bundle of nerves. He swirled his tongue around it and she bucked against his mouth.

  Royal’s head fell back. One hand came down to clutch the back of his head and press his face further into her as if she couldn’t get enough. Her other hand gripped the arm of the chair. Mack gripped her hips as he made a meal of her drenched pussy. Still he made sure to snap a photo here and there, trying to catch her in the throes of passion.

  Mack tongued her. Drank from her. His cock was rock hard and on the edge of release with her. He flicked his tongue lightly over the hood of her clit. Her pussy clenched tight as she sucked in a harsh breath. She seized and as if he was an extension of her, Mack’s body clenched with her.