Chapter 14

The wedding had taken place in Ray's backyard over the Thanksgiving weekend. Jocelyne wouldn't have thought it possible to organize a wedding in a week, but with Nancy, Beverly, Bettina, Irene and Chantale working at it, everything had come into place. More interesting than the bride and groom, the kids had stolen the show. As a collective, they had decided to jump into the pool wearing their Sunday best. Luckily, no one had drowned, but more than a few adults had been required to jump in as well.

So when they got back to the cabin, Seth was wearing a borrowed pair of shorts and t-shirt from Ray.

He unlocked the door then tried to scoop Jocelyne in his arms. One look from her and he gave up on that tradition. She had looked elegant in a gown of ivory sating which had clung to her every curve. Seth was quite sure he'd been the envy of every man in the place. What he had noticed was that his best man had kept eyeing the maid of honour.

Jocelyn, heedless of the dress, squatted on the floor for her greeting from the mutts.

"What's up with Colton and Chantale?"

She glanced up at him. "Chantale says it's harmless flirtation."

"I have my doubts. Colton doesn't do harmless flirtation. He's too serious for that."

Now she grinned. "Chantale won't let it go further than that. She's only in town for another week or so."

"Then why was she asking around about becoming a member of the Bar in British Columbia?"

Jocelyne teetered and he had to move fast to catch her. He helped her to her feet, but her brow was creased. "She never said anything."

"Probably because you were getting ready for a wedding," Seth pointed out. "I suspect she's going to sit down with you after the honeymoon." He wagged his eyebrows and she laughed.

The honeymoon consisted of the two of them locking themselves in the cabin for a week. Neither cared if everyone knew they were having sex, because that was what they were going to be doing.

"Tell me we can get the honeymoon underway."

Dusk had set in and the air was starting to cool.

"How about I get out of this outfit and you start a fire?"

His grin was quick and devastating. "Oh, Doc, I like how you think." Still, he watched as she walked off to the bathroom. Would he ever tire of just watching her? No, he thought, still amazed she was his. He would never utter that thought out loud, of course. She needed her independence and her freedom. In his heart though, he felt like he had found his mate. The craving, the love, it never ceased to amaze him. The Baldwin sisters had spent the past week in the in-law suite in Nancy's house so Seth had been resigned to only kisses since the night she had accepted his proposal. After a week of frustration, he was ready for more.

In the hopes of having a chilly evening, Seth had already laid out the kindling and firewood. One match, a few pokes from the poker, and the fire took hold. Now he moved around the cabin gathering every blanket, duvet, sheet and pillow to create a nest. It would just be the two of them.

Well, the two of them with the two mutts who had taken up residence on the couch. He wasn't sure he wanted to be watched on his wedding night, but there was nothing to be done about that. Mac and Charley were part of the family.

He was stoking the blaze when he heard her call his name. He turned and felt the breath whoosh from his lungs. He tried not to swallow his tongue. "New lingerie?"

She was wearing a see-thru pair of barely-there underwear which were riding high on her hips. The bra was also a lace see-through demi cup which barely contained her breasts. Her nipples were erect and she looked like she was about to spill out of the outfit.

"Wedding present?" He was amazed how steady his voice was.

"From your mother. She gave it to me at the bridal shower."

He wanted to ask if she was kidding, but somehow he knew that she wasn't.

"She also said you have permission to rip it off because Beverly gave me a sturdier set."

Yeah, that was his family.

On his knees, already stripped of the vestiges of his clothes, he held out his hand and she came to him. He didn't rip the panties, but he did slide them down. He nudged her thighs apart and placed an intimate kiss to her. She sighed and her hands drifted to his shoulders. Whether she was holding him in place of simply relying on him to keep her upright, he wasn't sure.

Sadistic man that he was, when he felt her body gather for a climax, he stopped. Her groan of absolute frustration amused him, but he had plans for her yet. He reached up and released the front clasp of the bra. It snapped open and Seth felt himself harden further. Pert mauve nipples were there, just begging for his attention. He snagged one in his mouth and cupped the other one in his hand. It wasn't long before his ministrations began to have the desired effect.

"Please," Jocelyne whispered. "I need you."

He pulled away. "You have me, Jocelyne, you have all of me." He guided her down, reached for the condom and slid it on. She was watching him through hooded eyes as he eased himself over her. She spread her thighs and guided him to her.

"Now," she said.

"Now," he repeated as he thrust into her. She bucked beneath him so hard she almost unseated him. Then she surged forward as he did the same thing. They were fused together as one. Connected body and soul as if it were always meant to be this way. It was perfection and it didn't scare him as it might have in the past.

He tried to keep up a leisurely and steady pace, but she was having none of it. She was clawing at his back, urging him to go faster. Then, remembering they had a week to explore and take it slow, he began to thrust into her, matching her need with his own.

Her climax was strong and Seth did everything he could to prolong it, drawing out the ecstasy, watching her face as it contorted in tortured pleasure. Finally, knowing she was done in, he thrust in one last time and let go.

Sated and content, Jocelyne lay in Seth's arms under a pile of blankets. The floor was hard under her and she knew she was soon going to suggest moving to the far more comfortable bed. First, though, they had some business to take care of.

She didn't look at him when she spoke. "I've changed my mind."

He chuckled, taking her left hand in his and holding them up so the matching simple gold wedding bands shone in the firelight. "I think it's a little late for that, Doc, seeing as we've consummated this union."

His voice was light, but she heard the underlying note of concern.

"I mean about having children."

Pressing a kiss to her hair, his arms tightened. "You don't have to say that, Doc. I married you knowing how you felt. I am one hundred percent supportive of your decision to focus on your career. You save lives and that's good enough for me."

Pushing against his chest, she turned. "When I was sitting in that jail cell, I had a lot of time to think. The thing is, I thought I didn't want kids because I didn't want that...monster...to be their father. Also, I didn't have really good examples and that scared me. Then I thought about your family and how much love there is. I realized I might be able to find mentors in the field of parenting. I saw a future where you and I were parents and instead of being scared, I had a moment of pure joy. Of course I knew we might never be together again, but still it fit."

A long beat passed. "You're really serious about this."

She dropped her gaze. "I don't want a soccer team, but I would like two, if that's possible. Having Chantale in my life made things bearable. We argue constantly, but it's out of love. It's out of wanting her to be happy. If she really is moving out here then that will be great for her. She still lives with our father and craves his approval. She needs to find independence, but in her own way instead of through an arranged marriage."

"There's another way to look at things, you know." He had her attention. "Those horrible experiences made you the person you are. The person I fell in love with."

"I can see your point, but I want to be a whole person."

"I think I can help. I know a really good psychologist." He hesitated but then continued on. "I talked to Kennedy this week about you. Not specifics, but I did ask about how I might be supportive. You seem to have everything under control, still I worry about triggering you. I wasn't sure if I was doing the right thing by making you talk about it."

"And what did Kennedy say?"

"That I need to take my cues from you. That I can't force you to open up, but that I needed to be prepared should you need to."

She considered. "I think I like her, so I will give her a call. Talking about it did help. You, Colton - you haven't passed judgement on me - but I still feel like I must have done something to deserve what happened to me. Plus, if I had come forward then those other women wouldn't have been raped by him. If I had just had the courage-"

He pressed a gentle finger to her lips. "Those assaults are on him, not you. He was the sick one. He preyed on you because he saw you as weak. My biggest concern is that you feel you have to do something I ask because you're afraid I'll hurt you."

Surprisingly, a laugh bubbled in her chest. "I threw shoes over the railing. If you scared me, I would never have done that."

His laughter was a balm for her. "Fair enough. Just promise me you won't be scared of me."

"That's a promise I can make," she assured him. Her eyes softened. "A lifetime is a long time."

His eyes settled on hers. "It's nothing we can't handle as long as we are a team."

"A team," she repeated. "I like the sound of that." She gave him a soft smile. "Since I'm not getting any younger, do you think we could start working on a family sooner rather than later?"

"You mean like now?"

"Yeah," she said, using his favourite expression. "Yeah, like right now."

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