Page 56 of Ace

Once I’d had my coffee and a luxurious hot shower, the twins helped me do my hair and get dressed.Giggling and grinning, they made me feel like a princess getting ready for her coronation.

They’d agreed to be my bridesmaids, and I’d asked Mom to be my maid of honor.Since I didn’t have a father to give me away, Jake stepped up to walk me down the aisle.I may not have any blood relatives to share my big day with, but I had a family.A family made up of people who cared about me and for each other as much as any biological family, maybe more because they’d chosen to be family.

Now here I was, getting ready to hitch myself to one of them, a man who would love and cherish me for the rest of my life.

I stepped outside and linked my arm through Jake’s.Someone started the music, and I held my head high as we walked between the rows of chairs.

Ace stood waiting for me at the end of the aisle.Dressed in his best black jeans and shirt with his leather cut polished to perfection, he took my breath away.His eyes tracked my progress, his love shining for all to see.

We reached the archway.“Welcome to the family, Emma.”Jake gave me a quick hug before handing me off to the love of my life.

Ace took my hand in his, our fingers twining together as we turned to face Preacher.

Clearing his throat, Preacher intoned the opening of the classic wedding ceremony before addressing Ace and I directly.

“Do you, Ace, take Emma to be your lawfully wedded wife, and do you promise to love, honor and be faithful to her so long as you both shall live?”

“I do.”Ace squeezed my hand.

Preacher turned to me.“Do you, Emma, take Ace to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love, honor and be faithful to so long as you both shall live?”

My heart melted.“I do.”

Preacher grinned at us.“Prez, you may kiss your bride.”

Ace lifted the veil, and captured my lips, devouring them with a kiss that was both achingly tender and blazingly passionate.Ignoring the cheers and whistles of his brother bikers, he made sure I knew just how much I meant to him.

The ceremony was beautiful, with the sun shining brilliantly on the outdoor venue.Birds sang in the branches of the surrounding trees, and wildflowers lent their fragrance to the festivities.Food and drink were served under a big white tent, and Ace and I had the first dance on a carpet of newly mowed grass.

The sun was starting to set when I saw Jasmine approaching with my wedding bouquet in her arms.“Are you going to throw the bouquet before Dad banishes Jewel and I to the games room?”she asked.

“Of course!”I took the flowers from her.

“Can you get everyone’s attention?”I asked Ace.

“Quiet down, you animals!”Ace had the kind of voice that commanded attention.“Emma is gonna throw the bouquet, so get ready.”

I laughed up at him as I turned my back on the crowd of bikers and their dates and tossed the bundle of flowers over my head.Turning to see who’d caught it, I locked eyes with a stranger standing in the shadow of the club’s treasurer, Deuce.A petite brunette.I wasn’t sure she looked old enough to be at a party like this.Her mouth formed a shocked “oh” as she stared at the flowers in her hand.

“I don’t think I’ve seen her before.Do you know who she is?”I raised my brows and looked up at Ace.Not much got past him.

“Deuce has been chasing her for a few months now.She’s not making it easy for him.”He grinned.“Name’s Sophia.By the way he’s looking at her, this might not be the last wedding out back of the clubhouse.”

Jasmine and Jewel distracted me from asking any more questions, sweeping Ace and I up into a group hug.

“Congrats, you two.We knew you’d tie the knot the first time we saw you together!”Jasmine tossed her head, showing off the blue streak she’d dyed into her hair.

Jewel nodded.“Yup.Ace never looked at anyone the way he looked at you.”

“Bet you get anything you want just by smiling at him.”Jasmine giggled.

“Don’t you two have to go now?”Ace lifted one brow pointedly.

“Yeah.Dad wants us out of the way before things get wild.”

“Things are going to get wild?”I looked up at Ace.

“Yes, but you won’t be seeing any of that either.”

“I won’t?”

He shook his head.“Definitely not.”

“How come?”

“Because we have our own wild party to go to.”He swept me up in his arms and stalked toward the clubhouse amid the hoots and catcalls of his brothers.I wrapped my arms around his neck and hung on as we headed into our future.

Together.

Forever.