Penthouse Prince (18 page)

Epilogue

The morning of her vow renewal ceremony—or real wedding, as she’d come to think of it—dawned with a storm blowing in. Camden fluttered around, frustrated because, yet again…

“I’ve planned the perfect romantic scene, and it’s going to shit.”

Jeanie didn’t get concerned. One hand rested on the glass as she looked out on the beach and watched nature throw a tantrum. She knew it would be perfect because no storm had the power to ruin this day. After all, she was marrying her handsome prince.

When the clouds finally broke up a little and the rain stopped, she lifted her skirt and walked out onto the sand. The wind caught her hair, tangling it, and the sand stuck to her dress where it dragged behind her. The sun hung low in the sky and would set soon, the storm delaying the time of their ceremony by a couple hours from when they planned to say their vows.

Instead of the original plan, she got to be on the beach at sunset.

“We’re not going to get any decent pictures.” The wry twist of Camden’s lips didn’t fool her. She understood most of his worrying was because he wanted this to be a magical moment for her.

“Quit worrying. It’s perfect. We don’t need pictures. I’m never going to forget this, are you?” He reached for her hand, and she squeezed their fingers together before pushing him away. “Go, be a groom. You’re supposed to stand over there.”

The minister waited, book in hand, a serene look on her face.

Camden’s dad came up behind her. He cleared his throat, and she turned to look at him. He was a jerk, a manipulator, and he was far from perfect, but his son’s choices seemed to have made him rethink his own life. He’d been present, a first according to Camden, and seemed to be trying to get to know his son. It didn’t hurt that he adored Kaycee, frustrating Camden with the easy affection he shared with the child—a direct opposite of Camden’s distant and cold childhood. Both men were learning to love, lessons no one picked up overnight.

Lori snuck up behind the rich old man and pinched his butt as she passed to move to her position near the minister. Jeanie choked down a chuckle as the man adjusted his tie and collected his composure. “I meant to ask this sooner, but, well, I wasn’t sure how to broach the topic—”

“Might want to speed this up a bit. My husband looks antsy.” She looked away from her husband, who faced them, arms crossed, waiting for her to cross the beach to his side. “Not to rush you, but you know how he gets.”

The older man cleared his throat again and spoke softly. “I’m ever grateful for what you’ve done for my son. Since your father isn’t here to give you away, would you like me to do the honor? And I mean that, it would truly be my honor to give you to my son in marriage.”

She knew the words cost him, but she still couldn’t say yes. “Thank you, really. It means a lot to me, and I’m honored you asked. This time? I
want
to give myself to him. I hope you’re not offended—”

He kissed her cheek. “Thank you for letting me be here for this.”

She nodded, and he left her side to stand near his son. They couldn’t erase years of mistakes overnight, but Camden proved people could change if it mattered to them. Maybe his father would change, too.

She turned back to the hotel and held out her hand. Kaycee raced to her side. “Mommy, my flowers are all soggy.” The pout to her lips echoed the whine in the child’s voice.

Bending down, not concerned with the sand and her dress, Jeanie kissed both her cheeks and smoothed her hair. “You look beautiful. Perfect. Thank you for being here with me, baby girl.”

Kaycee’s lightning fast grin mimicked Camden’s so perfectly, Jeanie swallowed back a laugh. “I get to stay up late tonight and have pop, right? Because it’s a special occasion.”

Jeanie stood and touched her back. “It’s a very special occasion so, yes, you can stay up late and have pop. Go on up. It’s your turn to walk down the aisle.”

Skipping, Kaycee tossed globs of wet flower petals in wads on the beach. Jeanie chewed the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing at the less than picture-perfect image. By the time she’d made it to Lori, scrunching her feet in the sand the whole way, the grit stuck to her ankles, making her feet and lower legs look dirty.

Jeanie grinned. This wedding was far more her style than the first ceremony—more real.

Wet beach, storm-tossed skies, and the rumble of thunder in the distance didn’t detract from the far off sound of steel drums and the sight of the man she loved waiting to yet again promise to love her for the rest of their days.

As she smiled at him, his face cleared of worry like clouds parting to reveal the light. His outstretched hand beckoned her to join him. The cool sand under her feet and the breeze blowing across her skin soothed her, and she imagined the wind carried her father, checking in on his little girl as she again married the man of her dreams.

She paused, closing her eyes, and whispered, “Daddy, I found a really, really good man, and I’m really, really happy.”

None of the worries or fears that plagued their first wedding day even touched the edges of her soul this time. Secure in her choice, she sighed in peace.

Leaving the past behind, she stepped into the future and took Camden’s hand. He didn’t stand on ceremony, instead pulled her into the circle of his arms.

He said his vows, and she repeated hers, never once looking away from his clear, blue gaze. She probably looked silly, standing there grinning up at him like a loon, but she didn’t care.

She’d never been quite so happy.

Like their other wedding, he kissed her until she felt a little dizzy, and then music rippled over the beach. He held her close, and she whispered in his ear, “
Marry Me
? Is this our song now? They played this at the first wedding…”

“I picked it both times. I might not have been able to find the words to tell you, but my heart knew what my brain refused to understand.”

She stroked his jaw. “You picked the song? I just thought—”

“I picked it. Shh, now’s not the time for talking. Let me hold you.” He tucked her close to his chest, and his lips grazed her earlobe and sent shivers of need trembling through her. For the first time, she really listened to the lyrics of the slightly familiar song she’d disregarded the last two times he’d played it for her.

When the singer sang, “
Marry me…today and every day
,” she sighed and blinked back tears. “Oh, Camden.”

His slight nod was his only acknowledgement until he sang along with a bit of the song, right against her ear. “
Together can never be close enough for me to feel like I am close enough to you. You wear white and I’ll wear out the words ‘I love you’ and ‘you’re beautiful
.’”

She turned her head, kissed her husband, and fell into the wonder of him, no concern about whether or not he’d catch her. “Thank you. I’m sorry I didn’t hear it sooner.”

“I think you heard it at just the right moment.” They rubbed their noses together, and he grinned down at her as Lori, his father, and Kaycee broke into applause. “Promise me you’ll always be happy by my side?”

“Nope.” She bit his bottom lip, then pulled back before he could deepen the kiss. “But I promise to always be
by
your side.”

“Thanks for taking a risk on a man who proposed within seconds of meeting you,” he replied.

“Thanks for proposing to a woman on a mission to save her job.” For a few moments, she simply enjoyed the feel of him against her. Then the first drops of rain landed on her, and she looked up to see the storm clouds had built back up while they’d said the words that linked their lives.

Kaycee squealed, and Lori grabbed her hand and waved at them before racing back to the hotel. Camden’s father, far more proper, strode with a determined gait until he reached the safety of the porch then turned and waved. The minister was close behind him and closed the glass doors on the storm.

Camden didn’t release her, and she didn’t move away from him. She felt his heartbeat under her hand. Within moments, the full deluge poured on them and water ran in fast tracks down her cheeks. “So, we’ve got a private bungalow tonight?”

He licked the moisture off her cheek, igniting a thousand tiny fires of desire. “Yes, I specifically asked for an even bigger bed this time.” Knowing why she asked, he didn’t ask her permission before scooping her off her feet and setting off into the storm.

“You’re carrying me?” Not that she minded. She could work on the buttons of his shirt and nibble kisses up his neck while they moved. “We’re back to knight with raging hard on?”

“Yes, Mrs. James, I’m carrying you.”

“You had better not dump me in the bed like a sack of unwanted potatoes and sit in the living room brooding all night like you did on our first honeymoon.” She bit his earlobe before laughing.

“Oh, Mrs. James, I won’t be sleeping a wink tonight, but I won’t be brooding, either.” The sexual promise in his voice further heated her blood, and she squirmed as he fumbled with the door and hauled her inside. He kicked it closed and continued onward, his destination clear.

“Look, if you’re planning on keeping me up all night, I have stipulations.”

He raised one brow and released her to slide down his body. “Should I call Lowe? If there’s a contract, he wants to see it before I sign.” He sighed heavily as he worked on divesting her of her wet and sandy gown. “You see, not too awful long ago, I wrote up this contract and came out of the whole deal with a wife. He thinks I make rash decisions.”

“Hmm, we probably don’t have to call Lowe.” Glancing back at the bed, she giggled. “Lover, that’s not a bed. That’s a room with a duvet. Where on earth did you find a bed that big?”

“Perks of being really, really rich. If you want something, someone somewhere is selling it.” His hands trailed over her skin, warming her rain-cooled flesh to volcanic temperatures between one heartbeat and the next. “Did I ever tell you the story of how I bought my bride?”

Her pulse raced, and her breath panted out, her desire for him never far from the surface. “Nah, but I don’t want to hear it tonight.”

“No?” His brow quirked. Then his tone changed from joking to serious, and his eyes locked on hers. “I love you so much.”

“Love you, too. But I still don’t want to hear your story.” She stroked her hand down his jaw-line before trailing lower, then whispered, “Tonight, we start working on living happily ever after. Haven’t you heard? No one ever tells that part of the story.”

He lifted her and pulled her legs around his waist. “Can you think of a better way to spend our honeymoon? I mean, if I’m not brooding and you’re not drunk and we don’t tell stories?”

She didn’t answer. She simply smiled, kissed her prince, and started working on the happily ever after.

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Acknowledgements

A special thanks to my adopted fam—Shell, Jfab, Ma, and Dad. I really don’t know what I’d do without you. Shell, without you taking me to see that movie which had the one-minute clip that inspired me? There would be no Camden James, so thank you. Thanks to my fabulous crit partners—Heather Long, Saranna DeWylde, and Rebecca Royce on this book. Jeanie, I named the heroine after you, so much love to ya. Xoxo to my genetic fam. I don’t want to forget to mention all the family that doesn’t have to be—the ones who aren’t related by blood, but love me anyway—Ashleys, Schommers, Browns and others. You know who ya are. And thanks to my profs and fellow students at college cuz you inspire me.

xoxo

mama virg

About the Author

Virginia Nelson
spends most days writing or plotting to take over the world. She hangs out with the greatest kids in history, plays in the mud and snow, drives far too fast, and sometimes screams at inanimate objects. Virginia likes knights in rusted and dinged up armor, heroes that snarl instead of croon, and heroines who can’t remember to say the right thing even with an author writing their dialogue. She loves to hear from her readers and hopes you’ll find her on social media.

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