Page 4 of Fated

“You are welcome, my Rachel. Do you mind if we talk for a moment?” She nods her head and follows me out the back door past Jasper and Sadie who have been watching this situation unfold. Something else I have to contend with. Just for the moment I keep reminding myself.

We walk away from the house and when I am satisfied that we have a reasonable amount of privacy, I grab her hands holding them in mine and turn her towards me. “Mayor..”

“Call me Lloyd, Rachel.” Please say my name. I silently beg in my mind.

“I’m sorry, Lloyd.” She whispers. My cock fucking pants, singing five hundred courses of amen while demanding to enter the temple. I move a strand of loose hair from her forehead and rub my thumb down her cheek. Just this simple touch calms me for a moment. What the hell is she doing to me? “What is going on?” Her sweet little voice asks, while her pink untouched tongue peeks out to wet her pouty lips. Lord I want to suck that delicious looking morsel into my mouth and devour it while ripping her fucking clothes off. Swallowing, trying my damndest to put words back into my brain in place of the pounding in my cock and head to claim her, I close my eyes one second to gather myself.

“I am coming to ask you if you will marry me, Rachel.” Her hand flies to her mouth in shock. “Will you, Tink? Will you marry me?”

“You want to marry me?”

“Yes! More than anything.”

“Is this because no one else wants to be matched with me?” I can’t stand the sadness in her eyes. The look of defeat or something else I don’t like. I stop thinking and my sole focus is to take that rejected look off her face. Without saying anything, I cup her face with my hands and stare into her eyes. I move in slow, slow enough for her to know my intention. Her eyes get bigger and then my lips touch hers and the world stops. I don’t attempt to take it further than this chaste moment, but I also don’t want to stop touching her.

When her hands touch my chest, I force myself to pull back and look at her. “Oh my.” She says, touching her lips.

“Does that feel like you are a consolation prize?”

“No.”

“Good. Now, give me your hand.” She places hers in mine and I pull the ring that has been fucking scorching me ever since I saw her. The three carat diamond ring slides onto her finger and everything in me falls into place. “Say yes, baby. Tell me you will marry me.” She stares at the ring for a few seconds before a lone tear falls from her face and she nods her head.

“Yes. Yes, I will marry you.” Thank fuck.

ChapterFour

Rachel

Holy cow. Is this happening? Did the Mayor of this town just come to me, kiss me and ask me to marry him? Am I really standing here, staring at a ring on my finger, saying yes to the one man in town I have fancied since we moved here? “How long do you need to put something together?” The impatience in his voice is real and sends shivers up my spine.

“Not long. I can be ready tomorrow.” Do I sound too eager or desperate? It’s just that my sisters have only waited a day at most, hell hours for some and I don’t want anything extravagant.

“Excellent, because there is no way I would be able to wait any longer than that.” I nod, incapable of speaking. Smiling, he kisses my cheek. “Until tomorrow then, Tink. After that, you will belong to me and only me.” He whispers in my ear before walking down the driveway toward his car.

I have no idea how long I stand here staring at the ring on my finger and watching him disappear before Sadie comes. “So, how do you feel?” She asks, wrapping her arm around my shoulder.

“Dazed. Confused.” She giggles before turning me to look at her.

“Are you happy though? You don’t have to do this, Rachel. You can change your mind before anyone knows about it.” Immediately I shake my head no, rejecting her suggestion.

“No it’s not that. I just didn’t think it would happen. I mean especially not with him.”

“Ah. I see. So you really didn’t know.” Something in her voice changes and I look at her waiting on her to tell me what she means. “Rachel, Lloyd has had his eye on you ever since we got here.”

“What? No. That can’t be right.” I mean I would know wouldn’t I? He has barely said anything to me since we have been here.

“Oh it is. Trust me. But, I will let him tell you everything he has done to get you all to himself.”

“Well how do you know about it?”

“Bedroom talk Rach. Something you will learn soon enough. Now, how about we call the girls and go shopping for a dress for you to wear in Charleston? What do you think?”

“Sure.” I say trying to allow myself to get excited.

We have been at the store for an hour trying on dresses, my sisters chatting away about their marriages and funny things they've read or seen on television. I of course have been mostly quiet chiming in when I felt I could contribute something. This is actually nothing new. I have always been the quiet one and nothing has changed. “Rachel, you are awfully quiet. What is going on?” Miriam asks, walking toward me. “You don’t seem as happy as I thought you would be.”

“I agree.” Lavinia chimes in. “Weren’t you just talking earlier today about being the last one and feeling like no one wanted you?” She’s right. I was saying that. To be honest I have no idea what is wrong with me. “Have you been reading the books from the library? You have a kindle now. You can also download them and keep your reading more private.” As soon as she mentions my reading material I can feel my face heat up.

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