The Longing Within (Desire for Discipline Book 3) Read online

  “I think that’s all we can do for today. You go on home and get ready for your big night out. I’ll take the dress to my house and bring it to the church on Saturday. That’ll be one less thing for you to worry about,” Maeve offered.

  “I have had nothing to worry about; you’ve taken care of every little detail. I don’t know how you do it, but thank you. I…love…you, Maeve.”

  Tears welled up in Maeve’s eyes again. “I love you too, Lyndsey, as if you were my own.”

  The two women hugged and Lyndsey hopped into her car for the drive back to the apartment. John wasn’t there when she arrived so she went into the bathroom for a long soak in the tub. By the time she was dressed to go out, he and Blake had arrived.

  “Blake, it’s so good to see you,” she said as she walked out into the living room. “How was your flight?”

  “It was uneventful. Are you ready for the big day?” the tall, blond man asked.

  “I think so. It’ll be here before we know it. I’ve got to run and pick up Joanne to meet the others. Have fun, you two.” She kissed John on the cheek before she left.

  She picked Joanne up at the office and from there they went to a popular local restaurant to meet Janis and Jill. Jill had reserved the back room for them so they could celebrate in private. Lyndsey was pretty sure they had some surprises in store for her.

  Jill and Janis were already there and they were led to the back room. It had been decorated with flowers and balloons and Lyndsey was surprised to see wrapped packages on the table.

  “What’s all this?” she asked as she took a seat.

  “Oh, just some little mementos we thought you should have,” Janis said with a sly grin.

  “Why does the tone of your voice scare me?” Lyndsey asked as the other three giggled.

  After the appetizers and a bottle of wine had been brought to them to start the party, she was told to open her gifts.

  Just as she’d suspected, they were gag gifts. Jill had gotten her a slinky teddy and a pair of fuzzy handcuffs. After they’d shared a laugh over that gift, she moved on to Janis’s.

  “Oh my!” she said as she took a wooden paddle out of the box. You’ve got to be kidding me!” There was also a bottle of very nice perfume.

  More laughter followed and by this time Lyndsey was blushing. She didn’t want to think what Joanne must be thinking by now.

  “Now, open mine,” Joanne said as she thrust a small box in front of her.

  “Do I want to? After those other two, I’m not so sure.” Gingerly, she opened the brightly colored wrapping paper after removing the shiny bow. As she removed the lid, she half expected something to jump out at her. When she saw what was inside, she nearly died laughing. Not Joanne too! Inside the gaily wrapped box was a set of candles, two wine glasses, some bubble bath and butt plugs, three of them, in various sizes and shapes, to be exact. Lyndsey’s cheeks were a bright shade of scarlet. She was laughing so hard it brought tears to her eyes. The others collapsed into a fit of giggles.

  “Joanne?” she finally asked as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

  The other girl shrugged. “Hey, I want you to have fun on your honeymoon, what can I say?”

  After the laughter had died down, the waitress arrived with the main course. She commented that they seemed to be having a good time.

  “Are we too loud?” Jill asked.

  “No, not at all, Mrs. Baine, enjoy your party.”

  Jill had arranged everything and it was perfect. After dinner, a cake was brought out. Janis, the matron-of-honor made a toast to the bride and they all enjoyed cake with a cup of coffee for dessert. It had been a perfect evening.

  “I hate to end the party, but I think our bride needs to get some rest. Tomorrow night is the rehearsal and dinner and then Saturday is the big day.”

  “John is actually staying at the hotel with Blake tonight and tomorrow night. We thought it would be nice for us to be apart the night before the wedding since he’s not supposed to see me. Since Blake flew in a day earlier than everyone else for their party tonight, I told him to go ahead and stay both nights. So I have the night all to myself,” Lyndsey said as she gathered her gifts.

  “That’s nice. You’ll appreciate the alone time, believe me,” Jill told her.

  “I’ll meet you at the salon tomorrow afternoon for the mani-pedis,” Joanne said as she helped her carry the gifts to the car. “Are Jill and Janis joining us?”

  “I think they are getting their nails done in the morning. Janis is helping Maeve in the afternoon and Jill had some other things to do.”

  “Enjoy your evening,” Joanne said when Lyndsey dropped her off at her car a few minutes later.

  “I will. I need to pack for our trip and take care of some last minute things.”

  When she arrived at home, she took out all her gifts and laughed again as she looked at them. They had been thoughtful in giving her nice gifts along with the gag gifts. She wondered if Joanne knew that she would put all those gifts to good use. She giggled as she got up from the edge of the bed and went to the closet to begin the task of packing for a destination unknown.

  Chapter Nine

  The wedding day was upon them. After a perfect rehearsal and a wonderful dinner the night before, everyone was ready to enjoy the day. Lyndsey was a much calmer bride than her sister-in-law, Janis, had been on her wedding day a few months before. She was dressed in the gown she had chosen, had accepted her wedding party’s compliments on her choice with grace, and was now applying her makeup. The photographer was on his way to do a photo shoot with the bride and her attendants.

  “Are you sure you don’t want me to help you?” Maeve asked for the tenth time.

  “I’m almost finished. You can tell me if it looks okay in just a minute,” she replied as she patted her face with a light dusting of powder as the last part of her ritual.

  “The photographer is here,” Jill said as she breezed in the door.

  “Do I pass inspection?” the bride asked as she stood and turned to face the others in the room.

  “Oh, my,” Maeve said as she began to get misty-eyed again. “You look lovely. Your mother would be so proud. You look a lot like she did on her wedding day to your dad.”

  “I hope John knows how lucky he is. You look gorgeous,” Janis added.

  “Stunning, to be exact,” Jill said. “The dress, makeup, hair, it’s all perfect. I love the flowers in your hair.”

  Joanne had been quiet. She waited until the others had voiced their opinions before speaking. “Lyndsey, you’re a vision. You are the epitome of what every bride dreams she will look like on her big day. You did good, hon.”

  “I know you won’t believe me, but this is the first dress I tried on. I knew immediately it was the one.”

  Maeve nodded, “That’s right, girls. She wouldn’t try anything else on after this one.”

  “I hate to break up the party, but we have to get going. The men have been told to stay in their dressing room until further notice. We need to get this photo shoot started,” Jill reminded them.

  Lyndsey picked up her bouquet of autumn flowers and led the way. The group walked quickly to the garden area outside the church, where the photographer was setting up his tripod.

  “Are we ready, ladies?” he asked with a smile.

  “Yes, I think so,” Maeve replied.

  “Let me get some shots of the bride alone first, then we’ll do the bride and her attendants, and finally, a shot of mother and daughter,” he instructed.

  Maeve stepped forward. “I am the bride’s adoptive mother. I have brought her mother’s wedding photograph, and I would like for you to get a shot of Lyndsey holding the photo, as well.” She handed the framed photo to the photographer.

  “What a lovely idea. I’ll certainly be happy to comply with that request,” the man said as he took the picture from her and set it carefully on a bench nearby.

  When all the photos had been taken and there was just one left to do, Lyn
dsey walked over to the bench and picked up the photo of her mother. She stared at it, touched her finger to her lips and laid it on the photo for a brief moment. She turned, held the photo to her cheek and the photo was taken. In another pose, she stood to the side and held the picture in front of her. It had been a thoughtful gesture and Lyndsey was grateful to Maeve for suggesting it.

  “I’ve also brought a photo of your parents together on their wedding day and it’s set up on the table in the church with the candles you and John plan to light in memory of your folks. I spoke to John a few weeks ago and he provided a photo of his parents as well,” Maeve told her as they walked back into the church.

  “I can’t tell you what this means to me. It’s so sweet of you to think of it,” Lyndsey said as she hugged her adoptive mom.

  A while later, Bob knocked on the door to let them know the groom’s photo session had ended and in ten minutes he would return to walk the bride down the aisle.

  “That’s our cue,” Janis said as she hugged the bride. “Good luck. I’ll see you in the front of the church.”

  One by one, each of them hugged Lyndsey. When they left to begin their own walk down the aisle, she was left alone, alone for ten minutes, to ponder her future. By the time Bob returned for her and asked if there were any second thoughts, she smiled and shook her head. “None,” she replied as she took his arm.

  The ceremony was as perfect as the rehearsal had been the night before. Lyndsey drifted through it as if in a dream. By the time John kissed her at the altar, she was ecstatic. She was Mrs. John Gordon, Lyndsey Greene Gordon.

  They took their place in the receiving line, endured another photo shoot and a ride in the back of a limo to the club for the spectacular meal Maeve had planned for them. There was to be dancing until midnight after dinner. And at the stroke of midnight, her new husband would whisk her away for a night in the honeymoon suite of a local hotel. The next day they would be on their way to the secret trip he had planned for them.

  The food was delicious, the cake heavenly, the champagne chilled and perfect. Janis and Bryan each made a toast to the bride and groom. When the band began to play, John and Lyndsey took their first turn on the floor as husband and wife. They danced and visited with their guests for the remainder of the evening. And when the clock struck twelve, they said their goodbyes and ran to John’s car, which had been brought to the parking lot earlier.

  He leaned over to kiss her before helping her into the passenger seat. He reached over and took her hand in his as they drove to the hotel, near the airport.

  “We’re near the airport, does that mean we’ll be flying out tomorrow instead of driving?” she asked.

  “Ah, ah, ah, you’re not going to get that information out of me until tomorrow morning,” he said with a sly grin.

  “Do you realize how hard it was to pack, not knowing where we are going?” she asked.

  “I told you to dress for the season,” he replied. “I’m sure whatever you packed will be fine. Do you really plan on wearing clothes anyway?” he teased.

  “Well, I thought I might, a few times,” she replied.

  He chuckled. “Let’s get checked in. Speaking of clothes, I’m ready to get out of this monkey suit and I’m sure you want to get out of that gown, lovely as it is.”

  “Yes, I’m ready to relax. It’s been a big day,” she answered as she took his arm and walked into the lobby of the hotel with her new husband.

  They were greeted with smiles from the staff as they checked in. John was handed a key. The valet told them he would deliver their bags to the room in a few minutes.

  When they reached the room and John had unlocked the door and opened it, he scooped her up into his arms and carried her over the threshold. When he set her down, she laughed. “Traditional?” she asked.

  He grinned. They walked into the suite and looked around in awe. On the table was a bouquet of fresh cut flowers and a bottle of champagne was chilling in a bucket of ice. Two glass flutes sat on the table, along with a bowl of fresh strawberries and a smaller bowl of whipped cream. A basket, filled with various fruits and candies, completed the assortment of items provided to them by the hotel staff.

  “This is marvelous,” she remarked.

  “They really go out for honeymooners, it seems,” John said as he picked up a strawberry and popped it into his mouth.

  A knock on the door told them their bags had arrived. John let the valet in and waited while the man unloaded their things from the cart. He tipped generously and closed the door behind him, locking it before he turned back to his beautiful bride.

  “Alone at last, come here, and I’ll help you with the zipper. I know you want to get into something more comfortable and get off your feet.”

  She kicked off her shoes, walked to where he stood, and turned around to allow him to unzip her gown. Shivers ran up and down her spine as his hand lightly brushed her skin. When the zipper was down, she stepped gracefully out of the dress and walked to the closet in her lacy slip and bra. She hung the gown carefully on a hanger and walked back to where John stood watching her.

  Turning her face up to his for a kiss, she waited until he obliged her. His lips touched hers gently. When he slowly moved his face away from hers, he turned her around and gave her a gentle push. “Go, get ready for bed. I know you have to be exhausted.”

  “I won’t be long,” she promised as she picked up the smallest of her bags and headed for the bathroom. When she emerged a short time later, clad only in the sexy teddy she had purchased earlier in the week, John was lying on the king-sized bed looking at the menu.

  “You can’t be hungry,” she said as she joined him.

  “No, just looking at the breakfast menu. I thought we’d order room service in the morning before we check out.” He set the menu on the bedside table and turned to her.

  “I love you, John,” she said as he bent his face close to hers.

  “Oh, I love you, too,” he whispered as his lips grazed her cheek and found her mouth again. This time, the kiss held more depth, and was more passionate than before.

  “I don’t think we should let the strawberries and cream go to waste, do you?” he asked as he glanced over at the table.

  “Or the champagne,” she agreed as she reluctantly let him go.

  He was back within seconds with the bottle of champagne and two flutes. He poured a glass for each of them. “I want to make a toast,” he said as he handed one of the glasses to her.

  “Okay,” she agreed.

  “To my gorgeous, hot, sexy, smart wife, may our life together be filled with nothing but happy moments and love, beginning today,” he said as his glass clinked against hers and they each took a sip.

  “Thank you,” she said. “This is great champagne, almost as good as what they served at the reception.”

  “Only the best for Maeve,” he teased. “She really did do a marvelous job. Everything was so classy and perfect.”

  “She did. I can’t believe she was so emotional.”

  “She loves you, kitten.”

  “Kitten?” she asked as she got up to get the strawberries.

  “You don’t like it?” he asked. “It just seems to fit.”

  “I don’t mind. It’s just that you rarely call me that.” She dipped a plump, red strawberry into the bowl of whipped cream and told him to open his mouth. She fed it to him and he reciprocated.

  “I could think of other things to do with this whipped cream, you know,” he said.

  “Oh, enlighten me,” she coaxed in her sexiest voice.

  “Lie back and get comfortable, just don’t fall asleep,” he commanded.

  She did as she was told and watched as he dipped his index finger into the bowl of cream. He dabbed a small amount on her nose and lips and proceeded to lick it off of her. She giggled.

  “Oh, you think that’s funny,” he said as he went back to the bowl for more. This time he placed a dollop of the white, fluffy mixture on her neck and both her nippl
es. By the time he’d licked it off again, she was purring.

  “And you wonder where I came up with the nickname Kitten,” he said as he applied more of the whipped cream to the mound between her parted legs.

  This time when he had licked the last drop of the whipped cream he didn’t stop. He didn’t go back to the bowl. He continued to pleasure her with his lips and tongue until she was in a heated state of desire. Her body was on fire, a raging inferno of longing for him to complete her in the way only he could do.

  He kissed her again, his tongue dancing in her mouth, exploring the crevices as his hands caressed her skin. He made love to her slowly, ignoring her pleas, moans and purrs. He was going to make her wait. He wanted her to be on the brink of ecstasy before he plunged his burgeoning cock deep inside of her.

  And that is exactly what he did. He prolonged it as long as he possibly could, so that when he finally thrust into her it would be almost instant gratification for both of them. Finally, when she was almost at her wit’s end, he drove into her, lifting her hips with his hands in an attempt to thrust as deeply as he could. He thrust again and again, each time lifting her up higher and higher. Her perfectly manicured nails dug into his back and then his buttocks as she became oblivious to anything but the sensations threatening to devour her being. When the first thunderous waves crashed around her, she cried out. Wave after wave of glorious, wondrous sensations enveloped her as she held tightly to him and wrapped her long legs around his waist tightly.

  He moaned and soon they were lost together in a sea of delight. When the world stopped spinning and they slowly began to regain control of their senses, he looked into her eyes with a loving expression. Lyndsey didn’t recall ever feeling so complete. Rolling off her, he pulled her into his arms. “Sleep, baby, we have another big day ahead of us tomorrow. We have places to go and things to see.”

  “To sights unknown,” she murmured as she drifted off in his arms, safe and secure, the outside world forgotten.

  He chuckled and pulled her closer, kissing the top of her head, before he fell asleep, too.

  The next morning they made love before ordering breakfast and after a leisurely meal, he prodded her to get ready.