Wonderful, p.1
Wonderful, page 1
Wonderful
S.C. STEPHENS
Contents
Wonderful
Books By S.C. Stephens
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Wonderful
By S.C. STEPHENS
WONDERFUL
S.C. STEPHENS
Copyright © 2023 by S.C. Stephens
All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the above copyright owner of this book.
Cover design © Hang Le (byhangle.com)
Editing by Madison Seidler Editing Services (madisonseidler.com)
Formatting by HMG Formatting (hmgformatting@gmail.com)
ISBN: 979-8-21578-624-6
Smashwords Edition
First Edition: 2023
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Wonderful – 1st edition
BOOKS BY S.C. STEPHENS
THOUGHTLESS SERIES
Thoughtless
Effortless (Book 2)
Reckless (Book 3)
Thoughtful (Thoughtless alternate POV)
Painful (Effortless alternate POV)
Wonderful (Reckless alternate POV)
Untamed (Book 4)
RUSH SERIES
Furious Rush
Dangerous Rush (Book 2)
Undeniable Rush (Book 3)
CONVERSION SERIES
Conversion
Bloodlines (Book 2)
‘Til Death (Book 3)
The Next Generation (Book 4)
The Beast Within (Book 5)
Family is Forever (Book 6)
STANDALONE BOOKS
Collision Course
It’s All Relative
Under the Northern Lights
Something Like Perfect
For my very patient readers.
Thank you for keeping these characters in your hearts for so long!
I hope you enjoy the final part of Kellan’s story.
Chapter 1
MY WIFE, MY LIFE
Kiera Allen married me last night. A part of me still couldn’t believe it, and as my mind slowly shifted from slumber to awareness, I began to wonder if the last twenty-four hours had just been a really long, elaborate dream. Not that my dreams were usually that pleasant. I had a lot of emotional baggage, and my subconscious loved to unpack it while I was sleeping. But yesterday…if that was just a dream, then it was the best one I’d ever had.
Not only had Kiera agreed to be my wife, fittingly in the place where I’d first laid eyes on her, but I’d also met with my…father. Gavin Carter. It was still strange to link the word “father” to him. I’d avoided any sort of personal attachment for so long, resisted meeting or even talking to him for so long…and now…now we had plans for breakfast. It was all so surreal, almost more so than Kiera marrying me. Or my band getting a record deal and recording an album. That was still a work in progress. In fact, I was only here in Seattle for Kiera’s graduation, and I had to be back in Los Angeles to continue recording on Monday. God…maybe the entire last six months were just a dream.
Cracking open my eyes, I looked around the room. Generic art, cream-colored walls, a large TV on the dresser directly across from the bed…this wasn’t my bedroom. This was a hotel room. The hotel room Kiera and I had booked for our wedding night. A smile crept over my face as I accepted the fact that I hadn’t dreamt my marriage. My smile grew as I felt Kiera’s warm, naked body beside mine on the bed. Definitely not a dream. Fuck. She really married me.
I inhaled a slow, deep breath, letting the contentment I felt inside me touch every cell of my body. This was what I’d always wanted—someone I loved who loved me back, wholly and completely…the girl of my dreams wrapped in my arms. I could die happy right here, right now. But I genuinely hoped that didn’t happen. I wanted more of this. So much more. Eternity wouldn’t be long enough.
Turning toward Kiera, I reached over and placed my hand on her leg. Closing my eyes, I savored the feel of her as I ran my fingers up her smooth skin. She stirred under my touch, slowly returning to the real world, leaving her dream life behind. I kind of hoped she’d dreamt about us, about all the things we’d done last night, about all the things we could do from here on out. I was reluctant to leave her again, but I was also excited because I knew it was only a temporary separation. Kiera was going to join me in L.A., and then she was going to go on tour with me. We wouldn’t have to go through another long, painful division. I really couldn’t wait to start our new life together.
Kiera stretched out her body, then placed her hand over mine. I cinched her fingers tight, holding her to me. My lips pressed against her shoulder, and she wriggled her back against my chest, trying to get even closer. Since we were about as tangled as two people could get, we really couldn’t get much closer. Well, I supposed there was one way we could be closer…
Kiera pulled on our joined hands, lifting them to her lips and placing a soft kiss upon my wedding ring. A soft laugh of contentment escaped me. Maybe she’d also thought last night was a dream. A perfect, amazing dream.
I ran my lips up her neck, feeling a surge of energy rush through me as I did. When I got to her ear, I whispered, “Mornin’, Mrs. Kyle.” Just saying her new name made my heart start to beat faster. Mrs. Kiera Kyle…my wife.
Kiera rolled in my arms, twisting to face me. My chest squeezed in a weird yet wonderful way as her features came into view: the flawless, creamy skin, the faint rosy blush highlighting her cheeks, the ever-shifting hazel eyes that were damn near glowing with adoration, the alluring curve of her lips, drawing me in, promising me comfort, seduction…hope. She was beautiful. No, she was breathtaking. Everything I could have asked for in a woman. But her face wasn’t why I loved her. Kiera saw me, understood me, accepted me. She wanted me to grow and wanted to be there for me as I did, through the good times and the bad. She loved me for me, the person behind the face, behind the body, behind the job. She loved the core of who I was, flaws and all, scars and all, and that meant everything to me. She meant everything to me. There was nothing I wouldn’t do for this woman.
“Good morning, Mr. Kyle,” she demurely said. Then she giggled. It was adorable. “I can’t believe we just did that, Kellan.”
I knew exactly what she was referring to, but I couldn’t let her say something like that and not tease her. “What? Have mind-blowing sex? That really shouldn’t surprise you. Every time with you is incredible.” Incomparable, life-changing, soul-altering…I could go on and on.
She bit her lip in response to my comment, her cheeks only marginally growing pinker. “I wasn’t talking about that.” Her other hand lifted, and her finger traced my jaw. “I meant getting married.”
I know. I feel the same way. Sitting up on my elbow, I looked down at her in awe. Then my gaze shifted to the band of silver around my finger, and the awe I felt grew a hundredfold. “‘Til death do us part,” I told her. And not a day sooner.
Kiera’s finger on my jaw ran down my neck, then down my chest. My muscles involuntarily clenched as her touch sent a sparking current through me. Her eyes began to burn as she studied me, as she felt me. “My parents won’t accept you as my husband until you walk me down the aisle, you know.”
Knowing she was right, that most people wouldn’t consider us truly married until we had a ceremony and a signed piece of paper, made me laugh in a lighthearted, carefree kind of way. It seemed such an inconsequential detail in my mind—Kiera was already my wife, 100 percent—but I also understood the need to make it legally binding. And I wasn’t opposed to making things official, I’d just been too impatient to be her husband to wait for the formality.
I shifted our bodies, moving on top of her, and Kiera lightly ran her fingers down my back. The soft caress reminded me of not-so-soft touches, of wild, near-frenzied passion, of releasing so much pent -up desire that it had almost unhinged me. I shuddered at the memory, my body instantly hardening.
“And I will,” I told her. I kissed her neck, then her collarbone. “I will give them the ceremony they want…” My lips slowly drifted to the top of her breast. “I’ll give you the wedding of your dreams, Kiera.” I locked my lips around her nipple, swirling my tongue over the sensitive skin. Her breaths grew ragged, and her fingers shifted to weave through my hair. God, I loved that.
Releasing her, I looked up. Her eyes locked on mine; the heat in them made me ache. Smiling, I kissed between her breasts, then started my way down her stomach. I felt her abs clench, felt her fingers tighten in my hair, felt her breath stop for a moment. She wanted me to keep going, wanted me to taste her, and fuck, I wanted that too.
Loving how much I turned her on—how much she turned me on—I gave her a knowing, satisfied smile. You’re putty in my hands right now, and I love it because every day I’m putty in yours. “I’ll give you everything, Kiera, but until I can do it properly…” I playfully licked the rim of her belly button, then ran my tongue down her lower abs. She squirmed beneath me, letting out a groan that made my body pulse, then she pushed my head down. Clearly, I wasn’t getting where she wanted me to be quickly enough. Her eagerness made a soft laugh escape me. Avoiding what she wanted, I kissed down her inner thigh instead as I finished my sentence, “…we may as well enjoy the perks.” I stopped denying her then and shifted my mouth over so I could give us what we both wanted.
An erotic, needy noise filled the air as I tasted her desire for me. Her hips rocked beneath me, and her hands clutched at anything on me they could touch. Her moans turned into vague words, and the passion coming from her nearly undid me. I wanted to stop so I could drive into her. I wanted to keep going so I could drive her over the edge. A throaty groan escaped me as I debated what to do, then Kiera’s hand found one of mine, and we clenched each other’s fingers tight. Kiera’s breath picked up in a pattern I recognized, and I instantly knew exactly what I wanted. It was what I always wanted—to please her.
Seconds later, Kiera’s hand in mine squeezed tighter while her other one tangled in my hair, holding me to her. My body throbbed as I heard her release, felt it…tasted it. It damn near made me delirious. As she came down, I rose up, placing fevered kisses upon her skin as I worked my way back up her stomach.
Her breaths evened while mine grew erratic. I needed her so badly. Her fingers dislodged from mine, and she placed her hand on my cheek, holding my gaze. My eyes locked with hers. I wasn’t sure what she saw in my expression, but she bit her lip as she studied me. Then her other hand was on my hip, pulling, encouraging. I leaned down to kiss her while simultaneously pressing inside her. I had to break away from her mouth as the pleasure overwhelmed me, and I dropped my head to the crook of her neck with a deep groan. Then we were moving together, and it was…ecstasy.
I lost myself to her—to the softness of her skin, the warmth of her body, the silkiness of her hair, the enticing sounds escaping her lips. I let her take everything from me, every part of who I was, because I knew I was safe with her. Sheltered. Protected. Loved. I opened my heart as far as it would go, lowered all my walls so I could fully experience this with her. Our breaths were in sync, our bodies were in sync, our hearts, our minds, everything.
Right as I felt the buildup becoming uncontainable, I found her hand again and clenched it tight. Her nails dug into my shoulder as her body stiffened beneath me. She held her breath for a second, then made an erotic sound that shoved me right over the brink. Our laced fingers tightened together as the euphoria burst through me, and I was gasping and groaning—undone and so very, very happy. Every morning should start like this.
Kiera wrapped her arms around me, holding me tight against her body while we recovered. My heart was racing, my breath fast in her ear. Smiling, I kissed her neck. “Can we do that every morning?” I asked, echoing my thoughts.
She laughed, her hand lazily threading through my hair. “Probably not.”
“Well, that’s a damn shame,” I told her, nestling into her body.
She laughed again, then turned to kiss my cheek, and I sighed, utterly, completely, profoundly content.
We dozed a little after that, then woke up and made love again, then finally accepted the fact that our wedding night/morning was over, and we really needed to get back to the real world. With sloth-like speed, we got up and got dressed. Kiera seemed reluctant to leave, though, as she stared at the messy covers of our mammoth bed; it looked like a tornado had ripped through our room, and that made me smile. A lot.
Wrapping my arms around Kiera’s waist, I kissed her ear and said, “We should go. I told Gavin I would have breakfast with him today, and we’re already really late…It’s more like brunch now.”
Kiera looked over her shoulder at me, a prideful smile on her face. I knew she was thrilled that I was letting Gavin in, giving him a chance. I wouldn’t be giving him anything without her interference. I owed her a lot for pushing through my stubbornness, forcing me to face him. Assuming things with him went well, of course. A part of me still expected the ground to fall out from under me when it came to him. It was a little terrifying to feel that way. Okay, a lot terrifying. But I was trying to be hopeful.
Kiera twisted her body and wrapped her arms around my neck. Her eyes were adoring as she ran her fingers through the back of my hair. Giving me a soft kiss, she said, “I’m sure he’ll understand that your wedding night ran a little long.”
With a satisfied sigh, I clutched her tight to me. Wedding night. It was still so surreal. Kissing her head, I told her as much. “I still can’t believe you’re my wife.”
Kiera nuzzled into my chest, and I felt my heart expanding in a way I didn’t even know was possible. Then she suddenly stiffened and pulled away from me. “You’re right, we should go,” she said, her words rushed.
There was an adorable pout on her lips, like she didn’t really want to go anywhere, and heat was burning in her eyes. She wanted more of me. I loved how insatiable she could be sometimes. It was clear she was trying to hide it, though. Because of our responsibilities? Or was she embarrassed that she still wanted me. She shouldn’t be. If she wanted me every ten minutes, I’d love to hear about it. God knows I wanted her every ten minutes.
The conflicted look on her face made a crooked smile grace my lips. “You want to have sex again, don’t you?”
Pink tinted her cheeks, and she pushed me away from her. “I think we broke enough records last night…and this morning.” She looked away. Definitely embarrassed. And she had no reason to be.
Squatting, I gently grabbed her chin and forced her to look at me. “Do you want to have sex with me?”
Her eyes flicked back and forth, and I knew she wanted to look away again, wanted to hide. But surprising me, she focused her gaze on my face and said, “Yes.”
Her admission made me grin. Good. She should be able to talk about this stuff with me. Openly, freely, whenever and wherever she wanted to talk about it. We were partners. In this, in everything. “Was that so hard to admit?” I asked her, genuinely curious.
Kiera’s eyes almost closed, but she willfully kept them open. “Actually, yeah, that was a little mortifying.”
Mortifying? It shouldn’t be mortifying for her to talk to me. I wanted her to be able to discuss anything with me, especially when it came to sex. But I also understood discomfort; I’d felt it a few times myself. And I knew the one thing that had helped me get through it was exposure. The more times she talked to me about things she didn’t want to talk about, the easier it would get for her. And there was no time like the present to get started.
