Free Fyre & Revenge by Mina Carter

vicar.
    “Dearly
beloved, we are gathered here today…”
    * * *
    Zette stood by
herself in a corner of the main reception hall, briefly between
groups of guests as she sipped from a glass of mineral water. She’d
taken the merest sip of champagne during the toasts, a fact she
passed off to JJ as being too excited to need alcohol as well.
    Instinctively
her eyes swept the hall, looking for the tall form of her husband.
Husband, that sounded strange. Strange but good. Her eyes softened
as she found him, talking to a bunch of men over in the corner.
They all had that same hard-bitten look about them, a sense of ease
in the formal suits they wore that said they were used to wearing
them. Colleagues, she decided. Everything about them screamed
‘business.’
    In fact, they
probably had about ninety percent of the world’s business brains in
here, she decided, looking around and ‘suit’ spotting. But
unerringly her eyes returned to JJ. His formal suit fit his tall,
broad-shouldered form to perfection. Understated but no one was
going to mistake him as anything other than the groom. He’d gone
minimalist, but the lines of his suit screamed ‘expensive
tailoring,’ the cream waistcoat under the charcoal jacket
emphasising the broad chest that narrowed into a slim waist and
powerful hips. Strong thighs pulled the fabric of his dark pants as
he turned to look at her, sensing her eyes on him, not too tight
but just right.
    He smiled, a
slow languorous smile that made her heart stutter. She smiled back,
still sure that this was a dream. That she’d wake up the morning
after the concert to find it was over and she’d dreamed everything.
Their engagement, her pregnancy. Everything. She’d always wanted to
fit somewhere, wanted to be part of a family so it was her ultimate
fantasy; a family of her own.
    Sure they’d not
started out well. Past history and the way he’d conned her into bed
would probably have most people clucking their tongues at her and
warning her to guard her heart. Ever the cynic, Zette would have
been one of them, should still be one of them. She didn’t believe
in fairy tales, did she?
    Her ringed hand
tightened on her glass, the diamond solitaire glinting in the light
and nestled next to it, the heavy wedding band JJ had pushed onto
her finger mere hours earlier. His voice had been low; sincere as
he spoke his vows, his hazel eyes unwavering as he looked at her
throughout the ceremony.
    She sighed, a
soft sound of contentment, happiness. She did believe in fairy
tales.
    Somewhere deep
inside was still that little girl who wanted her prince charming
and her happily ever after.
    And now she had
it.
    * * *
    “Congratulations to you and your lovely wife. Never thought I’d see
the day, the Jensen shark on the hook and hauled in!”
    JJ chuckled,
shaking the offered hand. A slender, lean man in an immaculate
suit, John Ryland was a long time competitor and, more
surprisingly, a friend. It was a friendship built up over many
years of arguing and trying to get one up on each other. A friendly
rivalry JJ relished, knowing that Ryland was as manipulative as he
was. John’s blue eyes twinkled as the older man looked from JJ to
Logan and back again.
    “One down, one
to go. Will we be seeing you heading down the aisle next Logan?” he
quipped, his voice filled with amusement. The two men were well
known for their avoidance of the matrimonial state, and Logan was
infamous for not dating the same woman for more than six
months.
    Logan held his
hands up as though to ward off the thought. “Oh no, not me. It’s
just him who’s taken leave of his senses.” He laughed
good-naturedly and jerked his head toward JJ.
    “Well, thank
the lord for that!” John replied and smiled down as a young woman
appeared at his side, sliding her arm through his and flashing a
shy smile at JJ and Logan. “Anyway, before I get dragged off,
congratulations again JJ. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.
Perhaps she’ll soften