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“Now these.” I said, sliding the large matching earrings out of the box and handing them to her to put in. They were flower shaped and hung from the bottom of her ear lobe accentuating her delicate neck and jawline perfectly. “Stunning.”
She smiled again and turned to look back in the mirror and admired the finished look. “I love you Maverick Jones.” She mused, leaning back against my chest as I stepped forward again to wrap my hands around her waist, holding her and our baby.
“Not nearly as much as I love you both.” I said, running my fingers back and forth over her stomach.
She shook her head and turned, “We’d better get going, or we’ll be late.”
“I suppose you’re right.” I said, releasing her reluctantly and holding her hand as we walked out to the foyer. When we walked off the elevator in our private garage, Franklin waited with my Audi and our new guards. Seven men with various military backgrounds stood flanking the two matching black Audis that would be used as cover vehicles on our drive across the city. I nodded to the lead guard, Gunner, and shook his outstretched hand.
Cora tucked herself into my side as she eyed the giant men speculatively, uncomfortable with their new presence around us but understanding of their necessity.
“Mr. Jones. Mrs. Jones.” Gunner said, addressing us both as he was instructed to do. He was from a branch of military that went bump in the night, leaving him highly qualified for the position, but he was intimidating as fuck, even to me. He and his team all wore black suits, but the bulge of weapons were evident under their jackets, in a way that screamed they weren’t trying to hide that they were armed and ready. Which was exactly what we wanted people to see, because I wasn’t going to let anything happen to my wife. “We’re all set for the trip, Franklin has planned the route and we’ve run the drills. At the event, we’ll be around, never far from you both should you need us.”
“Thank you. Let’s be on our way then.” Franklin opened the back door to our car, and I helped Cora inside before walking around to my own side and getting in. Gunner sat in the front passenger seat and Franklin drove us out of the garage and across the city to my parent’s home where the fundraiser was held each year.
“I’m nervous.” Cora said, resting her hand over her stomach and taking a deep breath as she looked over at me. I raised our linked hands to my lips and kissed her knuckles.
“You’re going to do great love.” I reassured her and she smiled softly up at me.
She was nervous about her first event as Mrs. Jones knowing that all of the people from our past lives would be there mingling with the people from our new life together, but I knew she would fall into the role of my wife and partner effortlessly.
Before long, our convoy was pulling through the gate to the valet drop off and I leaned over, capturing Cora’s light pink lips against mine. “If you want to leave, just say the words and we’ll go. Okay?” I said firmly and she nodded in understanding before Gunner opened her door and helped her slide from the seat.
I got out and walked around to her side and took her hand back in mine as the media that was lined up along the red carpet started going wild. The photographers screamed our names and called out to us, trying to get us to look at them for the money shot as we walked down the backdrop of sponsors to the center of the long carpet, stopping in front of the Jones Holding logo directly under the logo for the Luke Jones Memorial Fundraiser.
I pulled Cora into my side, keeping my hand on the small of her back and looked out at the flashing lights as she did the same. I felt immense pride standing with her at my side as my partner and wife in front of the world. I looked down at her and slid my finger under her chin, tipping her head back to look up at me. Her eyes rounded slightly in surprise before fluttering closed as I lowered my lips to hers gently, savoring the taste of her on my lips long after I pulled back a fraction of an inch.
“I love you.” I said over the roar of the paparazzi.
She smiled up at me, looking more relaxed and sated after a bit of physical touch from me. “I love you too Maverick.”
“Let’s go kick this party off.” I said, and pulled her from the carpet, ignoring the screams for more looks as we walked into the event which was much more muted thankfully.
“Wow.” Cora said wistfully as we walked down the lighted pathway to the expansive back yard where the fundraiser was in full swing. Gold and black table cloths lined hundreds of round tables under arches of twinkling lights and chandeliers. A giant round dancefloor sat in the center of the space and a large stage was affixed into the lower patio portion of the back of the house, lifting it up above the crowd that milled around mingling.
“Jones.” A voice called from the edge of the tables and I turned to see Reid and Dexter walking towards us with drinks in their hands.
"Wow, you look positively breath taking tonight Cora." Reid said, leaning down to kiss her cheek and hand her a flute of rose-colored champagne that she awkwardly took from him and held in her hands.
Dexter pushed Reid aside and kissed her on the cheek as well and gently took the glass from her hands with a small smile on his face. “You’re positivelyglowingtonight.” He said with a wink and tossed her drink back himself before setting it on a passing waiters tray.
“That was rude.” Reid said, appalled that Dex stole her drink. But Dex just rolled his eyes in a knowing way and winked at her again before turning to me to shake my hand.
He pulled me in for a one-handed hug and said softly, “Congratulations dad.”
I smirked at him, unable to hold back the joy that had been running through my body for the last twenty-four hours from the news. “How’d you guess?” I asked him quietly, as Reid obliviously chatted Cora’s ear off about something.
Dexter just shrugged his shoulders and smirked again. “Call it a hunch.”
“Hmm.” I hummed at him, taking a drink off a passing waiters tray and taking a sip to calm my own nerves.
“There you all are.” My mother’s voice called from behind us and I turned Cora as my parents pulled us both into hugs. My mother looked elegant in a white lace dress that off set her dark features timelessly and my father, like myself, Reid and Dexter, wore a black tux that never went out of style.
My mother fawned over Cora for a while, keeping her close between us as people came up to introduce themselves to her, vying to fall in the good graces of our families newest addition like it would benefit them somehow. Little did they know, she had zero cares in the world for connections and social circles but humored them all politely regardless.
People that ran in the same circle as her family growing up, came up to her and warmly addressed her, like they were trying to pretend that she hadn’t been missing from all of our lives for the last decade.
The attack on her life had rattled my parents and best friends almost as much as it had us, leaving them angry and upset alike. And I could feel their intense protectiveness over her, even without looking at the half circle of people surrounding her, keeping my beautiful wife closed in on each side.
