Assured (Soul Serenade #2)

Cole Hampton is not the type of guy to want more.

“Stacy,” he murmurs as he reaches for my hand and pulls me to his side. His lips graze my cheek. “Looking lovely as ever,” he coos.

Yes, coos. The man is laying it on thick. I’m going to have to work double time to resist him today. Cole in ripped jeans and a T-shirt is sexy, but Cole in a suit with his long hair pulled back into a bun is downright panty-dropping.

Must. Resist. Him.

“You clean up nice,” I reply, tapping my hand against his solid chest. His grin is infectious.

“How’s our girl?” Tristan asks me.

That’s the thing about these guys—it’s hard to push past their barriers but once you do, you’re in. You’re a part of them. They might be badass playboys, but every damn one of them has a heart of gold.

“She’s ready. Kacen?”

All three of them break out in laughter. “He’s something.” Gavin chuckles. “We told him it wasn’t too late to change his mind and I thought he was going to rip our heads off.”

“We did the same thing to Logan. Those two.” Lauren laughs, shaking her head.

“There she is,” Cole exclaims.

Turning to look behind me, I see Logan in her gown, arm linked through her father’s. She’s breathtaking. Again, I fight back the emotions swarming me. It’s going to be a long, emotional day. I can already tell.

Cole releases his hold on me and steps toward her. I watch as he leans down and kisses her cheek. I see his lips move but can’t make out what he’s saying. Whatever it is causes Logan’s face to light up, her eyes welling with tears. Thank God for waterproof mascara.

Tristan and Gavin each take their turn greeting her. Just as Gavin pulls away, the wedding planner is there, clapping her hands together. “It’s time, Ms. Andrews,” she says, staring at the iPad in her hands.

“That’s the last time you’re going to hear that,” Cole states with a grin. “Mrs. Warren,” he winks at her. “Let’s do this,” he hooks his arm through mine and we take our place.

All the way down the aisle, his hand is gently caressing mine, which is wrapped around his elbow. Just as we reach the altar and are about to go to our places, I feel his hot breath against my ear. “I can’t wait to hold this body next to mine on the dance floor.” He nips at my lobe and gently releases me. I’m lucky I don’t stumble and make a fool of myself.

This night is going to be interesting.





She smells fucking incredible. Leaning in to whisper in her ear might not have been my smartest fucking move. Not only did I get to breathe her in, but I tasted her skin. The little hitch in her breath, the rise and fall of her chest—fuck me, I’m sporting wood, standing up here with my boy on the biggest day of his life. Puppies. Kittens. Grandma Iris.

Finally, my cock starts to deflate. I focus my attention to watch the rest of our crew walking down the aisle.

Logan appears, and my man, Kacen, sways on his feet. “Holy fuck,” he whispers. I bring my fist to my mouth and pretend to cough to smother my laugh. It’s always been like this for him. I knew the first time I saw him look at her, even though he was confused at what she was doing in his house, that she was different for him. I don’t understand it, but I get it. Kacen has always wanted what Logan is giving him—to settle down and have a few kids. I like kids, but I’ve never thought much about having my own.

Hell, I’m living the dream right now. Maybe somewhere down the road.

Kacen shuffles his weight from foot to foot, and I realize that he’s losing his shit. Any time he’s in the same room with her, he has to be as close as possible. If I know my boy, he’s thinking about running down the aisle and throwing his bride over his shoulder, moving the ceremony along.

I lean in and whisper in his ear, “Chill, Kace She’s all yours. Just take a deep breath.”

I hear him suck in air and slowly exhale just as Logan steps in front of him. “You’re so fucking beautiful,” he says, not bothering to lower his voice. The guys laugh and the girls “Awww” over his declaration. Logan grins widely as tears shimmer in her eyes.

I have to hand it to him—he picked a good one. She’s gorgeous, down-to-earth, and she can cook. I’m sure that’s not what made him fall in love with her, but they’re all good qualities if you ask me.

The ceremony is quick and painless. Of course, I spent most of my time watching Stacy. She caught me a few times, but I just gave her a wink and kept staring. She knows I’m interested; now I just have to get her on board. But this girl is not making it easy on me. It’s kind of refreshing since I don’t usually have to work for it. She’s making it . . . fun.

Kaylee Ryan's books