Taking Risk Series Read online

  “I do and I’ll have my assistant call tomorrow to get her put back in the home, fully paid for.”

  She shakes her head. “No, I’ll do it with my money. I don’t want to make your dad mad.”

  Taking her hand, I kiss her palm before meeting her gaze. “Don’t ya worry about my da, I’ll deal with him. But, Amberlyn—”

  Her eyes start to water again. “Yeah?”

  “My money is your money, my love. Don’t ever forget that. And if doing this for that wanker’s ma will make you happy, then it’s done.”

  When the brightest grin comes across her face, I remember that I may never love her the same way her family did, but I’m going to try my hardest to love her even more.

  Chapter 19

  Declan

  I’ve never seen anything so beautiful in my whole life.

  I feel I say those words at least a dozen times when Amberlyn is in the room.

  But tonight, it can’t be because I’m biased and completely in love with her. No, it has to be because she is the sun, shining on us all. Blessing us all with her beauty. I mean, she’s fuckin’ sparkling.

  As she slowly comes down the stairs to meet me, I drink in every single detail. The way her hair is down to the side in a soft, loose braid that I know must have taken some time. There are little flowers throughout it, in the perfect spots to accentuate the braid. The dress she wears is formfitting, showing off all her curves and the parts of her that have me out of my mind for her.

  The dress is a color I’ve never seen on her before. The bodice is almost a soft pink rose color, very pretty, and has her skin glowing. It’s covered in stones and dips down lower than I know my mother would approve of along her breasts. It hugs her to the middle of her thighs and then the skirt is made of cream ruffles. It is a very stunning dress, but again, not something an O’Callaghan woman would wear.

  I like that though. I want her to have her own personality. She wasn’t born into this life, she is joining it, and I want her fun, quirky style to add in with the classic one of my family. I think she is gorgeous. Even though she is wearing more makeup than I like, it’s done very dramatically, but it works. She needs to stand out. I want the whole room, everyone, to know that my fiancée is downright magnificent.

  I hold my hand out and a grin pulls at my lips as she takes it, a small smile pulling at her light, nude-colored lips.

  “Dazzling, my love. Simply breathtaking,” I whisper before pressing my lips to the side of her mouth. She is so soft and smells like heaven. Pulling back, I look down into her grinning face and can’t help but fight for my next breath.

  “Thank you,” she says, lacing her fingers with mine. “I really like you in a tux.”

  I chuckle, liking that she approves of my attire. I can see the desire swirling in the depths of her stunning aquamarine eyes, and it takes everything out of me not to check the time. I’m giving this party an hour. After that, she is mine.

  Sucking in a deep breath, I tuck her hand between my ribs and bicep before letting it out. “Let’s go before I take ya against the wall, yeah?”

  She lets out a breathy laugh before saying, “I would applaud you for doing that, considering this dress is tighter than a little coat on a fat guy.”

  I laugh, loving her reference to one of my favorite movies, but then I set her with a look. “A dress doesn’t come between a man and his woman.”

  Grinning at me, she says, “Duly noted.”

  “Grand, now let’s go get this party over.”

  She hesitates and then glances at me. “I really don’t want to go.”

  The party is loud, not with music either, but with voices. It’s very intimidating and I don’t want to go either, but we both know we have to.

  “Me neither, but my ma would have both our heads if we don’t.”

  “I know,” she says, letting out a breath. “She has been schooling me on how a proper lady acts at her party. It’s been insanely boring. I may not be an O’Callaghan-raised woman, but I doubt I’m gonna get shit-faced and hang from the chandeliers.”

  I scoff. “You should for the show,” I say with a wink. “I love ya the way ya are. Ignore her, and let’s have us some fun for an hour before the real fun starts.”

  “Which is?” she asks, but we both know what I’m talking about.

  “Me peeling that dress off ya and making up for the first-time disaster.”

  She giggles, which sets my nerves on fire. I love her sexy giggle. “I love our first time.”

  “Bollocks, it was a disaster.”

  “Our disaster,” she says fondly before leaning her head against my shoulder. “Nonetheless, I’m counting down the next sixty minutes.”

  I cuddle in closer with her before kissing her temple. “Ah, me too, mo stór. Come on. Let’s get this over with.”

  She lets out a small sigh as we start to move to the door of the party. “Are there gonna be a lot of people?”

  I nod and I can’t chance looking at her. I know she doesn’t want to deal with people like I don’t. If we had our way, we’d send out a nice little announcement. But that isn’t the way the things are done in my family. Lena’s engagement party was so big and over the top, but I’m pretty sure mine is putting hers to shame. The estate was in full party-mode all day. The last time I saw this many people come in and out, setting stuff up, and moving things was for Lena’s party, and that was hell. So I’ve already prepared myself for a jammer. Poor Amberlyn, though, she has no clue.

  When we reach the door, Jimmy bows before smiling at us. “Ready, yous two?”

  “As ready as we’ll ever be, I guess,” I say, squeezing her hand to receive a small smile.

  “Yes, sir,” he says before pulling the doors open. From what I can see, the room is filled to the brim.

  Amberlyn takes in a sharp breath before saying, “My God.”

  “Yup.”

  “Well, let’s hope there is a chocolate fountain.”

  I send her a grin and wink. “I made sure there was one.”

  “You are the best soon-to-be husband ever.”

  I lean down, pressing my lips to hers as Jimmy clears his throat.

  As we part, I smile and whisper, “I love ya, Amberlyn.”

  “I love you.”

  Then with a bellowing voice, Jimmy yells, “Presenting Mr. Declan O’Callaghan and his fiancée, Miss Amberlyn Reilly.”

  With my head held high, I walk with my woman beside me inside the crowded ballroom as they all stand, clapping for us. I want to say that everyone is smiling, happy for my engagement, but I can’t. Each face has a different expression. They’re either smiling or scowling at us. They are jealous, of course. They want to be Amberlyn, or even me. While it’s very disconcerting, I ignore it. How can I care about anything when my soon-to-be wife is the only thing I see?

  She wears a large smile, her face bright and intoxicating, but I can see the nervousness in her eyes. She hates this stuff as much as I do. As I lead her to the dance floor, because it is customary for the couple to dance first, almost like they do at a wedding, I take her hand, standing away so everyone can drink in the beauty that I get to enjoy for the rest of my life. She smiles shyly as me, covering her mouth with her hand as the applause goes up an octave. When “Unbroken Promises” by Erick Baker starts, I turn her into my arms and grin at her as her arms come up and around my neck.

  As I hold her, you couldn’t slide a piece of paper between us, we are so close. Her eyes hold mine as we slowly sway to the music. I love feeling her this close to me; I love looking into her sweet eyes and knowing that she loves me with every fiber of her being. I’ve waited my whole life to be with a girl who would love me, all of me. And I would have never imagined that it would be a beautiful American girl who has been through the wringer.

  While it wasn’t what I wanted, I thought I’d marry some snotty, tea-drinking, money-blowing girl. One my ma picked out for me. I wouldn’t love her, but she would do. I needed someone to be my companion