Rachel Dyken - Fearless

Real cool.

With a practiced smile, I slid my keycard over the pad and went into the building. Inside was some hot chocolate with my name on it.

When you hear bad news it’s like a literal punch to the stomach—no seriously, your body will create a physical response to your emotional trauma. When you’re heartbroken—you’re chest will actually hurt. Doctors believe that it’s possible to die from heartache, kind of makes you wonder the opposite right? Take for example a heart that’s so full, so alive, so vibrant, so—overjoyed, that it decides to skip a beat, pump a little bit longer, a little bit harder, a little bit…more than the way it was created to be. I think that’s my heart—No I know that’s my heart. When I see Kiersten. My heart is the opposite of broken—it’s full.—Wes Michels

Wes

“So…” I brought Kiersten’s fingertips to my lips and gave them a little kiss, but it wasn’t enough, so I tasted…each and every one.

Funny how a person can actually taste a certain way, to me, she tasted like heaven, which is kind of ironic since I’m pretty sure last year this time I should have been charging towards those pearly gates—or would have been had I not met her. She was my savior, miracle or not. The very fact that she’d said yes to my proposal? And that we were married?

Yeah, forget surviving cancer.

I just married the most beautiful woman God ever created—period.

“So?” Kiersten giggled. “Were you gonna finish that thought or just daydream a bit? What’s going on in Wes Michels Land, hmm?” She winked and then withdrew her hand from mine, placing it in her lap.

We’d just gotten into the car and already I was nervous about the rest of the night—not because I didn’t know what I was doing but because I’d built up so much anticipation for this very day that, now she had said yes? And she was my wife? Well all those emotions came charging down leaving me totally wiped.

It was hell trying to hide my yawn.

Kiersten ran her fingers through my hair as I pulled onto the freeway. “You look tired.”

“I look awesome,” I corrected. “And…satisfied.”

“Oh.” Kiersten shrugged. “So I guess that means you don’t need this?”

I merged into the carpool lane and glanced in her direction. Dangling. White. Lace. Bra. Holy mother of—

“Wes!” Kiersten laughed. “Stay in your lane!”

I screeched to the middle lane then almost slammed on my brakes just because my body was clearly losing all ability to function. It was like adrenaline surged through all the wrong parts forcing me to slam on the brakes while simultaneously wanting to reach over and pull Kiersten into my lap and just—I don’t know, I honestly couldn’t get past the white, the lace. Shit, why was I repeating myself? IN MY HEAD.

“Uhhh…” Throat dry I tried clearing it, but it only made things worse.

“Water?” Kiersten handed me a bottled water. Thank God.

I took a sip just as she hiked up her dress and showed me her garter.

The water sprayed out of my mouth onto the steering wheel of my Porsche Cayenne.

I hacked, I coughed, I hacked again, then wiped my mouth with the back of my hand all the while Kiersten laughed her ass off and continued flashing parts of her body.

Cursing, I took the next exit.

“Where are we going?” Kiersten’s laughter died down as she glanced out the window at the Sound. “A parking lot? We’re pulling up into a parking lot?”

Words weren’t really my thing at that moment. I was more of an action guy anyway, right? I nodded, screeched into a parking spot, threw off my seatbelt, and launched my body across the console, pulling Kiersten towards me with such force that I probably would have bruised her chin had my lips landed anywhere else but on hers.

Ah, that taste.

With a groan, I moved my left hand down her thigh. Coming into contact with that one garter was hell on my imagination.

Because, naturally there were two.

Because she had two legs.

Holy—there were two.

Garters.

I kissed her harder.

“What else?” I panted, grabbing at the back of her head with my right hand, tugging her hair, pulling at whatever I could to get her closer. “What else do you have?”

Kiersten pulled back, her face appearing innocent. Right. Nothing innocent about what was going through my mind because of that little stunt. Didn’t help that her face was flushed, her color peaked. Damn, what I wouldn’t’ do to be able to kiss her senseless right about now. “What do you mean?”

“Any more surprises?”

She grinned. “Why? Afraid you can’t handle it?”

“Sweetheart,” I moaned. “My heart can only handle you in small doses—anymore and it may damn well burst.”

Kiersten’s expression turned serious as she removed her hands from my neck where they were wrapped so tightly I’d probably have bruises in the morning. She shrugged just before she reached for her zipper. As her fingertips touched the metal she locked eyes with me. I licked my lips, my chest rising and falling with so much anticipation I was having trouble breathing. The sound of the zipper lowering had me leaning towards her.

Kiersten drew it down farther and farther with agonizing slowness, my imagination went crazy with possibilities.

“Sorry to disappoint you,” she said seductively. “But I don’t have any other surprises…” Her smile turned deadly. “Just me.”

The dress fell.

We were in a parking lot.

And the top of her dress just—fell open.

And she was right.

She had nothing else—because she was naked.

I don’t know how long I stayed that way—in such shock that my mouth wouldn’t close, my heart hammered, my mind raced.

And then, she pulled her dress back up and sat back against the seat. “So, we should probably get going…unless you’d rather hang out in the parking lot. But no way am I telling my kids that story.”

“Huh?” Clearly, I was having trouble catching up—part of my brain was still functioning on the level of garters, white lace, and nakedness. To be fair, I was a guy so yeah, that was my only excuse. Well that and I loved her—more than life itself.

“Wedding night in a parking lot downtown Seattle?” Kiersten’s nose scrunched up…”Not romantic, now drive.” She hit the dash and leaned back.

“HOW ARE YOU ACTING NORMAL?” My voice was hoarse—damn, was I yelling?

Kiersten burst out laughing.

“Damn Lisa.”

“Oh, this wasn’t Lisa’s idea, nor was it her gift.”

“What?” With shaking hands, I buckled my seatbelt. Where the hell was north? South? East? Were we supposed to go east?

“Gabe.” Kiersten released a dreamy sigh.

“I’ll kill him with my bare hands if he said the word naked to you. Swear.”

“No.” With twinkling eyes she whispered, “But he did say something about how there’s no point wearing lingerie—when it doesn’t even stay on for three seconds.”

“And the garters?”

“Oh these?” She flashed me more leg while I accidently hit my thumb on the steering wheel trying to start the car again.

“Yeah.” I didn’t look away. What was the point in trying when I didn’t have to?

“All. Me.” Kiersten leaned over the console and braced my face with her hands. “I got them a while ago with one intention and one intention only.”

“Yeah?” I focused on her green eyes. “What’s that?”

“To stop Wes Michels’ heart.” She laid a warm palm against my cheek and whispered, “Did it work?”

“Kiersten…” I brushed a kiss across her lips. “You stopped my heart the day I met you—re-started it—and gave it a new rhythm. You are my heart. So yeah, I think it worked.”

Skin. Just touching his skin, feeling his warmth, incredible how much it made me want to weep. Like, actually fall down on the ground and sob my eyes out because by touching his skin, by feeling that warmth, I knew he was alive and by knowing he was alive, I realized…being married to him? It was totally real. Funny, how sometimes we need to keep touching things so we know they’re real—even better? That I’d spend the rest of my life touching him, touching Wes Michels. And every touch would remind me, that blood flowed through his veins, that his heart beat strong, that it beat in perfect cadence with mine. —Kiersten

Kiersten

Wes was still staring at me. I fought between wanting to actually stay in that parking lot and letting him maul me—and driving off so we could be alone.

“I love you,” I whispered. “Just in case you weren’t aware.”

“I’m aware,” Wes said quickly, his blue eyes widening a bit as if trying to take in more of what was in front of him. “With every word that comes out of your mouth. Damn Kiersten, if all you did was say nonsense all freaking day. If you talked gibberish but still looked at me the way you’re looking at me now—I’d know. I’d know without a shadow of a doubt that you were mine.”

I nodded, unable to really speak. Wes had a way of doing that to me, one-upping me or really just putting into words what I wasn’t capable of speaking. It was as if he knew my soul and was able to explain the depth of my heart without actually asking me in the first place what I was trying to communicate.

“But—” Wes closed his eyes for a brief moment and buckled his seat belt. “The parking lot, probably not the best place to attack you and that—” He licked his lips and hit the steering wheel. “Yeah…I’m undone.”

“What?” I laughed nervously. “What do you mean?”

“Undone.” He stared straight ahead. “When a person reaches the end of their rope only to find out they’re only half way through their journey but lack the nutrition and energy to get there. You’ve stripped me of all my defenses, I’m like a camel without water—”