Wedding the Bad Boy: A Bedding the Bachelors Novella Read online

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Description

  More From Virna DePaul

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Books by Virna

  Kiss Talent Agency

  Bedding The Bachelors Series

  Home To Green Valley Series

  Hard As Nails Series

  Rock Candy Series

  Going Deep Series

  Say You Love Me Series

  About The Author

  Copyright

  WEDDING THE BAD BOY

  A Bedding the Bachelors Novella

  by

  Virna DePaul

  Description

  Readers fell in love with the Dalton brothers in the Bedding the Bachelors series. You saw Max fall in love with Grace Sinclair in Bedding the Bad Boy. This novella continues to follow their HEA and their slightly rocky journey to becoming husband and wife!

  ***If you are a new-to-me reader, I hope you’ll check out my other books. You can start with these (2) FREE Series Starters!

  Please visit my website and join my mailing list to be the first to hear about new releases and giveaways! You can also follow me on Facebook. Thank you! Virna

  Contact Virna Here

  Website: www.virnadepaul.com

  Twitter: @virnadepaul

  Email: [email protected]

  Facebook Fan Page: www.facebook.com/booksthatrock

  More From Virna DePaul

  KISS TALENT AGENCY

  HARD AS NAILS

  GOING DEEP SERIES

  BEDDING THE BACHELORS SERIES

  HOME TO GREEN VALLEY SERIES

  ROCK CANDY SERIES

  SAY YOU LOVE ME SERIES

  THE PARA-OPS PARANORMAL ROMANTIC SUSPENSE SERIES

  Chapter One

  “My ass looks huge!” Lucy Conrad, one of Grace Sinclair’s best friends, declared as she studied her reflection in the floor-length mirror. She’d flown to Las Vegas from California for some girl time with Grace and their friend, Melina Parker. After enjoying lunch and a movie, the three of them were now shopping for dresses at Bliss, an upscale wedding boutique in downtown Las Vegas. Lucy had taken one look at the plum halter-style gown in the window and insisted on trying it on in case it could be a contender for Maid of Honor dresses.

  Obviously, she was less thrilled now that it was off the hanger and draped over her body. Ridiculous, since she looked amazing. Grace was about to tell her so when Melina stepped out of her dressing room.

  “Wide load here,” Melina said, even though she looked breathtaking in a champagne-colored mermaid dress.

  Grace rolled her eyes. “Both of you need to stop. Neither of you could possibly be more gorgeous.”

  “The dress is beautiful,” Melina said, turning in front of the mirror. “But obviously the designer didn’t consider the hips of a mother of two-year-old twins when he made it.”

  “And this one isn’t quite right for the booty of a fourteen-month-old daughter’s mommy either. Oh wait, we’re adopting her. No one to blame but Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia ice cream,” Lucy said with a remorseless grin.

  Lucy had been married just eight months ago to Jamie Whitcomb, and while she and Jamie were in the process of adopting Milly, the niece Lucy had been granted guardianship over when Lucy’s sister died, it didn’t matter that the relationship hadn’t yet been made official—Milly was Lucy and Jamie’s daughter now.

  Lucy wiggled her brows. “Big booty aside, it’s a good thing I have such a heathy body image. And Jamie prefers me sans clothes anyway. If the man had his way, we’d open our own nudist colony, me and him as the only members. He’s developed an affinity for role playing and let’s just say the roles are of the do-as-your-master-says-and-that-includes-showing-me-your-ta-tas variety.”

  Melina and Grace groaned. “TMI,” Melina said.

  Lucy snorted. “This coming from the woman who told us all about her handcuff collection—the one not for Rhys’s magic acts.”

  “Well, he did just gift me with a pretty interesting pair. A little more industrial than the ones we’ve used in the past and quite a nice change of pace.”

  Grace covered her ears. “Please, no more! You’re talking about Max’s brother—my soon-to-be brother-in-law. And you…” She turned to Lucy. “I’m surprised Jamie could bear to be away from you for a few days while you’re here. The way you two go ga-ga over each other is…” Grace laughed. “Oh, who am I kidding? It’s fabulous, Luce. I’m glad the honeymoon continues.”

  “Hey, we’ve got to stay on our toes to keep up with you girls and the Dalton brothers. Rhys looked like he was going to cry when Melina and I left the house, and it had nothing to do with leaving him with Charlie and Tabitha. He still looks at Melina like he wants to peel back her clothes at any given moment…with his teeth.”

  Melina blushed. “Max gets the same look around Grace. Right, Grace?”

  Grace gave Melina a knowing glance.

  Lucy shrugged. “Yep, we are three very lucky women, indeed. Now, let’s see if we can transfer some of that luck to finding dresses that are a little more flattering. Your special day can’t be anything less than perfect, Grace. Max won’t stand for it.”

  Grace couldn’t disagree with Lucy on that point. When it came to making her happy, Max pulled out all the stops. Part of her still couldn’t believe that of all the women in the world, he’d chosen her, a woman who hadn’t even been able to have an orgasm with a man until he’d come along. “I think you both look great, but we have plenty of time to find the perfect dress. The wedding isn’t for another four months.”

  “Will Max be able to wait that long?” Melina asked. “He’s so anxious to make you his wife.”

  Grace smiled at the happy thought. “I’m just as anxious. And I can’t wait for you to be my sister-in-law. But Max and I agreed to a year-long engagement so he could focus his attention on the new show. Obviously, it was the right decision given how well it’s doing.”

  Max was the headliner of his very own magic theater, which he ran with his twin brother Rhys. Together, the Dalton brothers invented new magic tricks and choreographed every aspect of the show. Recently, they’d revamped the act to include acrobatics and dancing à la Cirque du Soleil. It had involved a lot of work and financial risk, but it’d paid off. The show was a huge success, with standing room only audiences. Grace couldn’t be more proud of her fiancé and future brother-in-law. Putting off the wedding had been a small price to pay for their success.

  “Lucy, what about that off-the-shoulder one over there?” Grace pointed across the room.

  Lucy’s gaze focused on the dress, and she nodded. “Good eye.” She grabbed two—one for her and one for Melina—and went back into the dressing room. “Weren’t we promised champagne?” she called out.

  “The clerk said she’d be right back with it,” Grace said. “I’ll make sure and grab you a glass if she comes over while you’re changing.”

  Still holding the dress Lucy had handed her, Melina walked over and gingerly sat down in the chair next to Grace. “Wow, no wonder mermaids keep swimming. These things aren’t easy to sit down in. Don’t you want to try something on?”

  “Lord, no,” Grace said. It sounded like, “Lawd, no,” her southern accent prominent even to her own ea
rs. “I promised myself a four-week hiatus from trying on wedding dresses. Unless the perfect dress leaps out and tackles me, I’m focusing on other wedding details for now. Not that there’s that many details given the wedding is going to be so small, but Max is always asking for progress reports.”

  Melina nodded. “That’s because he wants you to have the very best. He wants your wedding to fulfill all your dreams even if it’s going to be an intimate ceremony.”

  “He’s already fulfilled all my dreams by asking me to be his wife.”

  “Aww, that’s sweet, Grace. He’s the lucky one. And now that school is over for the summer, you and I will be able to knock out the rest of the wedding planning in no time.”

  Grace hummed a few bars of “School’s Out For Summer,” and she and Melina danced in place while exchanging high fives. Grace loved her job at the University of Las Vegas, but the school didn’t keep career counselors on during summer semester due to lower attendance. It would be her first summer living in Vegas with so much free time, but like Melina said, there would be plenty to keep her busy.

  “Speaking of wedding planning…” Melina’s voice interrupted Grace’s thoughts. “Are you sure you’re okay with not going on a long honeymoon after the ceremony?”

  “Max has the show, so…”

  “Yes, but he offered to shut the theater down for a couple of weeks. And you’ve always wanted to go to Europe—”

  Grace shook her head. “I can’t. We’ll have plenty of time to travel later. I agreed to marry Max knowing what I was getting into. He’s a celebrity magician on the rise, and I can’t jeopardize that. I don’t ever want him to regret marrying me.” As soon as the words left her mouth, Grace mentally cringed, wanting to kick herself for what she’d said. “I mean—”

  Too late. Melina’s deep sigh said it all. “You did not just say that, Grace Sinclair! Max would never regret marrying you, even if it meant giving up his show altogether. That’s not why you wanted such a long engagement, is it? Because you think you’re going to do something to mess things up between you?”

  “No!” Grace said, even though part of her feared exactly that. She thought she’d gotten over that insecurity a long time ago, but the worry that she might not be enough for Max had recently resurfaced. “I don’t know why I said that. It was silly.”

  But Melina kept frowning, and Grace was afraid she was going to keep digging, so she jumped to her feet. “You know what? I think I’ll try on a few dresses, after all. Hard to resist with all these gorgeous gowns!” She grabbed a few dresses at random. She was about to head into a dressing room when Lucy stepped out in her bridesmaid gown.

  “Now this dress I can get on board with.”

  Melina gasped. “Sexy princess!”

  “You’re stunning,” Grace agreed. “Absolutely, that’s the one.”

  Melina struggled back to her feet in the mermaid dress. “Wait! Let me put mine on before you decide. Maybe it only looks gorgeous on her.”

  “That’s highly possible,” Lucy said, unable to tear her gaze away from her reflection in the mirror.

  Melina snorted and tossed the sash from the dress she was wearing at Lucy. Lucy caught it in mid-air and tied it in her hair. Grace laughed, as the young girl helping them finally showed up with the champagne.

  “Looks like you’re having fun,” she said.

  Grace grabbed a glass off of the tray and handed it Lucy. “I always have fun with these two.” She grabbed her own champagne and clinked glasses with Lucy who focused on something on Grace’s arm, turning her around to look.

  “What’s that you got there? A little rough tussle in the bedroom?” she giggled.

  Grace had no idea what Lucy was talking about and spun to look in the mirror at the back of her arm. She was shocked to see a wide, faded bruise spread across her skin. “That’s weird. I don’t remember getting that.” Though Lucy could’ve been right. It was very possible that it had happened while in bed with Max, with the way he’d been deliciously rough with her lately.

  A minute later, Melina rejoined them. As beautiful as the dress had been on Lucy, it looked like it had been made for Melina’s dark hair and skin tone.

  “Gorgeous!” Grace and Lucy both said at once.

  “You think so?” Melina bit her lip.

  “Don’t tell me you can’t see it,” Grace said.

  Melina giggled. “No, I can see it. I’m hot. I just wanted to hear you say it.”

  “Maybe I need to go brunette for the wedding,” Lucy mused. “We’d be brunette hotties together.” Lucy had a penchant for changing her look to suit her mood. She was naturally a brunette, but for the most part she kept her hair a stunning red these days.

  “You’re beautiful whatever your hair color,” Grace said. “So, are we decided on the dress? Is this the one?”

  “Yes,” Melina said.

  “Absolutely,” Lucy agreed.

  “Yay! One more thing to check off the list.” Grace lifted her champagne glass for a toast.

  After ordering the dresses, they gathered their things. The whole time, Grace could feel Melina’s eyes on her. She knew Melina was still worried about what she’d said, and Grace wanted to kick herself for opening her mouth and worrying her friend. She smiled reassuringly. “One more step closer to being Mrs. Max Dalton. I can’t wait!”

  At her words, Melina seemed to relax. “Being married to a Dalton is pretty damn terrific. And I know Max will do everything in his power to make sure you agree, Grace.”

  Grace left the shop on a smiley, happy high with her friends, but for some reason, she couldn’t stop the voice in her head, the one that’d been plaguing her for months now, whispering, “Max Dalton could have anyone, but he chose you. Make sure he never regrets it.”

  Her fiancé was one half of a hot duo, a sexy man who was the target of single—and some not so single—women everywhere. It was hard not to feel insecure, but this time, Grace was careful not to give away how she was feeling.

  By the time she dropped Melina and Lucy off, Grace could feel the beginnings of a headache coming on, something that had been plaguing her recently, along with unusually bad cramps. And now the bruising, she thought. A quiet alarm went off in her head. Were they all interconnected?

  She hadn’t mentioned any of it to her friends or Max, not wanting to worry them over nothing. She’d been meaning to make a doctor’s appointment, but since her symptoms came and went, she’d put it off. Now, idling at the curb outside Melina’s house, she pulled out her phone and made an appointment, feeling fortunate to get one for the next day. It was probably nothing, but perhaps she needed to switch her birth control or start taking vitamins, which was a great precursor for having kids with Max one day anyway.

  Jitters aside, she couldn’t wait to start a family with Max. Would their kids be blond like Max was as a little boy? Would they inherit Grace’s big, blue eyes? Or maybe Max’s strong chin?

  Still, she wasn’t in the habit of ignoring her body’s signs, and maybe the reason she’d been feeling off lately, having cramps, and bruising was because her body was trying to tell her something. Wasn’t that what women’s doctors were always saying, to listen to your body? The pill wasn’t one hundred percent effective, so here was another thought…could she be pregnant?

  It was highly unlikely, but it wasn’t entirely impossible, and she was experiencing symptoms similar to pregnancy.

  Grace thought of the baby blanket she’d made many months ago, the one with her and Max’s names on it, as well as a large blank heart for their future baby’s name. She’d made it as a symbol of her commitment to Max, to show him that she’d overcome her fears about wanting a “normal” life, i.e., not one with a celebrity playboy who had women fantasizing about him day in and day out, a man who brought out Grace’s kinky side, something that used to scare her.

  How would Max react to the news if she was pregnant? The answer came instantly: Max would be overjoyed. And so would she. Yes, it would throw a tiny mon
key wrench into their wedding plans, but the best things in life were unexpected, right?

  Part of the reason she and Max had gotten together in the first place was because he’d overheard her plan to have a baby despite not having a man in her life. Of course, he’d shown her time and again since then that she’d deserved more. She’d deserved to wait for the right man, the man that could make all her dreams come true.

  They loved each other. They wanted a big family. Even if they had a baby sooner than expected, they’d adore their child, and life would be great.

  There was no reason to be worried about letting Max down. Their bond was stronger than any insecurities she might have, and she had to remember that, even if she had to hammer the thought into her brain every day.

  As she pulled onto the road again, Grace grinned, her confidence and joy renewed.

  She thought back to the words Lucy and Melina had spoken earlier.

  Lucy had been right. She was a lucky woman because Max loved her.

  But Melina had been right, as well. Max was a lucky man, too.

  Together, they were better. More fulfilled.

  And she couldn’t ever forget that.

  * * *

  When Grace stepped inside the home she shared with Max, she immediately spotted a trail of rose petals leading from the front door into the living room. Smiling, she put down her purse and followed the rose petals. In the living room, all the curtains had been pulled tight, and flickering light danced on the walls and floors. Thick pillars sat atop tall, metal candleholders that looked like they’d come straight from a monastery in the Carpathians. Intrigued, Grace continued to follow the rose petals into the dining room. Candles sat along the table, as well, providing just enough light to see a veritable smorgasbord of different breads and soups, unique pastries, and a few meat dishes.