The guys disappear all afternoon and I’m going out of my mind with boredom. I’m too wired emotionally to channel any psychic ability so I walk down to the olive grove and waste a couple of hours dozing in the sun. I stamp my feet in frustration when I arrive back at the house and Cal still isn’t there. Guess he’s taking the whole traditional thing seriously now.
I take a long leisurely bath, shave myself everywhere—which is an Olympic-worthy feat considering the ginormous bump that hinders my efforts—paint my nails, and slather scented body lotion over every inch of my skin. There’s no point trying to do much with my hair—humidity and frizzy hair go hand in hand—so I let it dry naturally and rub some scented oil through it instead. Applying a delicate layer of bronzer to my lightly freckled face, I brush mascara through my lashes and apply a coat of lip gloss. Removing the box from the secret inner panel of my bag, I extract my ring and slide it on my finger. Huge emotion clogs my throat as I run my finger lightly over the beautiful ruby and diamond ring that Cal gave me at the time of our engagement.
I sit down on the bed, enclosed in the pink robe that still miraculously stretches over my baby bump. All that’s left is to put on my dress and I’m ready for my trip down the altar.
Excitement skitters over my skin, and I feel no hint of nervousness because this feels so right. Squinting at my watch, I wish I had a fast-forward button, dying to skip to five o’clock so I can bind myself to Cal in the eyes of God. With a pang, I realize that Dad isn’t here to give me away. Hopefully, at some point, there will be an opportunity to formally celebrate our marriage and Dad will get to do the honors then. I hope he won’t be cross with me. Chewing on my lip, I force those thoughts aside, unwilling to allow anything to kill my happy buzz.
There’s a knock on the door and Cal pops his head into the room. My entire being swoons at my intended. He is so gorgeous, so perfect, and very soon, he will mine, as I will be his. Forever. I couldn’t be any happier if I tried. “Can I come in or will I earn the wrath of traditional wedding planners the world over?”
Though we’ve only been apart a few hours, I ache for him. “I’m seconds away from jumping you, so I’d suggest you get your butt in here now.”
He dashes into the room faster than The Flash. He is on me even quicker, his mouth possessively claiming mine.
“You two better not be doing what I think you’re doing in there,” T calls out in close proximity, and I shriek, pulling my lips back quickly. “You have two minutes to give her the gift and get your soon-to-be-married ass out of that room.”
“Bossy much?” I yell.
“You ain’t seen nothing, missy,” he retorts.
“What gift?” I ask, only cottoning on to that part now.
“This,” he says, handing me a slim, rectangular box. “I forgot to give it to you last night so now it’s a combined wedding and birthday present.”
I open the lid and lift out the delicate necklace. The chain holds a small, thin silver heart over-laced with a tiny smattering of sparkling diamonds. It’s stunning; just like the giver.
“It’s beautiful. Thank you. Can you help me put it on?” Lifting my hair, I give him access to my neck. His lips caress the skin at the nape of my neck, and it sends a jolt of pure liquid fire zinging through my veins.
He chuckles knowingly. “Wait ‘til I get you alone tonight,” he whispers, and a second jolt electrifies every nerve ending in my body.
“Hot damn. Will you cut that out? I think I’m going to spontaneously combust.”
“Hold onto that thought for later,” he says, laying my hair back down.
My fingers curl around the necklace as T calls out “thirty seconds!”
“It was my mom’s,” Cal says, his hand covering mine.
I look up and kiss him gently. “Now I love it even more. Thank you.”
“Twenty seconds!”
“Don’t be late,” he whispers against my lips. “I’ve waited long enough to call you my wife. I don’t want to wait a minute longer than I have to.”
“Ten seconds!”
“Deal, baby. A butt-load of flesh-eating zombies couldn’t make me late.” I kiss him one last time.
“Five seconds!”
Cal’s fists clench and he shoots a killer look at the door, as if his irritation can magically transfer through the wood and slap T in the face. “Please tell me I can hit him. Just one little punch?” Cal asks, standing up.
“No, Cal. Now go,” I say, shoving him toward the door. Cal reaches it just as T rips it open, ready to haul ass. “Back away, man. Seriously,” Cal says, stalking forward.
I hop up and do the only thing I can think of to calm him down. I plant an urgent, wet kiss on his mouth, and I keep my lips melded to his until his body curves into me. “Better?” I ask, easing out of his arms.
“Uh-huh,“he says, brushing his lips against my cheek. The whole time he eyeballs T with a devilish glint in his gaze and T starts shrinking back.
“Behave.” I nudge him gently in the ribs.
“See you at the altar.” He blows me a kiss as he backs away.
“I’ll be the one wearing white.”
I stand stock-still in front of the mirror, my skin flushed with excitement. Tilting my head, I examine the lace shawl pinned lightly at the side of my head, trailing down the length of my back. Aggie insisted. Apparently, it’s tradition around these parts. My wedding dress consists of a plain white full-length skirt with short frilled cap sleeves and a scooped neckline. It’s another empire line to flatter my expanding waistline. The material is light and it flows with the curves of my body as I walk. It’s simple chic and perfect for me, the setting, and the occasion.
T collects me twenty minutes later, and I spot a telltale sheen of moisture in his eyes. He’s having none of it though. “I have something in my eye.” Yeah, right.
Looping my arm tightly through his, he walks me the half-mile to the little whitewashed stone church. I rely heavily on T as we tackle the uphill stint the last three hundred yards. Fine beads of sweat trickle down my back and my breathing is exaggerated.
Perched on an elevated site at the highest point of the land, the church has an amazing view over the entire island from the back. As we ascend the three slate steps toward the little wooden door, a swarm of butterflies attacks my stomach and I feel queasy.
So much for not being nervous.
I rub my clammy hands on the side of T’s shirt, ignoring his outraged protests. “Well, I can hardly wipe them off on my dress.” I smirk, trying and failing to stifle my grin.
The door opens with a creak and my whole body trembles. T grips my arm and pats my hand. Xander and Aggie sit in the front pew. They turn and smile. Cal is standing at the top of the short aisle watching me intently. Wearing plain black pants and a crisp white shirt unbuttoned at the top, he looks classically handsome with his slicked-back hair and blue eyes sparkling with love. My sudden bout of butterflies evaporates on the spot, and I have to invoke considerable control to stop myself from sprinting into his arms.
T passes my arm to Cal when we reach the top of the church, and we turn and face one another, hands clasped tightly together. Eyes brimming with devotion latch on mine, and a wealth of emotion presses down on my chest. I can’t pull my eyes away from him even when the priest welcomes us and starts the ceremony. We grin at each other as he speaks in broken English, his thick accent often mispronouncing the words. When it’s time for our vows, we maintain eye contact the whole time, repeating each line after him.
“I, Cal, take you, Ariana, to be my wedded wife. To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health …” Cal clears his throat and when he speaks the next words, his voice is shaking, “‘til death do us part.”
Tears spill down my face as every word imprints on my heart. He didn’t just recite the vows. He spoke each one with passionate conviction, meaning every word, every sentiment.
“No crying, baby,” he
says, smoothing a hand across my cheek.
I take a deep breath, compose myself, and state my vows. “I, Ariana, take you, Cal, to be my wedded husband. To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health. Until death do us part.”
His thumb works in circular patterns over our conjoined hands as his eyes remain superglued to my face. It’s as if we’re the only two people in the world as everything else fades into the background. We stare at each other, unblinking, letting the magnitude of our vows settle deep into our hearts and minds.
The priest coughs loudly and everyone laughs. Xander passes two rings to Cal and he slips a slim silver band onto my finger. “With this ring, I thee wed. Wear it as a symbol of our love and commitment.”
I place Cal’s ring on his finger and say, “With this ring, I thee wed. Wear it as a symbol of our love and commitment.”
Our fingers loop together and my chest surges with the depth of my feelings.
When the priest proclaims us man and wife, Cal doesn’t even wait for him to say you may now kiss your bride, swooping down in one swift motion and hauling me to him. As our mouths meld together, the love surging in my veins electrifies every place where our lips connect. My husband. My life.
Cal shows no signs of slowing down, so I try to ease back, conscious we are in the house of the Lord. He resists every attempt and I give up, entranced by the sweet taste of him.
“Get a room!” T says, his teasing eventually breaking the spell.
We pull apart, laughing. The others rise to congratulate us and we share hugs all round. My hand never strays from Cal’s. Not when we leave the church. Not as we walk down to the village. Not even when we enter the main tavern and are greeted by boisterous cheers from the little group who have gathered to celebrate with us.
We enjoy a fabulous meal, stuff our faces with wedding cake, and engage in the obligatory first dance as a local group of musicians serenade us with traditional Greek songs. I’m locked in Cal’s embrace, and his adoring gaze, as we sway to the music. “Happy?” he asks, reeling me in closer to him.
“I can’t remember a time when I’ve felt happier,” I admit, beaming up at my gorgeous husband. “Today’s been perfect. I wouldn’t change a thing.”
He dips his head and kisses me tenderly, and a slow burn ignites inside me. A few catcalls ring out from the crowd but I don’t care. “Do you think we’d get away with sneaking out now?” he whispers in my ear.
“Let’s give it a try,” I suggest without hesitation.
Half an hour later, and after copious teasing and innuendos from T and Xander, we finally manage to make our exit.
Cal has one more surprise lined up for me. Instead of heading back to Aggie’s, he brings me to the little wooden hut on the edge of the olive grove. The hut’s been cleared out and cleaned, and a large mattress, dressed in silky whites and covered in an abundance of fluffy cushions and pillows, occupies the floor space. Softly glowing lights hang from tiny woven baskets in the ceiling, and the scent of lavender lingers in the air.
“You’re amazing,” I say, tears brimming in my eyes again. “This day couldn’t have been any more special.”
“It’s about to get a whole lot more special. Brace yourself, Mrs. Remus,” he whispers, his fingers starting to unbutton the back of my dress. “I hope you got a good night’s sleep last night because you won’t be doing much sleeping tonight.”
He stays true to his promise, and we spend hours locked around one another, blissfully demonstrating our love for each other until the early morning sun starts to creep up the skyline.
I wake sometime after ten with my new husband wrapped around me like an octopus. “Morning, wifey,” a sleepy voice whispers in my ear, his internal alarm clock perfectly attuned to mine. Nuzzling into my neck, he plants a trail of feathery kisses all over my shoulder as his hands start wandering. It doesn’t take more than a nanosecond for my body to catch up.
“You guys decent?” T hollers from outside, and I whip the covers up over us with a shriek.
“Can I punch him now?” Cal asks, pulling myself upright as he scans the room for his clothes.
“No punching,” I say, admiring my husband in all his naked glory before he quickly wiggles into his pants.
“Stay there. I’ll be right out,” Cal shouts out. Dipping down, he kisses me passionately. “Don’t go anywhere. I haven’t had my fill of you yet.” He sneaks a hand under the covers and tweaks my upper thigh and I squeal. Tousling my hair, he plants a kiss on my forehead and steps out to talk to T.
I’m lying flat on the bed, cocooned in a dreamy bubble, when Cal comes back into the hut. I frown at his serious expression. “We’ll have to take a rain check. We need to leave now,” he says, handing me his old T-shirt. “You have an hour to get showered and packed.”
My skin prickles in alarm at the emotions dripping off him like sweat. “What’s wrong?”
“Micha’s been spotted in Europe. It’s too close for comfort. We’re going to head back to HQ today.”
Saying goodbye to Aggie was heart breaking because I don’t know when, or if, I’ll ever see her again. She promises to say goodbye to all my friends in the village on my behalf.
I’m folded in Cal’s arms as we slouch on the bench of the small cabin in Fedro’s boat. He fiddles with my hair as I stare out the tiny window. As the shape of Kos blurs in the distance, I say goodbye to the island I’ve come to call home. I’m sorry to have to leave behind the lifestyle I had there. Bidding a mental adieu to the serenity and tranquility of my previous existence, I steel my body and mind for the reality of what lies ahead.
CHAPTER 23
We slip our wedding bands in our pockets before we alight from the Velo in Saoirse HQ. There’s no sense in giving Dad heart failure on the spot.
Lily, Deacon, Dad, and Mel wait on the platform for us. Lily rushes me the second my foot hits solid ground. Attempting to fling her arms around me, she stops short when her reach only stretches halfway. Her eyes widen to saucers as she stares at my stomach. Cal explained that Dad already broke the news to my brother and sister, but I suppose it’s different seeing it in the flesh. She looks up at me gob-smacked.
“Are you sure you haven’t got a baby elephant in there?” Deacon poses the question. I know I’m abnormally big, and that I haven’t been opposed to laughing at my own expense, but all the teasing is starting to get to me. I sniffle as I glare at him.
Cal drapes an arm over my shoulder as he playfully pushes Deacon. “Hey, watch your mouth. That’s my baby momma you’re disrespecting. I think she looks gorgeous.” I couldn’t love my husband any more than I do in that moment. We smile at each other like the lovesick fools that we are.
“Ahem,” Dad says, forcing us apart.
Mel wraps herself around my neck, hugging me tightly. “It’s so great to have you back.”
“It’s good to be back,” I admit. As much as I hated leaving my idyllic existence behind in Greece, I’m glad to be back with my friends and family.
“Have you felt the baby kick yet?” Lily asks, as we walk arm in arm toward the living quarters.
“All the time! Here, give me your hand,” I say, grasping her hand and planting it on my stomach.
“Ohmigod!” she shrieks. “I felt that.” Dad looks over his shoulder at us, a pensive look on his face. “Do you know if it’s a boy or a girl?” she asks, excitement peppering her tone.
“No.” I shake my head. “I’m having a scan some time later today. Maybe we’ll find out then.” Though, I’m not sure if I want to know the sex in advance and it isn’t anything we’ve discussed.
We reach our apartment first, and I usher everyone in, telling them we have some news to share. Once Cal dumps our bags, he walks to my side and takes my hand in his. We face my family and Mel and tell them we’re married. Lily squeals with joy and Mel grabs the two of us in a giant hug. Dad hangs back and Deacon just wrinkles his nose, wondering what all the fuss
is about.
“Dad?” I say, stepping toward him, suddenly anxious.
He walks toward me until we’re toe to toe. He smiles warmly. “You’re happy, honey?” His eyes probe mine.
“Deliriously,” I admit.
“Well, then, I’m really pleased for you. It’s a welcome piece of good news, the like of which has been sorely lacking around here lately.” Drawing me to his chest, he envelops me in the warmth and comfort of his embrace.
He releases me and tousles my hair before walking over to Cal. My breath hitches in my throat. “Welcome to the family, son,” Dad says, extending his hand.
Powerful emotions jumble inside me as I watch my husband shake hands with my father. Dad claps him on the back. I understand how much it took to do that, and I’m overcome with joy. Deacon casually strolls over to Cal and raises his fist for a knuckle touch. “I suppose I have to call you bro now,” he chuckles, unaware of the undercurrent charging the air.
“I’d like that very much,” Cal says, his voice choked with emotion. I swipe a hand under my eyes and think of how disgusted Aggie would be at my potent inability to control my emotions. Then again, if you can’t get a bit weepy at the time of your marriage, there’s something wrong with the world.
One down, two to go, I think, as we walk with Mel to Commander Remus’ apartment. He takes the news rather well, and he seems genuinely happy for his son. Never comfortable with emotional moments, nonetheless, he finds it in himself to graciously embrace his son and new daughter-in-law. Jaden lounges on the bed, shaking his head. “Congratulate your brother,” Commander Remus says, motioning with his eyes. With great apparent effort, he hauls himself off the bed and walks toward us.
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