by K E Osborn
I never knew what it was like to love someone so much I would lay my life down for him. I would do anything for him. I would give up my world for him. But walking toward Aiden right now, I finally know what that feeling is like.
I reach the archway covered in greenery and white gilded roses. The area is so beautiful, it brings a tear to my eyes.
Mom kisses my cheek as Aiden takes my hands in his and smiles with that brilliant smile that lights his bright blue, sparkling eyes. I feel light, my heart pounds in my chest, and all I want to do right now is kiss him.
“You look breathtaking,” he whispers.
Biting my bottom lip, he holds my hand tightly in his. I think it’s his way of keeping us both in control, so we don’t jump each other right here.
Taking a deep breath, I mouth, ‘I love you,’ and with a wink, he mouths it back to me.
The minister starts talking, but I don’t hear a word he says as I stare into Aiden’s loving eyes.
I know that I love and trust this man more than anything in this world.
Instead of the standard ceremonial vows, we decided to personally write ours. Aiden takes both my hands, giving them a reassuring squeeze before he begins.
“Jenifer Taylor… I take you to be my lawful wedded wife, in sickness and health, for richer or poorer. All that I am, I give to you, and all that I have, I share with you. You’re my life, my inspiration, and one true love. From this day forward, I shall love and honor you in every way possible and keep you by my side forever as my wife, my lover, and my friend. I loved you from the moment you called me moron.” Everyone laughs. “Wherever we go, I promise to be there holding your hand and telling you ‘I love you.’ You’re my best friend, and you’re the best thing that has ever happened to me. Thank you for marrying me. You have all of me.”
I sniffle back some tears as I swallow hard. “Aiden O’Connell, I take you to be my lawful wedded husband, in sickness and health, for richer or poorer. All that I am, I give to you, and all that I have, I share with you…” I pause trying to gather my emotions. “You’re my life, my inspiration, and one true love. I give my trust to you in every way possible and vow to love, honor, and adore you as my husband, my lover, and my friend from now until the end of time. I loved you from the moment I called you a moron.” Everyone laughs again. “Wherever we go, I promise to be there, holding your hand and telling you, ‘I love you.’ You’re my best friend, and you’re the best thing that has ever happened to me. Thank you for marrying me. You have all of me.”
He smiles brightly, making my knees weak.
“Aiden, you may place the ring on your bride’s finger.”
Chris searches his pockets pretending to have lost the rings, and everyone laughs knowing he’s faking. He smirks, then hands the rings to the minister who holds them in his hands.
“Jenifer, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness to you,” Aiden vows as he slides the ring on my shaking finger. I try to fight back the tears while he places it effortlessly. I look at the beautiful ring and think it’s funny how something so small can mean so much.
“By the same token, Jenifer, you may place the ring on your groom’s finger.”
Taking Aiden’s ring from the minister, I hold on to Aiden’s left hand as mine shakes slightly. As I place the ring on his finger, I repeat the same words. When the ring slides effortlessly in place, I look up to see Aiden beaming at me. That smile does it every time. All I can do is bite my bottom lip in response to stop me from leaning in and kissing him.
Hurry up and get to the kissing part already!
“By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss your bride.”
Aiden holds me tightly and leans in. His lips connect with mine, and again the whole world floats away, and I’m here holding my husband, kissing him endlessly. I feel like I’m spinning. I can hear the cheering and clapping as it slowly makes its way into my ears. But we don’t break apart. We continue to kiss, lost in each other.
“C’mon, guys… you have the rest of your lives for that,” Chris groans, making us laugh and finally part lips.
Aiden comes back in for a quick peck and winks at me. I feel as giddy as I did when we were on our first date.
“Ladies and gentlemen… may I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Aiden O’Connell,” the minister announces, and hearing those words sends a thrill through me like never before. I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy in my life. There was a time I didn’t think I could ever find this kind of happiness, and especially with Aiden, but look at us now as everyone stands to cheer.
Aiden takes my hand, and we turn to face our family and friends. They’re all clapping as he pulls our entwined hands up in the air. He looks as elated as I feel. We start to walk down the cobblestone path, and the bridal party follows while everyone congratulates us on the way. I can’t believe the way I feel and looking at Aiden, I know he’s going through the same emotions too.
Aiden looks into my eyes. “I love you, wife.”
“I love you, husband.”
We make our way to the waterfall for pictures. Aiden holds my hand the entire time as we walk toward the place where we had our first date. “Today is perfect,” I whisper to him
“Utterly perfect…” He smiles. “Do you know how breathtakingly beautiful you look? I almost had to pick my jaw up off the ground when you stepped around the corner.”
I feel like a giddy teenager being told by her crush that he likes her. Aiden’s like a wonder drug, and I seriously can’t get enough of him.
Slowly we stroll to the pink Cadillac and make our way to the Intercontinental. I have no idea what the ballroom will look like. It’s the one aspect of the wedding planning I left up to Aiden.
We’re officially husband and wife.
It’s time to celebrate in style!
“Well, Mr. O’Connell, how do you feel?” I ask him in the car on the way to the hotel.
“Elated. How about you, Mrs. O’Connell?”
I like hearing the sound of my name, especially coming from Aiden’s lips. “Same. I’m so happy right now I could burst,” I reply honestly.
“Congratulations to you both,” Mike offers from the front seat.
We pull up at the Intercontinental. Aiden hops out of the car, and a small crowd of onlookers has formed to see us enter the hotel. Aiden puts his hand out for me to take, and we walk into the main foyer of the Intercontinental. A concierge is there to greet us and puts out his hand for Aiden to shake.
“Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. O’Connell. We have a pre-reception room set up for you. Your bridal party is waiting for you. If you would follow me,” he confirms.
Following him into a room, we have about a half-hour of relaxation time before the concierge comes in and lets us know the ballroom is ready. Our guests have already been seated and are now awaiting our arrival.
As we get closer to the ballroom, I hear music playing and Mike’s voice. He offered to be our MC for the night. I lean in placing a gentle kiss lovingly on Aiden’s cheek as the doors open. “And the beautiful couple, Mr. and Mrs. Aiden O’Connell,” Mike calls out as loud clapping and cheering erupts. When we step through the doors, all I can do is stare in awe of its beauty. “You’re the One That I Want” from Grease plays over the sound system.
The Crystal Room is large, and the walls are draped with white silk and pink fairy lights shine giving the room an amazing ambiance. A light fog mists over the floor as we stroll in, making it seem like something from a fairy tale. It’s simply breathtaking.
Aiden looks at me while I stare in awe. “Happy?” he whispers in my ear.
“Ridiculously happy.”
Throughout the night, time seems to pass too quickly as we mingle with our friends and family.
“Jeni, you look gorgeous, darling. Welcome to the family, officially.” Callie hugs me tightly.
The night continues, and Mike announces it’s time for our first dance as husband an
d wife. “Please welcome to the floor Mr. and Mrs. O’Connell,” Mike announces.
Aiden leads me onto the dance floor, the lights dim, and a spotlight shines on us. He takes me in his arms, and I wrap mine around his neck while our song, “Thank You for Loving Me,” by Bon Jovi plays.
I’m filled with elation that after everything we’ve been through, we’ve officially made it. We’ve come through all the blackness and into this fantastic world that is now only looking brighter and full of happiness.
Even after everything—the trust issues, the ex issues, the father issues—Aiden and I are a stronger team together. Nothing and no one can tear our bond because we are unbreakable. We are simply meant to be. I know it, he knows it. Hell, all of the people here know it too. Yeah, we’ve had our ups and downs, but that’s what has made us who we are now.
Aiden moves in when the song finishes, leans me over, giving me a Hollywood-style kiss, and everyone cheers. The bridal party enters the dance floor and Lonestar’s “Amazed” plays.
Once the formal part of the evening is over, Mike starts the dance music.
Aiden leans in against my ear. “Come with me,” he whispers.
I giggle as we leave the dance floor and make our way back to the private room, so we are finally alone.
“I can’t take my eyes off you. You take my breath away,” Aiden admits as his hand moves to my cheek where he caresses me softly. We start kissing and get lost in each other’s touch for what seems like hours. Then I hear someone clear their throat.
Aiden pulls his lips from mine, and we turn around to see Mike smirking. “Sorry to interrupt, but your guests are wondering where you have escaped to.”
Aiden chuckles, laces his fingers with mine, and we reluctantly turn to go back out to join the party.
“Before you go, Aiden, I wanted to ask you something,” Mike mentions.
“Sure, Mike… fire away,” Aiden replies.
Mike fiddles with his tie, then clears his throat. “Okay, so here goes… Callie is the love of my life. She always has been. I was forced to take a back seat when her parents shut me out, and I wasn’t allowed to see her. Then your father came along…” He pulls in a deep breath. “I’ve loved her from afar, and I never thought I’d have the opportunity to be with her. I won’t let another minute go by where I’m without her, Aiden. Callie means everything to me. She always has and always will.” He inhales deeply like he’s preparing himself for what comes next. “I guess what I’m trying to say is… Aiden… do I have your blessing to ask Callie to marry me?” Mike asks.
My heart leaps into my throat as my eyes shoot to Aiden, and for once, he’s not trying to mess with Mike. He’s smiling so wide I think his cheeks must be hurting. Aiden reaches out and hugs Mike, complete with a back slap. Mike exhales and laughs as he wraps his arms around Aiden.
“Mike, I’m so happy for you both. You have no idea. Could this day get any better? Of course, you can marry Mom. And thank you for asking. Although, you didn’t need to. I absolutely give you both my blessing, and I know Bree and Killian will, too. They love you just as much as I do,” Aiden states as he lets Mike go.
Mike’s eyes glisten almost like he’s going to cry. I know I’m about to.
“Thanks so much, Aiden. You don’t know what that means to me. You’ve just made an old man very happy,” he chimes as he pats Aiden on the arm. “Well, you should probably get back to your reception, everyone’s waiting for you,” Mike adds.
“Thanks, Mike… for everything.”
“You’re welcome. Oh, and Aiden?”
“Yeah?”
“You have lipstick on your mouth,” Mike jests as he walks past us.
I can’t help but laugh as I lean over and wipe it from Aiden’s lips.
“Thanks, Mike.” Aiden chuckles.
When it’s time to leave, everyone makes an archway for us to move through. Taking my hand, Aiden leads us to say goodnight to our guests.
As we make our way to the penthouse suite at the top of the Intercontinental, Aiden bends down and picks me up. I giggle as he carries me into our suite and straight to the bedroom where he gently places me to the floor. He stands at the edge of the bed and loosens his tie. I turn my back to him, and he gently kisses my shoulder as he undoes the sash on my dress. Slowly, he unbuttons the latticework, letting it fall to the floor, revealing my white lingerie.
“You look truly amazing.”
I turn to face him, slowly taking off his tie, and begin undoing the buttons on his jacket, vest, and shirt, eventually baring his masculine chest.
He moves in and kisses me—it’s nice to finally be completely alone with each other. His hand moves to my breast over my strapless lace corset, and he massages it gently while his tongue finds mine. Without breaking the kiss, he moves his hand to the bottom of my zip-up corset, and gently sliding down the zipper, it opens revealing my breasts. Aiden takes a deep breath at the sight and throws my corset to the floor. My lips move back to his as he pulls at my veil, unclipping it from my hair, and it also falls to the floor.
Still kissing me passionately, his hands move to my breasts, and he massages them.
Leaning forward, he pushes me back onto the bed. I giggle while he crawls over the top of me, kicking off his shoes and smirking.
Slowly, he kisses his way from the top of my panty line up the middle of my stomach and to my breast where he sucks on my nipple, twirling his tongue around it tantalizingly slowly. My core reacts to his touch, and I feel the aching throb in my clit. Aiden softly blows on my nipple, making it tingle with the coolness, and my back arches with want. He kisses up, over my breast to my collarbone and then my neck, jaw, and back to my mouth. My tongue finds his again as he rests his weight fully on me, chest to chest, skin on skin, and the feeling is immeasurable.
Moving his hand slowly to my panty line, he teases by lightly skimming the edge before tugging my panties off. As I lay completely naked underneath him, my senses are heightened with want. Getting up on his knees, he undoes the zipper of his suit pants and quickly hops off the bed to rustle out of them. When he lies back down on me, I feel his rock-hard cock against my hip.
His lips find mine again while his hand moves slowly to my pussy, gently rubbing, and his kisses become more forceful. The want is unbearable as he gently caresses me. I gasp at the feeling of his index finger rotating on my clit while slowly picking up speed. My breathing quickens, and I moan out in pleasure. Aiden moves his fingers, easing them inside me. I grip at the sheets while he rotates his thumb on my clit.
“Mmm…” I murmur while he continues to move his fingers inside me, hitting that spot repeatedly. Aiden quickens his pace, and I feel like I’m basking in a vast heat. My body reacts to the motion of his fingers. I moan loudly while he kisses me frantically waiting for me to climax.
I feel the height of pleasure roll through me. I arch my back, my body starts to quiver, and my breathing becomes erratic.
I moan while he continues grazing over my G-spot. I grab at his back, pulling him closer while he continues to kiss me. My body shakes, and I scream out with ecstasy as I orgasm.
As I fall from my high, he climbs so he’s completely over the top of me, moving my legs on either side of him. I feel his cock pushing against me. My breathing is fast, and my pussy is now sensitive, but he wastes no time and pushes himself into me.
I gasp at the strong feeling which overwhelms me. He moves, and I moan with each thrust. Aiden speeds up his movements, and my hips shift quickly with his motion.
Wrapping my legs around his bare body, he kisses me forcefully and passionately. The sting of pleasure hangs on the edge while he continually moves inside of me. He holds my arms above my head and continues his movements, hitting that magic spot every damn time.
The heat rises again, and he rests his forehead on mine, looking deeply into my eyes. His eyes scrunch in pleasure, and I moan uncontrollably. He doesn’t falter, it hits me like a tidal wave, and a sudden rush of pleasure engulfs me.
“Aiden,” I moan out his name while my walls tighten around him. He doesn’t stop, continuing on with his rhythm, giving me no recovery time.
Thrusting forcefully—one after the other—holding me down with his body, his hands holding mine above my head as he thrusts deep inside me.
“God, Aiden,” I scream out, the heat rising hotter and hotter, threatening to burn me alive as he continues his thrusts.
His face scrunches from pleasure.
It hits me.
I stop breathing.
The ache is deep inside me.
I succumb to the most earth-shattering orgasm I’ve ever experienced. I’ve never felt anything like it before as I hold onto Aiden’s hands, digging my nails in as I explode beneath him.
“Fuck, baby,” he moans, continuing his driving movement. I feel weightless and lightheaded as he pushes into me relentlessly.
I sense he’s close, so I tighten my muscles which instantly sends him over the edge.
Aiden thrusts deep into me once more and then pauses to come hard inside me. “Jeni,” he murmurs on release.
Our breathing slows, and he gently kisses my lips.
He pulls out of me and flops on the bed as we lay together in sated bliss, completely exhausted. I move my head to his chest, cuddling under his arm. He pulls my leg over him, so my whole body is holding onto his.
“I love you so much, Mrs. O’Connell,” he murmurs breathlessly.
“Right back at you, Mr. O’Connell,” I reply, turning my head to his chest and kissing it tenderly. “You’re such a hopeless romantic,” I tell Aiden and wrap my arms around his neck.
“Would you want me any other way?”
“Absolutely not. You’re perfect just the way you are.”
“I think you’re confused because it’s you who’s the perfect one.”
“I can’t wait to start a family with you,” I say.
“Seeing you barefoot and pregnant is going to make me the happiest man on earth.” He kisses me again.
I stare into his bright blue, lustful eyes and know that Aiden O’Connell truly is my exception.