by Evelyn Sola
“The wedding planner hates me. I guess at one time, I went out with her friend and never called her back. She hates me on principle, I guess. And Vivi is practically a kid, and definitely not my type. You know who’s my type? You are. Come here.” He pulls me to him and kisses me gently on the lips. Satisfied with his answers, I kiss him again before leaving the table in search of more food.
The rest of the night is magical. We eat, drink, and dance. Jason introduces me to his friends as his woman. The only time he leaves my side is when Jake’s father takes a bunch of the men inside for some of his expensive brandy. While he’s gone, I dance with Mellie and Ananda. Vivienne joins, along with Sandy, Tash, and their mom. It is one of the most perfect nights of my life.
We stay until practically everyone has left. The night ends with us sharing crème brûlée while I sit on Jason’s lap. It is just us and the family since Ananda and Mellie left with another group.
I’m happy and excited by the time we leave the Clark compound. Eager to get back to the beautiful hotel room and strip my man of his clothes, I practically drag him to his car. He gives me a kiss filled with promises to come before opening the car door for me.
We practically run through the lobby to the elevator. By the time we get to the room, our lips are fused together. He unzips my dress as I unbutton his still crisp white shirt, and when my dress pools at my feet, I kick it aside. He captures my mouth again, a kiss filled with passion and want. Just as I unbuckle his pants, there’s a loud pounding on the door.
“JD, you ass, open the door!” I’m nearly blinded with lust, but I recognize Jake’s voice. More pounding, followed by laughter and loud whispering. “Open up.”
“I’m going to kill him. I know how to make it look like natural causes,” Jason says, but the only thing we hear is more banging on the door.
The banging continues while I run into the bathroom and put on my robe. I check my reflection in the mirror. I love the woman I see looking back at me. My cheeks are flushed, and my eyes have darkened. My chest is still heaving from our kiss, and all I can think about is getting back to my man.
I step out of the room to find Jake and his two brothers in the room, raiding the minibar.
“You drunks get the hell out of our room,” Jason says, but no one is paying him any attention.
“Hey, guys,” I say, wrapping my arm around Jason’s waist.
“Hey!” they all shout. Someone hands me a drink, but having had enough, I hand it to Jason. “We’re here for the best man. Come on. Party’s in Jake’s suite.” This comes from Jake’s younger brother, Luke, but his older brother nods in agreement.
“Are you three drunk?” Jason asks.
“Duh! Come on! I’m only getting married once. Let’s go.”
I can tell Jason doesn’t want to go, but I intervene.
“Go ahead, babe.” He sighs, grabs his shirt and puts it back on.
“You’re needy as fuck, do you know that, Jake, you damn cockblocker?”
The guys just laugh, and after another kiss, I’m alone. Instead of the passion filled night I had planned, I take a cool shower and climb into bed.
CHAPTER 29
ALEX
“Angel,” Jason says, his lips against my forehead, “wake up.” I stir in the king-sized bed, naked and confused. I blink into the darkness until I’m able to focus on his face. I tilt my face and kiss him as I pull him onto the bed. He tastes of beer and smells of the beach, but I don’t care.
“Hold on, angel. I want you to come for a walk with me.” He pulls out of my grasp and pulls me out of the bed, pushing me toward the bathroom. I stumble, and he catches me.
“It’s three o’clock in the morning. I want to go back to sleep,” I mutter as I turn back in the direction of the bed, but his voice stops me.
“I really want to do this with you, Alex. This might be our only chance.” Just as I’m climbing back into the bed, he hands me a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Resigned, I grab underwear and quickly dress.
Minutes later, we’re walking along the deserted beach, my arm tucked into his. Despite the early hour and close distance to the water, it’s a warm and balmy July night. It’s dark, our only source of light being the sliver of the moon sticking out behind the clouds. I let him pull me into the waves; the water crashing on our bare feet. When a much bigger wave crashes at our feet, we walk away and sit on the sand with me positioned between Jason’s legs. I lean into his chest as he wraps his muscular arms around me.
“I’m so glad you’re here with me,” he says against my temple. “Being here with you is heaven. I guess that makes sense with you being an angel.”
“I’m hardly an angel. Don’t put me on a pedestal, Jason. I’ve done things.”
I can feel the vibrations from his body as he laughs.
“Yeah? Like what? Tell me something about yourself that would shock me?”
I lean back and think about something. “I used to be a smoker.”
“What?”
“It’s true. After my mother died, I started smoking about a pack a day. They helped me deal with the stress of everything. I quit a couple of years ago, but whenever I get stressed, the urge to light up a cigarette becomes so strong. And when I was nine, this boy, James Fisher, used to pick on me. He would pull my hair and trip me, so I told the teacher. The teacher said he was doing that because he liked me, but even to my nine-year-old brain, that didn’t sound right. So, the next day when he pulled my pigtails, I waited until he walked in front of me, then I kicked him. He fell face first and I jumped on his back and shoved his face in the dirt. Our mothers had to come to the school, and when I told my mother what happened and what the teacher said, she raised hell. He never bothered me again.”
He pulls me closer and squeezes me.
“I’m going to find this James and torture him with my surgical devices, then I’ll destroy every cigarette in the city of Boston.”
“I’m okay. Haven’t touched one in about a year and a half. Ananda was always on my back about it. She was always stealing them and throwing them away.”
“She’s a good friend to you.”
“You’re only saying that because she helped force us together.”
“I’m grateful for that, but it sounds like she’s been there for you. She was there for you until I could be here for you.”
“I can take care of myself, Jason.”
I look up at the sky, and despite the darkness, I can see the clouds have gathered and darkened the night even more.
“Obviously, but you don’t have to do it alone anymore. You can let me in, you know.”
“I’m pretty sure you’ve been in many times, good doctor.” I wiggle between his legs and wait for him to laugh, but he doesn’t. “I like that you’re in my life. I like what we have. I’ve never had that before, and my mom never dated, so I have no example of a relationship, healthy or otherwise. But this is perfect for me. I just feel like—” I tense when I see a flash of lightning across the sky. His arms tighten around me, and when I try to get out of his grasp to stand up, he holds me tighter.
“You just feel what? Talk to me. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
I finally manage to get out of his grasp and stand up. He stands up along with me, and when I give him my back on the pretext of looking at the ocean, he grabs my wrist and swings me around to face him. When I look down, he grabs my chin to meet his eyes and waits for me to speak.
“It’s a little scary. This thing between us scares me a little.” He opens his mouth to speak, but I put my fingers on his lips, silencing him. “I’ve never felt anything this deep or been this exposed. Maybe that’s why I wanted this thing with Doyle.” Even in the darkness, I can see the change in his eyes. His body also stiffens at the mention of the other man. “I knew deep down, he wouldn’t be able to touch some parts of me, that whatever we had would be shallow, but there’s no hiding from you. And it’s not because of anything you did. It’s because of who you are.”
>
I feel his body relax at the same time a smile spreads across his face.
“But why does that scare you?”
“I’m not scared in the way you might think, Jason. I don’t know if I can explain it.”
“Try, angel.”
As I’m thinking of the best way to put my feelings into words, lightning flashes, followed by a loud clap of thunder. He immediately pulls me into his arms and starts to walk back in the direction of the hotel.
“No!” I yell over the sound of more thunder. “This is a sign. The scary part is that I don’t have to be afraid with you. Right here, right now, the thunder doesn’t scare me, and I think that’s because of you. You make everything better.” When the thunder starts again, I jump into his arms and wrap my legs around him. I opened my arms as he spins us around.
Finally, the skies open and rain pours on us. I put my hands on his face and press my lips against his. The kiss starts off slow and sweet, but soon, I increase the voracity and put all of my feels into the kiss. He kisses me back just as forcefully. I moan into his mouth as I feel his hands in my hair. Another flash of lightning, more thunder, and even heavier rain doesn’t stop our kiss. Then suddenly something dawns on me.
“My hair!” I yell, but it’s too late because we are both soaked. When the rain falls harder, I jump out of his arms. He grabs my hand, and we run back to the hotel, our clothes sticking to our skin.
CHAPTER 30
ALEX
If I thought Jason looked good in all white, that was absolutely nothing compared to how he looks in his gray Armani tuxedo. I finger the skinny pink tie and try to pull him down for a kiss, but he resists.
“If I kiss you now, I’ll never stop, and we’re in front of a church.” I can see the lust in his eyes as he looks over my body. We still haven’t had a chance to be together since our night on the beach, and I think Jake’s keeping us apart on purpose. I overheard him tell his brother that since he can’t be with Sandy, he’s going to make sure the rest of them don’t get any either.
“I’ve missed you.” I pout.
“Me too. I thought we’d have more alone time, but I’ll make it up to you. Next time I have a weekend off, we’ll go away. Maybe come back here.”
“That sounds amazing, but I don’t care where we go. We can stay in my condo.”
“We’re getting out of the city. I like being away with you.”
“And I just like being with you. It doesn’t matter where.”
“Yeah? And why is that?” he asks.
“Because you’re my bae, Jay.”
He winks at me, takes my arm and places it in the crook of his before escorting me to a seat in the church. Mellie and Ananda walk behind us, sliding on the bench next to me. Jason kisses the back of my hand before going back outside.
“Wow,” Ananda whispers next to me a few minutes later. “She’s stunning.”
The bride walks down the aisle, on the arm of her brother-in-law, a vision in a form fitting fit and flared dress that shows off her trim body. The entire dress is lace and the top is covered in rhinestones. Her veil is as long as the train following behind her. When Sandy walks past, I finally turn and catches Jason’s eye. He winks at me and tilts his head toward Jake, who now has tears running down his face.
It’s a typical Catholic wedding; the only exception is the couple has decided to say their own vows. Jake has wiped his eyes three times since the wedding began. By the time it’s his turn to speak, I’m doubtful he can get through it without breaking down, but he surprises us all.
“Sandra,” he says, his voice breaking, “I had my vows memorized, but the minute I saw you, every thought I had flew out the window.” Everyone in the church chuckles. “As eager as I am for us to start the rest of our lives together, I want to live in this moment forever. The sight of you walking down the aisle to me, looking like a vision, is something I’ll never forget. When I’m old and on my deathbed, that moment is what I’ll see. As beautiful as you are on the outside, that’s nothing compared to what’s on the inside. Nothing compares to your heart. To me, you are the single most perfect woman, created by God, for me. I knew it the minute I saw you. Nothing else mattered but you since the second I saw you in my parents’ living room. I ask myself how an imperfect man like me could be lucky enough to have an angel like you fall in love with me. I think I figured out the answer. Neither one of us had a choice. We were made for each other, destined to spend eternity together. Sandra Etienne, I promise to love, protect, and cherish you. I will be your friend, lover, and confidante. In times of joy and in times of sorrow, I will be by your side, loving you. When the world goes dark, I will be your light. For as long as we live, you will want for nothing. I will love you until I take my last breath and beyond.”
It wasn’t until someone handed me a tissue that I realized tears were falling down my face. When I look around the church, hardly anyone has a dry eye, including some of the men. I catch Jason swiping at his eyes, and when he catches me, he mouths “dust” before looking away.
The tears start over again when Sandy says her vows, and when the groom finally gets to kiss his bride, the entire church goes wild. He holds her face and kisses her long and deep. It’s a kiss much too intimate for a church. Neither the cheering nor the clapping of the guests deter the couple from this intimate moment though. When Jake finally pulls away, he wipes tears from Sandy’s eyes with his thumbs as she wipes his.
He kisses her again, causing a raucous in the church. He’s dramatic this time, as he dips her. When he’s done, he lifts her and spins her around the room before taking her hand in his, raising them, victorious.
CHAPTER 31
JASON
“This was so beautiful.” I hold Alex close as Selena sings about falling in love. “This place looks completely different than it did yesterday.”
She’s right, but I’m unable to focus on anything other than the beautiful woman in my arms. “You’re the most beautiful woman here.”
“Even more beautiful than the bride? Look at them. They haven’t stopped dancing all night.” I turn my head to find the newlyweds holding each other close. Jake whispers something in her ear, and she laughs.
“Yes, Alex, you’re even more beautiful than the bride.” She smiles and looks away from my intense gaze and lays her head on my shoulder. When the song ends, she takes my hand and we walk over to the bar.
“What the hell is this?” I ask when Alex hands me a frothy pink drink.
“It’s the pretty pink princess, named after my pretty pink princess.” Jake is all smiles as he walks over to us, his arm wrapped around Sandy’s waist. The bartender hands him two of the same drinks and he hands one to his wife.
“Aww,” Sandy says, smiling widely as she looks into her husband’s eyes, “he loves me.”
“No shit, Sherlock,” I say as I finish the drink in one gulp. Before Alex can take the first sip of her drink, I grab it from her. She only laughs before reaching for another.
“So,” Alex says, “where are you two going on the honeymoon.”
“I have no idea,” Sandy responds. “He won’t tell me.”
“I know,” I say smugly. “I know everything.”
“What? He knows and I don’t.”
“Okay, I’ll tell you,” Jake says to his wife. “I’m taking you to Italy for three weeks, and Paris for the last week.” He was about to say more but stops when she shrieks in disbelief. She hands me her glass and wraps herself around him. He lifts her off the ground and spins her around before putting her down and kissing her.
As we’re discussing all the places Sandy wants to go, the DJ announces that the photographer needs every Mrs. Clark in the garden for a photo. The announcement doesn’t register for Sandy as she continues to talk about her honeymoon.
“Wife,” Jake says, “do you hear that?” The DJ repeats his words.
Sandy looks around. “Do you want me to go find your mom or something?” Then the penny drops. “Oh, shit! I’m M
rs. Clark now.”
“That’s the whole point of this thing, baby.” Tash walks over and dabs Sandy’s nose to remove any shine before adding lipstick. Sandy tries to shoo her away, but Tash only runs behind her while holding a tube of mascara.
“Women,” Lucas Clark says as he approaches us with Troy. Mellie and Ananda call Alex over, and she leaves our group to go dance.
“You have a wife, Jake,” Luke says. “What are you going to do now?”
“Impregnate her!” I yell just as Vivienne is walking by our group. The smile she had on her face slips, and she looks at me with shocked outrage on her face. She stomps over and points at me.
“Impregnate her? Is that all she’s good for? Does she get a say in the matter or does marriage strip my cousin of her free will?” She points her little finger in my face, and I really try not to laugh but fail. “Don’t you laugh at me. And here I thought someone like you would be more progressive.”
“Oh, will you shut up?” Luke says. “And Sandy does get a say. She said yes.” He smiles in victory. Jake groans and Troy slaps him lightly upside the head.
“Why is the shitty smelling one talking?” she asks while dramatically putting her index finger under her nose. “And nobody cares what you think.”
“Why are you here? Men are talking,” Luke shoots back.
“The better question is, why are you here. Oh, you don’t actually think you’re a man, do you?” She laughs dramatically before walking away.
“Luke, you idiot. You were supposed to tell her what a sexist pig I am. That was your in.”
Luke’s eyes widen at my words. He opens his mouth to speak, but Tash stomps over with Chris following behind her.
“You two keep messing with my cousin. I dare you,” she says, her eyes shooting fire at me and Luke.
“We’re not scared of you,” I tease.
“Try me, JD. You too, Luke.” She takes a step closer to us. “You should be scared of me, but I know for a fact you’re scared of my mother. She’s very protective of all us girls, but especially Vivienne.”