Good Sensations
Page 22
I move back to Evan’s side, slipping my hand into his. He leans over and kisses my temple as Murphy raises his glass in our honor and starts his toast. “I couldn’t have picked a better match for Evan if I’d tried. Mallory, you brought our boy back from the dead and for that, we will always be grateful. May your days together be long and the sex be plentiful. Ow!” Our tight-knit group bursts into laughter as he grabs his stomach. “Fuck, Kate. That hurt.” Hugh clears his throat, giving Murphy a dirty look. “Oh, sorry for the language, Mr. Ashford.”
Kate grabs Murphy by the elbow and starts to drag him away from the group, griping at him. “I can’t believe you just said that in front of my parents.”
Evan leans down and whispers, “Not gonna lie. I want a long and sex-filled life with you, baby.”
“Me too. What about the gut punch? You don’t want one of those?” I tease, poking him in the stomach. Damn, his abs are hard. I’m a very lucky girl.
Laughing, he wraps his arm around my shoulder as Sunny pulls us over to see the cake. “It’s cake cutting time,” she adds with a wink. “We’re doing things out of order, so you don’t have any obligations later tonight.”
She gives us a moment while she searches for the planner and photographer. “I love it,” I say, leaning forward to see the details of the beach-themed cake.
“Guess what flavor it is?” I look at Evan when he asks this question, his gaze nothing less than seductive. How cake and seduction have come to be mixed together I have no idea, but I’m kind of excited to find out. “Pineapple,” he says, my insides tightening just from the mere mention of the fruit. He’s trained me well as images of sexy beach time fill my thoughts.
Evan’s warm breath brushes across my skin as his lips touch the shell of my ear. “I requested it especially for you.” He plants a sweet kiss on my cheek then laughs, knowing he’s left me turned on and heated while trying to keep my composure as our picture is taken with the pineapple cake.
With a big smile on my face for the photographer, I mutter under my breath, “You play dirty, surferboy.”
I’m just about to tease him some more for that pineapple stunt, but the planner with her perfectly bad timing walks up with the knife for us to cut the cake. I should make him squirm the way he has me, but that leaves us nowhere but in the middle of a party all hot and bothered, so no one wins. And really, will I ever be able to look at a pineapple the same? I remember more innocent thoughts of the sweet fruit, but I can admit I prefer the naughty ones I have instead these days.
He seems to notice my wiggle. “Feeling a bit tense, my love? I know how we can relieve that discomfort you’re feeling.”
Pursing my lips to the side, I try to show him I’m irritated, but I’m not, so I can’t hold the face and I laugh. “You’re very persistent.”
“I am when it comes to getting you in bed. Anyway, I have a rain-check to cash in.”
“Yes, you do, so I guess we should get to cutting this cake then.”
“I like the way you think.”
Much to everyone’s disappointment we don’t smash the sweet confection into each other’s face. Local favorites are served for dinner as well as a mix of delicious culinary creations.
The sun set a while ago and the landscape is lit with soft lights, setting the mood for our first dance. We’re introduced and my husband offers me his hand while we stand on the dance floor beside the pool. When I take it, he spins me to his chest then wraps his arm around me, and says, “I’m never letting you go.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m yours just like you’re mine. Always.”
“May I have this dance?” I ask, holding Mallory to me.
“Yes.” She nods, looking me in the eyes. I can see her vulnerability from all the attention present in the pretty green depths of her eyes. I hold her close, wanting to comfort and protect her while we dance cheek-to-cheek.
The song we chose for our first dance may not seem typical for us, but it spoke to our hearts. I agreed with Mallory when she suggested ‘Embraceable You’ by Nat King Cole. It was the first song we heard as an engaged couple. It was playing at the gala and then again when we were ice-skating the next day. Maybe the song is sappy and traditional, but it works for us and stuck.
I surprise her by swinging her out and bringing her back to me again. Tilting her head, she laughs, making me laugh, her happiness contagious. With our noses touching, I hold her steady in my arms and we sway to the music. Feeling the importance of the day, I say, “I’m going to give you such a good life.”
Without missing a beat, she says, “Better than good. I know it’s going to be the best life possible.” Her lips are against my jaw, planting kisses. “I can’t wait to be alone with you tonight. When we’re together, it feels like home.”
“You are my home, Mallory. Forever.”
We continue dancing to the rest of the song, holding each other close, her head on my shoulder as we move together to the music. Another song starts playing and the dance floor fills up as other couples join in around us.
“May I have this dance with my daughter,” her father asks, tapping me on the shoulder.
“Of course.” I place her hand in his, and leave to walk to the bar. Just as I order a whiskey and Coke, Zach joins me, ordering the same. He leans his elbows back on the bar, his own girl hanging out with Kate near the dance floor. “So what now?” he asks.
We drink in silence for a minute before I glance over at him. He seems genuinely interested, not like the small talk I’ve had to make with my parent’s friends tonight. I shrug, “School, I guess.”
“I heard your parents talking to Kate about Murphy.”
“What’d Kate say?”
“She said he was moving to New York.”
Shocked, I turn to him. “Really?”
Zach clinks his glass against mine. “Really. He’s graduated. Guess he’s leaving the island.”
“I’ve been too caught up in school and all of this. Guess I missed the little detail that he’s moving across an ocean and the country to be with my sister.” I take another sip of my drink, and smile. “But good for them.” When I look at Kate, she waves and I raise a glass in silent toast to her. I’m proud of her for letting love into her life. She can be a hardass in business, but she’s a softie when it comes to matters of the heart. “So what about you?” I ask Zach. “What’s next for you?”
“Sunny and I have graduated,” Zach says, looking up at the moon hanging over the water. “Do you think she’ll think I’m selfish if I ask her to move in with me without asking her to get married first?”
“I think you should do what works for you guys. It’s not a race to the end of life. It’s about the journey and the life you lead. What anyone else thinks doesn’t matter.”
“I’ll admit that I never thought you’d be the first of our friends to get married.”
That makes me laugh. I rub my lower lip with my thumb, signaling my wife. I miss her and ready to have her back. I lean closer to Zach, and whisper, “I’ll admit I’m just as surprised, but there just wasn’t any other way my life could go.” I nod toward Mallory. “That girl right there took me by surprise and changed everything. I never knew someone could come into your life with a foul mouth and such a stubborn side, and make you rethink everything about your own life, but she did. I’m just lucky that both of those same qualities were attached to a woman who is forgiving and loves harder than anyone else I’ve ever known.”
He laughs, noting I mentioned some usually not so great traits along with the good ones. “So it’s okay if she’s not perfect?”
“She’s perfect for me.”
With a sigh, he says, “Sunny likes pink a lot.”
This time I laugh, imagining how his house will be redecorated soon after he asks her to move in.
He smiles. “It drives me nuts, but I wouldn’t have her any other way.”
“Because you get it.”
Zach nods. “I totally get it.”
“Anything you want, baby,” I say, wrapping her arm under my arm and holding her close.
Unlike our greetings to everyone when we arrived, we make our goodbyes fast. Cocktails have relaxed our parents who’ve spent the evening chatting. I have a feeling they’ll continue the party long after we’re gone.
We say our goodbyes and start to leave, but Clay catches up and pulls an envelope out of his suit jacket. “This is our gift to you. I know it’s usually the bride’s parents who pay for the wedding and the groom’s that pays for the honeymoon, but since your family paid for the wedding, we wanted to take care of your trip.”
“You didn’t have to do that,” I say, touched by his generosity.
“We wanted to. We did a lot of checking around with your parents and your friends and they all suggested somewhere tropical where you could surf and Mallory could relax. We came up with Costa Rica.”
Elise comes up behind him and leans her head on his shoulder. “We wanted you to have some time together, just the two of you before diving back into your studies and work.”
Mallory’s eyes fill with tears again, the weight of the evening hitting her. “I’ve always wanted to go to Costa Rica. Thank you. Thank you very much.” Mallory’s voice cracks at the end. I wrap my arm around her shoulder and hold her tightly to me as a single tear escapes and rolls down her cheek.
“Oh, honey, don’t cry. Focus on this husband of yours and it’ll be just fine,” Elise says, taking her daughter into her arms. “We love you.”
I know the move to Hawaii will be hard on Mallory because she won’t get to see her family as much as she likes, but I’ll do everything I can to make her happy here with me. This is where we should be right now, which reminds me that I need to give her my present when we’re alone tonight. I feel a pang of excitement rush through my body, a smile showing as I imagine her face when I give it to her.
Our friends are nearby, patiently waiting as we take the time to say goodbye to each of them.
“Brother,” I say, slapping my palm against Murphy’s.
“Brothers,” he replies with a shoulder bump and a smile.
It blows my mind that one of my best friends might actually seal the deal with my sister and be my brother for real one day. I love the guy to death, but still don’t like to think of my sister being with anyone… in that way. But when Murphy pulls me into a congratulatory hug, I realize I’m fortunate to have him as my friend and I’d be damn fucking lucky to have him as my brother-in-law.
One chest bump later, I ask, “So I hear Manhattan’s in your future?”
Murphy easily replies, “Yep, but I’ll be here a bit longer.”
“Take care of my sister.”
He nods, knowing I mean he will treat her well or I’ll kick his ass, and responds accordingly, “Of course.”
After a fist bump, I turn to my other side where Zach stands. Extending my hand, we do our brah-hood handshake—it comes automatically since we’ve done the same one for at least four years now. He looks down, wiping at his eyes. When he looks up, he sees me watching him and quickly says, “Damn sand.”
I roll my eyes at the cover story to hide his emotions, but I get it. “Yeah, the wind has really picked up,” I say, humoring him. “I’m married now.”
“Yes, you are.” Both of us knowing no matter how much we try to stay the same, things are going to change. Not that it will be bad. No, not bad, I expect better, but it does change the dynamic of the group. I’m responsible for two now and Mallory’s my priority. “Brahs.”
“No doubt, man,” I say, pulling him in for a man hug. When we step back, we straighten our jackets and try to maintain our usual cool, going for unaffected. I ask, “You still up for surfing even though I’m a married man?”
“Totally. You were never my type anyway and I’m kind of taken myself.” He looks over at Sunny who’s hugging Mallory. “We need a surf schedule to keep the tradition alive.”
“Fuck, we sound old,” I say, joking.
“I’m thinking you get your class schedule worked out and I’ll get my job sorted and we’ll make the time.”
“Sounds good.”
Shaking my hand one more time, he says, “Congratulations. You’ve done good, Evan.”
“Thanks.”
“My baby bro is now married making me look like some old spinster at twenty-six. Go figure.” Kate’s words sound tough, but I know inside she’s feeling sentimental.
I start to speak, “Kate…” but a lump forms in my throat preventing anymore words from coming out. I look at her and her eyes fill with tears. We’ve always had a normal bond like siblings do, but the last couple of years, it felt like she was the only one in my family on my side. Knowing she was there for me through all the bad… I gulp hard. Maybe I’m feeling a little sentimental myself.
Wrapping her arms around me, I hear her sniffle against my shoulder. “It’s okay. I know. This is enough.”
Murphy comes over and rubs her back. She turns around and leans against him. “I love you,” she mouths quietly just between the two of us.
“I love you too, big sis.”
I turn and take my bride’s hand and tug a little to wrap up the goodbyes. I’m becoming a mess and if I stay here any longer, I’ll be no good to my wife on our wedding night. Mallory wipes at her eyes, trying not to make a mess of her makeup. It doesn’t matter, she looks amazing without all that anyway.
Sunny starts organizing the guests to line the path that leads to the driveway as I take Mallory to overlook the beach down below. “Do you regret eloping?” I ask, admiring her in the moonlight.
“Not at all. Everything was just how it should be. We had the wedding we wanted and our family and friends had the party they wanted. It was the best of both worlds.”
“Yes, it was. Now c’mon, I can hear some excitement over there.”
“Here come the flowers,” she says in a sing-songy voice.
“Flowers for what?”
“Just get ready to get pelted with petals.”
We walk to the head of the path and see the guests lined up on both sides waiting. The photographer is at the other end, and yells, “Run!”
After a quick glance at each other, we take off, hand-in-hand, running up the pathway. At the other end, we pass the spot where I made love… okay, I fucked Mallory in the rain, pressing her hard against the side of the house. I don’t bother stifling the smile and proud chuckle that comes from that amazing memory. Thinking back now, that’s when we decided to give our relationship a fair shot—a real shot—and now here we are.
Stealing another glimpse of Mallory, she’s laughing from pure joy. I don’t see the girl I thought was hot at first glance in the airport. I don’t see the girl who fought every one of my bad intentions—stubborn and headstrong—protective of her heart and demanding of mine. When she looks at me, radiance reflects in her eyes, bright and happy. I see her so clearly now. She’s the woman who had closed her heart off to love, but left a light on for me. The woman that gave a careless boy another chance… and another, believing him better than he believed himself. She’s the woman who I thank all the ocean tides and stars in the sky for agreeing to be my wife. She’s filled my life with love I didn’t know existed. When our eyes meet, a simple glance exchanged, I know she understands my feelings, just like she understands me.
We run to the car that’s been tagged with shoe polish and cans hanging from the bumper. Sunny tosses Mallory her bouquet which she then tosses over her head to the crowd of guests. I help her into the car and run around to the other side. When I get in, we look at each other once, sharing a smile, then turn to see a stunned Kate standing there with the bouquet in her hands. Murphy is next to her with a wide grin on his face and an arm around his woman, proudly pointing to the ‘next bride-to-be’ by tradition with that toss. What they’ve hi
dden for so long, sits proudly on display for everyone to see today.
Turning back to the road ahead, I hit the gas. With her fingers toying with my hair, Mallory laughs then says, “I’m in total, head over feet, in love with you, Evan Ashford.”
Looking at my sweet girl, I say, “That’s good to hear because I’m in total and awe-inspiring love with you, Mallory Wray.”
“Ashford,” she corrects. “Mrs. Evan Ashford.”
“Music to my ears.”
I take her hand and kiss her knuckles several times while driving to our destination. We finally pull off onto a short driveway, and I announce, “We’re here.”
“This is where we’re staying?”
Once we park, she stands in front, staring at the little bungalow, an expression of content coming through. “I love it. It’s just the two of us?” she asks, looking back at me.
“I thought it would be nice to have the privacy until we leave for Costa Rica in a few days.”
“And I, for one, love the romantic gesture. This location is beautiful.”
“It’s dark now, but I’m quite partial to the beach view as well.” I open the front door of the small house for her, but yank her back after she takes a quick step inside. “Uh, uh, uh,” I gently scold.
Surprised, she looks at me perplexed and asks, “What?”
I bend down and as I start to lift her up, she says, “You’re kidding me. You’re carrying me over the threshold?” She kisses me on the nose. “Awww, you’re such a romantic.”
“I want to do things right by you and don’t want you to miss anything that you might’ve dreamed about.”
“It’s been a wonderful day. Every dream come true.” I set her down over the threshold, and she wanders off to explore the house. I take my jacket off and then retrieve our bags from the car. After setting down the luggage, I flop down on the couch, the day catching up.