“Wait until you see the bride,” I told him.
Logan stopped in front of me and shook his head. “You look beautiful.”
Instead of deflecting like I so desperately wanted, I let out a deep breath. “Thank you.” I tilted my head back where Molly waited for him. “You ready for this?”
“Hell no,” he answered feelingly.
I laughed.
But to my absolute horror, his eyes got bright as he stared over my shoulder. “Shit, I just saw her.”
“Do not start crying.” I glanced up at the sky and blinked. “If you had any idea how long this makeup took, you’d take pity on me.”
Behind him, I saw guests starting to filter toward the adjacent garden, where the ceremony would take place. From where she stood, Molly was protected from view by a large hedge. I clutched my purse tightly, and Logan laid a hand on mine, squeezing gently.
“I don’t think you have anything to worry about, Iz. She’s not here.”
I turned my hand and clutched his. “I know. I think I always knew she wasn’t going to come.”
His eyes, so capable of seeing through all of us, studied me carefully. “From the first day, it’s been her loss. And my unbelievable gain.”
When my eyes watered, I let out a deep breath. “Today is going to be great,” I told him. “Even if you cry like a baby when you walk her down the aisle.”
He chuckled.
“Who’s crying like a baby?” Paige asked. She grinned at Logan when he stepped away from me and slid an arm around her waist. “Is it you, husband?”
“Maybe,” he murmured.
“Ready to go see our girl?” Paige said gently. “She’s waiting.”
Logan nodded, his jaw tight.
I stood in place and watched them walk hand in hand toward Molly. My sister turned and saw Logan, and my big brother had to stop to rub suspiciously at his eyes. Paige rubbed his back, which heaved on a massive breath. He approached Molly, shaking his head. He reached out and swiped a thumb under her eyes, and when they embraced tightly, I had to look down at the grass so I didn’t absolutely lose it.
No matter what happened for the rest of the day, I would be okay.
Or tomorrow, or the week after.
Even if I felt slightly hollowed out after what happened with Aiden, and his continued silence, days like today filled some of that void with pure joy.
It’s the only reason I could smile as I turned toward the hotel.
But I stopped short, the breath knocked out of me like a punch.
Aiden.
He was at the end of the path, waiting for me. Hair slicked back neatly, jaw slightly dark with stubble, and his muscular frame covered in a deep navy suit that fit him so perfectly I could’ve wept. He wore no tie, his hands hanging loosely at his sides.
My hand fluttered to my stomach, and his eyes tracked the movement.
It must have been enough for him because he approached with long-legged strides, eyes confident, mouth slightly curved in a smile.
“Wh-what are you doing here?” I asked.
His eyes traced my face, but he said nothing until he held out his hand. “I’m here for you.”
The sight of his arm outstretched blurred through the tears that filled my eyes until I willed them away. Taking in a slow breath, I slid my palm against his, only exhaling when he wove our fingers together.
Together, we walked down a short fork in the paved path, and he gave me a secretive smile over his shoulder when we turned around a large tiled wall to a small enclosed garden.
I was gripping his hand so tightly when he stopped, I wondered if he would pull away. Instead, he took my other hand in his, gently curled his fingers around my wrist, lifting it up to his mouth so he could press a kiss to where I’d worn the brace.
His eyes held fast to mine, and honestly, I wasn’t sure how I was still standing.
I wasn’t sure how my legs still worked or how my heart was still pounding blood to my body because it all rushed through my head.
Even with my heels, he towered over me, but Aiden gently tugged, pulling me into his arms.
His hands slid over the skin of my back, my arms curled around his middle, and I breathed out shakily when there was nothing but him. Nothing I could smell or see or feel except Aiden.
All the times we’d been alone, I’d imagined heat and the lighting of a bonfire, flames hitting the sky in a sharp whooshing sound.
But this, what a slow, gentle undoing of my heart. His fingers slid up the bumps on my spine, and I tucked my body closer to his. Those hands, they pushed underneath the veil of my hair until he cupped the back of my neck.
I pulled back to stare up at him. My smile was as easy as breathing, which was sort of how it felt to fall in love with him. It was simply the way I worked, I realized. It was the big picture that I hadn’t been able to see until he was in front of me. Loving him was the thing I was born to do.
His big hand slid over the side of my face, thumb brushing the seam of my lips.
“I’m sorry I made you wait,” he whispered.
My lips split in a happy smile. “You’re worth it.”
Aiden cupped my face in both hands and leaned down. But instead of brushing his lips over mine, he kissed my cheekbone. My forehead. The tip of my nose. My hands curled into the lapels of his jacket, helpless fists that did nothing to make him hurry up and kiss me already. Then I tugged, and he chuckled against my temple.
“Impatient,” he said.
My nose brushing his, I angled my head so that our mouths were a hairsbreadth apart. “You have no idea,” I told him.
“And beautiful.” He kissed the edge of my lips. “So beautiful.” The other side.
Every inch of my body vibrated dangerously, his lips hovering over mine for a beat. Our eyes met, locked together like that, and I saw the challenge he held in his.
Sliding my hands up his chest and around his neck, I curled my fingers around the curve of his skull and pushed up on the balls of my feet, mouth sealing over his.
It was the only moment I was in control.
Aiden wrapped an arm around my waist, sliding his tongue against mine, angling his head so he could take our kiss deeper. His fingers tangled in my hair, and I tried to scramble closer but couldn’t.
He groaned, deep in his chest when I sucked on his tongue. His fingers dug into my flesh as our kiss went on and on.
Sipping at my lips, Aiden tested the way our lips moved together. Our bodies were so close, breath moving from me to him, and when he slid his tongue in a long swipe over mine, I hummed happily.
His body was so strong, so hard, and I stumbled backward, my shoulder blades hitting against sun-warmed tile. He followed me, tilting his head to suck at my bottom lip.
My head dropped back, and his fingers found the curve of my ass through my dress, grabbing hard, tugging me closer to him. His mouth slid along the edge of my jaw, the edge of his teeth pulling at my earlobe until I moaned a curse.
“Iz?” Lia called from the other side of the wall.
Aiden and I froze.
“Hang on,” I managed.
“Yeah, umm”—she sounded like she was grinning—“you’re needed for some pictures.”
Aiden stared down at me, looking very much like he wanted to devour me whole, and when I licked my lips, he clenched his jaw until a muscle ticked deliciously. He pulled his hand from my ass, sliding it up my waist, skirting the side of my breast, stopping briefly to drag his thumb along the small cutout on my midriff.
“I meant to take that a little slower,” he said, speaking into the crown of my hair, dropping a kiss on the top of my head.
I blew out a hard breath. “I’m sure as hell not complaining.”
Aiden burst out laughing, his smile broad and happy, his teeth white and straight, and he wrapped me up in his arms again.
When I pulled away, my cheeks felt hot. “Did you mess up all my makeup?”
“You look perfect.”
&n
bsp; With a skeptical lift of my eyebrows, I ran my fingers through my hair, then picked up my clutch where it had fallen onto the grass. I reapplied some ChapStick because not even on my sister’s wedding day was I willing to wear lipstick.
I tucked my hair behind my ears and gave him a slight smile. “I’ll find you after the ceremony.”
He nodded. “I think I’m going to wait here and recite multiplication tables.”
I glanced down, pursing my lips thoughtfully. “Probably a good idea.”
When I rounded the corner, Lia was grinning like a loon.
“Shut up,” I told her.
When I glanced over my shoulder, I saw him watching us. And the promise I saw in his eyes, I couldn’t help but shiver.
“Ooooh, baby, Isabel’s got a boyfriend,” she sang. “It’s about fricken time.”
“I hate you.”
With a happy sigh, she slid her arm around my waist. “No, you don’t. Now come on, let’s go get Molly married.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Isabel
Any attempt to save my makeup from Logan or Aiden or whatever man seemed destined to ruin it was a fool’s errand.
Once I made my way down the aisle, clutching the small bouquet, it was the last dry moment my eyes experienced for the entirety of the twenty-minute ceremony.
Emmett, dressed in a tux to match Logan’s, was pushing a stroller that we’d decorated in Molly and Noah’s wedding colors. Strapped inside was Gabriel, wearing the cutest fricken baby tuxedo the world had ever seen, holding a small pillow that said, Here comes my aunt. At all of a few months old, he may have started my crying first.
Music cued up over the speakers, and I gave Noah an encouraging smile. The large man looked as nervous as I’d ever seen him, hands fidgeting in front of him while we waited for Molly and my brother to appear. I’d seen her all morning, witnessed her transformation to the bride he was about to see for the first time, so instead of watching the aisle, I watched Noah.
And I knew the moment she appeared because the scariest defensive end in the league, the one who grew up in the house behind ours, absolutely crumpled when he saw my sister walking toward him.
He held a hand over his mouth briefly, eyes shining with unshed tears. His friend and teammate, standing in the mirror position to mine, slapped him on the back and whispered something to Noah that had him dropping his hand, straightening so that he could watch Molly. A tear slid down the side of his cheek when he smiled at her.
Behind me was joint sniffling from the twins, and in the front row, Paige cried without even attempting to stop the flow of tears down her face as Logan walked Molly down the aisle. When they reached the front—as planned—Paige came from her seat and took her place on the other side of Molly, anchoring her arm around my sister’s waist.
Logan kissed Molly’s cheek and whispered something that made her emit a watery sob. With a brief glance up at the sky, I blinked rapidly. Claire tapped me on the shoulder and handed me a small tissue. I smiled, gently blotting underneath my eyes.
After a short greeting, the minister took his place with a smile, gesturing for Noah to get Molly. “And who gives this woman to be married today?”
Paige and Logan shared a meaningful look. “We do,” they said in unison.
Noah and Logan exchanged a small, secret handshake that had the Wolves’ teammates in the crowd chuckling audibly. And then my sister took Noah’s hand, pausing so he could say something quietly, only audible to her, that had her looking up at him with so much love, the waterworks almost started anew.
It was difficult to stand still, especially in those freaking heels, but once I got Molly’s flowers from her, that was kind of my job. Only once—and I was very proud of myself—did I look out into the rows of seats.
Aiden’s gaze was on me, and when our eyes locked, he sent me a subdued smile that had my palms going a little sweaty.
What a first date.
Bawling my eyes out in front of a hundred people, finally letting go of the emotional weight that had been pushing on my shoulders, and wearing the type of dress that made any type of undergarment outside of a G-string completely impossible.
Even if I had pictured my first date with Aiden, I never would’ve pictured this. A hike maybe. Wandering around downtown. Something simple and easy, nothing overdone or fussy.
This was as fussy as I’d ever get. And still, he was here.
Spinning down the mental path of what it meant or what it signified was pointless. Which was why I directed my attention back to the minister, and to Molly and Noah.
I couldn’t see my sister’s face, but I could see Noah’s, and the way he gazed down at her was enough to turn me into a giant pile of mush.
Molly took a deep breath when it was her turn to say vows.
“Today, surrounded by all the people who love us best, I say the words I do, but I am really promising that I will.” He smiled, lifting one of her hands for a soft kiss. “I will take your hand and stand by your side in the good and the bad. I will be your guiding light in the darkness, your shoulder to lean on when life is hard. As your wife, I will be your navigator and your best friend. I promise to honor, cherish, and love you through all of life’s adventures.” Her voice wobbled. “Today, Noah Griffin, and every day for as long as I live, I will choose you as my husband.”
Noah grinned down at her.
“Today, surrounded by all the people who love us best,” he rumbled in that deep voice of his, “I say the words I do, but I am really promising that I will. I will take your hand and stand by your side in the good and the bad. I will be the one who supports your dreams more than any other. I will shelter you from whatever storms hit us. As your husband, I will be your partner and your best friend. I promise to honor, cherish, and love you through all of life’s adventures. Today, Molly Ward, and every day for as long as I live, I will choose you as my wife.”
Rings were exchanged, they were pronounced husband and wife, and when he wrapped her in his arms for a shockingly passionate kiss, a cheer of Super Bowl proportions rang through the gardens. Laughing along with my sisters as it did, I couldn’t help but sweep my gaze over the people sitting in the chairs.
I recognized most of the faces, but not all. Out of all those faces, I didn’t see the one I was seeking.
It was a strange realization to have amid such overflowing happiness that still … Brooke hadn’t come. Given the choice, extended with grace by someone who’d forgiven her, she’d stayed away.
Molly, I knew, would be fine. As her brand-new husband drew away from her, tucked her hand in the crook of his elbow, and escorted her down the carpet of lush emerald grass to the sound of cheers and whistles, I thought about all the different ways people moved on.
Maybe I held onto the past, held onto anger, or my reserve with men with white-knuckled hands because they were all something I could control, but Aiden showing up for me today was something I hadn’t been in control of.
It was his way of moving on too, and I had to recognize the gesture, even if it hadn’t come with any big speeches. Yet.
He couldn’t have predicted how I’d react, but still, he showed up. Held his hand out to me, gave me a choice.
When I took the arm of Kareem, one of Noah’s teammates, and we followed the happy couple down the aisle, I knew my choices would be unfolding in front of me all night.
I chose, as Aiden watched me with a steady, calm gaze, to set aside anything Brooke could’ve done—or not done—to this day. Like my brother said, it was—and always had been—her loss.
When Molly jumped into Noah’s arms for another kiss, I felt lighter than I had in years. Happier.
The wedding planner hustled the wedding party back out to another garden for pictures, and when I glanced over my shoulder to catch Aiden’s eye, he winked.
That wink held me over the eternal length of time it took us to take pictures with the whole wedding party. If what I needed to do was screw a smile on my face for a bi
llion clicks of her camera, then that was what I would do.
Hovering at the edge of the side garden where we stood, I saw a glimpse of his navy suit. The wedding coordinator was talking to the photographer, and Molly and Noah whispered quietly to each other, so I decided to sneak in his direction.
I nudged Lia with my elbow. Both of the twins turned.
“I’ll be right there if they need me,” I said, tilting my head to where I’d seen him.
“I will make sure to give plenty of warning before I come around the corner to get you,” she answered seriously.
As I walked to Aiden, I flipped her my middle finger, which had her and Claire laughing.
He turned as I approached, no smile on his face but warm, warm eyes. It was terrifying how much I wanted to dive into him and never resurface.
Aiden opened his arms, and I walked straight into his embrace. His hands smoothed along my bare back, and I curled into him, burrowing deeper into his warmth.
This cannot be normal, I thought.
When his broad chest started shaking on a laugh, I realized I’d spoken out loud.
Pulling back so I could see his face, I gave him an embarrassed smile. “You know what I mean.”
“Yeah,” he murmured.
“I didn’t even ask earlier, but who invited you?”
“Molly,” he said. He drew a hand from my back and smoothed it down the line of my arm, like he simply wanted to touch as much of me as possible. “She stopped by my house.”
“Really?”
Aiden nodded.
But then he seemed to struggle to find the words, and I couldn’t help but smile. “Okay, the big broody silent man routine is only sexy in certain situations, and this isn’t one of them, Hennessy.”
In response, he tugged me closer with a subdued laugh, and I played with the edge of his lapel. He smelled so good, but gawd, I’d stop sniffing like a crazy person if he came only because of this.
“Didn’t you have time to practice what to say?” I teased.
His eyes held mine, his fingers sweeping into the ends of my hair. “I’m not … I’m not good at speeches like this. I never know the right thing to say, or how to explain what I’m feeling.”
Forbidden: A Ward Sisters Sisters Novel Page 23